So this dessert was inspired by a summer road trip going to the Flower Fields in Carlsbad and getting strawberry shortcake by the road! I wanted to take that memory and turn it into a dessert, which is what we have here. So we have an elderflower and pistachio mousse with a strawberry liquid core, strawberry-elderflower mirror glaze, pistachio feuilletine crunch and bark, and elderflower macerated strawberries with candella petals to finish. It actually took me two days to make and photograph it, just because regulating the temperatures on the liquid core was a pain, but I was rather happy with the end results!

For the liquid core:
1/4 cup strawberry puree
1 teaspoon elderflower liquid
a pinch of salt
1 teaspoon lemon or yuzu juice
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

Whisk together all of your ingredients on medium low heat and then pour into 1 inch half sphere molds. Freeze solid (at least 2 hours) then press the half spheres together to form whole spheres, keeping them frozen.

For the pistachio feuilletine:
1/4 cup ground pistachios
1/4 cup feuilletine
3 tablespoons white chocolate
a pinch of salt

Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler, then toss in your other ingredients. Spread between two sheet trays and refrigerate until set. Crush into smaller pieces. Keep refrigerated until it is time to serve.

For the pistachio bark:
1 cup white chocolate
1/2 cup ground pistachios
a pinch of salt

Melt the white chocolate over a double boiler. Once half melted, take off heat and stir until the remaining chocolate is fully melted then stir in your salt. Spread onto acetate and sprinkle on your pistachios. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 minutes before breaking into smaller chunks.

For the pistachio-elderflower bavarois:
1/4 cup ground pistachios
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon elderflower liquor
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons gelatin powder
2 tablespoons water
3/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
a pinch of salt

Puree the pistachios, milk, elderflower, sugar, gelatin, and water together until fully combined. Pour into a pot and stir on medium-low heat until thickened and reduced by a fourth. Cool down your mixture. Whip cream with vanilla and salt to stiff peaks. Fold the cream through the pistachio-elderflower base and pipe into 4 inch half sphere molds. Scoop out 1-inch holes in each half sphere. If your liquid core is somehow frozen by this point, place the spheres into a half sphere and freeze everything together for 2 to 3 more hours. Once frozen, heat up an empty pot and turn it up side down so the heated side is facing up. Take your empty half spheres and place the flat sides on the heated pot. Once partially melted, press the half spheres against the filled ones and run your finger along the seam to seal the spheres. Freeze for at least another 30 minutes before unmolding.

For the strawberry-elderflower glaze:
1 packet gelatin powder
1 tablespoon elderflower liquor
3 tablespoons water
A pinch of salt
1/3 cup strawberry puree
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Combine gelatin with elderflower, water, and salt and then melt that into your strawberry puree first on low heat. Melt the chocolate into your strawberry puree, also over low heat. Sieve. Keep at 90 degrees F for assembly, reheating if necessary.

For the macerated strawberries:
2 strawberries, thinly sliced on a mandolin
1 teaspoon elderflower liquor
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
a pinch of salt

Toss together and refrigerate.

For assembly:
Canella petals

Start by glazing your spheres with the glaze over an icing rack. Put a mound of the feuilletine on the bottom and top with a sphere. Garnish with your strawberries, bark, and petals to finish.