If the divine creator has taken pains to give us delicious and exquisite things to eat, the least we can do is prepare them well and serve them with ceremony.”
These are the words of the renowned early-20th century chef Fernand Point, known as the father of modern French cuisine, as well as the inventor of this many-layered pastry of earthly delights, marjolaine.
Point owned a three-Michelin-starred restaurant, La Pyramide, in Viennes, France, from 1924 until his death in 1955. His widow, Mado, kept the restaurant running and, 16 years after Point’s death, published his recipes and philosophical aphorisms in a tome entitled Ma Gastronomie. In it was the original recipe for marjolaine.
No one knows why Chef Point named this gâteau marjolaine, which is French for marjoram, since the herb is not listed among its ingredients. But it is nothing if not complex, consisting of seven layers: four layers of almond and hazelnut dacquoise sandwiched with buttercream and chocolate ganache.
The fillings may vary, which I’m sure Point would not object to, as long as they are made with the finest and freshest ingredients. (He forbade his cooks from saving anything for the next day, always buying his provisions fresh each morning.) A perfectionist, Point was constantly tweaking his dishes — another of his observations was “In all professions without doubt, but certainly in cooking, one is a student all one’s life.”
The version I made for this technical challenge is Mary Berry’s recipe, which features a layer of chocolate ganache and a French buttercream (crème au beurre) studded with pulverized praline to give it a slight crunch and a caramelly flavor. The layers are then coated with more praline buttercream, and ganache is piped on top in a diagonal pattern. The sides are covered with sliced almonds, and hazelnuts and pistachios fill the diagonal, chocolate-lined sections on top. The overall effect is elegant and would make a wonderful centerpiece for a special occasion.
I made a few adjustments to ensure that the crème au beurre was safe to eat by heating the egg yolks with the sugar in a bain-marie to 155°F and then whipping them at high speed until fluffy and stiff before adding the butter, a little at a time, and then folding in the praline. This differs from the traditional method of boiling the sugar and water together until it reaches soft ball stage and then gradually pouring the hot sugar syrup over the egg yolks with the mixer running.
Also, because I lacked the 12-by-8-inch Swiss roll pans Mary’s recipe calls for, I drew four, 12-by-4-inch rectangles onto parchment paper and piped the meringue mixture for the dacquoises directly onto the parchment, smoothed them with an offset spatula and then baked them on a flat baking sheet. This also meant I didn’t have to try to cut the dacquoises in half without breaking them.
I wouldn’t call this bake particularly difficult, just a bit time consuming. The good news is that it can be made a day ahead, as the dacquoise softens up ever so slightly in the fridge, maintaining its signature crunch while helping the flavors meld together ever so slightly.
Any one of these layers by itself would, in my opinion, be too rich and overpowering. Experienced together, however, the chocolate and nuts offset the sweetness of the meringue and buttercream, resulting in a delightfully nutty, crunchy, creamy concoction that only a French chef of Point’s stature and genius could pull off. Thankfully, he left his instructions behind for the rest of us.
For Chef Point’s original recipe, you’ll have to find a copy of Ma Gastronomie. Mary Berry’s version is here, but I’ve adapted it for American bakers below (with my adjustments mentioned above).
Mary Berry’s Marjolaine
(Adapted for American bakers)
For the dacquoise:
- 1¼ c. blanched, sliced almonds
- 1 c. blanched hazelnuts
- 1½ c. superfine (baker’s) sugar, divided
- 2½ T. cornstarch
- 6 large egg whites (reserve yolks for the buttercream)
For the chocolate ganache:
- 1 c. + 3 T. heavy cream
- 12½ oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
For the praline:
- 1 c. blanched, sliced almonds
- 1½ c. superfine (baker’s) sugar
- 3½ oz. (7 T.) water
For the buttercream:
- 1 c. + 2 T. superfine (baker’s) sugar
- 8 egg yolks (use the 6 reserved from making the dacquoise, plus 2 more)
- 1 T. water
- 1½ c. unsalted butter, slightly softened, cut into pieces
For assembly:
- 1½ c. sliced almonds
- 1/3 c. chopped hazelnuts
- ½ c. slivered (or chopped) pistachios
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment. On each piece of parchment paper, draw two, 12-inch by 4-inch rectangles with a pencil. Then flip the parchment over so the pencil lines are underneath. (This is so the graphite won’t adhere to the meringue.)
- To make the dacquoise, put the almonds and hazelnuts into the bowl of food processor and pulse until finely ground. Spread out the ground nuts on a baking tray and roast for 10 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes until golden-brown. Transfer to a large bowl and leave to cool. When cool, stir in ½ cup of the sugar and the cornstarch. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.
- Pour the egg whites into the bowl of a free-standing electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whisk on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until the egg whites are opaque and frothy. Increase the speed and add the remaining 1 cup sugar, a spoonful at a time, whipping until the meringue forms stiff, glossy peaks. Gently fold the toasted nut mixture through the meringue.
- Transfer the meringue to a large piping bag fitted with a plain, ½-inch tip. Pipe the meringue onto the four rectangles drawn on the parchment paper. Smooth with an offset spatula. Bake for 45–60 minutes, until light golden-brown and firm to the touch. Remove from oven and leave on the baking sheets to cool.
- To make the praline, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the almonds in a single layer on the parchment. Toast the almonds in the hot oven until golden-brown. Remove from oven and leave the almonds on the baking tray while you make the caramel.
- Combine the sugar and water in a deep saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil, without stirring, until the syrup turns golden-brown or reaches 338°F on a sugar thermometer. (CAUTION: boiling sugar is extremely hot. Handle very carefully. Use a deep pan to avoid bubbling over.)
- Remove syrup from heat and pour over the almonds on the baking tray. Leave to cool, then break the praline into pieces and process to a fine powder in a food processor.
- To make the ganache, heat the cream in a small saucepan just until simmering. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and pour the hot cream over it. Stir until chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Leave to cool until ganache is thick enough to spread and pipe. (If it’s taking too long, pop the bowl in the refrigerator for a few minutes, but don’t leave it in too long or it will be too stiff.)
- To make the buttercream, in a heatproof mixer bowl, combine egg yolks with sugar and water. Whisk until completely blended together.
- Place a pan of water over high heat until steaming; then adjust the temperature to maintain a gentle simmer. Place the bowl of egg yolk mixture over the simmering pan of water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the surface of the water. Stir and scrape the egg yolk syrup constantly with a flexible spatula until the mixture reaches 155°F. This should only take about 5 minutes; if it seems to be taking too long, simply turn up the heat.
- Transfer the bowl to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip at high speed until mixture is fluffy and stiff and beginning to ball up around the whisk — about 8 minutes. By this time, the bottom of the bowl should be cool to the touch.
- With the mixer still running, add the butter, 1-2 tablespoons at a time, waiting only a second or two between additions. This should result in a thick, creamy, spreadable texture. If the mixture seems to break apart, keep mixing; it will come back together. Fold in the praline powder and chill until needed.
- To assemble, spread out the almonds on a baking sheet and toast in a 300°F oven until golden-brown. Transfer almonds to a bowl and spread the hazelnuts on the same baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden-brown.
- Carefully remove the baking parchment from the bottom of the dacquoises. Place one rectangle of dacquoise on a serving plate and spread with one quarter of the buttercream. Top with a second piece of dacquoise and spread with one third of the ganache. Top with a third piece of dacquoise and spread with another quarter of the buttercream. Top with final dacquoise.
- Spread the remaining buttercream over the top and sides of the gâteau, and press the toasted, sliced almonds onto all four sides. Transfer the remaining ganache into a piping bag fitted with a small star nozzle. Pipe the ganache around the top edge of the cake and in five diagonal lines across the top of the marjolaine. Fill the gaps between the piped lines with alternating hazelnuts and pistachios.
- Serve immediately or store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.
Up next: Mini Mousse Cakes
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