Absolu Cristal is a professional-quality, neutral glaze developed by Valrhona, the renowned French chocolate manufacturer. It is designed to provide a flawless, shiny finish to a wide range of desserts. Its neutral taste ensures that it enhances, rather than alters, the flavours of your creations.
Absolu Cristal is a go-to product for professional pastry chefs looking to achieve consistent, glossy finishes with minimal effort. Its neutral flavour means it can be easily infused or blended with chocolate, fruit, spices, or colours—without overpowering or clashing with other ingredients. Thanks to its versatility and stability, it’s ideal for everything from elegant plated desserts to make-ahead preparations, ensuring both visual appeal and professional results every time.
For this glaze, you need to make a properly emulsified ganache. When you see your ganache has an elastic, shiny core, this means the texture is perfect. You can then incorporate the Absolu Cristal, heated to 160°F (70°C), using a blender. Be careful not to create air bubbles. If necessary, get rid of any last air bubbles with an immersion blender to homogenise the glaze and give it good hold and excellent shine.
Check the glaze is at 85-95°F (30-35°C) for glazes made with dark couverture chocolate, 82-85°F (28-30°C) for glazes made with milk couverture or Blond Dulcey chocolate, or 79-82°F (26-28°C) for glazes made with white couverture.
Pour the glaze over the dessert then use a spatula to remove any excess and smooth the surface. For an even more impeccable result, you can trim your gateau by removing any glaze that has run beyond the desired surface.
Let the chocolate gateau, dessert or any other gourmet creations you have glazed cool before serving.
One great feature of Absolu Cristal is that it is incredibly versatility. Whether you’re pouring, spraying, or freezing, this glaze delivers consistent results. Here are just a few of its many applications:
- Pouring and Glazes : Create smooth, even coatings on cakes and pastries.
- Spraying: Achieve a fine, glossy finish on delicate desserts using an airbrush.
- Freezing: Maintains its shine and texture even after freezing.
- Flavour and Colour Infusion: Easily incorporate flavors and colours.
- Nougat and Compote : Adds a touch of elegance and enhances texture
- Fillings and Gels: Provides a professional-quality finish and improved stability.
- Frostings: Creates a smooth and shiny surface for cakes and cupcakes.
- Sauces: Use Absolu Cristal as a base to create smooth, custom sauces with ease.
To help you make the most of Absolu Cristal, here are some recipe ideas that highlight its shine and versatility:
Elvate your pastries today!
Absolu Cristal is more than just a glaze; it’s an investment in the quality and appearance of your desserts. With its unparalleled shine, versatility, and ease of use, it’s the perfect finishing touch for any pastry creation. So, what are you waiting for?
Add Absolu Cristal to your pantry and start creating stunning desserts that will impress everyone.
Kiera is a Marketing Executive, a certified sweet tooth, proud dog owner to two beautiful pups, and all about clothes, handbags and make-up.
Her favourite chocolate is Valrhona Opalys 33% White Chocolate.