Recipe: Edible Terrarium

Maxwell & Williams have created this unique recipe idea for an Edible Terrarium which is served in their “Little Jungle Terrarium”. On first glance it may appear to be very plantlike, but in fact it is a sweet dessert of meringue, chocolate and mousse.

Serving: 1 Terrarium 15cm
Preparation: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Chocolate Mousse

• 250g mascarpone
• 1/3 cup icing sugar
• 1/4 cup Dutch cocoa powder

Chocolate Soil

• 125g chocolate biscuits (like Chocolate Ripple biscuits or Oreos)
• 1/4 cup chocolate sauce, ganache or salted caramel

Mushroom Meringues

• 75g egg white
• 150g caster sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa, to dust
• 50g quality milk chocolate, melted

Toppings

• Chocolate rocks, which can be purchased at your specialty lolly stores or online
• 1 bunch mint leaves

Method

Chocolate Mousse

1. Place mascarpone in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment

2. Whip the mascarpone until smooth and creamy.

3. Sift in the icing sugar and cocoa and beat together.

4. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight

Chocolate Soil

1. Place biscuits into a food processor and blitz until they become crumbs

2. Add the sauce and pulse until the crumbs come together like dirt

Mushroom Meringues

1. Preheat oven to 110c.

2. Place caster sugar in a heatproof bowl and place in the oven to heat for 10 – 15 minutes. Ensure the sugar is hot, but does not caramelise.

3. Meanwhile, place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the beater attachment and beat until soft peaks form.

4. Add hot sugar, 1tbsp at a time, combining between each addition.

5. Continue to beat egg white mixture until it becomes stiff, white and glossy and all the sugar is combined

6. Using a piping bag fitted with a 0.7cm – 1cm diameter round piping nozzle, spoon meringue into piping bag. Carefully pipe out the bases and caps.

7. Caps should be approximately 2cm wide and bases to be no more than 1cm wide. Try and lift the piping bag up to form bases with a bit of height.

8. Once all of the bases and caps have been piped, sift over and lightly dust meringues with cocoa powder.

9. Bake meringues in the oven for 20 minutes.

10. Open the oven and let the meringues cool with the door slightly ajar.

11. Once completely cool, stick together the bases and the caps with melted chocolate. Allow to set before using.

The Terrarium

1. Spoon chocolate mousse into the base of your terrarium.

2. Top with chocolate soil and mint leaves.

3. Sprinkle some more chocolate soil and add in chocolate rocks around the mint to ensure they stay upright and look like a real garden bed.

4. Carefully place mushroom meringues in and around the mint leaves