Magazine

Valentine's Heart | Paris Gourmet

Written by Charlotte Brown | Sep 3, 2026, 1:30:00 PM

By Cyril Gaidella, Pâtisserie Zest

CHEESECAKE MOUSSE - RASPBERRY CONFIT - SPECULOOS - RASPBERRY GLAZE

For 8 individual desserts - heart-shaped molds 65 x 65 mm h 39 mm.

 

GELATIN MASS 

INGREDIENTS: 
4 g fish gelatin powder 200 blooms
28 g water

METHOD: 
Mix the two ingredients.

 

CHEESECAKE MOUSSE

INGREDIENTS: 
15 g powdered sugar
145 g 25% cream cheese
25 g lemon juice
25 g pasteurized egg yolks
15 g water
50 g sugar
27 g gelatin mass
180 g 35% fat whipped cream 

METHOD: 
Whisk together the powdered sugar, cream cheese and lemon juice.
Make a pâte à bombe with the yolks, water and sugar heated to 110°C.
Once the pâte à bombe is whipped but still warm, add the previously melted gelatin mass.
Mix the 2 mixtures then add the whipped cream.

 

RASPBERRY CONFIT 

INGREDIENTS: 
60 g raspberry purée
60 g Williamette raspberries I. Q. F.
15 g sugar
12 g confectioners’ glucose syrup
3. 5 g pectin NH glaze
12 g lemon juice

METHOD: 
Heat the raspberry purée and frozen raspberries to 50°C.
Blend then sprinkle in the previously mixed sugar and pectin, and the glucose syrup.
Bring to a boil. Add the lemon juice off the heat.
Pour into half-sphere molds 4 cm in diameter, adding around 20 g of confit per mold.

 

SPECULOOS 

INGREDIENTS: 
65 g cubed butter
15 g powdered sugar
5 g pasteurized egg yolk
1 g salt bloom
55 g T55 flour
10 g corn starch
1 g Ceylon cinnamon
1 g four-spice mix
10 g brown sugar 

METHOD: 
Make a dough by creaming. Roll out to a thickness of 1. 5 mm.
Bake for 4 minutes in a convection oven at 165°C. Cut out heart shapes.
Bake again for around 5 minutes. Chablonner. 

 

RASPBERRY GLAZE

INGREDIENTS: 
70 g water
150 g raspberry purée
20 g confectioners’ glucose syrup
40 g sugar
3 g pectin NH glaze
1. 5 g super neutrose

METHOD: 
Heat the water, raspberry purée, and glucose.
Once the mixture reaches 50°C, sprinkle in the sugar, pectin NH and super neutrose. Bring to a boil.
Cover with cling film and chill for 2 hours. Use the glaze between 25 and 30°C.

 

ASSEMBLY 

INGREDIENTS: 
Mold the cheesecake mousse in heart-shaped molds.
Position a half-sphere of raspberry confit, then add the mousse and smooth.
Freeze and unmold when the dessert is well set and glaze.
Position on a speculoos heart.

METHOD: 

 

Cyril Gaidella

PÂTISSERIE ZEST (NEUILLY-SUR-SEINE AND CHARENTON-LE-PONT, ILE-DEFRANCE)
Cyril Gaidella is passionate about citrus fruit. The 2017 French Dessert Champion chose to name his two boutiques, Zest, as a nod to the little pieces of peel he adds to almost all his creations. The first opened in 2021 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, the second in 2023 in Charenton-Le-Pont. The chef wanted to create two locations with their own identity and a range adapted to the clientele. As a result, each offers a few unique creations and has its own production area. Whatever the location, Cyril Gaidella makes sure to offer quality products without food coloring. At 43, he wants to continue developing his business. A former teacher in a hotel school, the entrepreneur runs a team of around 30 people, spread over the two sites.