Grand Cru Roches Christmas tree

Bring the water, sugar and glucose syrup to the boil at 100°C. Then leave to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature (20-22°C).

Carefully mix the almond sticks together with the sugar syrup and vanilla powder in a container. Spread evenly on a silicone baking mat.

Roast in a convection oven at 140-150°C for approx. 45-60 minutes until golden brown. Stir with a spatula every 15 minutes during the roasting process so that the almonds caramelize evenly.

Mix the caramelized almond sticks with croquantine and gingerbread spice. Temper the mixture in a warming cabinet at 30-33°C for 2-3 hours.

Mix the liquid cocoa butter and tempered couverture well. Add the tempered almond mixture and mix everything thoroughly. Process the complete Roches mixture immediately.

Pour the warm roches mixture into star-shaped cookie cutters on a silicone baking mat:

Total weight per Christmas tree: 218 g Roches mixture

Crystallization:

pre-crystallize for 5 minutes at 2-5°C.

Then allow to crystallize completely for 12-24 hours at 16-18°C and 60% relative humidity.

Place the Roches stars on top of each other in descending size with tempered couverture. Leave to crystallize at 18-20°C until the structure is stable.

Mix the sugar and egg white (5°C) until a fluffy, snow-like structure is formed. Then immediately apply evenly to the Roches Christmas tree by hand.

Leave the decorated Christmas tree to dry completely for 12-24 hours at room temperature (18-22°C).

pour 60 g of tempered couverture into a base mold (11.3×11.3 cm). Tap slightly so that the mass is evenly distributed. Place the assembled Christmas tree in the middle of the still liquid couverture.

Sprinkle the surface of the base with snow sugar.

leave to crystallize for 10-15 minutes at 2-5°C. Then leave to crystallize further at 16-18°C (ideally 12-24 hours).

Finally, dust the shaped Christmas tree with icing sugar.