Renowned pastry chef Pierre Hermé brings his masterful creations to home bakers with Infiniment Pâtisserie, a new book featuring 66 refined recipes organized around daily moments: breakfast, snacks, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner. As a world's leading authority on pâtisserie, Hermé's light, sensitive pastries elevate everyday indulgence. Exclusively here, recreate his iconic giant Plénitude cookie.
Infiniment Pâtisserie by Pierre Hermé, published by La Martinière, €35. Photographer: Laurent Fau.
How to Make Pierre Hermé's Giant Plénitude Cookie
Serves 8
Preparation time: 1 hour
Rest time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
Fleur de sel chocolate shortbread dough
- 150 g Guanaja dark chocolate with 70% cocoa (Valrhona®)
- 175 g flour
- 30 g cocoa powder (Valrhona®)
- 5 g sodium bicarbonate
- 150 g unsalted butter at room temperature
- 120 g light brown sugar
- 50 g caster sugar
- 2 g natural liquid vanilla extract
- 5 g Guérande fleur de sel
Chocolate shortbread spread
- 40 g Guanaja dark chocolate with 70% cocoa (Valrhona®)
- 100 g grapeseed oil
- 300 g chocolate shortbread biscuits with fleur de sel
Infiniment caramel spread
- 30 g liquid cream (30% fat)
- 65 g unsweetened condensed milk
- 95 g caster sugar
- 8 g unsalted butter
- 8 g semi-salted butter
Caramel chips
- 65 g glucose syrup
- 65 g caster sugar
- 15 g semi-salted butter
- 25 g unsalted butter
Dark chocolate and caramel cookies
- 225 g flour
- 5 g baking powder
- 1.5 g baking soda
- 240 g Guanaja dark chocolate with 70% cocoa (Valrhona®)
- 150 g unsalted butter at room temperature
- 5 g Guérande fleur de sel
- 120 g brown sugar
- 120 g muscovado sugar
- 75 g whole eggs
- 100 g caramel chips
For finishing
- 100 g Guanaja dark chocolate with 70% cocoa (Valrhona®)
Step-by-Step Preparation
Chocolate shortbread with fleur de sel
- Chop the chocolate into small pieces on a cutting board with a knife.
- Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda. In a food processor with the paddle attachment, soften the butter, then add sugars, fleur de sel, and vanilla extract. Incorporate the dry mixture and chopped chocolate, mixing minimally like shortbread dough.
- Divide into three 220 g portions and roll into 40 cm logs, 4 cm in diameter.
- Chill for 1 hour, then slice into 1 cm thick cookies. Preheat fan oven to 170°C (th. 5-6).
- Bake on parchment-lined trays for 8 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Tip: Freeze extra raw dough wrapped in film for later.
Chocolate shortbread spread
- Melt chocolate to 45°C in a bain-marie or microwave, then add oil.
- Process shortbread biscuits to a powder, then to a paste.
- Blend in chocolate-oil mixture until smooth. Use immediately.
Infiniment caramel spread
- Boil cream and condensed milk in a saucepan.
- In another, caramelize sugar gradually until amber.
- Add butters to dissolve, then cream mixture in stages; cook to 108°C.
- Blend with immersion blender and set aside.
Caramel chips
- Melt glucose and sugar in a saucepan to caramelize.
- Stir in butters until smooth.
- Spread thinly on parchment-lined tray; cool, freeze, and break into chips.
Tip: Stop caramelizing before first smoke appears.
Dark chocolate and caramel cookie dough
- Sift flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Chop chocolate into small pieces.
- Cream butter in food processor with paddle. Add fleur de sel, sugars, and eggs; mix 3 minutes.
- Incorporate dry ingredients, caramel chips, and chocolate; mix 2-3 minutes.
- Press into 28 cm x 3-4 cm ring on parchment-lined sheet; bake at 160°C (th. 5) for 22 minutes.
- Cool and cut into 4-5 cm pieces.
Finishing
- Coarsely chop chocolate.
- Pipe chocolate shortbread and infiniment caramel spreads onto cookie pieces.
- Sprinkle with caramel and chocolate chips. Serve at room temperature.
