Élysée

If you've pretty much tried every recipe in Desserts by Pierre Hermé and Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé - the two most readily available books by the French pastry demi-god in English - and await with bated breath the day they decide to translate ph10, what to do in the interim? Why, go backwards (chronologically) and find a copy of La Pâtisserie de Pierre Hermé of course. While it doesn't benefit from Ms Dorie Greenspan's generosity with exhaustive detail in a recipe, what this comprehensive tome does is chart the signature creations of his pre-ph, pre-Ladurée, 11-year reign at Fauchon - fascinating stuff, especially for dessert dorks. This being back in the day, most of the desserts are very classic in presentation. Nonetheless, despite their elegant, old school garb, they feature the unexpected yet brilliant combinations of tastes and textures that have become synonymous with the pastry chef.

Ever wondered how to achieve those snazzy special effects showcased in the window displays of Paris' haute pâtisseries? All the trucs of the trade are here. For instance, to "print" a striped design on biscuit joconde (used to line the sides of the Élysée), spread a thin, even layer of pâte à cigarette (which can be tinted any colour you wish, or coloured/flavoured with cocoa in this particular instance) over a silicone mat and drag a decorating comb across the surface to trace the lines, removing excess cigarette batter from the comb between each pass. Freeze this, then spread a thin, even layer of joconde batter on top. Once baked, the design you've created with cigarette batter is embedded in the joconde sheet. The sheet is cut to size to line the inner sides of the mold intended for your cake.

When I realized how biscuit joconde imprimé is far less tricksy to do than it looks, my mind boggled with the possibilities beyond straightforward stripes - move the comb this way and that to create wavy or diagonal markings, use combs with more widely or narrowly spaced teeth, get down with a piping bag, check out funky stencils at the craft and art supplies shops, or even go all Martha, make a trip to the hardware store, and customise your own stencils armed with nothing more than acetate sheets and a trusty Stanley knife...

The Élysée comprises of layers of chocolate cake soaked in an Earl Grey tea syrup, chocolate mousse, and Earl Grey tea mousse, and is finished with a chocolate glaze. I love the way Earl Grey goes with chocolate - the bergamot really enhances the flavour, particularly if you use a chocolate with fruity notes (I used Manjari 64%).