Raspberry-chocolate slices, Signature

Chigs Parmar’s Raspberry-Chocolate Slices

The handshake card

• Baker: Chigs Parmar
• UK series: Series 12 (2021)
• Week/theme: Week 9, Patisserie semifinal
• Challenge: Signature
• Handshake fact: Chigs received a Hollywood handshake for his raspberry-chocolate slices.
• Yield: 12 slices
• Difficulty: Needs skill
• Official timing: 1 hour 30 minutes hands-on, plus chilling; 20 minutes baking
• Source: Chigs’ Raspberry & Chocolate Slices, The Great British Bake Off
• Evidence: Master index entry #42; research sources [S1], [S2], [S3].

Why it earned the handshake

These slices stack vanilla-scented joconde sponge, raspberry syrup, dark chocolate ganache, raspberry mousse, and raspberry jelly. Chigs then finishes each piece with a tempered chocolate shard, raspberry, pomegranate seed, mint, and optional gold leaf. The handshake-worthy skill is visible in the clean lines, but it depends equally on calm setting, careful cutting, and controlled temperature.

Ingredients

Joconde sponge

• 440g pasteurised liquid egg whites
• 200g caster sugar
• 140g ground almonds
• 60g plain flour
• 70g unsalted butter, melted
• ½ tsp vanilla paste

Raspberry syrup and purée

• 100g raspberries
• 20g raspberry purée, made by sieving blitzed raspberries
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp raspberry liqueur, optional
• Water as needed

Raspberry mousse

• 6 platinum-grade gelatine leaves
• 350g raspberries
• 60g caster sugar
• 400ml whipping cream

Ganache

• 250g 70% dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 200ml whipping cream
• 10g unsalted butter, softened

Raspberry jelly

• 3 platinum-grade gelatine leaves
• 50g raspberry purée
• 50g caster sugar
• 50ml water

Decoration

• 100g 70% dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 12 raspberries
• 12 pomegranate seeds
• 12 tips of fresh mint
• 1 sheet of edible gold leaf, optional

You will also need two baking sheets, a 24 x 22cm metal frame, acetate or baking paper, and a thermometer for tempering.

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4. Whisk the egg whites and caster sugar to stiff peaks. Sift the almonds and flour together, beat in the melted butter and vanilla, then mix in one third of the whites. Fold in the rest in two additions.
2. Spread the batter evenly between two lined baking sheets, making each sponge larger than 24 x 22cm. Bake for 15–20 minutes until springy. Cool for 5 minutes, turn onto fresh paper, peel away the old paper, cover with a tea towel, and cool completely.
3. Blitz 100g raspberries and sieve them. Measure 20g purée into a pan with the sugar and 30ml water. Heat until the sugar dissolves, stir in the liqueur, and cool.
4. Soak the six gelatine leaves in cold water. Blitz and sieve the 350g raspberries, put the purée and sugar in a pan, and bring to the boil. Squeeze out the gelatine and whisk it in. Cool to room temperature.
5. Whip the cream to soft peaks and fold in the cooled raspberry mixture.
6. For the ganache, put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to the boil, pour it over the chocolate, wait 2 minutes, then stir smooth and incorporate the butter.
7. Cut two sponge rectangles using the frame. Set the frame on a lined sheet, place in one rectangle, and brush with syrup. Spread over the ganache, add the second sponge, brush again, then spread the mousse over the top. Chill until firm.
8. Soak the three jelly gelatine leaves. Heat 50g raspberry purée with the sugar and 50ml water, add the squeezed gelatine, and cool to room temperature. Pour over the set mousse and chill for about 30 minutes until firm.
9. Temper the decoration chocolate: melt 75g to 41°C, remove from the heat, stir in the remaining 25g until melted and cooled to 32°C. Spread 3mm thick on acetate or baking paper, score shards when almost set, then leave to harden and peel them away.
10. Remove the frame, trim the slab, and cut into 12 equal slices, cleaning the knife between cuts. Decorate each with raspberry, pomegranate, mint, chocolate shard, and optional gold leaf.

Baker’s tips

• Spread both sponge sheets slightly larger than the frame so the edges can be trimmed cleanly.
• Cool the raspberry mixture before folding it into the cream; warm purée will deflate the mousse.
• Chill between layers and clean the knife after every cut for the precise lines the recipe promises.

Make-ahead

The assembled slab can chill overnight before cutting. Tempered shards can be made ahead in a cool, dry place; decorate shortly before serving.