Pine nut Entremets with a taste of strudel

Preparation

For the shortcrust pastry:

• Roast the pine nuts in a small pan taking care not to burn them, allow to cool and then grind them finely, use an electric beater to beat the butter and sugar, add flour, salt and pine nut flour, mix briefly, shape into a ball, cover with shrink wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour.
• Switch on the oven to 170°c, place the greased and floured moulds onto a baking tray lined with oven paper or a silicon mat, take the pastry and grate so that it uniformly covers the bottom of the moulds, cook for 10 minutes, remove from the moulds and allow to cool.

For pine nut mousse:

• Whip the cream until firm and place in the fridge.  Half fill a pot with water and bring to the boil. 
• In a fire-proof bowl mix the yolks, sugar and water and place the bowl in the pot with water.  Cook at bain-marie continuing to mix with a whip up to 80°C, remove from the fire and use an electric beater to beat until the mixture triples in volume. 
• Soak the gelatine in cold water, pour Crema Spalmabile Babbi ai Pinoli into a bowl and mix with the ground pine nuts and 2-3 tablespoons of whipped cream to make it more fluid, alternating the cooked cream and whipped cream into the egg yolk mixture folding it in from the top to bottom with a spatula.  
• Melt the gelatine over a low fire with a tablespoon of cream, adding a few tablespoons of cream, mix well.  This will cool it down and will prevent lumps from forming, pour it onto the rest of the cream, folding it in with a spatula, cover with shrink wrap and place in the fridge for at least half a day.

For rum apples:

• Allow the raisins to soak in rum, wash and peel the apples, cube them and place in a pan with sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and star anise, allow to cook for a few minutes then add the raisins and rum, cook until the apples are soft, remove the anise, place in a bowl and allow to cool.

For decoration:

• Whip the cream until stiff and spoon into a piping bag with a star nozzle. Do the same with the pine nut mousse, leave the base in the moulds to keep the shape. 
• Place a layer of apples, cover with pine nut cream and decorate with the cream and a few roasted pine nuts, place in the fridge.  When serving remove the band and delicately place the entremets onto the serving dish.