High School students are not just baking cookies anymore

Preheat oven to 400° F. Lightly spray a 9" x 13" shallow pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line pan with parchment paper and spray to coat the paper and sides of the pan.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a small heat-resistant bowl over a pot of simmering water. Remove bowl from heat and gently stir in egg yolks. Using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites at medium speed. When the egg whites become foamy, slowly add the sugar and whisk to a medium stiff peak.

Gently fold about 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Fold this mixture into the remaining egg whites until incorporated. Spread evenly onto prepared pan and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool completely. Invert onto a cutting board, remove pan and peel off parchment paper. Using a round 2 ½-inch cutter, cut out six rounds and reserve.

In a small saucepan, heat the orange juice and zest to a simmer over a low heat. Meanwhile, in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir together the sugar and water. Cook over a medium heat without stirring until mixture turns a medium amber color, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and slowly add ½ of the orange juice. Gently swirl the pan, causing the caramel to bubble. As it stops bubbling, use a wooden spoon to stir the juice into the caramel. Repeat with the remaining juice. Add the liqueur and salt, stir until smooth.  Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate.

Fill a small bowl with cold water and submerge gelatin sheet in it. Using a large serrated knife, finely chop the chocolate and place it in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until smooth.

In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together 1 cup of heavy cream with the milk to a boil. Slowly, but vigorously, whisk about half of the hot cream into the egg yolk mixture. Return mixture to the pan, whisking into the remaining hot cream and milk. Cook over low heat continuously stirring with a wooden spoon. Cook until mixture thickens slightly, about 8-10 minutes, and immediately remove from heat.

Remove gelatin sheet from water and gently rinse under cold running water. Squeeze out excess water and stir gelatin sheet into the hot mixture until dissolved. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve over the chocolate and let stand for 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth.

In a large stainless steel bowl, whisk the remaining cup of heavy cream to soft peaks. Fold the chocolate mixture into the whipped cream until smooth.

Line a baking sheet with 4-ounce flexible dome molds. Fill the molds with equal amounts of chocolate mousse and freeze until slightly firm, about 1 hour. Using a round tablespoon measure, scoop out about 1 ½ spoonfuls from the centers of chilled mousse, creating a cavity. Fill in cavity with Orange Caramel Sauce and top with a disc of Chocolate Cake Base. Freeze for at least 2 hours before unmolding.

Using a small serrated knife, cut off top and bottom of oranges. Stand the oranges up on one of the flat sides and cut away all of the peel and white pith. Holding an orange in hand over a bowl, cut the segments away from the membrane, allowing the segments to fall into the bowl below. Add Orange Caramel Sauce and gently toss together to coat orange segments.

In a bowl, whisk together sugar, flour and orange juice. Stir in butter, zest and salt. Refrigerate batter for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a flat baking sheet with a nonstick silicon baking mat or parchment paper.  Using a small offset spatula or small spoon, take about one teaspoon and spread a thin rectangle onto the sheet. Spread up to six rectangles on the tray, leaving about 3 inches of space in between. Bake until golden brown, 8 to10 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Gently slide offset spatula under tuile to remove from tray. Tuiles can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container layered between wax paper.

Prepare the pâte à choux (cream-puff pastry), the peanut butter pastry cream and the peanut butter fondant icing following the recipes below.  Once you have made these 3 components, you can assemble the éclairs.

Preheat oven to 375° F.
In a saucepan, bring the milk, water, sugar, salt and butter to a boil. Add the all-purpose flour and stir until combined. Continue to cook the dough over low heat for about 2 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the stove. While stirring continuously, add the eggs one at a time until each egg is combined. The dough should be firm.

Using a piping bag with a #12 round tip (½-inch opening), pipe the pastry into six 6-inch-long tubular shapes on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper.

Bake with the oven door left open an inch wide for 25 minutes until the pastry is light brown.  It is important to keep the oven door slightly open to let the steam out; otherwise the pâte à choux will not puff enough.

After baking, allow the pâte à choux to cool at room temperature.

Peanut butter pastry cream

In a saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. Turn off the heat, then add the vanilla bean and let it infuse into the milk for 10 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the sugar, egg yolks and cornstarch until combined. Add this mixture to the boiling milk and stir continuously over low heat until the cream becomes thick and shiny. Remove the saucepan from the heat and mix in the butter until combined.

Pour the pastry cream in a clean bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the cream for about 2 hours. When the cream is cold, stir in the smooth peanut butter and set aside.

Slightly warm the white fondant icing in a microwave oven (100° F only); then stir in peanut butter and salted peanuts. Set aside.

Assembling the éclairs
Cut each éclair in half horizontally (you should have a long top and bottom). Using a piping bag or a teaspoon, fill each bottom with peanut pastry cream. Cover each éclair with the top and using a spatula, spread some peanut fondant icing on top of each one. Note: The fondant icing should be used at "body temperature"(slightly warm). If the fondant is too thick, stir in 1 or 2 teaspoons of water. Refrigerate before serving.

Components to Fauchon's Martinique Cake are: caramelized bananas, financier, banana mousse, nutmeg cream, hazelnut streusel, white chocolate wrap, and bananas in syrup.

Caramelized Bananas for Financier
Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan to a simmer. Combine the sugars in a large saucepan and cook over a medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon as the sugars melt and begin to caramelize.  Cook sugar until completely melted (the color should be deep amber).

Carefully pour the heavy cream into the caramel, whisking as the mixture bubbles. Add the vanilla bean and sliced bananas; continue to cook at a gentle simmer until the bananas are tender, about 8 minutes. Remove and discard vanilla bean, then transfer bananas to a bowl and set aside.

Financier
Preheat oven to 350°F.  Heat the butter in a saucepan until it begins to brown and has a nutty aroma. Set aside.

Sift the dry ingredients together into a bowl of an electric mixer. Combine the egg whites and vanilla; then pour into the dry ingredients. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl when necessary. Turn the mixer setting to low speed and slowly pour the 'browned' butter into the egg white mixture.

Butter and flour a 7-inch cake pan and add the mixture to the prepared pan.  Add the caramelized bananas, distributing them evenly around the financier batter.

Bake at 350°F for 18 to 20 minutes.

Italian meringue for banana mousse
Bloom the gelatin in cold water.  In a saucepan, cook the banana puree over a low heat until reduced by about 10%. Add the lemon juice and cool slightly.

To make the Italian meringue: Put the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment.  Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil the sugar water until it reaches a temperature of 235° F (measure with a candy thermometer). At 235° F, begin to whisk the egg whites at medium-high speed. When the sugar water reaches 240° F, remove from the heat, and add to the egg whites in a slow and steady stream while whisking continuously. When all the sugar is added, continue to whisk until the mixture has cooled slightly.

In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream and set aside. Rinse the gelatin sheets in cold water and squeeze out the excess water. Melt the gelatin and add to the banana puree. Fold the banana mixture into the cooled meringue; then fold the mixture into the whipped cream.

Assembling the Financier and Banana Mousse:
Line an 8-inch by 1 ½-inch ring with acetate or waxed paper and place on a parchment-lined tray. Place the financier cake in the center of the prepared ring. Pour the banana mousse into the ring and fill to the top. Use an offset spatula to smooth the surface; freeze.

Nutmeg Cream                     
Place the chopped chocolate in large bowl. In a separate bowl, bloom the gelatin in cold water.

Combine heavy cream and nutmeg in a large pot and bring to a boil. Rinse gelatin under cold water and squeeze out excess water. Whisk gelatin into the hot cream until dissolved and pour the hot cream mixture over the chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted and well incorporated.

Cover with plastic wrap, allowing it to touch the surface of the cream and push out any air bubbles. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Gently stir after 8 hours and reserve in the refrigerator.

Hazelnut Streusel                                   
Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Mix on low for 2 to 3 minutes or until small pea-sized balls are formed.

Form pieces about ¾ inches thick by gently pressing together with fingertips. The pieces should be free-formed but all about the same size. Space them ½ inches apart on a parchment-lined tray.

Bake at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes; cool and set aside.

White Chocolate Wrap                                
Melt chocolate to 115°F.  Warm the tray by placing it in a 375°F oven for 3 minutes.
Pour the melted chocolate onto the tray.  Using a paint roller spread the chocolate evenly around the tray. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set.  Wrap the tray tightly in plastic wrap. Keep refrigerated until ready to decorate the cakes.

Bananas in Syrup             
Put the lemon juice in a heatproof bowl. Combine the water, sugar, and vanilla in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir into the lemon juice and cool slightly.

Peel bananas and slice into ½-inch rounds. Place the sliced bananas in the syrup, separating each slice. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it down to ensure that all the bananas are completely submerged in the syrup. Reserve in refrigerator.    

Finishing the cake
Remove the tray of white chocolate from the refrigerator and place it in a warm area of the kitchen (close to the oven or stove) for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, unmold the frozen financier from the ring and remove the acetate or waxed paper. Place the financier on a 10" cake board. Spread the nutmeg cream evenly onto the financier using an offset spatula.

Once the white chocolate has softened slightly, use a metal scraper to take 2 ½-inch strips of chocolate from the tray. Wrap the strips of chocolate all around the cake and press the top ½-inch in and slightly down into the cake to form a decorative edge.

Drain the bananas from the syrup and spread them out on a cutting board. Gently pat dry with paper towel and brush with some fresh lemon juice. Decorate the cake with pieces of streusel and glazed banana slices to cover the nutmeg cream. Refrigerate until ready to serve.