Chocolate Ganache With Black Sesame and Miso

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Prepare the sesame-miso cream: Place ½ cup milk in a small bowl, then sprinkle gelatin over the top. Let sit for 5 minutes to soften.

2. Step 2

   Combine remaining ½ cup milk, cream and honey in a small pot, and heat until simmering. Remove from heat, and stir in gelatin mixture, black sesame paste and miso. Mix with an immersion blender (or transfer to a regular blender to mix) until smooth. Taste and add a bit more honey, if you like. Divide sesame cream among 6 shallow bowls or small gratin dishes (or ramekins), cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 5 days.

3. Step 3

   Prepare the ganache: Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a medium pot, bring cream and corn syrup to a boil. Pour over the chocolate, then let sit for 1 minute. Stir together with a spatula until combined, then stir in butter until melted and smooth.

4. Step 4

   Cool ganache to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until needed, at least 4 hours and up to 5 days. (Allow ganache to soften at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving).

5. Step 5

   To prepare the streusel, heat oven to 325 degrees, and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a food processor, pulse chocolate until just chopped into mini chocolate chip-size pieces, about ⅛ inch. (Try not to go any finer so you preserve some texture.) Transfer to a large bowl.

6. Step 6

   Add butter, flour, brown sugar, Demerara sugar, cocoa powder and salt to the food processor. Pulse just until the dough comes together into a crumbly mass. Scrape into bowl with chocolate, then add sesame seeds; fold to combine. Transfer to prepared cookie sheet. Top with another piece of parchment paper and roll out to a ½-inch-thick slab. (It doesn’t have to be round as long as it’s evenly thick.) Remove top layer of parchment paper.

7. Step 7

   Bake until darkened all over top, and the butter is bubbling up throughout the dough, about 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool. Break into bite-size pieces.

8. Step 8

   To assemble, uncover sesame cream and dollop or pipe some of the chocolate ganache on top. (You probably won’t need all of the ganache.) Top with crumbled streusel, black sesame seeds and micro herbs or edible flowers, if using.