Chocolate Bavarois with cocoa soil

CHOCOLATE BAVAROIS WITH COCOA SOIL

I've just experienced a super fast pit stop in Munich (Munchen).

My time was swallowed up by beer houses, Christmas markets, beer houses, Viktualienmarkt (central food market), and beer houses (did I already say that?!). A welcome change to sausages, mashed potato and cabbage was found at Eataly (I did not know an Eatily was even here, so it was a great Italian surprise ... I could pretty much be locked in the NY site and spend the rest of my life there happily).

The Viktualienmarkt was busy with lots of extra Christmas goodies on sale amongst the fresh vegetables, fish and sausage stands, including lots of Christmas decorations. I was surprised to see ingredients and influences from further away, there were a lot of mediteranian style ingredients, and a large Spanish influence (yum). The array of mushrooms and fresh truffles found inside a Christmas decorations stall was amazing!

Visitors and locals as far as I could experienced, like to drink in Munich ... and the atmosphere was festive to say the least. People were having a great time, whether they were squished into a little bar with nothing more than a long bar to stand at, or amongst the masses at the colossal Hofbrauhaus being wooed by the roaming pretzel boy to the jolly musical soundtrack of the live Oompa band.

The sparkly Christmas markets in the Marienplatz central square, under the shadow of a giant illuminated Christmas tree and the imposing new town hall Rathaus, were jumping. The atmosphere was great, people weren't in a hurry ... and of course the Gluhwein was flowing fast and freely!

In the light of the day, the Marienplatz is just as dazzling, and the display of the life size figures dancing and jousting in the tower of the giant glockenspiel at 11am is not to be missed. Of course, no surprises here, the joust was won by the blue and white checkered Bavarian knight, and I'm pretty sure he is the victor everytime!

So my exposure to the sweet side of this super fun Bavarian culture was sadly lacking, but I do know Bavarois (French term for Bavarian cream), has their name in it! The hazy history of Bavarian cream seems to point to French chefs learning how to make it (or something similar) in the late 1600's and the early 1700's when they cooked in the court of the Wittelsbach Princes who ruled Bavaria.

Bavarois is a very simple dessert, with a custard base, set with gelatiine rather than a thickener, with lightly whipped cream folded through before it's set, yielding a relatively light texture.

I've included some delicious cocoa soil at the base of my bavarois glasses, which gives a great contrast to the bavarois in both flavour (adds a little bitterness and nuttiness) and texture (crunchy against the silky bavarois). The soil is such a tasty little recipe, and a great addition to all sorts of desserts ... a great one to have in your repertoire!

I hope you enjoy this very easy chocolate bavarois dessert!