CARAMEL MOUSSE WITH PRALINE

225g castor sugar
300ml whipped cream
100ml water
150ml hot water
4 egg yolks
2 tablesp. Water
2 level teasp. Gelatine
Praline decoration
30g whole almonds
30g sugar (unskinned)

Put the castor sugar into a heavy-bottomed saucepan with the 100ml of water. Stir over a gentle heat unitl the sugar is dissolved and the water comes to the boil. Continue to boil until it turns a nice chesnut-brown colour.
Remove from the heat and immediately add the 150ml hot water.
Return to a low heat and cook until the caramel thickens to a thick, syrupy texture – 3/4 mins. Approx.
Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks until fluffy, then pour the boiling caramel onto the egg yolks, whisking all the time until the mixture beings to form ribbons when dropped from the spoon.
Sponge the gelatine in the 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl, then put the bowl into a saucepan of simmering water until the gelatine has completely dissolved. Stir a few spoonfuls of the mousse into the gelatine, then slowly add the mixture to the rest of the mousse. Gently fold in the cream and pour into a serving dish. Chill until set.
Decorate with rosettes of cream and crushed praline.
To make the praline: Put the almonds and sugar into a heavy-bottomed saucepan on a low heat. Do not stir. Gradually the sugar will melt and turn to caramel. Wait until all the sugar has caramelised and then rotate the saucepan so that the caramel coats the almonds. By now the almonds should be popping. Turn onto a lightly oiled tin, allow to get cold and crush into a rough powder. If you would like to make this into a caramel souffle, fold in the stiffly beaten whites of two eggs after the cream.
Chill and decorate as above.

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