PA S T R Y BAKING C H O C O L AT E BREAD FROZEN

PASTRY ARTS ISSUE NO. 19 SPRING 2023

Maesil
B Y K e l l y N a m

Key Elements of Plated Desserts • Wafer Paper Wedding Cakes • Pain Perdu
Vanilla: From Vine to Plate • Frozen Assets • Chocolate Babka • The Porch Pop-Up
Contents
Features

96
114
16
16
Janelle Copeland
Cake Mama

96
Kelly Nam
Reaching the Pinnacle of Pastry Success

114
Kate Reid
The Queen of Croissants

Pastry Arts 3
Professional In-Person Course Schedule 2023
The team at L’École Valrhona Brooklyn is thrilled to announce our in-person and online 2023 professional classes! Learn from top
chefs, challenge yourself, and get inspired in New York or California!

For the first time ever, we are also hosting two classes with our high-end South American chocolate sister brand, Republica Del Cacao.

MARCH J U LY
6-8 Plated Desserts by 17-19 Bachour Bakery $1,750* ONLINE CLASSES
Diane Moua $1,290* Chef Antonio Bachour Bring our expertise and
Chef Diane Moua @pastrydiane @antonio.bachour inspirations into your own kitchen!
APR Spring Bonbon Flavors
14-15 Classic Confections AUGUST 3 $49*
Modernized $980 15 The Essentials of Chef Daniel Corpuz
Chef Gonzo Jimenez @chef.gonzo Chocolate Desserts $480* @danielcorpuzchocolatier
Chef Guillaume Roesz @guillaume.roesz
APR Chocolate & Confections
20–22 Pastry Competition $1,690* 17 Fundamentals of Chocolate 20 Buffet $49*
US Pastry Team @pastryteamusa $480* Chef Guillaume Roesz Chef Adam Thomas
@guillaume.roesz
27-29 Gelato, Ice Cream & @adam.wthomas
Frozen Desserts $1,690* 21-23 Components & Textures
Chef Vincent Boué Components & Textures
of Plated Desserts $1,520* AUG of Plated Desserts $49*
@vincentbouemof Chef Jason Morale 24 Chef Jason Morale
@chef_jasonmorale @chef_jasonmorale
APRIL 28-30 Modern Pastry $1,290* AUG Modern Pastry $49*
17-19 Chocolate & Confections Chef Patrice Demers 31 Chef Patrice Demers
Buffet $1,290* @patrice_demers
@patrice_demers
Chef Adam Thomas
SEP Intro to Chocolate $49*
@adam.wthomas SEPTEMBER 14 Chef Sarah Tibbetts
24-26 Art & Creation $1,690* 12-13 Intro to Chocolate @sarahkosca
Chef Francois Daubinet $980* Chef Sarah Tibbetts
@francoisdaubinet @sarahkosca Business Management
JULY for Chefs: 4 Sessions
24-26 Artistic Chocolate 31– $280/session, $1,000/all
18-20 No Rules Plated
AS
S IN
Showpieces $1,520* AUG four sessions
ORNIA Chef Stéphane Tréand
Desserts $1,690*
CL

CA L IF 21 @chipklosecoaching
Chef Angel Betancourt
TE

O
FFSI
@stephanetreand Class will be held Mondays from
@angelrbetancourt17
2:00-5:00pm EST
25-26 Plated Desserts by
M AY Eunji Lee $1,050* *class recordings available for $35

1-3 Pastry by Guillaume Chef Eunji Lee @eunji.leeee

AS
S IN
Roesz $1,310*
ORNIA Chef Guillaume Roesz
CL

CAOLIF OCTOBER
TE

FFSI
@guillaume.roesz
2-4 Vegan Pastry $1,690*
15-17 Framed & Molded Chef Toni Rodriguez

*30% OFF
Chocolate Bonbons $1,310* @ tonirodriguezlv ALL L'ÉCOLE
Chef Guillaume Roesz
10 The Essentials of
VALRHONA
@guillaume.roesz
Chocolate Desserts $480* COURSES
Chef Guillaume Roesz
JUNE @guillaume.roesz

6–8 Variations On 12 Fundamentals of

Viennoiserie $1,520* Chocolate $480* HOW TO REGISTER
Chef Greg Mindel Chef Guillaume Roesz For full course
@neighborbakehouse @guillaume.roesz
details and to
16-18 Optimize Chocolate register, use the
13–14 Creative Pastry & Bonbons for Business VALRHONA app or
Latin Flavors $980 $1,520* Chef Nicolas Botomisy visit valrhona.us
Chef Gonzo Jimenez @chef.gonzo @nicolasbotomisy_pastrychef and click on
NOV
OUR CLASSES
30-1 Panettone $1,690*
Chef Oriol Balaguer
@oriolbalaguerchocolates

L'ÉCOLE VALRHONA BROOKLYN • 222 Water Street • Brooklyn, New York 11201
Contents
12 30

106
Trends 56 82
12 128
Wafer Paper A Date with Dessert
Wedding Cakes

Columns
24 68
Chocolate Science:
Controlling Beta
New & Notable: Latest
News and Books
90 128
Crystal Growth
82
30 Chocolate Talk:
Butter of France: Chocolate Babka
Pain Perdu
90
34 Expert Tips: Five Tips
Business Bites: Five Experts
Frozen Assets
106 46
46
Flavor Inspiration:
Pastry Virtuosity:
Classic Layer Cakes 134
Combos and
Technical Tips 110 General
56 Cottage Life:
The Porch Pop-Up 74 134
Vanilla 101: The Key Elements of a Teacher Feature:
From Vine to Plate Plated Dessert Tracy DeWitt

Pastry Arts 5
We’ll see you in Anaheim, CA
June 4-6, 2023
Booth #3325
Contents
140 118

150
Recipes 154 164
140 160
Trio of Chocolate Aztec Calendar by
and Crumble Angel R. Betancourt
by Cedric Barbaret
164
144 Raspberry Ruby Tart
Black Forest by Fred Csibi-Levin
by Jordan Pilarski
170
150
Poached Peaches
Chocolate Hazelnut
Cremeux by Keisha
170
by Deden Putra Sanderson

154 176
Limone e Fragola Fraîcheur d’ Agrumes
Mandorla by Casey by Clement Goyffon
Nicole Doody

Places
180 192
176 180
CH Patisserie Botolino Gelato

184
Artigianale
192
Fan Fan Doughnuts 196
Daily Provisions
188
Brown Sugar Bakery

Pastry Arts 7
 THINK COCOA. THINK DEZAAN.
deZaan’s collection of cocoa powders for chefs and artisans showcase the full spectrum of
what cocoa powder can deliver with its complex range of flavors and colors. Cocoa powder
is a unique and special ingredient and we aim to inspire your creativity with our range.
 Pastry mArts
ag azin e
Advisory Board
Pastry Arts Magazine En-Ming Hsu
151 N. Maitland Ave #947511
Maitland, FL 32751 En-Ming Hsu is a World Pastry Champion and
Email: info@pastryartsmag.com Chef Instructor at The French Pastry School. Hsu
Website: pastryartsmag.com has been acknowledged as a “Rising Star Chef,”
“Pastry Chef of the Year in America,” in addition to
EDITORIAL receiving a “Lifetime Achievement Award,” “Best
Editor-in-Chief Pastry Chef in Chicago,” and “One of the Top 10
Shawn Wenner Pastry Chefs in America” by Pastry Art & Design and
Managing Editor Chocolatier magazines.
Tish Boyle
Staff Writers Jansen Chan
Meryle Evans Jansen Chan is the former Director of Pastry
AnnMarie Mattila Operations at the International Culinary Center
Contributors (ICC), and founded Pastry Plus at ICC. He’s been
Deanna Martinez Bey, Genevieve Sawyer, featured in high-profile publications such as Food
Sophia McDonald, Robert Wemischner, & Wine magazine, Art Culinaire, and Baking and
Jimmy MacMillan, Dennis Teets, Michael Laiskonis, Pastry: North America.
Donald Wressell, Josh Johnson
Cover Kimberly Brock Brown
Maesil
By Kelly Nam Kimberly Brock Brown is a Certified Executive
Pastry Chef, Certified Culinary Administrator,
Cover Photography
Tatiana Villamil and was the first African-American female chef
inducted into the American Academy of Chefs.
CREATIVE She was a Founding Member of the ACF-National
Pastry and Baking Guild, a Dale Carnegie graduate,
Graphic Designer
Rusdi Saleh and has medaled in several chef competitions.

BUSINESS
Melissa Coppel
President Melissa Coppel attended The French Pastry School
Shawn Wenner and worked at Joel Robuchon at the Mansion, a
Publisher three-star Michelin restaurant, and ran the pastry
Jeff Dryfoos kitchen at L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas.
She was named one of the “Top 10 Chocolatiers
ADVERTISING in North America” by Dessert Professional Magazine
For advertising availability & rates, contact Jeff Dryfoos at and currently owns and operates The Melissa
SALES@PASTRYARTSMAG.COM Coppel Chocolate and Pastry School in Las Vegas.

The opinions of columnists and contributors are their own.

Publication of their writing does not imply endorsement
by Pastry Arts Magazine and/or Rennew Media, LLC.
Sources are considered reliable and information is verified
as much as possible, however, inaccuracies may occur and
readers should use the information at their own risk. Links
embedded within the publication may be affiliate links,
which means Pastry Arts Magazine will earn a commission
at no additional cost to our readers. No part of this
magazine may be reproduced in any fashion without the
expressed consent of Rennew Media, LLC. For advertising
information, letters to the editor, or submission inquiries,
please email: contact@pastryartsmag.com.
Pastry Arts Magazine
Published by Rennew Media, LLC
© Copyright 2023, Rennew Media, LLC
All Rights Reserved
Miro Uskokovic
Miro Uskokovic is a graduate of the Culinary
Institute of America and is the Pastry Chef at
Gramercy Tavern. Chef Miro’s contemporary
American desserts are created out of a collection
of personal memories and experiences, as well as
international influence.
Ron Ben-Israel
Ron Ben-Israel is the owner of Ron Ben-Israel
Cakes. He’s been featured in countless books, TV
shows, films and publications, and was the host
and judge for three seasons on the Food Network’s
Sweet Genius, as well as a judge for three seasons
on Cake Wars.

Pastry Arts 9
EDITOR’S NOTE
Hello!

After four years since publishing the first issue of Pastry Arts Magazine, I’m
pleased to say we’ve finally connected our web-based portal with our mobile
app in Apple Store and Google Play. Previously, customers who purchased a
subscription through the mobile app could not access the web-based portal
and vice versa. Now, anyone with a paid subscription can move seamlessly
between the two locations using the same login credentials.
That said, we’ve notified our paid subscribers via email last month with
instructions for creating a new password (for anyone who purchased a
subscription before 3/19/23). If you’re in that group and missed the email,
check your junk or spam folders, or simply contact us for any help or guidance.
So what’s the difference between the web-based portal and mobile app? And
why do we recommend using both? Simply put, the web-based portal allows you
to download the digital files (PDF) to keep in your possession forever – even
after a subscription is canceled. The mobile app, on the other hand, provides
the best reading experience on a mobile or tablet device. Both serve a purpose,
in our opinion, but feel free to use a single location if you’d like.
Finally, if you were part of the small group who had technical difficulties while
creating a new password, I’m sorry for the less-than-stellar experience, truly.
Our technology provider glitched (read “ghosts in the machine”) and caused
a little havoc. After quick fixes, I’m hopeful it will be smooth sailing moving
forward, but thank you for your patience and understanding.
As always, thank you for taking the time to read Pastry Arts Magazine!

All the best,

Shawn Wenner
Editor-in-Chief

Pastry Arts 11
Trends

Wafer
Paper
Wedding
Cakes
By AnnMarie Mattila

Anna Astashkina uses airbrush

colors to give her wafer paper
flowers a natural look.
12 Pastry Arts
I
n a recent Instagram Live interview about wedding
cake trends, cake artist Christine Bjorn exclaimed,
“Can we all agree to do more wafer paper this
year?” Her cohort of other decorators nodded
enthusiastically in agreement. Because though wafer
paper decorations have been around for some time,
they have seen a resurgence as the wedding industry
recuperates from the pandemic. Not only does wafer
paper produce stunning results, but it saves money and
time while also being an extremely versatile medium. No
wonder it’s getting so popular in cake-decorating circles!

”I am always interested in the latest cake trends,

Wafer paper especially when I can acquire a new skill that
flowers are will not only improve my own cakes, but also
the focal can be an additional source of income to sell to
decor of Anna other cake artists,” Bjorn, the owner of Not Your
Astashkina’s Nana’s Bakery, explains. Her main focus was
breathtaking recreating flowers, noting, “It’s so lightweight
wedding and and doesn’t weigh down cakes that can be
celebration very heavy after fondant. They also have an
cakes. unmatched realistic look that is second to only
real florals.”
And indeed, look no further than cake artist
(and now popular YouTuber) Anna Astashkina of
Florea Cakes to understand just how realistic
wafer-paper florals can be. While she began
using wafer paper in 2018, during the pandemic,
she truly honed her skills and began teaching
and posting videos to showcase her realistic
flowers. Her not-so-secret sauce is a perfected
mixture of glycerin and distilled water with
airbrush colors to help shape and color AD-
grade 0.27-millimeter wafer paper. The results
are truly spectacular.

Pastry Arts 13
 Artists also tout the versatility of wafer paper.
Beyond gorgeous flowers, “You can literally cut
anything out,” Michael explains. “You can make
the tiniest things, like stars, hearts, fine letters,
detailed leaves, ruffles, monograms, and so
much more.” She notes that you can create
an “ultra-modern wafer paper ruffle cascade
just by steaming randomly cut pieces of wafer
paper” before adhering them to the cake.
Wafer paper sales are also extremely popular,
with Astashkina noting that “it’s impossible to
make those ethereal, light decorations out of
gum paste or chocolate because they look too
heavy.”
Wafer paper has one additional factor to
thank for its popularity: cost. It is significantly
cheaper than gum paste at about 25 dollars for
100 sheets. “I teach classes, and even for me,
I don’t spend more than 50 dollars a year on
supplies,” Astashkina explains. She adds that
wafer paper requires minimal commitment in
terms of cost and storage, so the barriers to
entry are low for beginners or perhaps pastry
chefs that only occasionally dabble in cake
decorating.

Lavender-colored wafer
paper flowers decorate
a simple stacked cake
by Christine Bjorn.

Not only is wafer paper lighter, less breakable,

and better in humidity than gum paste, but it is
also faster to work with. Cake designer Emily
Michael of Tampa Bay Cake Company notes
that for certain applications, it takes about a
quarter of the time than it does to make the
same item out of gum paste. She first began
cutting everything out by hand, but then she
found a way to be even more efficient. “Once
I discovered my Silhouette cutting machine, it
has made it so much easier to cut out any shape
I want,” she explains. “From leaves to petals
to tiny letters and phrases, it has been a life
changer!”

14 Pastry Arts
A wafer paper flower
arrangement is a dramatic
design element in this cake
by Anna Astashkina.

Of course, just because you save money and

time doesn’t necessarily mean that translates to Wafer paper
lower prices for the clients. While Bjorn notes flowers add
carefully considers supplies and labor to itemize an interesting
each order, Astashkina has a different take. “It’s texture and
an easy skill to acquire, but not a lot of bakers modern look to a
want to take the time to learn how to work with monochromatic
wafer paper,” she notes, which means you’ll be cake by
more sought after by clients looking for unique Emily Michael.
designs. “For that reason, you can charge more.”
And she has a point. Clients will surely notice
and approach artists who can offer the latest
and greatest techniques. Bjorn adds, “I think it’s
best to have a diverse portfolio so that I can
find what best fits the client’s needs.”
So as peak wedding cake season approaches,
consider adding wafer paper to your list of
skills. It is trend-right, relatively easy to learn,
and cost-effective with endless versatility. And
as Astashkina notes, “All you need is wafer
paper, some good scissors, and a brush.” A good
place to start learning? Her YouTube channel, of
course!

Pastry Arts 15
Profile

Cake
Mama
After Running A
Super-Successful
Bakery For 12
Years, Janelle
Copeland Is
Now Helping
Others Small
Business
Owners To
Succeed By
Focusing On
What’s Important

By Genevieve Sawyer

16 Pastry Arts
 W
hen Janelle Copeland and her husband
Eddie lost their lucrative corporate jobs
in the global recession of 2009, Janelle
suddenly found herself with plenty of free
time, some of which she spent watching
baking shows on television. Inspired by these shows, Janelle
decided to open her own bakery, The Cake Mamas in
Glendora, California. In the beginning Janelle worked many
late nights, and was sometimes forced to have her children
crash in sleeping bags at the bakery while she worked. This
led to what Janelle calls ‘Mommy Guilt’, and a fierce desire
to spend more time focusing on family. Still, with frequent
appearances on the Food Network and television news
shows, along with millions of dollars in sales and over 110,000
social media followers, the bakery was a resounding success.

Janelle and Eddie began those that want to build

building their coaching and
consulting business in 2017,
drawing on their experience
in the corporate world and
Janelle’s experience opening
and running The Cake Mamas.
On her website, janellecopeland.
com, followers can sign up for
Passion to Profit (her masterclass),
workshops, and retreats and listen to
podcasts that encompass everything from
parenting challenges to business strategy.
During one podcast episode, she and Eddie
announced the closure of The Cake Mamas,
following this revelation with a discussion on
the daunting sacrifice required for the opening
of any new business. As Eddie puts it, “For
something, just know that it
comes at a cost – whether it
be your sleep, your relaxation,
your time. Sometimes people
think that because ‘This is
hard, I must not be designed to
do this, this must not be for me.’
The reality is, that’s the cost, that’s
what it comes with.” On April 1st of
this year, Janelle’s aptly named new website,
howtostartabakingbusiness.com, will launch
with all the information bakers need to open
their own businesses – including how to get a
cottage license, decorating tips, and information
on financial management and leadership. These
tools are designed to make the process of
opening one’s own bakery a little bit easier.

Pastry Arts 17
 Janelle now has consulting clients all over
the world. She helps them address deceptively
simple concepts such as pricing, rejection, and
perfectionism and how to implement changes
that make their businesses both easier to run
and more profitable. Most of her clients are
women, and many have trouble pricing their
products so that their businesses are profitable
enough to enable growth. “Women in the
industry tend to put a price tag on their baked
goods based on what they can afford. They
would never sell a cake for 2,000 dollars,
because they would never pay 2,000 dollars
for a cake. You need to start investing in sales
training, because you’ve got to learn how to
sell your stuff, not just make it.” In other words,
delicious and popular products alone are not
enough to catapult a bakery to success. Even
after the initial period of intense effort that
18 Pastry Arts
accompanies the opening of any business,
bakery owners may find that despite being
highly skilled artists, they are only doing a bit
better then breaking even. Prices that are set
too low are a common factor in this scenario.
With a characteristically straightforward
approach, Janelle explains, “You have to cover
your costs, you have to cover your labor, and
then you have to decide as a business owner
what kind of profit your business wants to
make. Profit money is going to allow you to
reinvest in cool new gadgets or to take a class,
so that way you can get better and expand your
business. People say things like, ‘Customers are
cheap and they can’t afford my products.’ Okay,
well, if you’re making a product that people
can’t afford and that you don’t know how to
sell, then you should stop and figure that out,
because it’s going to make you miserable.”
 Figuring out how to find the right customers
(i.e., those who like and can afford one’s products)
is a critical part of building any business and can be
hindered by a poor response to rejection. “You have
to keep showing up with confidence, and that only
comes from repetition. So you get rejected and you
figure out what the lesson is, and then you jump
back in and do it again. But now you’ve refined it;
you do it a little bit better, and you keep getting
You have to keep
a little bit better every time. And then before you
know it, you’ve got this amazing, beautiful brand,
showing up with
and you’ve stumbled into success through one
rejection at a time. You’re gonna have to develop
confidence, and
a ‘this is good, because’ mentality. This customer that only comes
didn’t say yes to me, but this is good because now
I know that some people don’t like black frosting.” from repetition.
In her 10 week Passion to Profit masterclass (a
prerequisite for her ‘In Real Life’ retreat), participants So you get rejected
spend the entire first week unpacking their views of
themselves in the world and in business, and then and you figure out
trying on different perspectives. Their expectations
surrounding rejection are a central focus of this part what the lesson is,
of the class. “You are going to interact with negative
customers. If you can’t overcome rejection in your and then you jump
personal life, what are you going to do when you get
your first negative Yelp review? Because you will. back in and do it
Not everyone’s gonna like your stuff. Disneyland
gets negative Yelp reviews.” again.

Pastry Arts 19
 One strategy for dealing with rejection that
Janelle uses herself and recommends to her
clients is the collection of positive customer
testimonies. “Somebody says something
nice about you. They call, compliment your
products. You should create a file in your phone
or on your computer where you can just put
those little notes and then remind yourself that
you’re great because you’re gonna have bad
days and you’re gonna be questioning your to be particularly useful. This woman’s cake
whole existence as a business owner. And so decorator had given notice without a great
you need some sort of strategy to overcome deal of warning, and she was at a loss. She
those bad days.” Janelle recently got another complained to a friend she met at the retreat,
testimonial to add to her folder; at one of her also a bakery owner. As it happened, the
recent networking retreats in New York and person she complained to had to let go of her
New Jersey, she suggested that the bakery own cake decorator due to budget cuts. The
owners stand up and introduce themselves, next day, that same cake decorator replaced
converse, and exchange phone numbers. the one who had given notice. Janelle’s client
A short time after the retreat, she got a text said, “I hired her today! Being friends with your
from one of the attendants thanking her for competitors and working together is like such
helping her forge a connection that had proved vibe and I love it!! All thanks to you.”

20 Pastry Arts
When people tell
bakery owners or
people who own
small baking
businesses,
when coaches
or mentors try
to say you need
different streams
of revenue to be
successful, I think
that’s a lie.

Pastry Arts 21
 Relying on others is something that Janelle
considers critically important to effective
leadership; not just other business owners
for support and resources, but one’s own
employees, as well. In her experience and that
of the many professionals who have taken her
courses, delegation enables both work life
balance and the growth of a business. For
example, if someone else is managing your
business’s books, then you can be freed up to
focus on a range of other things – your family,
finding new customers, product design, or
taking classes to increase your sales skills. But
all of that becomes difficult if one is unable
to entrust others with tasks or positions,
something that Janelle calls ‘hoarding’.
“Perfectionism kicks in and you’re trying to
hoard all these responsibilities. Usually that’s
the area where you’re not a very good leader,
and so you’re not setting your employees up
to win. And it’s stifling the growth of your
business.” But she notes the dangers of relying
on bad advice; doing so can come with disastrous
results for one’s bakery, or other small business.
“When people tell bakery owners or people who
own small baking businesses, when coaches or
mentors try to say you need different streams
of revenue to be successful, I think that’s a lie.
And I think it’s terrible advice, because if you’re
trying to sell cupcakes – let’s say you’re not
doing well – to say ‘I’m gonna bite off another
kind of extension of my business and other
project, and now I’m gonna do parties and host
22 Pastry Arts
classes and be a teacher and do all of the other
stuff’, it’s not gonna work, because now your
time and your attention is being divided into
two different kinds of businesses, whereas
if you would have got good at marketing and
advertising your cupcake business and figuring
out how to find your ideal clients and figuring
out how to maximize profitability there, you
wouldn’t need a second stream of revenue,
right?”
Empowering clients to decide how they
want to do things by asking the right questions
is what Janelle and Eddie’s consulting approach
is all about. Instead of telling them what they
should do to improve their baking businesses,
Janelle uncovers what skills they have and what
skills they need to get where they want to go
– in terms of profit, leadership, and anything
else required for growth and expansion. In an
industry that is known for being demanding
and driven, their motivated but patient style is
a breath of fresh air.
Genevieve Sawyer is a freelance food writer
who graduated from the Culinary Institute
of American in 2009. She is the co-author of
The Rookwood Inn’s Guide to Devouring the
Berkshires – One Cultural Bite at a Time, and
is also an expert in the care of horses and the
maintenance of horse farms.
Photos Courtesy of Janelle Copeland
 CULTIVATE
BETTER
PROTECTING FLAVOR SUPPORTING PEOPLE
& COMMUNITIES HONORABLE SOURCING
PRESERVING THE ENVIRONMENT

At Guittard, we’re driven not only by what we make and how we make it, but also by the people we
work with and the relationships we cultivate with farmers, suppliers, and customers.

Cultivate Better was inspired by this ethos and embodies our continual journey toward
sustainability and responsible business practices. Cultivate Better inspires our industry-leading
initiatives that strive to not only cultivate and preserve premium flavors responsibly but also
protect and support the people, communities, and natural resources and environments that allow
them to flourish for generations to come.

Our four pillars create an integrated ecosystem designed for the long-lasting sustainability of the
global cocoa and chocolate community.

GUITTARD.COM/CULTIVATE-BETTER
Chocolate Science

Chocolate Tempering
Controlling Beta Crystal
Growth and Maintenance of
Useable Flow Properties of
Nucleated Chocolate
By Dennis Teets

24 Pastry Arts
Off to the Races!
In an earlier article we discussed the nucleation
component of chocolate tempering and how to
tell if a chocolate is tempered (see Figures 1-3
below).
In this article we will discuss what happens
once nucleation occurs, and how to monitor
and control the thickening of chocolate as the
cocoa butter fat crystals in the chocolate move
from nucleation to crystal growth and finally
into agglomeration. While separated for the
purpose of this discussion, nucleation, growth,
and agglomeration occur simultaneously.
However, as each stage develops, more
intense heat input is required to break down
the crystal structure created. Yet, at a certain
temperature breakdown will occur very rapidly
as the melting point of beta crystals is reached.
This temperature varies with the type of
chocolate, but is generally between 87°F and
88˚F (30.5˚ and 31.1˚C) for a higher milk fat
Figure 1: Figure 2:
Resistance to Melt Release and Gloss
chocolate (white or milk) and 88°F to 91°F
(31.1˚F to 32.7˚C) for a dark chocolate with no
milk fat.
Why It’s Important
Learning to control the crystallization process
when working with chocolate is important
primarily because it affects how much time a
person has to work with a batch of tempered
chocolate. However, both over-crystallization
and under-crystallization can also have
negative effects on a solidified chocolate
product. Over-crystallization, thick chocolate,
causes issues such as incomplete mold cavity
fill, prevention for air bubble release, and lower
gloss or shine. Under-crystallization results in
more difficult mold release, formation of feet
on dipped or enrobed products, and reversion
to lower melt forms, which can lead to bloom
on solidification.
Figure 3:
Fracture and Fine End Grain
Pastry Arts 25
What’s Happening
There are three sequential stages in the pre-
crystallization of a chocolate. This process is
commonly known as tempering. Each stage
results in an increase in the thickness of the
chocolate due to an increase in the number and
size of crystals. Stage 1 is nucleation, which
occurs with only a minor amount of thickening
as crystals are very small and very few. This
stage occurs either by beta crystal addition or
beta crystal creation as supercooling causes
the triglycerides to begin to align. Stage 2 is the
growth phase, which occurs simultaneously
once nucleation begins and causes the
chocolate to thicken in a controllable fashion.
This stage occurs due to the enlargement of
the crystals by absorption of smaller crystals.
This phase is relatively easy to control by the
frequent addition of heat to keep crystals
from growing quickly and thus thickening the
chocolate. In Stage 3, nucleation slows down
as the crystals become larger and crystals
agglomerate. This stage involves the connecting
of one crystal to another crystal.
Unless heat is added, these stages naturally
proceed from 1 to 3, and will continue until the
chocolate becomes too thick to use and – if at
26 Pastry Arts
the right temperature – will solidify into a solid
piece.
Monitoring Crystallization Over Time
Visually
Evaluating flow is very specific to the project
being performed. Thus, once a chocolate
has been determined to be well tempered as
defined by having the desired flow properties
for a specific use, the goal is to keep it in that
condition over the time of the production
period. The most common way used to monitor
crystallization over time is visual observation of
the thickening of the chocolate. A few anchor
questions to ask when visually monitoring flow
changes include:
Does the chocolate flow off the end of a
spatula?
When scraped on the side of a bowl, does
the chocolate run down the side or stay in
place?
Does the chocolate coat the spatula evenly?
Does the chocolate flow back together when
divided by the spatula?
The key is to come up with questions that relate
to the quality of the product being prepared.
Figure 4:
A Simple
Chocolate Percent
Measurement
System
 Milk Chocolate Spatula Test

%
Total Spatula Chocolate Spatula
Temperature Weight
Order Weight Weight Weight Tempered Release Description
C Change
grams grams grams Test
%

1 93.7 21.8 15.9 5.9 No NA Melted

Pre Seed
2 86.1 22 15.9 6.1 No NA
Addition

Post Seed
3 83.1 23.7 15.9 7.8 22% Yes NA
Addition

4 86.5 23.2 15.9 7.3 16% Yes NA Reheat 1

5 87.7 23.2 15.9 7.3 16% Yes NA Reheat 2

Final
6 90.4 22.5 15.9 6.6 8% Yes Yes
Reheat

Performing a Percent of Chocolate
to Spatula Test
One measurement that can be used to get a
more objective measurement of the thickening
of a chocolate is to perform a percent of
chocolate to spatula test and try to maintain
that weight percentage over the time of use by
increasing the chocolate’s temperature. In this
test, a spatula is dipped to a standard depth
line into the tempered chocolate pool. This line
is marked in Figure 4 by the yellow tape around
the spatula. The weight of the chocolate is
determined by subtracting the weight of the
spatula from the total weight of the spatula
coated with chocolate.
The chocolate weight is then divided by the
total weight to determine the percentage of
chocolate. This is the percentage you are trying
to keep stable throughout the use process.
Because of the many factors that affect the
crystallization weight of a chocolate, this is an
imprecise measurement, as a more crystallized
chocolate may give a heavier weight or a
lower weight depending on how the chocolate
adheres to the dipping tool, and how precisely
the chocolate is brought to cover the depth line
at each test. As such, a range is acceptable as
long as the finished chocolate product gives
an acceptable product weight and finish, but
thickening of the chocolate and weight change
should be considered a sign to add heat to melt
out some of the seed crystal.
The table above shows the results obtained
from one such test. From this table we learn
that chocolate weight gain percentage can
be used to monitor weight change over a
temperature range and thus can be used as an
anchor for keeping a consistent chocolate flow
over time.

Pastry Arts 27

Figure 5:
Dipped Spatula on Scale
Keys to Getting Repeatable Readings
1. Stir the chocolate prior to taking the test to
break up agglomerations.
2. Start with a smooth flat surface.
3. Ensure the item being coating is at a
consistent temperature for each test
performed.
4. Handle separating coated spatula from the
chocolate pool the same way every time a
test is ran.
5. Take a measurement of untempered
chocolate to obtain a baseline.
Keys To Obtaining a Tempered
Chocolate with Stable Flow Properties
The key to controlling a tempered chocolate’s
flow properties is to recognize that crystal
28 Pastry Arts
development and melt-out occurs at different
rates in the different stages of the pre-
crystallization process. In Stage 1, small changes
in temperature are required to prevent the
melt-out of actively forming nuclei and having
an untempered chocolate. As crystals grow,
more heat is required to maintain usable flow
properties, as crystals in this stage are larger
and thus require more heat to melt out. In the
final stage, where agglomeration is occurring,
even more heat is required to maintain usable
flow properties. What makes this challenging
is that these rates are not only affected by the
stage of nucleation, but also the temperature
of the environment contacting the chocolate
and the chocolate formulation. For example, a
dark chocolate with no milk fat will crystallize
much faster than a milk chocolate.
Seven steps to assist in maintaining the flow
characteristics of a chocolate include:
1. Apply heat in short bursts.
2. Check the temperature frequently.
3. Allow temperature to equilibrate after
each heat addition before taking next
temperature reading.
4. Keep chocolate on sides of container
scraped into the chocolate pool.
5. Keep bowl on insulated surface to prevent
chocolate on bottom from thickening.
6. Mix the chocolate frequently to ensure an
even texture.
7. Always run a temper test if chocolate has
reached a temperature above 91°F (32.7˚C).
Dennis Teets has worked in the
confectionary industry for both large and
small organizations for over 30 years. During
that time, he was both a problem solver and
a new product developer. Today, Dennis
works as a coach and consultant for small to
medium chocolate companies, focusing on
growth, scale-up and problem solving.
His email is sweetanchorspa@gmail.com.
Butter of France

Pain Perdu
Classic or with a twist,
it’s perfect any time of day
By Sophia McDonald

Sponsored by Taste Europe, Butter of France

30 Pastry Arts
 S
ometimes the best things in life are the simplest.
Pain Perdu, often called French toast in America,
is one example of that. In Europe, when a humble
slice of stale bread is dipped in a wet mixture
and fried in French butter, it becomes something that has
impressed kings and endured for centuries.

The dish is so versatile that it can be served any
time of day. One thing that shouldn’t vary is the
use of European butter from France to cook and
crown it. Higher-fat butter adds richness and
lingering flavor that is impossible to duplicate
with substitutes.
The origins of Pain Perdu can be traced to
Roman times, when cooks would take their
dense bread, dip it in a mixture of milk and
honey, and fry it to make it more palatable.
Taillevent, who wrote the influential early
French cookbook Le Viandier, included a recipe
for a similar fried bread dish. Louis XVI is among
Pain Perdu’s many fans.
There are several nuances to maximizing the
dish’s appeal. Just like using French butter as
a flavor booster, it’s also critical to use bread
that is at least one day old, said Chicago-
based baker Romain Dufour. Dry bread soaks
up more liquid and makes for a tastier, most
custardy dish. In addition, Pain Perdu means
“lost bread” in French. The whole concept is to
keep the bread from being wasted, a lifesaving
proposition in the Middle Ages and one that
jives with current efforts to reduce food waste.
“Please, let’s keep the origin of the recipe and
be more sustainable,” Dufour said. He likes to
use thick slices of sourdough French baguette,
however it’s common to use brioche or challah
for Pain Perdu. Chef Joris Barbaray of Bergerac
in Portland, Oregon, will sometimes use a
Pullman loaf, because the semolina flour gives
it some bite.
For the milk, many chefs use whole milk,
cream or a mixture of the two. For the eggs,
use the yolks only when possible; it will give the
dish a quiche-like texture, Barbaray said. Both
sugar and honey are traditional sweeteners for
the soaking liquid. A little vanilla or rum can add
additional flavor.
Once the bread has been soaked, it should
be fried in French butter until crispy and golden.
This is a dish where the higher fat content
of French butter really makes a difference,
said Barbaray. French butter has at least 82%
butterfat and is made with real cream, while
other butters are around 80% milkfat and
sometimes contain powdered milk. “You want
the protein from the cream to cook down
because when it cooks down, that’s where you
get this nutty flavor,” he said. Only higher fat
content butter provides this rich, round, savory
flavor and a gourmand experience.

Pastry Arts 31
 Dufour agrees. He recently cooked the same
dish with French and American butter. “The
flavor of both was really good, but with the
French butter, the flavor stayed in your mouth
longer, so you could appreciate it longer,” he
said.
French butter also provides Pain Perdu with
its signature golden color. However, it’s critical
not to overheat it or you’ll end up with an
unappealing blackened mess. Carefully monitor
the temperature while cooking to ensure you
get the proper color and delicious caramelized
crust that higher-fat French butter provides.
Patrick Quillec, owner of Café Provence and
Verbena in Kansas City, grew up in Brittany,
France, where they put butter on everything.
He remembers his mother putting a little pat of
the region’s salted butter on top of the warm
bread and letting it slowly melt. Although he’s
tried other butters, they don’t hold a candle to
the ones from France. “They’re not as rich. They
don’t have that smooth taste on your tongue.”
Pain Perdu for breakfast is traditionally
topped with honey, fresh jam or a few raisins
soaked in rum in addition to salted butter.
Quillec has served it with plum jam and crème
fraîche to rave reviews. Dufour likes the dish
with whipped cream and fresh fruit.
Though Pain Perdu is often served as a
breakfast or brunch item, it can double as an
afternoon snack. If you want leftover slices,
Barbaray recommends baking slices on a tray
rather than frying them to keep them from
getting too soggy. At another restaurant, Pain
Perdu was turned into a dessert with the
addition of Cognac-soaked cherries and ice
cream. Salted European butter from France is
the natural choice in these dishes as well. “Like
with chocolate mousse, a little salt brings out
the flavor of the other ingredients,” Quillec said.

Learn more about European butters from France

at tasteeurope.com and follow us at
@tasteeuropebutteroffrance.

32 Pastry Arts
Business Bites

Frozen
Assets
In this edition of Business Bites, we asked dessert professionals
how they use the freezer to work more efficiently, extend product
shelf life and avoid waste.

34 Pastry Arts
Liron
Pergament-Gal
Owner, ChocAllure,
Needham, MA
choc-allure.com
What type of dessert business do you
have?
Artisanal, hand-painted chocolate bonbons,
that we refer to as chocolate jewels. ChocAllure
combines art and science, as well as French
tradition, to push the limits of what we have
come to expect from chocolate – each of our
chocolate jewels is a miniature composed
dessert, featuring flavors inspired by the world
of French patisserie such as crème brûlée and
chocolate mousse.

What products do you regularly

freeze?
We regularly freeze our chocolate jewels.
Creating larger batches of the same flavor
massively improves efficiency – we create
2000 units of a flavor at a time, and half of the
batch goes straight to the freezer.

Pastry Arts 35
What is the business benefit of
freezing these products?
Chocolate making is a very seasonal business
– there are peaks during holiday seasons, and
then quieter periods in between and during the
summer. By freezing chocolates, a company can
use the quieter periods to stock up and prepare
for those holidays while keeping the same size
staff throughout the entire year.

What’s one tip you can offer for

freezing this type of product?
We place the chocolates in an airtight box, and
vacuum pack the box (place it inside a vacuum
bag) to minimize the amount of air (which is
what gives items “freezer taste”), and store for
up to three months. When ready to use, the
box is moved to the fridge for 12 hours, and
then left at room temp for 12 hours before
opening the seal – this is so there isn’t any
condensation on the bonbons that will impact
the shine. When adhering to this process the
chocolates will look and taste as if they were
freshly made.

36 Pastry Arts
 TAHITIAN GOLD®
Specialty Vanilla Products
Since 1994

Vanilla Done Discover the rich and

Differently. complex flavor of vanilla

like never before. Our
specialty vanilla products
are carefully crafted to bring
out the best of every bean.
Moist and fragrant vanilla beans
contain more than 400 flavor
compounds, half of which are actually
found in their outer shell. That’s why
Photo: Cross-section of a vanilla bean during the curing process.

we’ve perfected our process to grind

whole, moist and fragrant vanilla beans.
By doing so, we access all the flavor
compounds in our beans and use them
as the only source of flavor in our line of
specialty vanilla products.

Our line of Specialty Vanilla Products includes:

(Click on the bean to learn more)

Ground Vanilla Beans Vanilla Sugar

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tahitiangoldco.com @tahitiangold
EA

LE
O

VA N I L L A B
Dresden
Drake Scott
Pastry Chef, formerly of
Falcons Landing,
Potomac Falls, VA
What type of facility did you work at?
Falcons Landing is a retirement community for
military officers. We prepared over 600 meals
daily (breakfast, lunch and dinner). The pastry
shop was a two-person department. It was a
great space, but we had to be efficient with
our time, because we were also responsible for
desserts for catering events and special events,
such as annual military balls.

38 Pastry Arts
What products
did you regularly
freeze?
We had two roll-in
freezers. We froze vanilla and
chocolate chiffon cake rounds,
pie dough and pâte sucré (both
vanilla and chocolate), scaled to size.
We also froze individual mousses in Flexipans
for plated desserts. We kept éclair and puff
pastry shells in the freezer to be refreshed in
the oven before they were filled.
What is the business benefit of
freezing these products?
We kept a par-count of each product based
upon the current menu – this way we could pull
and replenish product
as needed. Having the
components to pull and
then replenish was a real
time saver, and product
could be prepared based
upon the time available.
What tips can you offer for
freezing these types of products?
Cake rounds short term can be stored in a full
sheet pan and covered with a bun pan bag.
For longer storage, individually wrap products
in plastic. Lexans are great for choux sealed
in a bun pan bag. Most importantly, keep an
accurate thermometer in the freezer and keep a
temperature log – you don’t want that mousse
to thaw.
Pastry Arts 39
 Chuck Dugo
Pastry Chef, Black
Rabbit Restaurant & Bar,
McMenamins Edgefield
Hotel, Troutdale, OR
What type of business are you
involved in?
I currently work for McMenamins Edgefield
Hotel as the Black Rabbit Restaurant Pastry
Chef. Edgefield is a 75-acre property featuring
a 100-year-old, 100-room hotel with two
restaurants, multiple tucked-away bars,
brewery, winery, distillery, spa, and gift shop
where we sell merchandise, including our
own handcrafted foods and beverages. On
the estate, there are also vegetable and herb
gardens that supply our kitchens, a par-three
golf course and an outdoor concert venue.
In addition, we host a multitude of events
throughout the year, including specialty
dinners, brewfests and celebrations, as well
as private events such as weddings, corporate
events, and more. I, along with my team, supply
a broad range of scratch-made baked items to
the Black Rabbit Restaurant & Bar, espresso
bar, and special events and across the property.

40 Pastry Arts
What products do you regularly
freeze?
Our freezers are our best friends. We have five
of them and they allow us to prepare multiple
items daily in smaller batches that change
throughout the seasons. Our blast freezer is my
personal favorite as it wastes no time forming
microscopic crystals in our ice creams!
Other freezers allow us to store products
made each week so we can bake them fresh
every morning. Some of our featured items
are our cookies: Ube & Vanilla Mochi, Vegan
Chocolate-Coconut-Oat, Oat-Date-Spelt.
We also bake croissants: Valrhona Manjari
Chocolate, Hazelnut Praline-Bergamot
Marmalade and currently a Pastrami-Swiss-
Thousand Island. And freezing makes it
possible for the ever-popular McMenamins
dessert bars: Ruby Cheesecake, Phil’s Hazelnut-
Caramel, Black & Tan Brownies and Northwest
Marionberry Streusel. Having these freezers
makes it possible to offer a wide variety and
while preserving freshness. They also help us
manage our labor and food costs, as well as
waste.

What tips can you offer for freezing

these types of products?
We use commercial freezer bags, half- and full-
sheet-sized to protect the freshness. Using
freezer-stable yeast is key!

Pastry Arts 41
Tarsha Joyner
Owner and Head
Treat Maker, Mrs. Joy’s
Absolutely Fabulous
Treats, Lynchburg, VA
mrsjoys.com
What type of dessert business do you
have?
We are a treat shop. The main things that we sell
are cinnamon rolls, donuts, fritters, cupcakes,
cookies, and caramels.

What products do you regularly

freeze?
We freeze a lot of things. When we make
cookies, we make a huge batch of cookie
dough, scoop it out into portions, freeze that
on a pan, and then we put it in a bucket and
bake as needed. We make a large batch of
cupcakes at the beginning of the week and we
put them in fiberglass totes with tops, and we
put the base of the cupcake in the freezer and
we pull out and frost as needed. And sometimes
we make a big batch of cinnamon rolls, and
we will roll the dough after the first rise, form
the cinnamon rolls and then place the rolls on
a pan and freeze until ready to bake the next
morning, when we just put it in a warm oven
and let it rise for 45 minutes, and then we bake
them. We also freeze fritters the same way. We
let the dough rise the first time, we form the
fritters, and then we stick them in the freezer,
and sometimes we’ll make those the next day.
We only make what we need for the day and
freeze the rest. I make big batches of lemon
curd, and I freeze part of the batches of the
lemon curd, because it doesn’t have a very long
shelf life in the fridge, so freezing makes sense.

42 Pastry Arts

We also freeze pâte
à choux. A lot of people
pipe their pâte à choux,
but I scoop it with an ice
cream scoop so that we don’t
have to worry about piping and
wiping off the tip and all that crazy
stuff. So I scoop them and I put them in a pan,
freeze them and put them in a bucket, and I
pull it out and bake as needed. We do the same
thing with crullers, which is just pâte à choux
piped in a ring, and we put the crullers in a
bucket in the freezer and fry them as needed.
Oh, and cake – I usually bake cakes the day
of or the day before, and I don’t like to work
with fresh cake. It has to be frozen in order for
me to ice it properly, so we always freeze cake
as soon as we bake it, but we don’t keep that in
the fridge for more than a day or so.
And panna cotta – I don’t want it to go to
waste. I make a huge batch of panna cotta, and
I put it in small glass jars with lids on it, and
they go in the freezer and we just pull it out as
needed. I also do the same thing with cake jars.
And when we make cake jars, we use cake, and
sometimes we’ll use a mousse or crème légère
or straight pastry cream. It just depends on
what the cake flavor is. And we just go ahead
on and make those jars up and stick those in
the freezer and pull them out as needed. We
also freeze macaron shells.
What’s the business benefit of freezing
these products?
There are several benefits. One is that we have
a very small staff. With minimum wage going
up, we had to make sure that we didn’t
replace all the employees that went
off to school, because we can’t
afford it. So, on days that we’re
closed, we stock the freezer
so that during the week, all
we have to do is just pull
things out as needed. Also,
I don’t like for things to go
to waste. So to keep things
from being wasted when
sales are slow, I just keep
things in the freezer. I hate
to throw away anything – it’s a
waste of money.
People don’t realize it’s not bad to
freeze things. It freezes things in the state
of freshness that they’re in. They degrade in
the freezer, but it takes a whole lot longer than
it takes if you just put it in the refrigerator. So
it is money, and I don’t have to have a huge
staff because I can do things on my days off
and then save money that way as well.
What’s one tip you can offer for
freezing these types of products?
My best tip is to make sure that your containers
are actually freezer safe. If you’re going to use
a Ziploc bag, that’s not really a good way to
freeze things, because things get freezer burnt
unless you’re using a FoodSaver or something
like that. So, we make sure we use really good
container to protect the product so that it
doesn’t degrade before we get a chance to
serve it. You really need to put money into your
freezer containers.
Pastry Arts 43
 Diana Manalang
Chef-Owner, Little Chef
Little Café, New York, NY
littlecheflittlecafe.com
What type of dessert business
do you have?
Little Chef Little Café is an all-day café in New
York City that offers baked goods, custom
cakes, cookie decorating kits, as well health-
conscious options for breakfast, lunch, daily
brunch and early dinner.

What products do you regularly

freeze?
We freeze cookie dough, brookie (a combination
of brownie and cookie) dough, scone dough, as
well as cupcakes and cakes.

What is the business benefit of

freezing these products?
We freeze because it helps us avoid waste,
allows us to freshly bake items every day, saves
the labor of having to constantly make these
items, and also allows us to have them readily
available for last-minute orders.

What’s one tip you can offer for

freezing these types of products?
For doughs, we lay out the scooped or shaped
dough on sheet trays and, if we don’t go
through them quickly, we store them in airtight
bags or containers to prevent freezer damage.
For brookies, we freeze the entire tray, then
defrost to bake. Once they are baked, we can
freeze them in the same manner –although
depending on the toppings, I don’t always
recommend this. Cupcakes we freeze on sheet
trays as well and seal in containers. Once they
defrost, they are just as good as the day they
were made.

44 Pastry Arts
República del Cacao was born with a purpose, to create the most authentic Latin American chocolate
hand-in-hand with local communities, developing sustainable fine cacao production at its source.

The company has two business units: retail activity with a wide range of chocolate products like presents, ice creams, desserts
and chocolate bars, six Chocolate-Boutiques in Ecuador and Duty-Free presence in Ecuador, Peru, Colombia and The
Dominican Republic. On the other hand, Chocolate for professional use with a portfolio of 20 products, divided into profiles:
single origin and blends; with presence in more than 20 countries around the world.

Our chocolate is produced locally using Latin American ingredients in state-of-the-art facilities with passion and excellence.
We combine these amazing raw materials with the most advanced global knowledge and techniques. The effort and education
investment we put in the hands of our team is reflected in the creations that chefs and chocolate lovers share daily. We
promote a cuisine of origin and excellence, with national and international academic alliances focused on the development of
a gastronomic future, through training and specialization of new talents.

For República del Cacao the commitment to the protection of fine cacao and our farmer allies goes beyond paying fair prices,
but extends to technical support and the development of responsible farming practices, promoting the protection of native
fine cacao varieties. The company has accomplished the highest standards of social and environmental development,
transparency and corporate responsibility, while searching to balance purpose and profit, receiving the B Corp certification,
as a recognition of our efforts to develop an inclusive, equitable, and sustainable economic model for all.

social • environmental • economical

#joinlarepublicadelcacao

RepublicaDelCacao @RepDelCacao @republicadelcacao

www.republicadelcacao.com
Flavor Inspiration

Flavor
Inspiration
In our Flavor Inspiration column,
we connect with professionals who
showcase a unique creation, reveal its
flavor profile and offer one technical tip.

46 Pastry Arts
Passion Fruit Flavor Profile
We made a Cacao Barry Ghana 40% milk

Chili Milk
chocolate mousse, then a madeleine biscuit
with Espelette pepper, a creamy passion
fruit cream, and a crispy hazelnut praline-
Chocolate feuillantine. To finish, we made flames in sugar.

Entremet Technical Tip

To make this pastry, we wanted to mix the
strength of chilli with the power of passion
By Benjamin Bousquet fruit and the sweetness of milk chocolate. We
have sought to find a perfect balance between
Pastry Content Creator, these three flavors that go together perfectly.
Ben&Adé Pastry Lovers The pepper will serve as a flavor enhancer
that will sublimate the milk chocolate and the
@benjamin_lmp11 passion fruit.
@adelina_lmp11
Photo by Benjamin Bousquet

Pastry Arts 47
 Puff Brioche Donut
By François Galtier
International Pastry Chef Consultant,
Pastry World Cup Bronze Winner 2009
@galtierfrancois

Flavor Profile
Puff brioche makes a very interesting texture
in the mouth, mixing the softness of brioche
with crispiness on the outside due to the
layered process. The heart is made with Dark
Emotion 58% VELICHE Gourmet, mixed with
gingerbread spices and a hint of sea salt. The
shape of the donut with mixed color lines makes
the product sexy and elegant at the same time.

Technical Tip
For a layered process, it’s very important
to understand the technicality of your raw
material to get the best results. I like to
use CANDIA Professional butter sheets
because they have a high melting
point and amazing plasticity, but they
also bring a “fresh” buttery taste. You
should also link the number of layers to
the thickness of the dough for shaping.
It should be eight layers of butter
in 4mm, for example. The
butter will be partially
incorporated into the
dough if it’s too thin. If
it’s too thick, a lot of
butter will run out
of the dough during
baking, and it will suck
back the butter into
the dough and result in a
greasy feeling.

Photo by The Image Factory

48 Pastry Arts
 Flavor Profile
This is a pie with Asian flavors – black sésame
praline balances the acidity of the lemon and
brings a light note of hazelnut to the mouth,
while the color of the black sésame brings
elegance and a touch of modernity to the
visual.

Technical Tip
The Sésame You can replace the almond powder in the
sweet dough with black sesame powder and
Lemon Tart add vegetable coal to get that intense black
color. And then finish by gilding with vegetable
coal and sprinkle the whole tart with sésame
By Raphaël Zagnoni powder before baking, bringing texture to the
mouth.
Pastry Chef
@pastrywithraf Photo by Raphaël Zagnoni

Pastry Arts 49
 Flavor Profile
Dark chocolate mousse with cobanero pepper;
genoise sponge made with Ramón flour (native
from Guatemala); tamarind and wild berry
compote; amaranth and cacao nib shortcrust.

Quetzal Technical Tip

By Ronald García
Pastry Chef, Pizca Patisserie,
Fraijanes, Guatemala
@pizca_patisserie
Ramon flour is gluten-free. Its main component
is carbohydrate and 10% to 16% of a protein
that has not been identified, so a proportion of
wheat flour must be integrated.
Photos by Luis Alberto Photography

50 Pastry Arts
 White
Chocolate +
Rose Panna
Cotta
By Arielle Brown
Pastry Chef, Il Nido,
Marlboro, NJ
@chefarielle

Flavor Profile
The inspiration behind this dessert comes from
the flavors Americans typically associate with
Valentine’s Day: chocolate, rose, strawberries
and sparkling wine. Valrhona 35% Ivoire white
chocolate and rose water create a subtle floral
base flavor for this dessert, complementing
the three different strawberry components.
The small amount of prosecco fluid gel adds an
acidic flavor, brightening the whole dish.

Technical Tip
When creating this dessert, I used relatively
shallow silicone molds. I found that using these
molds slightly increases the amount of gelatin,
which helps to avoid breakage during un-
molding.
Photo by Arielle Brown

Pastry Arts 51
 Flavor Profile
The first flavor in this dessert is red fruits –
for this we used a combination of three fruit
purées: blackberry, blackcurrant and raspberry.
These flavors are found in the insert and the
mousse. The second flavor is red fruit tea,
which is used for the creamy element, biscuit,
crispy element and whipped cream on top.

Technical Tip
Fruithé The essential technical tip is to get the whirlwind
of the whipped cream right. The cream must be
whipped so that it is flexible enough for easy
By Alexis Beaufils swirling. Be careful to center the red fruit dome
on the mousse to make swirling easier.
Pastry Chef, Brach Paris
@alexisbeaufilss Note: Chef Emma Merand and Chef Yann Brys
collaborated in making Fruithé.

Photo by @simondetraz @brachparis

52 Pastry Arts
 Flavor Profile
For this tart, I have combined a nutty hazelnut
praline with a sweet vanilla whipped ganache
and pastry cream. A hazelnut sweet dough and
caramel opaline add a crunchy texture.

Vanilla & Technical Tip

Hazelnut Tart To make the caramel opaline, heat the glucose,

fondant and the butter in a saucepan to 311°F
(155°C). Cool the caramel on a plate and then
process to a powder. Sprinkle the caramel
By Alexandre Formica powder on a baking sheet and shape it as you
Pastry Chef wish. Bake at 300°F (150°C) for 8 minutes;
cool.
@alexandre.lmp10
Photo by Alexandre Formica

Pastry Arts 53
Vanilla, Walnut
and Red Berry
Mille Feuille
with Pork Lard
By Erika Majer
Pastry Chef and Owner,
Jardin Cukrászda
@jardincukraszda

Flavor Profile
This dessert is a combination of the traditional
Hungarian puff pastry, which is made with pork
lard, and a modern French mille feuille. The pastry
is filled with a rich vanilla pastry cream, walnut
praline, redcurrant jam and walnut flavored
chantilly cream.

Technical Tip
The pastry is laminated like a normal puff pastry,
but instead of butter we use minced pork lard,
which is mixed with a little bit of flour. When we
prepare the first dough we use white wine instead
of water, which gives an additional flavor and also
makes the dough more flexible. The pastry can
be cut into shapes and frozen in advance to work
ahead. Finally, we bake the pastry between two
steel baking molds which have been tailor-made
for us.

Photos by Peter Tahoczki

54 Pastry Arts
 CHILLED &
FROZEN PURÉES

Ready-to-use fruits
for pastry,beverage, cuisine

100% fruit or 90% fruit

and 10% pure cane sugar

More and more delicious flavors,

faithfull to the best of fresh fruits

ADVOCATING DELICIOUS, HEALTHY AND RESPONSIBLE FRUIT

is the mission we have set ourselves to inspire our employees, fruit producers, customers and partners, resonating with the aspiration to
eat better and preserve nature. Ponthier’s mission relies on strong, uncompromising commitments based on our history and new goals:

TASTE AGROECOLOGY GASTRONOMY RESPONSIBILITY

Revealing the Developing an ethical Supporting the Instilling a demanding
original taste fruit production sector gastronomic and shared approach
community to CSR

COMMITMENT N.1 Original taste

It is first and foremost about bringing the culture of taste to daily life, the original taste of a fruit that nature gives us if we respect it. It’s about sourcing
exceptional, rare and exclusive fruit, harvested when ripe and processed with care as close as possible to the orchards, as quickly as possible.

COMMITMENT N.2 Creation of the PURE TRACE® label

/kg po TEUR / PROD
0,01mg ur plus de 61 RC
OLLEC UCE
on à 0m RC
cati EU
Sans résidu Eguer
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de pesticides*
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residue* Ecuador
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PURE : Means guaranteeing healthy, pesticide residue free TRACE : Means guaranteeing traceability so that gastronomy
products with the PURE label, thanks to responsible and committed professionals can enhance the value of their offer and meet consumer
growing methods and analyses on all fruit batches approved by expectations on product origin. Ponthier was a pioneer in listing
Ponthier experts. In 2022, 33 flavors are labelled PURE, pesticide stringent traceability (country, harvest area and variety) and now
© Photo Mathide de l’Ecotais

residue free (limit of quantification 0.01mg/kg for more than 610 Ponthier is going much further with the creation of the TRACE label,
molecules analysed) whatever their packaging format. which lists the producer-harvester and the harvest location. In 2022, 26
flavors are labelled TRACE regardless of their packaging format.

ZA des Vieux Chênes - BP 4 - 19130 Objat – France - www.ponthier.net / info@ponthier.net

Vanilla 101

Vanilla
From Vine to Plate
Secrets of a not-so-secret ingredient
By Robert Wemischner
Sponsored by Tahitian Gold Vanilla
56 Pastry Arts
 I
magine for a moment that you are surrounded by vines
of the only orchid that produces vanilla pods, the start
of a long journey from tropical vine to kitchen. And then
imagine how that cured pod can flavor everything from
sweets to savory, from chocolates, cakes and cookies and
ice creams to lobster, duck and more. Like saffron – costly, but
worth it – vanilla is one of those indispensable ingredients that
brings the main flavors of a dish into sharp focus, accentuating
fruity notes sometimes, floral notes at others, but always
imparting an overarching mellowness and roundness to the
dish. A little of the best quality stuff goes a long way.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given its floral origins,

vanilla “blooms” in a dish, whether savory or
sweet, murmuring pleasantly in the background
but detected in every bit of the dish. Let’s
backtrack a bit to appreciate the wonder that
is real vanilla.
First, its flavor is due to a miracle of nature
made more miraculous by the intervention of
man. The fruit of not just any tropical orchid
vine – only two out of the 110 vanilla orchid
species produce edible vanilla beans, and one,
vanilla tahitensis, is a natural hybrid cousin of
the original plant, vanilla planifolia – the magic
occurs after the pod has fermented to create
that prized perfumed intensity we associate
with vanilla paste and extract. But that aroma
and taste take time and skill to develop. It
takes the vines themselves about four years
to mature before they produce the green pod
that will become the vanilla we know and
love. What’s more, it takes an estimated 600
blossoms pollinated by hand to produce one
kilogram of cured beans.

Pastry Arts 57
 It’s an incontrovertible truth that all the
technique in the world cannot make up for the
use of inferior-quality ingredients. Think about
how pastry chefs seek to wring maximum
flavor out of their ingredients so that the
end product speaks clearly and deliciously of
what has gone into it. One of those critical
ingredients is almost surely vanilla. Real high-
quality vanilla is a prime example of how an
ingredient can lend its presence, not as a
supporting cast member, but as the star or the
hero of the show. As pastry chef Sherry Yard
states, “It deserves to be placed on its own
pedestal and stands proudly at the top of the
ingredient pyramid.” From someone who has
designed the standout desserts for the official
Oscar Awards parties, the most gala-of-galas
in Hollywood, during her years as Executive
Pastry Chef for Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant
and catering empire, she certainly knows about
using great ingredients in her work. She evokes
memories of her work from those years, from
her 50-vanilla-bean-flavored ice cream to her
Not So Angel Food Cake, served with fragrant
58 Pastry Arts
fraises de bois. Vanilla in these and more is the
not so common denominator in much of her
sweet work.
“Using great vanilla makes me appreciate
why the quality of ingredients matters. After all,
vanilla is the Marilyn Monroe of flavors that’s
supported by other ingredients in the dessert.
Whether I am using whole bean paste, the
extract, or the vanilla bean powder, all of which
have their uses in my pastry kitchen, I treat this
ingredient with respect, acknowledging the
long path from tropical flower to bean. But no
matter which one I use, I can count on an alluring
complexity making its presence known in the
desserts, lending roundness, warmth, and floral
notes, anywhere I use it.” She advises: “Treat it
with loving care; don’t take it for granted. When
it comes to vanilla, there is no compromising.”
She adds, “When it comes to vanilla, and I have
used a lot of it many forms in my time, sourcing
the best growers and processors – whether
in Tahiti, Papua New Guinea, Madagascar or
Mexico – is key to consistently high-quality
results.”
 Speak to Farid Azarang, who, with his
brother Saeed, owns and operates Artelice
Patisserie in Los Angeles, and you will find that
his compulsion to use superior vanilla in their
products such as cremeux, mousses, and pastry
creams is no less fervid than Yard’s. “It simply
pays off. Heating vanilla paste with the milk
used in my desserts yields the best flavor, and I
get more out of less, resulting in a win-win for
the bakery’s bottom line and for our customers.
To achieve an equally intense flavor, I would
have to scrape many whole vanilla beans to
infuse into the dairy elements of my desserts,
adding to an already labor-intensive process.”
He adds, “Slow-baked crisp meringues such as
pavlova also get their flavor-defining dose of
beautiful vanilla flavor from whole bean vanilla
powder added after the meringue has been
fully aerated just before baking.”
To add a kind of sweetness to her
preparations while emphasizing less sugar,
Chef Misuzu Ebihara, owner and Executive
Pastry Chef of Suzuya Patisserie in Las Vegas,
turns to quality vanilla extract. “I find that it
works best for the Chantilly cream used in
our Strawberry Short Cake. This is our best
seller. To gain maximum impact, I generally
like to add the extract to cold preparations.
Heating the extract blunts its beautiful flavor.
Our offerings draw upon the French classics,
but are equally influenced by the delicacy of
Japanese cuisine. Everything we sell tends
to be light in texture, less sweet and yet still
satisfying.” A good portion of the café-bakery
business centers around coffee, and Ebihara
ups the ante with an intense house-made
vanilla syrup which uses both ground vanilla
beans and top-quality extract to avoid the
“unpleasant alcohol-forward personality” she
finds in some extracts. “Using both ground
beans and extract makes the syrup’s flavor
deeper and more complex, and therefore it’s
not overshadowed by the strength of the
coffee flavor in our drinks.”
For James Rosselle, Food Network Challenge
first-place winner and baking instructor at
College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, CA,
vanilla beans are the star of his custard. “It
rounds out the flavor of custard in a Bougatsa,
where the creamy mixture is sandwiched
between two layers of buttery, flaky phyllo
dough, baked to a beautiful golden brown.
There’s nothing better or simpler, and the
vanilla perfume shines through beautifully. If
you want dessert for breakfast, this is your go-
to,” he says.
Pastry Arts 59
 Pastry Chef Hugh Boggs at Merriman’s
Hawaii, with multiple locations on the Hawaiian
Islands, combines a trio of tropical flavors –
pineapple, macadamia nuts and vanilla – in
the restaurant’s signature bread pudding, and
includes fine vanilla in its dreamy coconut cream
pies. He insists on using what is locally grown
on each island, sharing company founder Peter
Merriman’s philosophy of creating a restaurant
that is “simple, family-style and reflective of
the multiculturalism of the islands.” Boggs says,
“With our Pineapple Bread Pudding, we allow
the custard base to age overnight for maximum
flavor impact and then gild the lily by serving
a scoop of Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream over
the warm pudding.” Truly paradise on a plate.
Perry Bates, longtime Executive Chef of
Mama’s Fish House on Maui, is following the
vision of Floyd and Doris Christenson, the
restaurant’s founders, and shares Boggs’ view
about the importance of buying local and
incorporating ingredients, including vanilla,
onto the menu, in everything from savory
offerings to sweet endings. Bates says, “The
founders believed in offering a farm-to-table
and sea-to-table menu way before this became
a thing for restaurants everywhere, and part of
that farm-to-table concept includes sourcing
the vanilla we use. All our ice creams and plating
sauces benefit from the use of well-sourced
vanilla. Our Liliko’I (passion fruit) Crème
Brûlée and signature Polynesian Black Pearl
60 Pastry Arts
Chocolate Liliko’I Mousse in a pastry seashell,
gain immeasurably from the use of vanilla, in all
of its forms.”
Experimenting with vanilla in all its myriad
forms, from whole beans, split and scraped,
ground beans and vanilla bean powder to
already made high quality pastes and extracts,
is not only fun and but often revelatory. This
process also requires tasting reflectively,
paying attention to the dosage of which form is
added to a recipe, all of which can lead to some
stellar gustatory experiences. Also make note
of the processes used in the recipe (including
a cold or hot infusion, overnight marination
or maceration, among others), and at what
point the vanilla is added to a mixture; all of
this can lead to the most impactful use of
this prized ingredient. If possible, repeat the
tastings before arriving at the final version of
whatever dessert you are making. Whether it’s
a rich custard used in French toast gussied up
and served for dessert, crème anglaise, buttery
vanilla-scented pound cake, a versatile genoise
or a glistening fruit tart with a richly vanilla-
forward pastry cream underpinning, vanilla
will often be the key that unlocks the dessert,
the unifying presence that makes the dessert
memorable and complex. It’s the not-so-secret
secret ingredient, well worth its cost.
For information on Tahitian Gold vanilla products,
visit https://tahitiangoldco.com.
Chantilly
Cream
By Misuzu Ebihara,
Suzuya Patisserie,
Las Vegas, NV
Yield: 2.2 kg

• 300 g heavy cream, 40%

• 1700 g heavy cream, 36%
• 70 g trehalose
• 155 g confectioners’ sugar
• 27 g Tahitian Gold vanilla extract

1. Beat the creams, trehalose and

confectioners’ sugar together until
soft peaks form. Add vanilla and
continue beating just until the
texture is slightly thicker.

Vanilla
Syrup
Yield: 846 g

• 300 g granulated sugar

• 300 g water
• 66 g Tahitian Gold vanilla paste
• 180 g Tahitian Gold vanilla extract

1. Simmer all ingredients together to extract

as much flavor from the paste as possible
and cook away the alcohol from the
extract. Let cool and refrigerate.

Pastry Arts 61
 Vanilla Bean
Bougatsa
By James Rosselle, Instructor of Pastry at
College of the Canyons, Santa Clarita, CA

62 Pastry Arts
Yield: One 10ʺ round, serving 10-12

Vanilla Bean
Custard Cream
• 4 large whole eggs
• 110 g granulated sugar
• 40 g cornstarch
• 1,000 g whole milk
• 2 Tahitian Gold vanilla beans,
halved lengthwise and scraped

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs,

granulated sugar and cornstarch. Set aside.
2. In a heavy-bottomed pot such as a Dutch
oven, heat the milk and vanilla bean seeds
and pod over medium-high heat until the
milk reaches a rolling boil; remove from
heat. Using a ladle, slowly incorporate the
hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking
constantly. Incorporate half the milk into bottom of the baking dish. Drizzle half of
the egg mixture and then transfer the the melted butter over the crumpled phyllo.
mixture back to the pot. Transfer pot back 2. Bake phyllo for 10 minutes or until golden.
to the medium heat and keep whisking until Remove from the oven and cool 10 minutes.
cream thickens. Leave the oven on.
3. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, then set
cream aside while you prepare the phyllo
base.
Assembly
• Confectioners’ sugar
Phyllo Base • Ground cinnamon

• 1 ½ rolls of phyllo pastry 1. Carefully spread the Vanilla Bean Custard

• 200 g unsalted butter, melted
1. Preheat oven to 390°F. Carefully lay the
phyllo stack onto a cutting board. Butter a
10ʺ round baking dish with melted butter.
Take one phyllo sheet and gather it up
together, making it look crumpled and wavy,
around the bottom and up the slanted sides
of the baking dish. Repeat process with 10-
12 more phyllo sheets or until you to cover
Cream evenly on top of crispy phyllo. Add
10-12 crumpled phyllo sheets over the
custard (just as directed for the bottom
sheets). Drizzle the remaining butter over
top layer of crumpled phyllo. Bake for 15-
20 minutes, or until phyllo is a deep golden
color. Set pastry aside for 30 minutes.
2. Dust with a generous amount of icing sugar
and a whisper of cinnamon. Cut and serve
warm.

Pastry Arts 63
 Merriman’s Pineapple
Bread Pudding
By Hugh Boggs,
Pastry Chef, Merriman’s, Hawaii

64 Pastry Arts
 Pineapple Bread Pudding
Yield: Two #200 hotel pans
• 850 g sliced day-old French bread
Bread Pudding Custard • 113 g melted butter
• 2 Tbs cinnamon sugar
• 5.68 lt (6 qt) heavy cream • 3.78 lt Bread Pudding Custard (from above)
• 48 egg yolks • 1020 g diced pineapple
• 850 g granulated sugar • 227 g macadamia nuts
• 113 g vanilla extract • 1360 g Macadamia Streusel (from above)
• 1 clove
• 4 Tahitian Gold vanilla beans, split 1. Lay bread slices evenly in #200 hotel pan
and scraped that has been sprayed with pan release
spray. Pour melted butter evenly over bread.
Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over buttered
1. Whisk all ingredients together well and bread. Cover with custard and let soak
strain through a fine-mesh sieve. about 45 minutes, compressing the mixture
2. Place in covered container and allow to to release air bubbles.
mature overnight in refrigerator. 2. Sprinkle pineapple and macadamia nuts into
pans and mix to combine. Top with streusel
and cover pan with foil. Place in water bath
Macadamia Streusel and bake at 350˚F (177˚C) for 1 hour and
20 minutes. Remove foil and bake another
• 751 g macadamia nuts, diced into medium- 20 minutes, until the temperature of the
sized pieces pudding reads 175˚F (79˚C). Run knife
• 680 g melted butter around edge before cooling pudding.
• 1,757 g brown sugar
• 1 Tbs salt Serving
1. Mix all ingredients together until crumbly. 1. Portion into 4ʺ x 6ʺ (10 x 15 cm) rectangles
2. Store in microwave-safe container. and serve with a scoop of ice cream.

Pastry Arts 65
 Vanilla Caramel
Napoleon
By Farid Azarang,
Artelice Patisserie, Los Angeles, CA

Yield: 13 to 16 servings 1. Combine all ingredients except the butter

for lamination in a mixer and knead without
working the dough too much. Cover the
Puff Pastry paton (dough base) with plastic wrap and
refrigerate for 12 hours.
• 240 g bread flour 2. Roll out the dough and place the prepared
• 760 g all-purpose flour butter for lamination onto the paton. Give
the dough two single turns and then allow
• 20 g salt
to rest in the refrigerator until the dough
• 20 g white vinegar firms up.
• 440 g water 3. Repeat this process until you have given the
• 100 g unsalted butter for dough plus 800 g dough 6 single turns. Roll to 2mm thickness,
for lamination dock and reserve in the refrigerator.

66 Pastry Arts
4. Weigh dough down by covering it with
parchment, then a sheet pan. Bake in
preheated 375˚F (190˚C) convection oven
for 20-25 minutes. Remove weight and
continue baking for 10-12 minutes more,
until dough is uniformly golden brown. Cool
on rack.
Vanilla Cream
• 450 g milk
• 50 g heavy cream
• 15 g Tahitian Gold 3-Fold Madagascar
Whole Vanilla Bean Paste
• 90 g granulated sugar
• 90 g egg yolks
• 25 g cornstarch
• 25 g all-purpose flour
• 30 g cocoa butter
• 150 g unsalted butter
• 50 g fish gelatin mass
• 50 g mascarpone
1. In a saucepan, combine the milk, cream and
vanilla and heat.
2. In a bowl, mix the sugar with the egg yolks,
cornstarch and flour. Add a little bit of hot
milk mixture, mix, and then add everything
to the milk mixture in the saucepan. Cook
until boiling, 2-3 minutes. Add the cocoa
butter, butter and gelatin mass. Cover with
plastic wrap and refrigerate.
3. When ready to use, whip the cream mixture
and combine with the mascarpone.
• 130 g Valrhona Opalys white chocolate,
melted
• 35 g fish gelatin mass, melted
1. Bring the cream and vanilla to a simmer,
then pour over melted white chocolate
and melted gelatin mass. Let it sit in the
refrigerator overnight.
Soft Caramel
• 160 g granulated sugar
• 160 g heavy cream, heated
• 8 g Tahitian Gold 3-Fold Madagascar
Whole Vanilla Bean Paste
• 125 g unsalted butter
1. Make a dry caramel with the sugar and stop
the cooking with the heated cream and
vanilla. Cook to 226˚F (108°C), then mix in
the butter. Cool down.
Assembly
1. Whip the ganache gently and set aside.
2. Cut three pieces of puff pastry into 4.7ʺ x
1.6ʺ (12 x 4 cm). Using a #806 pastry tip,
pipe three cylinder on two of the pieces
lengthwise, alternating with the soft
caramel. Top with the third piece, flip the
pastry onto its side, then pipe the ganache
on top.

Chantilly
Whipped Ganache
• 500 g heavy cream
• 2 g Tahitian Gold Madagascar ground
vanilla beans

Pastry Arts 67
New & Notable

than two meters in height, the piece was

crafted so that chocolate lovers could delight
at the sight of the sculpture and also find a
conscious message in it — humans and nature
at peace. Since 2015, Harrods and WCM
have been partnering to bring to life the most
daring chocolate competition in the world.
Through different challenges, the competition
showcases the talents of world chocolate
champions and at the same time carries
inspirational messages for the world in each
year’s theme. As an international community
for chocolate chefs and lovers, the previous
edition of WCM chocolate invited prior winners
and finalists to be part of the jury. Some of
these names included Elias Läderach from
Switzerland (WCM 2018 Winner) and Harrods
Senior Pastry Chef, Alistair Birt from the U.K.
(WCM 2013 Finalist).

An Elephant
to Remember
Lluc Crusellas, the young winner of the
Cacao Barry World Chocolate Masters 2022
competition, will soon be sharing his award-
winning chocolate masterpiece in London.
The piece will be displayed in Harrod’s iconic
tea salon from April 13th until the 17th of
May for everyone to enjoy. An idea born in
the mountains of Catalunya in northeastern
Spain, Lluc Crusellas’ chocolate elephant was
recognized by an international jury of pastry
chefs and chocolatiers, led by chocolate
celebrity Amaury Guichon. Weighing around
170 kg and towering over its creator at more

68 Pastry Arts
A Tribute to
Richard Capizzi
The late, great Pastry Chef Richard Capizzi was
honored by a star-studded group of his friends
and colleagues this past February at a tribute
dinner and fundraiser at Patina Restaurant
Group’s Lincoln Ristorante. It was an evening of
friendship, artistry and remembrance, as Chefs
Thomas Keller, Jonathan Benno, Shea Gallante
and Artem Orlovskyy cooked a memorable
dinner in homage to their friend. Pastry Chefs
Sebastien Rouxel, Stefanie Morgado, Kara Blitz,
Katie Backlund and Scott Cioe prepared desserts
inspired by Capizzi’s favorite confections. Guests
included family, Capizzi’s wife Phyllis and two
children, a community of friends, chefs and
colleagues. Chef Capizzi’s tragic passing this past
September left the culinary community stunned
and bereft. The vibrant and dynamic Capizzi
suffered from glioblastoma, an aggressive type
of brain cancer. Capizzi was a rare expert in all
the pastry arts: a gifted baker, confectioner,
chocolatier and maker of gelato and
sorbetto. He graduated first in his
class at the Culinary Institute
of America and won the title
of Pastry Chef of the Year, as
well as gold medals for “Most
Artistic Plated Dessert,” The
Vatel Club’s “Technical Prize”
and the Societe Culinaire
Philanthropique’s Award for
Exceptional Taste at the 14th
Annual U.S. Pastry Competition
in New York in 2003. He was the youngest and
the first pastry chef ever to sweep the entire
competition. While at Per Se, Dessert Professional
Magazine honored Richard as one of the ‘Top 10
Pastry Chefs 2009’. With Capizzi as pastry chef,
Lincoln Ristorante was awarded two New York
Times stars and one Michelin star.
Yet it was his teaching, leadership, camaraderie,
generosity and grace that made him beloved
to those whose paths he crossed. “Richard was
the most talented pastry chef I’ve worked with,”
said Jonathan Benno. “He was meticulous, with
utmost integrity. I’ve never seen anybody work
harder in my life. He really was Superman in the
kitchen.” Thomas Keller reflected, “Richard was a
tremendous talent and tremendous human being
who graced our teams at Per Se and Bouchon
Bakery. We owe to Richard how we make our
Bouchons, how we make our confections,
and so much else at the bakery. His
legacy is everywhere.” Delaware
North’s Patina Restaurant Group
conceived of the tribute dinner
as a fundraiser for Capizzi’s
family. The evening also
launched a scholarship in his
honor at his Alma Mater, The
Culinary Institute of America.
To donate, visit here.
Photos by Evan Sung
Pastry Arts 69
 2023 Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie

Team Japan took home its third gold medal at the Honorary President of the event, added, “All
prestigious Couple du Monde de la Pâtisserie the candidates were very passionate, which is
in Lyon, France on January 21. Team Japan satisfying for me as a pastry chef. I would like to
members Moe Takahashi, Naritoshi Suzuka and thank all the people who worked here, for having
Yusaku Shibata accepted the coveted award, helped me rediscover this wonderful profession,
which recognizes a high standard of technique which benefits from everyday evolution in
and creativity in pastry. Team France followed terms of visual and technical approach”. For full
with a silver medal, while Team Italy captured the results of the competition, visit https://www.
bronze medal. Team Canada placed tenth and cmpatisserie.com/en/grand-final.
was recognized with the eco-responsible prize
for its use of sustainable products. Team U.S.A.
placed seventh in the competition, represented
by Julie Eslinger, team captain and ice candidate,
from Castle Rock, Colorado; Jordan Snider,
sugar candidate, Kiawah Island, South Carolina;
and François Behuet, the chocolate candidate
from Los Angeles, California.
The theme of this year’s competition was
‘Climate Change’, and the judges were genuinely
impressed with the technical skill and creativity
displayed in the showpieces. “The level of
the competition rises from one edition to the
next, as evidenced by the very close results,”
event President Pierre Hermé said. “It is with
great emotion that we award Japan, a country
accustomed to the podium, which is back on the
top 16 years after its last victory.” Cedric Grolet,

70 Pastry Arts
 Éclair
Euphoria
A book that is as beautiful as it is
practical, Éclair by Garuharu, written by
pastry superstar Eunyoung Yun, owner
of Garuharu pastry boutique in Seoul,
presents the éclair in forms and flavors
that transcend the familiar vanilla-pastry-
cream-and-chocolate-glaze classic. It
begins with the basics, with a base choux
recipe and a gluten-free option, and
then presents over 20 more recipes for
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Pie-Palooza
Pieminister is a sustainable pie making business (a spin on Tarte Tatin)
from Bristol, U.K. Their award-winning range and even a Deep Pan
includes plenty of plant-based and gluten- Pizza Pie. Whimsical,
free recipes, and their business puts a major charmingly illustrated
emphasis on animal welfare and sustainably and endlessly inviting,
sourced ingredients. Pieminister was founded the book covers pastry
in 2003 by brothers-in-law Tristan Hogg and basics along with
Jon Simon, when they set up their shop in easy-to-follow recipes,
Bristol. Tristan made the pies and Jon ran the including vegan and
shop. Their exceptional pies meant the brand gluten-free options. Along with the recipes,
grew swiftly, and now employs 300 people this book also demystifies sustainable food,
and runs 16 restaurants across the UK. And making it easy and attainable. From fighting
now they’ve just released their first book, waste and finding truly deforestation-free fats
Pieminister: Live & Eat Pie! (Kyle Books, 2023), a for pastry-making to getting to grips with truly
collection of recipes from classics like Chicken sustainable packaging, this book reveals all
& Ham or Steak & Ale to unique combinations the wisdom gained over the past 10 years at
such as Tofu, Leek & Smoked Garlic or Paneer, Pieminister. The bottom line? It’s a cookbook
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Baking homemade sourdough can often extensive shaping—saving you time and
seem like a complex, time-consuming task, effort while still producing delicious results.
but sourdough baking expert and instructor Classic options include focaccia, sandwich
Elaine Boddy has a knack for demystifying loaves and baby boules, along with unique
and streamlining the process. Her and flavorful breads such as
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Publishing, 2023), offers Same-Day Goat Cheese and
her simplest, most versatile
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recipes yet. Hands-off
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methods such as overnight
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day recipes ensure that inspiring collection of 60
even with a hectic schedule masterful recipes, making
and limited budget you can your own bread is sure
successfully create bakery- to become a wonderful
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kitchen. Elaine has also utilized everyday life, whether
common baking pans and trays you’re a pastry professional
to remove the difficulty of or home baker.

72 Pastry Arts
 Knead world’s best bakers in support
of Ukraine (edited by Andrew

Peace
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Anna Makievska, founder of from sourdough breads to
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breads in Ukraine – had its warehouse full of Yotam Ottolenghi of Ottolenghi; and Richard
ingredients and stock destroyed by Russian Bertinet of The Bertinet Kitchen. A donation
shells. But this did not slow Anna and her team for every copy of the book sold in the U.K.
down. They scavenged for flour and other goes to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal of
ingredients and have continued to bake day the Disasters Emergency Committee. As Anna
and night throughout the conflict. Inspired puts it, “Baking connects good people and lets
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Plated Desserts

The Key Elements of a

Plated
Dessert By Michael Laiskonis, Creative Director,
Institute of Culinary Education, New York, NY

“The discovery of a new dish does more for human

happiness than the discovery of a new star.”
— Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, La Physiologie du Gout

Sponsored by
Les vergers Boiron
74 Pastry Arts
 I
’m often asked about my
approach to creativity and
cooking, but it is a difficult
question to answer. Every
pastry chef has their own
method toward building a dish
that suits their own needs and
sensibilities, and what may
work for one may not work for
others. I do think, however, that
creativity in food is less about
divine inspiration, and more a
deliberative pursuit – a muscle,
perhaps – that requires regular
exercise. Personal expression
in a plated dessert is the sum
of all that we see and taste,
filtered and processed through
our own unique perspective
and aesthetics, and further
enhanced by our accumulated
set of technical skills.
I joke, sometimes, that when I was a much
younger chef I could easily sit down and write
a five- or six- item dessert menu in a matter
of minutes, because at the time I only knew
five or six things. With all the experience and
knowledge I’ve gained as a pastry chef since,
that task now can be far more difficult. I have a
wider range of techniques to employ, a deeper
catalog of flavors and ingredients to draw from,
and many hundreds, if not thousands, of recipes
to reference. Chefs across that spectrum –
from novice to well-seasoned – can benefit
from internal editing and a framework to help
guide the creative process. My own processes
have evolved over time, to the point where
many of my decisions are made subconsciously.
I didn’t always analyze how or why I came to
one conclusion or another. Several years ago,
I sought to quantify the key elements that go
into building a dessert, to better understand
for myself – and explain to others – a basic
creative framework.
As I began to grasp my role as mentor to the
cooks who worked with me, I also understood
the value of sharing the task of menu
development with my team. One purpose was
simply to check my own ego, but I also realized
that most pastry cooks working their way up
the ladder don’t get much experience in the
creative process until they eventually take on
the title of ‘chef.’ I quickly learned, however,
that I needed to build structure to the crowd
sourcing of ideas, or else I become deluged
with half-formed thoughts throughout the
course of any given day. In exchange for time
and resources to work out their ideas, I simply
asked my cooks to present them in written form
with some base recipes to show they had put
in a minimum of thought and research. From
there, I had them apply the first test toward
refining their effort – ten simple concepts to
make sure their efforts were heading in the
right direction:
Flavor
Texture
Temperature
Balance
Portion and Proportion
Focus
Presentation
Refinement
Innovation
Simplicity/Complexity
Pastry Arts 75
 Flavor is, of course, first and foremost, as
are interesting (and correct) textures. Plated
desserts served in a restaurant setting offer a
unique opportunity to play with temperature –
hot, cold, frozen, and even room temperature.
Creating contrasting or complementary balance
of all these elements is also key – sweet and
acid, crunchy and creamy, warm and cool.
But then so is appropriate portion size and
proportion of components; a compelling idea is
to ‘flip’ the ratios of an element to see how the
focus of a dish might shift.
With this focus in mind, I find each dish
should have a starring role – one central
flavor or ingredient, or a combination of two
or three ingredients. This could be expressed
in subtle or overt ways. One flavor can be
expressed in several forms, or simply elevated
by complementary flavors. When it comes
to presentation, most chefs will say that it is
secondary to flavor, texture, balance, and the
like, which I agree with, but as pastry chefs
we can manipulate our ingredients to such a
degree that the final form of an ingredient is
closely linked to flavor and texture from the
outset of development.
In thinking about refinement, I might ask
myself, “If the texture of a mousse is supposed
76 Pastry Arts
to be creamy, how do I make it creamier?’ or
‘If a garnish should be thin and crunchy, how
do I make it thinner and crunchier?” How
do we preserve, concentrate, or otherwise
improve an ingredient’s flavor? We achieve this
continual pursuit toward refinement by simply
honing our technical skill, or breaking down
our recipes to better understand the cause-
and-effect of its method and ingredients. And
that’s where innovation comes in. It’s not a
necessary requirement of a dessert, but even
on a subtle level, I like a new dish to in some
way incorporate something new, even if its just
a new flavor or technique for myself and my
team.
And finally, I challenge young cooks to
consider simplicity and complexity – both valid
approaches to developing a dish. As a diner, I’ve
enjoyed equally desserts that display a riotous
(but cohesive) cacophony of components and
those that are minimalist in design, to the point
of austerity. I might push myself further to
assess how simplicity can be complex, and vice-
versa, how complexity creates an effect that is
greater than the sum of its many parts. At some
point during the construction of a dessert,
I do like to step back and edit the results, to
pare away anything that is not essential to the
original idea.
I find these guidelines helpful in reigning
in the creative process, and from there,
I might introduce a number of more
thoughtful concepts – appropriate
seasonality, adding elements
of action or surprise,
considering a desserts’
inner ‘architecture’, or
unconventional ways
of devising flavor
combinations. Below,
I outline how some
of these ideas have
helped me shape
some of my own
plated desserts over
the years.
Passion Fruit Verrine
With passion fruit as a focal point, this dish is
largely an exercise in presenting that flavor in
several ways – a cream, sorbet, sponge cake,
fluid gel, and pearls, their varying degrees
of tartness balanced by mascarpone and
milk chocolate components. There is a lot
happening texturally, and by building the
dessert into a verrine, an element of surprise
is added. The idea of cake as a garnish comes
from the concept of ‘flipping’ components; one
could easily flip the elements back into, say, an
entremets-style cake with similar, but different,
effect.

‘Flowers’ ‘Mille Feuille’

In addition to balance of flavor, texture, and
temperature, the core concept of this dessert
lies in how I assembled its flavors – coconut,
mango, rose, and pistachio. Inspired by typical
flavors of Indian sweets and the notion that
“what grows together, goes together.” The
presentation is guided by the simple design
elements of slight asymmetry and odd numbers
of components.
Milk chocolate plays a starring role in this
dessert, but I’m also thinking about architecture
and the effect of the layering components not
just in terms of presentation, but also with
how it is eaten. Refinement comes into play
when considering the ultra-thin rectangles of
tempered chocolate; if too thick, the textures
are out of balance and the dish becomes
difficult to eat.

Pastry Arts 77
 Passion
Fruit
Verrine
By Michael Laiskonis

78 Pastry Arts
Yield: Approximately 8 servings as a plated
dessert
Passion Fruit Curd
• 100 g whole eggs
• 150 g granulated sugar
• 85 g Boiron Passion Fruit Purée
• ½ sheet gelatin, bloomed
• 85 g unsalted butter
1. In a saucepan, whisk together the eggs and
sugar, and then whisk in the purée. Cook
over medium heat, stirring constantly (as it
will easily scorch on the bottom), until the
mixture reaches 185˚F (85˚C).
2. Remove from heat and add the gelatin.
Emulsify the butter into the base in small
amounts with an immersion blender.
3. Deposit approximately 50g into each
‘verrine’ glass and freeze.
Mascarpone Cream
• 130 g whole milk
• 50 g granulated sugar
• 1 sheet gelatin, bloomed •
• 135 g mascarpone cheese
1. In a saucepan, combine the milk and sugar,
gently warming over medium heat.
2. Remove from the heat and add the
gelatin, stirring to dissolve. Temper into
the mascarpone and emulsify with an
immersion blender.
2. Deposit approximately 40g as a second
layer into each ‘verrine’ glass and freeze.
Milk Chocolate Cream
• 130 g whole milk
• 120 g heavy cream (36% fat)
• 15 g granulated sugar
• 40 g egg yolks
• 1 sheet gelatin, bloomed
• 175 g milk chocolate
1. In a saucepan, combine the milk and cream
and gently warm over medium heat. In a
small bowl, whisk together the sugar and
egg yolks.
2. Temper the hot milk mixture into the egg
yolks, return to the saucepan, and heat to
185˚F (85˚C), stirring constantly.
3. Remove from the heat and add the gelatin,
stirring to dissolve. Incorporate into the milk
chocolate and emulsify with an immersion
blender.
4. Deposit approximately 60g as a third layer
into each ‘verrine’ glass and chill to set.
Passion Fruit Sorbet
• 260 g granulated sugar, divided
• 5 g sorbet stabilizer
• 420 g water
• 65 g glucose powder
• 25 g invert sugar
500 g Boiron Passion Fruit Purée
1. Combine 20 g of the sugar with the stabilizer.
Reserve.
2. In a saucepan, heat the water to 120˚F
(50°C). Whisk in the stabilizer mixture,
followed by the remaining 240 g sugar,
glucose powder, and the invert sugar. Bring
just to a boil and remove from heat.
3. Chill and allow the syrup to mature for at
least 4 hours.
4. Combine the purée and syrup and process
in batch freezer; extract the mix at 23˚F
(-5˚C). Alternatively, transfer to PacoJet
canisters and freeze; process as needed.
Continue to harden the sorbet at 0˚F
( -18˚C), as necessary.
Pastry Arts 79

Passion Fruit Fluid Gel
• 150 g Boiron Passion Fruit Purée •
• 150 g granulated sugar
• 150 g water
• 4 g agar agar
1. Combine the purée and sugar; gently warm
to 95˚F (35˚C). Reserve.
2. Combine the water and agar in a small
saucepan and bring to a boil over medium
heat; reduce heat and hold a simmer for 30
seconds. Remove from heat and stir in the
passion fruit mixture. Allow to cool and set
to firm gel at room temperature.
3. Break up the gel and place into a variable-
speed blender and process until smooth.
4. Transfer to a squeeze bottle and reserve.
Passion Fruit Pearls
• 50 g Boiron Passion Fruit Purée
• 75 g Boiron Mango Purée
• 25 g granulated sugar
• 75 g water
• 1.5 g agar agar
• 0.2 g locust bean gum container.
• Grapeseed oil (40˚F/5˚C), as needed
80 Pastry Arts
1. Combine the purées and sugar; gently
warm to 95˚F (35˚C). Reserve.
2. Combine the water, agar, and locust bean
gum in a small saucepan and bring to a boil
over medium heat; reduce heat and hold a
simmer for 30 seconds. Remove from heat
and stir in the passion fruit mixture.
3. Transfer to a squeeze bottle and
immediately deposit droplets into the cold
oil. Chill and allow 5-10 minutes to set;
drain well and reserve.
Passion Fruit Chiffon Sponge
• 105 g cake flour
5 g baking powder
• 2 g salt
• 50 g egg yolks
• 45 g water
• 40 g Boiron Passion Fruit Purée
• 50 g vegetable oil
• 125 g granulated sugar, divided
• 120 g egg whites
1. Combine and sift together the cake flour,
baking powder and salt. Reserve.
2. Whisk together the egg yolks, water,
purée, oil and 100 g of the sugar. Gently
incorporate the sifted dry mixture into the
egg yolk mixture.
3. Prepare a simple meringue with the egg
whites and the remaining 25 g sugar. Fold
into the base mixture.
4. Transfer to a parchment-lined quarter-
sheet pan and bake in a convection oven
at 320˚F (160˚C) until lightly browned and
thoroughly baked, approximately 15-20
minutes.
5. Allow to cool completely. Cut into 0.4ʺ
(1cm) cubes and reserve in a sealed
 Passion Fruit Assembly
Marshmallow
• White chocolate décor
• 8.5 g gelatin powder (225-bloom) • Lime zest
• 50 g water, cold • Gold leaf
• 95 g glucose syrup, divided
• 60 g Boiron Passion Fruit Purée, divided 1. Assemble the verrines by arranging pieces
• 30 g water of the chiffon sponge, marshmallow, pearls,
and the fluid gel. Top with a small quenelle of
• 135 g granulated sugar the sorbet, followed by the white chocolate
• Dextrose, as needed décor, more fluid gel, lime zest, and gold
leaf.
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, hydrate the
gelatin in the water. Add 45 g of the glucose
syrup and 10 g of the passion fruit purée
and reserve.
2. Combine the water, the remaining 50 g of
purée, the sugar, and the remaining 50 g of
glucose in a saucepan and bring to a boil
over medium heat. Continue to cook to a
final temperature of 230˚F (110˚C).
3. Remove from the heat and pour the cooked
syrup over the gelatin mixture and whip
on high speed for 7-8 minutes, or until the
mixture is light and fluffy and has cooled
to approximately 75˚F (24°C).
4. Transfer the mixture into
prepared frames and allow to
set for several hours.
5. Cut the marshmallow
into 5mm cubes and
coat with dextrose
powder; reserve in
a sealed container.

Pastry Arts 81
Chocolate Talk

Chocolate
Babka
By Donald Wressell and Josh Johnson,
Pastry Chefs, Guittard Chocolate Company

Sponsored by
Guittard Chocolate Company
82 Pastry Arts
O
riginating in Poland
and Ukraine in the
early 19th century,
Babka has evolved and
been reinvented many
times over. The earliest
iterations used extra challah dough, made
with either cinnamon sugar or with jam,
rolled up and twisted into loaves. This
first generation of babka, popularized
by Jewish communities and eventually
finding a way into Jewish bakeries,
was made with oil instead of butter
so it would remain dairy free. Babka
eventually became a staple across New
York City and beyond in both Jewish and
non-Jewish bakeries, with many crediting
a very unlikely source for its resurgence.
In 1994 a cinnamon babka became the
subject of a Seinfeld episode, and like so
many culinary creations that have become
intertwined with the fabric of our culture,
babka started to take on a new life. Many
babka recipes nowadays are very similar
to brioche – lending to a wide variety of
versatility, including added spices, citrus
zest, candied peel, assorted seeds, sweet
and savory. Fillings are only limited by
the imagination of the baker and, of
course, baking science – think chocolate
fillings, frangipane nut fillings, fruit
fillings, Nutella-type fillings, and plenty
of variations of classic cinnamon sugar
and topped with streusels, toasted nuts,
infused syrups or even simple icings and
glazes.
A recent trip to France revealed that
babka is alive and well and taking on
refreshed role in bakeries around the
country. One of the most inspiring was
a shop that sold only babka and seemed
to be thriving. In the fast and furious
social media world where we all live, it’s
so fantastic to see shops specializing and
delivering top quality in a focused menu.
It shows that consumers are not only
ready, but excited to seek out
and enjoy a perfectly-executed
specialty item like babka.
The three recipes shared
below are just that – they
appear simple, but yield so
much satisfaction from the
customer. One dough is
modified slightly for each
variation, which feature
three fillings that are a mix
of reminiscent and unique.
Sometimes we just need to see
one idea in order to be inspired
to create another. We hope you
have as much fun making these as
we did creating them.
Pastry Arts 83
 Chocolate Chocolate Filling

Babka
• 88 g unsalted butter
• 32 g glucose
• 50 g water
• 0.4 g salt
The buttery richness of this honey-spiced
chocolate babka is accompanied by a fudge- • 112 g brown sugar
like spreadable filling made with a robust blend • 30 g Guittard Cacao Rouge Cocoa Powder
of Cacao Rouge and the rich flavor of 72%. • 72 g Guittard 72% Cacao Coucher du Soleil
The slight orange undertones complement the • 225 g Guittard 64% Cacao Etoile du Nord
combined complexity of the two chocolates. dark chocolate, pulsed in a food processor,
Yield: Three 2-lb (907-g) loaves for sprinkling on filling

1. Melt butter with glucose, water, salt, and

Preferment sugar.
• 200 g King Arthur Sir Galahad flour 2. Add cocoa powder and mix until smooth.
• 120 g milk 70°F (21°C) Add chocolate and incorporate.
• 0.2 g instant dry yeast 3. Keep slightly warm until ready to use.

1. Mix all ingredients until smooth.

2. Cover and store at room temperature
overnight.

84 Pastry Arts
 • Zest of 1 orange
SYRUP • 1.2 g ground cinnamon
• 138 g granulated sugar • 0.3 g ground cardamom
• 113 g water • 136 g unsalted butter
• 15 g ground coffee
• ½ vanilla bean, split and scraped 1. Place all ingredients except the butter in
a mixing bowl and mix on low speed to
incorporate ingredients, about 1 minute.
1. Bring all ingredients to a boil. Allow to steep
for 10 minutes. Strain and reserve. 2. Add the plasticized butter in pieces and
continue mixing until a well-developed
window is realized. Bulk ferment for 1 hour.
Dough 3. De-gas and flatten the dough on a sheet
pan. Freeze for 30 minutes.
• 324 g King Arthur Sir Galahad flour
4. Roll the dough into a 12ʺ (30.5 cm) wide
• 320 g Preferment band. Spread filling over dough with
• 80 g whole eggs spatula. Roll into a log and split down the
• 112 g milk middle. Braid and place into 3 buttered 2-lb
• 60 g granulated sugar loaf pans. Proof 45 minutes to 1 hour, or
• 15 g honey until doubled in size.
• 10 g instant dry yeast 5. Bake in a convection oven at 350°F (177°C)
• 9.5 g salt for about 30 minutes, or until the internal
• 10 g vanilla extract temperature reaches 190˚F (87.8˚C).

Pastry Arts 85
 Milk Chocolate
Praline Babka
This filling is made from 60% praline and roasted
hazelnut flour to intensify the hazelnut flavor.
The 38% Guittard Soileil D’Or adds caramel
notes and richness to the praline; the orange
and cinnamon syrup glaze adds depth and
complexity, complementing the base notes.
Yield: Three 2-lb (907-g) loaves
Preferment
• 200 g King Arthur Sir Galahad flour
• 120 g milk 70°F (21°C)
• 0.2 g instant dry yeast
1. Mix all ingredients until smooth.
2. Cover and store at room temperature
overnight.
Hazelnut Praline Filling
• 200 g unsalted butter
86 Pastry Arts
• 80 g granulated sugar
• 4 g fine sea salt
• 160 g hazelnut praline 60%
• 200 g toasted natural hazelnut flour
• 160 g whole eggs
• 45 g all-purpose flour
1. Cream together butter, sugar, salt and
praline until well blended.
2. Add hazelnut flour, incorporate, then add
eggs. Add flour and mix until homogeneous.
Syrup
• 138 g granulated sugar
• 113 g water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Zest and juice from 1 orange
1. Bring all ingredients to a boil, reserve.
 Dough
• 324 g King Arthur Sir Galahad flour
• 320.2 g Preferment (from above)
• 80 g whole eggs
• 112 g milk 4%
• 60 g granulated sugar
• 15 g honey
• 10 g instant dry yeast
• 9.5 g salt
• 10 g vanilla extract
• Zest of 2 oranges
• 2.4 g ground cinnamon
• 0.5 g ground cardamom
• 136 g unsalted butter
• 225 g Guittard 38% cacao Soieil D’Or milk
chocolate, pulsed in a food processor, for
sprinkling on filling
1. Place all ingredients except the butter and
chocolate in the bowl of a stand mixer
and mix on low speed to incorporate
ingredients, about 1 minute. Add
plasticized butter in pieces and continue
mixing until a well-developed window
forms, about 10 minutes.
2. Bulk ferment for 1 hour.
3. De-gas and flatten the dough on a sheet
pan. Freeze for 30 minutes.
4. Roll the dough into a 16” (40.6 cm) wide
band, 0.078” (2 mm) thick. Apply filling over
dough with a spatula. Sprinkle chopped
chocolate over the filling.
5. Roll into a log and split down the middle.
Braid and place into 3 buttered 2-lb loaf
pans. Proof 60 to 75 minutes, or until
doubled in size.
6. Bake in a convection oven at 340°F (171°C)
for about 30 minutes, or until internal
temperature reaches 190°F (87.8°C).
7. Brush warm syrup on babka when it comes
out of the oven. Allow to cool for 15
minutes and then remove from the pan.

Pastry Arts 87
Pistachio
1. Mix all ingredients until smooth.
2. Cover and store at room temperature
overnight.

Babka Pistachio Filling

This is a bright and zesty take on babka, thanks
to pistachios, lemon and anise. For the best
pistachio flavor, choose a mix of California and
Sicilian pistachios. The lemon glaze offers a very
bright note and acidity to balance the richness
of the pistachio filling. Anise seed is woven
into the dough, delivering a very subtle licorice
flavor that bridges that gap from pistachio to
bright lemon. The 31% cacao Crème Francaise
white chocolate that’s sprinkled into the filling
adds a great creamy dairy note that rounds out
the entire piece.
Yield: Three 2-lb (907-g) loaves
Preferment
• 200 g King Arthur Sir Galahad flour
• 120 g whole milk 70°F (21°C)
• 0.2 g dry yeast (gold)
• 160 g roasted pistachios
• 126 g confectioners’ sugar
• 156 g unsalted butter, softened
• 63 g whole eggs
• 63 g all-purpose flour
• 1.8 g salt
• 95 g pure pistachio paste
• 235 g Guittard 31% cacao Crème Francaise
white chocolate, finely chopped, for
sprinkling over filling
1. Process the pistachios and confectioners’
sugar in a food processor to a very fine
powder.
2. Place into a 5-qt mixer with the soft butter
and mix until smooth. Add the eggs and mix
until emulsified. Scrape well. Add the flour
and salt, and mix until just combined. Add
the pistachio paste and mix until the batter
is homogeneous.

Lemon Glaze
• 138 g granulated sugar
• 72 g water
• 42 g lemon juice
• 1.2 g anise seed
• Zest of 1 lemon

1. Combine everything into a saucepan and

bring to a simmer.
2. Strain out the anise seeds and zest. Store
until needed.

88 Pastry Arts

Dough
• 320 g Preferment (above)
• 324 g King Arthur Sir Galahad flour
• 80 g whole eggs
• 112 g milk 4%
• 60 g granulated sugar
• 16 g honey
• 10 g dry yeast (gold)
• 9.5 g salt
• 136 g unsalted butter
• 10 g vanilla extract
• 3.5 g anise seed
• 136 g unsalted butter
1. Place all ingredients except the butter and
white chocolate into the bowl of a stand
mixer. Mix on low to incorporate for about
1 minute. Increase speed to develop dough
for 4 minutes.
2. Add plasticized butter in pieces and
continue mixing until a well developed
window is realized. Bulk ferment 1 hour.
3. De-gas and flatten the dough on a sheet
pan. Freeze for 30 minutes.
4. Roll the dough to an approximate 16ʺ (40.6
cm) wide band and 0.078ʺ (2 mm) thick.
Spread filling over dough with a spatula.
Liberally sprinkle on chopped chocolate.
5. Roll into a log, split down the middle, braid
and place into 3 buttered 2-lb loaf pans.
Proof 60 to 75 minutes, or until doubled in
size.
6. Bake in a convection oven at 340°F (171°C)
for about 30 minutes, or until the internal
temperature reaches 190°F (87.8°C).
7. Brush glaze on babka when it comes out of
the oven.
Photos by Audrey Ma
Pastry Arts 89
Expert Tips

Five Tips
Five Experts
In our Expert Tips column, we connect with
five professionals in the categories we remain
focused on—pastry, chocolate, baking, bread,
frozen—to attain one high-level tip.

90 Pastry Arts
Bread
Caedan Oliver, Co-Owner, Beehive Baking
Company, Birmingham, AL

Shaping bread dough on a wet bench makes

for a much easier cleanup. I keep a spray
mister on my bench and keep my hands and
the table slightly moistened during the final
shape in lieu of using flour. Instead of having
to scrape flour off the bench after shaping,
you are left a slurry which can easily be
cleaned off with a towel.

Pastry Arts 91
 Pastry
Nicole Walsh, Co-Owner, Clear Flour Bread, Brookline, MA
When locking in the plasticized butter block into your
dough, always let the butter hang out of the block. The
butter should be over the edge of the dough by at least ¾
inch. Trimming the dough to expose the butter on all edges
ensures that you have more dough-butter-dough layers and
prevents any dough-dough layers.

92 Pastry Arts
Frozen
Nicole Guini, Pastry Chef, Adalina, Chicago, IL
When making sorbet, depending on the flavor,
I like to add oil to the base to create a creamy
mouthfeel – 2 to 3 percent of the total weight.
Olive oil, herbs, spices, nuts, flowers, citrus,
etc., infused in neutral flavored oils that have
a colder freezing point, work best. I choose
flavors that enhance the flavor profiles of the
fruits (grassy olive oil in tropical fruit sorbets,
almond oil in stone fruit sorbets, floral infused
oils in berry sorbets). Have fun with it!

Pastry Arts 93

Cake
Emily Lael Aumiller,
Owner, Lael Cakes,
Brooklyn, NY
Creating tiered cakes using alternative
ingredients—subtracting the basics—can be
intimidating and challenging, especially when
the goal is delicate sponge and icing appearing
to defy gravity. Having stable icing is crucial!
As I adapted traditional recipes to align with
my food sensitivities and lifestyle, vegan
icing was the trickiest. Core ingredients like
shortening and powdered sugar are needed
for stability while trying to achieve a fluffy
94 Pastry Arts
texture without a sickly sweet flavor.
It took me years of tweaks to get it
right—my favorite aspect of baking
is the constant evolution of techniques
and recipes. I enjoy incorporating playfulness
into making desserts, like spontaneously
tasting a soup to adjust the spices. After a
lot of measuring, whipping, and taste testing,
I’ve found that adding extra salt and a splash
of apple cider vinegar with pure vanilla bean
paste adds depth to the flavor and balances
the sweetness. For stability and fluffiness, I
add agar agar bloomed in warm water. After
the icing has been set in the fridge overnight
and brought back to room temperature, I whip
it up for a fluffy, stable, delicious meringue-
like vegan icing.
Chocolate
William Poole,
Owner, Wm. Poole
Confections,
Somersworth, NH
There are so many factors to
consider for achieving professional
results when dipping items in tempered
chocolate. Pay attention to the temperature
of the item you’re dipping, as well as your
work environment temperature. Cold
bonbons can force the tempered chocolate
to become unstable quickly, and can alter
the temperature of the batch of chocolate
you’re dipping from. Once the item has been
dipped and oriented on your dipping tool,
pat the bottom of the bonbon gently against
the surface of the chocolate a few times to
pull off as much chocolate as possible, then
gently scrape the bottom of the dipping tool
against the side of the pan to catch remainder
of the chocolate before placing it onto the
parchment. This will help to achieve a refined,
blemish free surface, reducing the possibility
of pooled excess chocolate (a.k.a. “feet”) at the
base of your confection.

Pastry Arts 95
Profile

Kelly Nam
Reaching the Pinnacle
of Pastry Success
By Shawn Wenner

96 Pastry Arts
P
astry Chef Kelly
Nam is a rising
star in the world
of pastry, having
recently won the Michelin
Guide NY 2022 Pastry
Chef of the Year. She was
formerly the Executive
Pastry Chef of Electric
Lemon and Michelin starred
Frenchie in Paris. In this
interview, Kelly shares her
story of success and offers
advice to aspiring pastry
chefs. She also reveals some
of the flavor profiles she’s
currently experimenting
with, as well as what’s on
the horizon for her culinary
career. Through her journey
from humble beginnings
to becoming one of New
York City’s most celebrated
pastry chefs, Kelly gives us
insight into how hard work
and dedication can lead to a
successful career in pastry.
The Q&A
Was there a defining moment early
in your career which contributed to
your success?
Meeting Chef Jiho was one of the defining
moments. He’s been a mentor and I’ve learned
a lot from him, which put me on a path where
I am today – a partner at Joomak Banjum.
Without meeting him, that could have not
happened. Because I’m not only a pastry chef
anymore, I think about things from a business
perspective, which is a powerful tool in the
industry.
Were there other mentors early in
your career, and if so, what did they
teach you?
Chef Abram Bissell, who used to be Executive
Chef at The Modern. He was always very
operationally savvy and one of the smartest
people I ever worked with. It was inspiring to
see the amount of love and work he put into
The Modern. Also, I was a pastry chef for over
a year under Chef Grégory Marchand in Paris
at Frenchie. He helped me define who I am as a
pastry chef. Chef Grégory made sure that every
dish was simple enough in flavor that everybody
could taste what’s in it. He always used to say,
“three flavors only,” and that’s something I still
think about today. And he was the one who got
me into using black pepper in my desserts.
Pastry Arts 97
What is your pastry style
and philosophy?
I am savory-forward and not afraid to use certain
ingredients many pastry chefs are not used to,
but I also see that becoming more mainstream.
I had a green pea dessert with green apples,
grapes, kale, and arugula that people referred
to as a dessert salad. Now, my Maesil dish has
seaweed and Kombu with Korean green plum.
And my candied egg yolk is on our tasting menu,
which is usually paired with a rice pudding and
meringue component. I’m very lucky that our
guests have been open to my craziness, and
it’s received well. Honestly, I was scared in the
beginning, but now I ask myself how far I can
push it.
What is the process for rolling out
your more creative and perhaps
unconventional desserts?
I find somebody I trust, whether it’s a fellow
savory chef or regular customers. With regulars,
I might sneak in an extra dessert and see how
they respond. Some will say “this is not dessert,
it’s too savory for my taste,” which is fine,
but I see what percentage of people say that
98 Pastry Arts
versus those who love it. And if I’m pushing
the limit a little too much, I make sure there are
components that are more friendly to people.
What helped you become
an Executive Pastry Chef?
Some people are born to be chefs, whereas
others, like me, struggle to get there. I never
thought I was the best at anything, and I never
pictured myself as a chef when I was a young
cook because I thought I wasn’t good enough.
I kept setting small goals which I met, and those
goals became much bigger. When it comes to
technical pastry skills, I made many mistakes
and learned the hard way. That gave me an
advantage when I saw young cooks making
mistakes, as I was able to put them on the right
path having made mistakes before them. I was
always good at reading people, which helped
once I became Sous Chef at The Modern where
I managed 11 cooks at one point. I worked
with the Executive Chef to ensure we were
both happy with my desserts. Chef Grégory
was good at voicing what he wanted, but also
ensuring I knew what my input was and what I
wanted. Each milestone I hit, from cook to sous
chef to executive chef, helped me get to the
next level.
Joomak Banjum spawned from
a series of pop-ups during the
pandemic; what’s the backstory?
I was at Electric Lemon which had recently
opened before the pandemic, and I was burnt
out as I didn’t have a sous chef. The pandemic
was my first weekend off, but as the only
manager, I was still responding to emails. Chef
Jiho was getting antsy because he doesn’t
I’m not only a pastry
like sitting still, and we had both gained the chef anymore,
“pandemic fifteen,” so he suggested we lose
weight by walking through Central Park. We I think about things
spoke about what we wanted for our future.
He started meeting with some regulars from from a business
The Modern, and we catered for them to stay
busy. One of them had a karaoke spot with a
perspective, which
small kitchen, so Chef Jiho gathered several ex-
Modern staff and said, “let’s do this!” We had
is a powerful tool in
two propane burners, one sous vide machine the industry.
and a little toaster oven, and we cooked out of
that tiny karaoke restaurant for two months.
We were very busy, and it was a lot of fun.

Pastry Arts 99

If I’m pushing the
limit a little too much,
I make sure there
are components that
are more friendly
to people.
At what point did those pop-ups
convert to something more serious?
Chef Jiho had planned to open his own
restaurant prior to the pandemic, but it fell
through once the pandemic happened. Then
during the pop-ups, we met Sarah Kang, our
current partner, who had a brick-and-mortar
location. Chef Jiho asked Sarah if she wanted
to work together since the pop-ups were going
really well, and they worked it out. That is how
we found our brick-and-mortar location, which
is now Joomak Banjum.
100 Pastry Arts
When Joomak Banjum received its
Michelin Star in late 2022, you were
simultaneously honored as Pastry Chef
of the Year. How did that feel?
First of all, I had no idea Pastry Chef of the Year
existed because that was my first Michelin
party, so when they called my name, I didn’t
know what happened. That was definitely a
highlight of my career, but also a burden [in
a way]. Now I feel I have to do more and be
better for the young chefs coming after me. I
know some people will come taste my desserts
to see if I deserved the award, so there’s a little
bit of pressure.
It still feels surreal, and I sometimes pinch
myself and check if my award is still there. I
never saw myself being the best at anything,
I just put my head down and worked hard.
People keep asking me how it feels, but I am
quite numb. I try to not let it get to me and just
go about my day as normal. And if those coming
after me see what I’m doing and I become a
goal or an inspiration, then being an inspiration
to all the young chefs will be more meaningful
to me than actually getting the award.
 It still feels surreal, and I sometimes
pinch myself and check if my award is
still there. I never saw myself being the
best at anything, I just put my head
down and worked hard.

Pastry Arts 101

 What advice would you give up-and-
coming pastry chefs who are looking
for career success?
Be yourself, but don’t forget to listen to other
people and open your eyes to what they are
doing. Not in a competitive or judgmental way.
Because information is power. I look at what
other pastry chefs, savory chefs and even
home bakers are doing, some of whom are
far more talented than me, and I keep all that
information and use it. So be you, do your own
thing, but make sure you’re open to other ideas
and people as a whole.

I am savory-
forward and not
afraid to use
certain ingredients
many pastry chefs
are not used to,
but I also see that
becoming more
mainstream.

102 Pastry Arts

We had two propane burners, one sous
vide machine and a little toaster oven,
and we cooked out of that tiny karaoke
restaurant for two months. We were
very busy, and it was a lot of fun.

Pastry Arts 103

 mascarpone mousse with milk ice cream, then I
have a fizzy root beer foam in an ISI gun charged
with CO2. The top part is more like a root beer
float, but as you go inside, pop rocks and blood
orange give a slight crunch. Once you reach the
bottom, there’s the blood orange components
with milk which is more like a creamsicle.

Finally, what’s on the horizon for you?

During a recent slow season, I was thinking
about other ways to generate revenue and
I got into Shio Pan, which is Japanese for sea
salt bread. It’s been popular in Korea and Japan.
It looks like a croissant, but it’s an enriched
dough that has a little chunk of butter inside
that’s rolled into a croissant shape with sea salt
on top. I have been testing recipes, and I might
do a pop-up to sell it for a day and see how
it goes. I have also seen people online asking
where they can get this bread in New York, so
it might be fun if it works.

What flavor profiles are you currently Photos by Tatiana Villamil

experimenting with?
Although we are known to be a Korean
restaurant, we are not very Korean flavor-
forward. We have many pastry elements in
our savory cuisine because of Chef Jiho’s
background. And I have more savory elements
in my desserts, so the whole menu works
out well. People have the idea that we are a
Korean restaurant, so I try to keep some Asian
flavors in mind. One Korean dessert I plan on
doing is my version of an Île Flottante, which
has a soymilk meringue as the fluffy island
space with a ginseng and herbal root glaze.
People are getting sick because the weather is
always shifting, so I always try to use healthy
ingredients. This year I picked ginseng. The
flavor profile is more like red bean, it’s pretty
interesting.
The other one I am currently working on
is a root beer float meets creamsicle. It has
blood orange curd with chili strawberry. I
made strawberry jam with Aji Amarillo paste,

104 Pastry Arts

We’ll see you in Anaheim, CA
June 4-6, 2023
Booth #3325
Pastry Virtuosity

Classic Layer Cakes

Crossroad of
Memory and
Modern
By Jimmy MacMillan

Aya Fukai’s Caramel Cake

alternates six layers of vanilla
bean cake with rum caramel,
caramel graham mousse and
caramel buttercream.

106 Pastry Arts

W
arm weather
brings the
unofficial
kick-off
of cake season, and in and
around Chicago, everyone
will be celebrating upcoming
occasions with excellent layer
cakes. I’m applauding the
escalating trend of the stacked
layer cake with more than just
sponge cake and buttercream.
In this issue, we will spotlight
three creative bakers whose
cakes evoke the memory of
childhood parties, yet satisfy
the modern appetite for new
styles and flavors.
Erin Martin is the owner of ECBG Cake Studio
(www.ecbgstudio.com/) and, among other
things, designs tasty and attractive layer cakes
with names like “Feed Me Nutella and Tell
Me I’m Pretty,” a chocolate cake with Nutella
crunch filling, chocolate ganache drip, and mini
chocolate macaron detail. Another sporting the
now obligatory drip is called “The Naked Drip”
and is three layers of marble cake with vanilla
buttercream and chocolate ganache drip. Erin
explains why she loves designing layer cakes:
“I love it when you can mix tart with buttery,
or nutty with crunchy, or silky with creamy.
This is why I love layer cakes. You can have
multiple components in one slice! I also love how
satisfying the slice looks on the plate with its
clean layers.”
Jennivee’s Bakery’s Purple Velvet Cake
features an ube chiffon cake with
a macapuno and ubemousse filling.
Pastry Chef Aya Fukai of Aya Pastry (www.
ayapastry.com/) offers a creative take on
celebratory cakes and whimsical sweets. She
blends traditional cakes with modern flavors,
which indicates her personal style. “Although
entremet-style cakes are often beautiful, a child
inside me always craves a layered cake. We love
putting creative spins on our layered cakes, such
as assembling them with a pâte de fruit layer
and working with Asian-inspired ingredients.”
The resulting cakes have a luxurious, high-
end feel. For example, the Yuzu Vanilla Cake is
complemented by a zesty citrus marmalade on
the outside of the cake, and the Coconut Cake
offers pineapple lime pâte de fruit. It is finished
with lime cream cheese frosting. A perfect
example of bringing sophistication to classic
layer cakes is Aya’s Caramel Cake. Guests can
hypnotically drag their fork through six layers
of vanilla bean cake with rum caramel, caramel
graham mousse, and caramel buttercream.
Pastry Arts 107
 Jennivee’s Bakery (www.jenniveesbakery.
com/) features signature stacked layer cakes
which, in recipe and presentation, evoke
1950’s classic American layer cakes such as
the Hummingbird Cake, which is banana cake,
caramelized pineapple compote, cinnamon
cream cheese frosting and candied pecans.
Jennivee’s Bakery owner-partner Jenni Vee is
passionate about her layer cakes, which are
delicate, tender, and flavorful. “At Jennivee’s, we
encourage everyone to ‘Indulge Responsibly’,
which for us means to reward yourself with
the most delicious, decadent cake you can find.
You worked hard, so you deserve it.” Jenni’s
Purple Velvet Cake lives at the cross-section of
modern and classic cakes, with ube chiffon cake,
macapuno filling (young coconut strings), ube
mousse and ube cake crumbs. Another delicious
cake is her Strawberry Matcha Cake with matcha
chiffon cake, strawberry filling, white chocolate
Two tall layer cakes from
Erin Martin’s ECBG Cake
Studio in Chicago.
108 Pastry Arts
mousse, matcha dust and fresh strawberry
garnish. When I asked Jenne how she developed
her cake recipes, she said, “My desire to make
delicious cake recipes is fueled by my love for
eating cake.”
It’s exciting to experience the work of three
chefs who are providing delicious layer cakes
that feel nostalgic and contemporary at the same
time. The layer cake is an essential food in the
American experience. I’ve had a couple ‘Happy
Birthday’ pies over the years, but occasions feel
less remarkable without a tasty layer cake.
Jimmy MacMillan is a celebrated pastry chef,
food writer, and award-winning videographer.
Chef MacMillan is a pastry consultant working
under the Pastry Virtuosity label. For more
information, visit: www.PastryVirtuosity.com and
@jimmymacmillan.
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Cottage Life

The Porch
Pop-Up
What is it, and how do I have one?
By Deanna Martinez-Bey

110 Pastry Arts

 A
porch pop-up is one of my favorite selling
options as a cottage baker. Many of you may not
be familiar with these types of events. A porch
pop-up is when a cottage baker prepares baked
goods and sells them on their porch, in their driveway, front
lawn, or garage. It’s a pop-up shop at home. In this article,
I will share all the ins and outs of creating a porch pop-up.

Preliminary Things to Consider
As always, check your state’s guidelines to
ensure these are acceptable. Cottage laws vary
from state to state. In addition to checking
the laws of your state, be sure it is accepted
where you live. For example, some subdivisions
have ordinances preventing homeowners from
hosting yard sales. If a yard sale is acceptable
where you live, you should be good to go when
hosting a porch pop-up event.
How to Prepare for a Porch Pop-Up
First, it is crucial to get the word out about your
event. Here are some tips to get started:
1. Choose the date for your porch pop-up.
Weekends work best. Saturday mornings
from 9 am until 12 pm have proven to be
optimum times. Selling around holidays is
also a great idea.
2. Decide what types of payment options
you will accept. Consider accepting PayPal,
Cashapp, exact cash, and Square for credit
cards. Be sure to have a cell phone or tablet
available and hooked to wifi, if needed.
3. Develop your menu. Baking items that can
easily last for five days is the best way to go.
This way, you can start baking three days
before your event.
4. Decide on the packaging. Order business
logo stickers at least one month before your
event and add one to each item. Be sure to
keep everything uniform and looking neat.
Have business cards available at your event,
so customers know how to contact you in
the future. You can use Vistaprint to order
stickers and business cards.
5. Create memes on Canva that contain all
pertinent information about your pop-up.
You will want to include your event’s date,
time, payment options and location. You
can also include some of the items you will
have for sale. You will use these to share
across all social media. To have a successful
event, people have to know about it.
Share your event on your Facebook pages
and groups, community groups, Instagram,
local neighborhood sites such as Nextdoor and
Google business, and anywhere else you can
think of. Look at that – you are already halfway
done with your porch pop-up planning! Your
date, time, location, menu, and advertising are
taken care of. Now, it’s time to plan your set-
up.

Pastry Arts 111


Setting up for Your Porch pop-Up
Get together all your tables, chairs, serving
platters, shelves, and tablecloths. If you do
not own tables, check with family, friends,
and neighbors to see if you can borrow them.
I recommend two to three folding tables. You
will need only one chair for yourself (unless you
have help).
You can offer a kid’s cookie decorating
station at your pop-up and enlist a young family
member to run it for you. Try baking seasonal
sugar cookies and putting together small bags
of colored icings for little hands. Be sure to
include seasonal sprinkles for the kids. Each
child is allowed to decorate one sugar cookie
with purchase. You will also need a small table if
you decide to include a kid’s cookie decorating
station. Remember napkins and sanitizer for
hands and to clean the table after each use.
112 Pastry Arts
Payments and Printables
One week to one day before your event, print
fliers with your logo listing what baked goods
you have for sale and their prices. You will want
to place these on your tables on the day of the
sale. You can also print a flier with your scan
codes for PayPal and Cashapp. This way, your
customers can easily scan your code to make a
payment. The key is to make shopping as easy
as possible for your customers.
The Day of Your Event
The big day is here! Set your alarm early. You
will want to have everything set up before your
start time. Give yourself an hour and a half to
get set up. You’ll need to arrange your tables,
coverings, and baked goods to look pretty to
your customers. You want to be sure they have
enough room to look and shop. Set up your
cookie decorating station for the kids, and try
out your electronics to ensure all the electronic
payment options you accept are working
correctly.
As your sale is in full swing, take videos and
pictures. Post updates on social media every
30 minutes or so, so potential customers are
kept in the loop as to what items you have left
to sell. The videos and pictures you take can
also be used when you have future events.
Smile and be friendly to every person that
attends your event. You can also collect email
addresses from each customer. These are great
ways to build a customer base for your cottage
bakery.
Deanna Martinez-Bey is a cottage baker, baking
class instructor, content creator, and multi-genre
author. With fifteen published books under her
belt and a certified cottage bakery, everything
she does revolves around food and writing in one
way, shape or form. www.deannasrecipebox.com
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Profile

Kate Reid
The Queen of
Croissants
By Tish Boyle

114 Pastry Arts

 S
ince opening in 2012, Lune Croissanterie in Melbourne,
Australia has amassed a cult-like, global following, with
celebrity devotees and customers lining up for blocks
from dawn to closing to enjoy what have become known
as the best croissants in the world. What started as a one-woman
enterprise – with founder Kate Reid selling croissants wholesale to a
handful of espresso bars in Melbourne – has grown to a bakery with
five locations throughout Australia, with several more locations in
the works. Riding this wave of popularity, Reid has also just released
her debut cookbook, Lune: Croissants All Day, All Night (Hardie Grant
Books, 2023; $40), an impressive tome that unlocks the secrets of her
unique croissants, translating the techniques used at Lune in a user-
friendly, detailed way for home bakers. We talked with Reid recently
while she was in New York City for her book tour, asking her how her
obsession with croissants began, and how she developed a formula for
a croissant that has become recognized as the world’s gold standard.

What prompted your career move from your

dream job of being an aerospace engineer with
Formula One to co-owning a patisserie that
makes the best croissants in the world?
I had wanted to work as an engineer in Formula
One from about the age of 13 or 14 years old,
and when I decide that I want to do something,
I’m incredibly laser focused on it. So, from the
moment I realized that, everything in my life
became about achieving that goal. And I mean,
I’m a 14-year-old with a pretty overactive
imagination, and I don’t think much has changed
now that I’m 40, but when you’re at high school
and you go and do your week of work experience,
that’s easy to do. If you want to be an accountant,
you can go hang out in an office of an accountant,
and maybe you’re just doing the photocopying, but
at least you get to see what the environment’s like.

Pastry Arts 115


But Formula One is so incredibly secretive
and difficult to get into, that a 14-year-old can’t
go and do work experience in an F1 office. And
so I guess for that 10 year period where I was
working towards getting a job in F1, I built up
a pretty romantic picture of what my life was
going to look like. And I had no illusions about it
being hard work. And I mean, I love hard work,
but I thought that it would be creative and
collaborative and the best brains in the business
really coming together and working on an
exciting project that moves fast together. And
the reality of working in F1 was very different
from this vision that I’d built up, especially at
the time that I was working at [Team] Williams,
they weren’t leading the races. They were sort
of mid-pack, and there’s an awful lot of pressure
coming from many different directions, but
in particular, the people who are paying the
money, they want you up the front of the pack.
116 Pastry Arts
I think even though
I failed miserably making
croissants twice when
I got back from France,
I figured that if I just kept
working at it, I’d get it.
So, the pressure is real, and it’s pretty
negative. We worked maybe 16 or 17 hours a
day. Conversation in the office was discouraged,
so it was a pretty quiet, low inspiration office.
I mean, my salary was something like 13,000
pounds a year. And you didn’t ask for a raise.
You didn’t make noises about that because you
find out pretty early on that every week about
3,000 resumes land on the desk of the HR
office. So, if you don’t want it, then there’s a lot
of people nipping at your heels. So, all of that
culminated in me being pretty unhappy that I’d
moved my whole life to the UK for this dream
job, and it wasn’t translating as I’d imagined.
And I developed depression, which kind of
went undiagnosed, but then that manifested
into an eating disorder. So rather than it being
a decision to leave Formula One, I guess the
decision sort of got taken out of my hands
when I got down to 39 kilos.
And my partner at the time was incredibly
worried about me. He got to the point where
he didn’t know what to do anymore, and it was
damaging our relationship, and I had no life and
I wasn’t healthy. So, he called my parents and
he said, “Look, I’m really worried about Kate.
I think she needs to go back to Australia.” So
honestly, I think if I hadn’t gotten that sick, I’m
stubborn and determined enough that I might
have stuck out a job that I didn’t love because
I’d worked so hard to get there.
 But I guess the silver lining of getting sick
was that I had this completely clean slate and
I got to start my life again. And the flip side
of an eating disorder is that it’s torture, and
it’s ironic, but all you can think about is food,
because you are literally, your body is starving,
and it’s just sending signals to your brain all day
that it needs fuel and energy. And when you’re
hungry, you don’t dream about eating lettuce,
you dream about eating basically your naughty
treat, and for me, my absolute vice is baked
goods. So, all I could think about was decadent
baked goods. And instead of eating them, I
discovered that the process of baking allows
you to live vicariously through the final baked
good, but also procuring the ingredients and
bringing together things that are inedible when
they’re raw. You can’t nibble on raw flour or
raw sugar, but through the science and magic
of baking, when you bring these ingredients
together, you create something that is so
much more than the sum of its parts. And so
you can live vicariously through the process of
baking. But then I’d do that after a terrible day
at work, and I’d take whatever I’d baked, a slab
of brownie or cookies or a cake, I’d take it into
work the next day. And at morning teatime,
everyone would actually stop. And it was this
one moment of community in the office where
you could see how much joy it was bringing
people, even if it was just that 10 minutes with
a cup of tea. And I guess I started to form my
love of baking through that. So, I came back to
Australia and had the idea that maybe I could
pursue a career in baking. And I’m pretty sure
my parents thought at this point in time, “We’ve
got this daughter that’s a qualified aerospace
engineer who was working in Formula One, and
now she’s working on the counter of a bakery
just selling scones and cakes and stuff.”
But for the first time in a long time, I was
actually happy. And I mean, the process of
recovery from the eating disorder was a few
years. They’re incredibly hard to beat. And so I
feel very lucky that I now sit here very healthy,
but it was really discovering a new love for
me that allowed me to overcome the eating
disorder. So essentially there was no room for
it in my head anymore, because I discovered
this new passion that was really fulfilling me,
where Formula One didn’t.
Pastry Arts 117
After doing a stage at one of Paris’
most celebrated boulangeries, Du
Pain et des Idèes, you went home to
Melbourne and tried to reproduce
the croissants you made in Paris. Your
results were subpar, so you made a
decision to open a bakery that only
made croissants. You obviously love
a challenge! What obstacles did you
face at the beginning, and how did you
overcome them?
Well, I think when I decide that I want to
do something... I never feel scared about
embarking on a goal that I’ve decided I want
to achieve because I mean, I’m privileged.
I was born in middle class Australia. I was
given a great education, and because I have
all of that, I know that if I decide that I want
something, if I work really hard and I research
and put myself out there and get experience
and become an expert in something, then why
would I fail? I think we all have the ability,
given the privilege that we’ve been born into,
that just working hard is the only way to get
something. So yeah, I think even though I
failed miserably making croissants twice when
I got back from France, I figured that if I just
kept working at it, I’d get it.
But that’s an interesting point. So, I spent
a month at a boulangerie doing the stage in
Paris, and I probably only learned about 10 or
20 percent of the process. But when I got back
to Australia, I bought a couple of cookbooks
for the home baker that included recipes for
croissants. And I’m like, “Well, I’ve got the
experience from Paris, and now I have a recipe
in front of me. This will be easy.” But these two
recipes that I tried when I was making them the
dough was a bit crumbly and it was cold. And
every time I tried to roll it out, it kept springing
back. And I kept blaming myself. I’m like, “I’ve
done something wrong here because it feels
wrong,” but the person who wrote the recipe
can’t be wrong because they’re the expert.
But I think now with 10 years of experience
118 Pastry Arts
of making croissants behind me, and also the
experience of having written the cookbook,
it wasn’t me making the mistake. It was the
person who’d written the recipe not giving me
the information I needed to succeed.
How are Lune croissants different
from other croissants?
There are a number of technical things
that logistically make it different. In Lune’s
croissants, the layers are slightly fewer and
fractionally thicker than a classic croissant. Not
that the average punter would notice – I’m
talking fractions of a millimeter thicker. When
you take a bite of a classic croissant, like a
million tiny little delicate flaky bits fall off. With
the Lune croissant, when you take a bite, you
get this delicate shatter. So, from a textural
perspective, it’s a little bit crunchier on the
outside, and the layers inside are slightly thicker
and they just seem to hold the butter better.
Also, a Lune croissant is 43 percent butter, and
most classic croissants are between 25 and 33
percent. So, it’s significantly more than a normal
one. And for me, a croissant should truly be a
celebration of the butter. I mean, if you can’t
taste the butter in a croissant, then you may as
well just eat a bread roll. I wanted it to be an
incredibly buttery experience, but it’s also not
greasy, and the method and the temperatures
and times that I figured out to proof and bake the
croissants lock in the butter. So, it’s not greasy
when you eat it, but it is a genuinely buttery
experience. And I think the final difference in a
Lune croissant to most other bakeries is that we
bake fresh constantly throughout the day. So at
any given point in time, if you walk into Lune,
there is an oven with fresh croissants. Nothing
that you are served from our fresh range will be
older than 15 or 20 minutes. So it’s still warm,
and that’s a really unusual experience. Most
bakeries bake up everything before their doors
open, and then they just progressively sell as
the day goes on based on what they baked in
the morning. But to get a fresh croissant is a
truly special experience.

I see in your book you’ve got some
recipes for desserts made with
croissants – do you sell those at Lune?
We don’t sell desserts made from croissants,
but we have an experience at Lune called
Lune Lab, and it’s a multi-course degustation
celebrating croissants. And we have this
beautiful bar that overlooks the cube, which is
at that glass room in the middle of the bakery,
which is our raw pastry kitchen. And you can
book a seat at the bar, and we run two sessions
on a Saturday and two on a Sunday, and you start
with a traditional croissant that’s 10 minutes
out of the oven, and then you have a savory
experimental course and a sweet experimental
course. So that’s more the dessert, and we
change the menu every two months to reflect
seasonality and local produce. So it’s kind of
like the first class ticket to Lune.
What are your most popular
croissant flavors?
Probably the top three pastries that we sell are
the traditional croissant, the almond croissant,
and the ham and gruyere. But I think because
we sell out every day, and the more specialized
flavors we make in limited quantities – because
they’re just technically more difficult to make –
if we could make the same quantity of them that
we are making of traditional croissants, then
there’s a chance that we would sell as many of
them as well. So I think from a numbers game,
the traditional croissant is the one we sell
the most, but I think maybe the most popular
because it sells out the fastest, might be the
kouign-amann or the lemon curd cruffin. That’s
a Lune mainstay.
Did you invent the cruffin?
Yeah, so I think it happened as a bit of an
accident. It was in late 2012 when I was
supplying small espresso bars in Melbourne
with croissants before I had a little shopfront.
One of the cafes that I would deliver to, I’d
show up every morning and he’d immediately
grab a croissant out of the box and eat it. And
I’d think to myself, “You are taking that out of
the mouth of a customer.” So one night when I
was shaping the croissants, I had a bit of scrap
pastry left from cutting the top and bottom of
the batch off. And I thought, it’s just going in
the bin at the moment. I’m just going to knot
it up and drop it in a muffin tin and bake it up
as a joke and have that for him in the morning
instead of a croissant. I took it into him, and I
think I piped a bit of Nutella into the middle
of it to just make it a bit more interesting.
And I dropped off the pastries and he called
me 10 minutes later and he went, “That is the
greatest thing I’ve ever eaten. Can I order two
dozen of them for Friday? And we should call
them a cruffin, like a croissant muffin.” So the
cruffin was born, and so sometimes it blows
my mind. I started seeing them then maybe a
few months later pop up in bakeries around
the world. I think maybe about a year later,
Mr. Holmes Bakehouse had started making
cruffins, and then someone told me that they’d
seen it in a supermarket in Perth on the other
side of Australia, and then bakeries in Dubai
were making them. And I’m thinking, “This is
insane.” This all started because I was trying to
use up some scrap pastry for a customer.
Pastry Arts 119
Tell us about the glass enclosed lab
where you make your croissants –
it’s pristine!
I own Lune now with my brother. He joined me
about two years after I founded the business.
When we moved from the small shop into our
current flagship store in Melbourne, it was this
giant turn-of-the-century warehouse that was
empty, bigger than a basketball court, and it
was way too big for what we needed at the
time. Have you ever seen the movie Oceans
11? Well in the movie they get that disused
120 Pastry Arts
warehouse down at the docks, and they build
the perfect replica of a bank vault in the middle
so they can practice breaking into it. So, I think
we got inspired by that, because it’s a very
nondescript factory warehouse in a backstreet
in Fitzroy, and we’re like, “Imagine having no
markings on the outside of this building, but
then people peering in a window and just seeing
this almost space laboratory in the center that
looks nothing like a bakery, and people just
thinking, wow, what is that?”
So there were theatrics as the seed of the
idea, but also when we moved into that space,
it’s pretty common for the raw pastry room in a
bakery to be a windowless room out the back.
And if you are the raw pastry chef, you might
not see daylight for the entire day. And we
didn’t want that. At that time, [my brother] Cam
and I were doing all the raw pastry work and
we’re like, “I want to be out there seeing people
enjoy it.” It’s incredibly motivating. You’ve toiled
for three days making this pastry, and then you
see them have this blissful moment eating it
and you’re like, “All our hard work has been
worth it.” So we wanted to see people enjoying
the pastry. We wanted to be part of the action.
So that was our main motivation. But also, you
can’t climate control a 400-square-meter, old
warehouse. It’s near impossible. It would’ve cost
us a fortune. It’s much easier to do one small
room. And the final benefit of doing that glass
cube is, and I think maybe this is the biggest
one, it means people can see the entirety of the
raw process of making a croissant.
And I think most people don’t think about it
when they bite into it, the work that’s gone into
it. But being able to witness the pastry chefs
making them, it gives you a whole new respect
and admiration for what a croissant is. And
suddenly it’s not this mindless thing that you’re
putting in your mouth, it’s a work of art and
architecture and engineering that just happens
to be delicious. So it’s very hypnotic to watch
the pastry chefs working in this room. And we
have a lot of people that just sit up there for a
couple of hours just mesmerized by them.

Your new book is a work of art, too!
You obviously put a lot of time and
effort into it, ensuring that people
at home would be able to make a
memorable croissant. How did you
approach this process?
So I think the first thing that’s important
to note is that I signed the contract just
before Melbourne went into its second huge
lockdown in the pandemic. Melbourne has the
infamous title of being the most locked down
city in the world. And in this big lockdown, my
general manager at Lune made the difficult
decision to send all the people that weren’t
operational on a daily basis home. So I’d signed
When you take a bite
of a classic croissant,
like a million tiny little
delicate flaky bits fall
off. With the Lune
croissant, when you
take a bite, you get
this delicate shatter.
the contract and I found myself stuck in my
little apartment in Fitzroy, and all I had was my
kitchen. I wasn’t surrounded by a state-of-the-
art pastry kitchen designed for croissants. I
had a KitchenAid, a rolling pin, and a domestic
oven. I’m like, “Well, you know what? If I’m
going to start writing this book and recipe
testing, maybe it’s good that I’m surrounded
by all the same things that everyone out there
that’s going to buy the book will have.” So
maybe if we hadn’t been in a lockdown, and I
have been at Lune, I might have cheated a bit
and used the Lune kitchen, but suddenly I had
to look at it from the way everyone else will
look at it. And no one’s got a pastry sheeter in
their kitchen.
Pastry Arts 121
 So I started to think about ideas for how
to change the laminating technique. So
incorporating the butter into the dough,
because from previous experience of trying to ...a Lune croissant is
make it from other people’s home cookbooks,
I’d had trouble doing it. And I was testing and 43 percent butter, and
I was sort of making some headway, but I’d get
to a point, typically it was the point where I was
most classic croissants
doing the final rollout and I was still having that are between 25 and
issue with the dough springing back. So the
gluten had developed so much and I’d started 33 percent. So, it’s
to beat my head against a brick wall with it, but
I’d kind of cheated because I was getting the
significantly more than
chefs at Lune to make me two kilos of dough a normal one. And for me,
every day so I could practice the laminating.
And it finally dawned on me that I don’t think a croissant should truly be
that it was my idea for changing the laminating
that was the problem. It was actually the dough
a celebration of the butter.
itself that was the problem. And I needed to I mean, if you can’t taste
change properties of the actual croissant dough
to make it easier to roll out with a rolling pin. So the butter in a croissant,
I went down the rabbit hole of researching pre-
ferments, which we don’t use at Lune because then you may as well just
we’ve got a pastry sheeter. eat a bread roll.
And I landed on the poolish, which is a
100 percent hydration, and adding a poolish
into a dough increases the extensibility of
for many years, “When are we getting a Lune?”
the dough, which makes it easier to roll out.
And that’s finally happening this year. So we’d
And I tried that, and the first time it worked
signed a lease on an amazing site before the
perfectly. And all my ideas for the different way
pandemic, but then that fell through over the
to laminate butter into the dough were starting
last couple of years and we ended up finding
to work. And I got this amazing end product.
an even better site. So that’ll be opening in
And because I’m an engineer, I thought, “Well,
the second half of the year. And then we’ve
it worked once, but maybe that was potluck.
already signed the lease on a second site in
I should try this a couple of times again.” So
Sydney as well, which will probably follow six
over the course of the next week, I tried it a
months after that. But I think beyond that,
few times, and every time I tried it, it worked
when we have stores in Melbourne, Sydney,
perfectly. It was again, I guess a process of
and Brisbane, I think myself and my brother
engineering and experimentation.
and our other business partner, we will start
to look overseas. There are good croissants
What’s next for you and Lune? in New York, but there’s nothing like a Lune
croissant yet, so who knows? Well, I mean, it’s
Yeah, actually very exciting things. So at the
one of my favorite cities in the world, so I can
moment in Australia, we have three stores in
think of worse places to live.
Melbourne and two stores in Brisbane. And I
think the really long awaited one, the people
who live in Sydney have been shouting at us Photos by Pete Dillon

122 Pastry Arts

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 Mocha
Twice Baked
A recipe for those of us who love our coffee, and are lucky enough to have access
to espresso coffee at home! Every element of this twice baked incorporates
lifegiving caffeine, so I’d recommend preparing these for a morning treat, otherwise
you may be awake all night from the coffee and sugar high! Normally I would
consider this recommendation absolute sacrilege, but a friend once told me that
stashing a Mocha Twice Baked in the fridge, then serving cold slices of it with
vanilla ice cream, was her guilty pleasure. I can confirm she is absolutely right.
Yield: 6 croissants

124 Pastry Arts

 Espresso Hazelnut
Frangipane
• 200 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 200 g superfine granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 30 g espresso (1 shot)
• 100 g natural almond meal
• 100 g hazelnut meal
1. Beat the butter and sugar in a stand mixer
fitted with a flat beater until pale and fluffy.
2. Add the eggs one at a time, continuing to beat
and waiting until each one is incorporated
fully before adding the next, then add the
espresso and beat until incorporated.
3. Mix in the natural almond meal and hazelnut
meal. Scrape the bowl down well and give
it a final mix by hand to ensure all the
ingredients are well incorporated.
4. Transfer the frangipane into a piping bag
fitted with a size 11 star nozzle.
Dark Chocolate Ganache
• 250 g dark chocolate buttons
• 37.5 g unsalted butter
• 18 g liquid glucose
• 175 g heavy cream
1. Put the chocolate, butter and glucose in a
heatproof bowl.
2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat
the cream until just below boiling point. I
recommend watching the cream, as it comes
to the boil quickly!
3. Pour the cream over the prepared
ingredients in the heatproof bowl and whisk
until the mixture has a smooth and glossy
consistency.
Coffee Crème Patisserie
• 300 g milk
• 1/2 vanilla pod, seeds scraped
• 30 g (1 shot) espresso
• 50 g superfine granulated sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 10 g all-purpose flour, sifted
• 10 g cornstarch, sifted
1. Heat the milk, vanilla and espresso in a
saucepan to just below boiling point, taking
care to not allow a skin to form.
2. Meanwhile, put the superfine sugar and egg
yolks in a bowl and whisk well to combine,
until the mixture is pale and light. Whisk in
the all-purpose flour and cornstarch and
whisk well again to combine.
3. When the milk is just about to boil, pour
the milk gradually into the egg mixture,
whisking constantly to incorporate. Now
pour the egg and milk mixture back into
the pan. Whisk the mixture continually over
a medium heat until it begins to boil, and
carry on whisking for about 3 minutes on
the boil, until the crème pâtissière reaches a
nice thick consistency.
4. Take off the heat and pour into a clean
bowl. Place cling film over the surface of
the crème pâtissière to prevent a skin from
forming, then store in the fridge until ready
to use.
5. Just before assembling the mocha twice
bakeds, take the coffee crème pâtissière
from the fridge, remove the cling film, and
loosen with a whisk. Fill a piping bag with
the custard and transfer the remaining into
a sealed container and reserve in the fridge.
6. Transfer the room-temperature chocolate
ganache into a piping bag. It is important
that the ganache has been allowed to firm
up a little as you want it to hold its shape
when piped.
Pastry Arts 125

Espresso Sugar Syrup
• 500 g water
• 220 g superfine granulated sugar
• 60 g (2 shots) espresso
1. Place the water and sugar in a small
saucepan and stir over a medium heat until
all the sugar has dissolved, then bring the
syrup to the boil. Once boiling, remove from
the heat and add the espresso.
Coffee Icing Drizzle
• 500 g confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 30 g (1 shot) espresso
• 1 teaspoon milk (optional)
1. Mix all the ingredients together until thick,
but still runny enough to drizzle. If it is
too thick, add a teaspoon of milk, whisk in
the milk and check the consistency again.
Once you are happy with the ‘drizzle factor’
of the icing, immediately transfer it into a
disposable piping bag.
Assembling, Baking
and Finishing
• 6 day-old croissants
• Confectioners’ sugar
• 180 g chopped hazelnuts
1. Preheat oven to 350˚F (180°C) with fan and
line a large baking tray with baking paper.
2. Using a large serrated knife, cut the
croissants in half. Brush the cut side of both
halves of each croissant generously with the
warm espresso sugar syrup. Pipe a generous
wiggle of espresso hazelnut frangipane on
the bottom half of each croissant.
126 Pastry Arts
3. Cut a small hole in the tip of the chocolate
ganache piping bag (3 to 4 mm), then pipe a
squiggle of ganache on top of the frangipane.
Repeat for each of the 6 croissant bases.
4. Now cut a slightly bigger hole (5 to 6 mm) in
the tip of the coffee crème pâtissière piping
bag and pipe one long seam, end to end,
along the base of each croissant, on top of
the squiggle of chocolate ganache. Repeat
for each of the 6 croissant bases.
5. Replace the top half of each croissant,
cupping your hand and gently securing each
top. Finish each croissant off by piping a
seam of espresso hazelnut frangipane across
the top, then press a handful of chopped
hazelnuts into the frangipane seam.
6. Place the prepared croissants on the lined
baking tray and bake for 20 to 25 minutes,
until the frangipane inside is set. Unlike
other twice bakeds, because the Mocha
incorporates both chocolate ganache
and coffee crème pat inside the croissant,
checking to see if the frangipane is baked
by carefully lifting the lid of the croissant
will not be an accurate test, as we have
introduced more moisture to the filling. If
you have baked any of the previous twice
baked recipes, apply the same baking time
for the Mocha that was required for them.
7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to
room temperature.
8. Once cooled, dust with confectioners’ sugar.
Finally, cut a tiny hole in the tip of the coffee
icing drizzle piping bag and, zigzagging back
and forth over the croissant, drizzle the
coffee icing across the top of the Mocha
Twice Baked. Wait only as long as it takes
for the coffee icing drizzle to set before
serving, perhaps paired with a flat white?
Excerpted with permission from Lune
by Kate Reid published by Hardie Grant Books,
February 2023, RRP $40.00 Hardcover.
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Trends

A Date with
Dessert
By Meryle Evans

Brian Levy’s Sticky Toffee

Pudding graces the cover of
128 Pastry Arts his book, Good & Sweet.
“
Dates are having
their moment...
slated to have a
major renaissance
this year,” according
to the annual Whole
Foods Market survey,
which ranked the ancient
Middle Eastern fruit
number four on its list of
the top ten food trends
for 2023. Often referred
to as “nature’s candy,”
dates have recently been
featured in a cornucopia
of sweets, indulgent to
nutritious, ranging from a
viral TikTok version of a
Snickers Bar to the sticky
toffee pudding replaying
on restaurant menus, to
recipes offering a healthier
substitute for refined
sugar using chopped and
puréed dates, date sugar
and syrup.
Pastry Chef Brian Levy.
Dates play both a starring and an invaluable
supporting role in Good & Sweet (Avery, 2022),
a handsome and timely new book by pastry
chef Brian Levy that reveals a way to bake that
eliminates sugar and focuses on the natural
sweetness of fruits, grains, nuts, and other
whole food ingredients. “I imagined a world
without sugar – that is, without cane sugar,
maple syrup, honey and agave nectar,” says
Levy, who uses only date sugar, “really, whole
dates dried and ground to a powder,” in the
book’s 100 recipes. “It’s not a date cookbook,”
Levy explains, though a large number of his
enticing sweet treats include chopped or
puréed dates. “They are easy to work with,” he
continues, “and they have a subtle flavor, a lot
of sugar, low water content, are not acidic, and
come in a few different forms, fresh or dried.”
How he uses dates varies depending on their
role in his recipe. Soft, fresh, Medjools are
puréed in matcha banana custard pie, pistachio
cake, and date, rye, and olive oil brownies; dried
Deglet Noor dates are chopped for olive oil
zucchini spice cake; and any date will work in
peanut butter dream date cake or hazelnut milk
chocolate ice cream. Babylonian swirls, “a rolled
pastry kind of like a rugelach, but just dates and
cardamom,” references the history of dates,
used as a sweetener long before cane sugar
became available.
Pastry Arts 129
 Levy, who spent years in the providing local fruit for the
Babbo kitchen working with pudding, which is basted with
esteemed pastry chef Gina whiskey-spiked butterscotch
DePalma, provides sources sauce; at Lord’s, an English
for his ingredients, and while bistro in Manhattan’s
he has ordered dates from the Greenwich Village, it’s an ice
Middle East, most come from cream. Valrhona offers two
the American date heartland, variations – one with Blond
California’s Coachella Valley. Orelys, the other with Almond
While he relies on firms like and Hazelnut Praline. San
Nuts.com for bulk purchases, Francisco-based Elizabeth
on a trip to California last Pruitt includes a not-too-
fall, Levy discovered Rancho sweet gluten-free sticky
Meladuco Date Farm’s freshly toffee pudding with only two
harvested organic Medjool dates. “They were tablespoons of butter in her cookbook Tartine All
just amazing,” he recalls. “They were just like a Day. She reminds readers to add salt to balance
purée with a pit.” the sweetness of the sauce, and a squeeze of
Joan Smith, one of very few women date lemon juice to bring out the “caramely-ness”. For
farmers, started Meladuco almost six years Rosh Hashanah last fall, food writer Stephanie
ago on a family-owned Coachella Valley ranch. Ganz added apples and soaked the dates in
Concentrating primarily on prized Medjools, her warm coffee to plump them up and for a bitter
business has flourished, winning accolades for note that balances their sweetness.
quality and praised in the press. The Meladuco
website (meladuco.com) is a treasure trove of
recipes, many developed with food writer Julia Brian Levy’s Babylonian Swirls are
Heffelfinger, that reveal the versatility of dates. filled with dates and cardamom.
Unlike Levy, sugar still plays a role in Smith’s
dessert repertoire, but fruits and spirits are also
prized ingredients. For summer, Smith’s seasonal
selections include sour cherry galette, Southern
peaches ‘n date pop tarts, and strawberry date
slab pie with a thyme crust. When Smith was
invited to participate in the annual date festival
in the UAE, it was baked apples. Partnering
with a pastry chef from the Royal Academy of
Culinary Arts, the fruit was peeled, sautéed in
butter and stuffed with chopped dates, walnuts
and maple syrup before going into the oven.
Among the spiked desserts, Smith soaks dates
in Guinness for a dark chocolate stout loaf cake,
uses Bourbon in Derby chocolate balls, and tops
Lumberjack Cake, an Australian-style sticky
toffee pudding, with salted rum toffee sauce.
Riffs on sticky toffee pudding abound.
At Jillian’s in Palm Desert, California, Chef-
owner Jay Trubee’s Sous Chef is a date farmer,

130 Pastry Arts

 Joan Smith’s Strawberry Date Slab Pie features a thyme crust.
Date-rich sweets, traditional at religious
celebrations in the Middle East and North
Africa for centuries, are now prevalent year-
round. Maamoul and makroud, date filled
semolina cookies, caught the eye of culinary
historian Darra Goldstein when she visited
the recently opened Yafa Bakery & Café
in Somerville, Massachusetts. In Saveur,
virtuoso pastry chef Ghaya Oliveira, recalling
her childhood in Tunisia, offers a recipe for
makroud with saffron-infused dough and
honey orange blossom syrup. At Chopped,
Chef Melanie Shurka’s Middle Eastern Kubeh
in Greenwich Village, chocolate date bars are
filled with pistachios, walnuts and coconut.
There are some similar ingredients in Kahjoor
Laddo – dates, almonds, cashews, pistachios,
pecan flour, poppy seeds, white chocolate
and muscovado sugar – served at Surbi
Sahni’s Indian restaurant, Tagmo, in lower
Manhattan.
Several California-based entrepreneurs
with multi-cultural backgrounds have turned
their fond memories of childhood sweets into
successful date-focused ventures that promote
the healthy benefits of the fruit’s high fiber, low
glycemic index, and nutrient rich profile. Roya
Javaherchi received a degree in Food Science
Engineering in Iran before emigrating to the
United States in 2013. Then, after earning a
master’s degree in accounting, and working in
that profession, she decided to “quit my stable
and predictable job” to pursue the dream of
owning her own company. Sweet Saffron LLC
was born in 2019, with a mission “to produce
delectable, delicious, and heathy alternatives
to unnatural sugary products.” Her Dateolate
chocolates, made with 90 percent date paste,
coated with dark or white chocolate, were
recently featured on the Fine Chocolate Industry
Association’s ‘Make Mine Fine’ initiative
(www.makeminefine.com).
Pastry Arts 131
 Sezen Kutlu, a Napa Valley resident
raised in Turkey, spent two decades in
the hospitality industry before launching
Datehini in the fall of 2021, a creamy blend
of Medjool dates and sesame tahini that won
a Good Housekeeping Healthy Snack award
for Best Sweet Spread in 2022. Noting that
the product provides vitamin B 6, omega 3
fatty acids and essential minerals, the judges
also declared it “decadent and satisfying.”
Dr. Sylvie Charles, the daughter of Indian
immigrants and a physician in San Francisco
before a spinal injury and leave of absence
aroused an interest in the nutritious healing
food of her childhood, entered the already
burgeoning date syrup market in 2018.
Her successful Just Date Syrup, made with
upcycled organic Medjool dates, simmered
in water, pressed and strained, won a Good
Food Award in 2021 and led to an expansion
of other date-related collaborations.

Brian Levy’s Matcha Banana Custard Pie gets

its sweetness from a combination of freeze-
dried bananas, dates and coconut milk.

132 Pastry Arts

 Joan Smith’s Lumberjack Cake, served
with salted rum toffee sauce.

Date syrup, art, and food politics aligned

in 2018 when Chicago-based Iraqi American
artist Michael Rakowitz used 10,000 cans
of date syrup to make a life sized replica of a
Mesopotamian celestial figure, an homage to
one of Iraq’s most important exports before Lemon Date Scones
the industry was decimated by war. After the from Meladuco.
sculpture was exhibited in London, Rakowitz
invited 41 celebrated chefs and food writers
to contribute recipes using date syrup for a
cookbook, A House with a Date Palm will Never
Starve: Cooking with Date Syrup (Art Books,
2019). The title comes from a Mesopotamian
proverb extolling the many uses of the plant for
food, shade, woven furniture and wood. Among
the participants, Yotam Ottolenghi provided
pot barley pudding with roasted apples and
date syrup; Marcus Samuelsson, date and raisin
chutney; and Giorgio Locatelli, date syrup ice
cream, persimmon fruit salad, and chocolate
chunky crumble. For date galette Chez Panisse,
Alice Waters noted, “we made this galette in
the earlier days of Chez Panisse. It is exciting to
discover it again and to use date syrup. Dates,”
Joan Smith’s flavorful Cranberry Sticky Toffee
she concluded, “have some kind of symbolic
Pudding Bundt Cake from Meladuco.
and magical aspect to them.”

Pastry Arts 133

Teacher Feature

Tracy
DeWitt
Chef Instructor,
Auguste Escoffier School
of Culinary Arts

134 Pastry Arts

N
ow a Chef Instructor at
the Auguste Escoffier
School of Culinary
Arts in Scottsdale, AZ,
Tracy DeWitt began her baking
career at the age of 15, when she
took a job at a French-Viennese
pastry shop in New Jersey. A trip
to Paris a few years later left a
lasting impression that ignited
DeWitt’s passion for fine pastry
and motivated her to attend
culinary school at the Culinary
Institute of America, where she
graduated with two degrees,
one for Culinary Arts and one for
Baking and Pastry. After honing her
skills in the pastry departments of
various establishments, including
the Broadmoor Resort in Colorado
Springs, CO, DeWitt landed a
job as a culinary instructor, a role
which she has embraced for almost
30 years. With a motto of ‘Sugar
Happens’, DeWitt’s philosophy
is that nurturing passion and
preparation is more important than
focusing on perfection, a belief she
conveys to her students every day.
Here she talks about her career
journey, the lessons learned from
pastry competitions, and her innate
love for teaching.
What first drew you to the
world of pastry?
When I was 14, I started a part-time
job at the local bakery in Ridgewood,
N.J. I was fascinated by watching
the cake decorator make elaborate
wedding cakes, and then the baker
would spend every Sunday training me
on the laminated dough. From there,
it took off, and the bakery owner took
me under her wing and showed me
the ropes. When I graduated high
school, she gave me a plane ticket to
Paris, France, to see a confectionery
food show (Paris-style). OMG! That
trip changed my life and the trajectory
of my career. I saw how far you could
take a degree in the culinary arts! I
was willing to shoot for the stars, so
when I returned home, I applied and
was accepted into culinary school. My
instructors in culinary school had a
huge impact on my life and helped to
mold me into the person I am today.
Pastry Arts 135
 What’s the best part of teaching?
My passion for teaching has always been
fueled when I realize I have broken through!
That moment when I know, “This student GETS
IT!” They figured out that “Sugar Happens,” and
how to fix it or work with it. Voila, technique!
My greatest strength as a teacher is my
ability to break down hard concepts into
simple techniques. My students will tell
you, I tortured them with butter roses and
chocolate piping! But, once you have enough
techniques in your toolbox, you will have the
knowledge you need to draw from in any
culinary endeavor. I love it when students
come back after graduation to tell me that they
are the only one in their kitchen who knows
how to make a piping cone, and THEY had the
know-how to come to the rescue by cranking
out the ‘Happy Birthday’ plate. Insert smile :)!

Why did you decide to become a

culinary teacher?
I remember graduating from culinary school
and receiving the ‘Outstanding Baker’ award
from my chef instructors. At that moment, I
remember thinking about how I would strive
to be a teacher and a competitor. After gaining
years of field experience, I saw a job opening in
the paper for a chef instructor at a prestigious
culinary school in my neighborhood. They
took a chance on me and let me spread my
teaching wings for the first time. Now here I
am, nearly 28 years later, and still teaching.
Making connections with people is a huge
part of the food industry. A pivotal point in
my career came when I was introduced to
Kirk Bachmann, Escoffier Boulder campus
President and Provost. He saw something in
my performance as a pastry chef instructor and
helped open doors for me in both teaching and
competitions. I am forever grateful to Kirk for
bringing me onboard at Escoffier and changing
the way I view culinary education forever.

136 Pastry Arts

 Teaching is my way to help students to see
their full potential, build their confidence and
encourage them to trust in themselves. One
of the greatest rewards during my career was
seeing my students work toward becoming
successful chefs and instructors in their own
right.
Recently, while teaching at Auguste
Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, I have had a
significant impact on helping students realize
their dream of having their bakery, food
truck, catering, or cottage business. I meet
with students daily over Zoom to help them
cost their recipes and price their merchandise
for sale to see financial success. Pricing your
products for sale is just as important to me
as teaching them how to frost a cake or
sugar flowers. Today, I continue to work with
Escoffier graduates as they open new doors
with their talents and entrepreneurial ideas.
Many students will continue their education
in our Entrepreneurial program to take their
cakes to market!
What motivates you as a teacher, and
how do you inspire your students?
I am dedicated and devoted to teaching. When
students leave my classroom, whether it’s in
person or virtual, I hope they feel personally
changed and eternally inspired. My recipe for
success as an inspirational teacher is to be
myself! I know my craft. Now it’s time to see
if I can help others develop their skills. If my
feedback is sincere, authentic, and has good
intentions, it will motivate them every time.
Energy begets energy, and that starts with ME!
It’s all about bringing energy to my classroom.
I am known to break out in some silly song
and repeatedly dance to get my point across.
“THIN the LEAVES!” I would chant and make
my best cheerleading stance, “Superstar”
impression (you know, Mary-Katherine-
Gallagher-style). All in hopes of seeing sugar
leaves on the wedding cake that don’t look as
thick as pancakes! (Many of my students who
are reading this are laughing right now and
chanting along; “Thin the Leaves!!!!”)
Pastry Arts 137
What’s the most important lesson you
hope to convey to your students?
• Believe in yourself!
• Remember to maintain your sense of humor.
• Ditch your ideas for perfection and swap
them for something authentic and from the
heart.
• Recognize and cherish your individuality.
• Tell yourself, and believe it: “YOU can DO
IT!”
You’ve done lots of pastry
competitions – what’s the benefit of
competing, and what are some of the
lessons you’ve learned from doing it?
The benefit has always been to learn more
and see more of what’s out there. It began
when I watched Team France and Team Korea
prepare for the 2004 World Pastry Forum at
my campus. I watched carefully as they built
pop-up kitchens to set up their practice arenas
138 Pastry Arts
and the meticulous nature in how they set
up their mise en place. Every movement was
rehearsed and re-rehearsed as if preparing
for the Olympics – the Pastry Olympics! I saw
what it took to get there and win. I studied the
techniques of champions to eventually become
Champion in 2006 at the National Bread and
Pastry Championship.
The greatest lesson I learned from the
competitions was always to challenge
yourself. You will know what you can do once
you are pushed to your limits. Competition
pushes you to your limits. You have to
practice, practice, and practice until you run
out of time, and then show up and do the
best work you can for that day. My brother,
David DeWitt, once told me that watching
me compete in pastry competitions is like
watching a well-choreographed dance with
flow and grace, only to culminate with a
magnificent sugar showpiece at the end!
The name of my first gold medal-winning
showpiece has been the guiding TRUTH,
“Life is one sweet ride!”
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Recipe

Trio of
Chocolate and
Crumble
By Cedric Barbaret,
Owner, Bistro Barbaret & Bakery,
Lancaster, PA

140 Pastry Arts

T his simple, yet
elegant dessert
is a chocolate
lover’s dream-
come-true. The
recipe is all about technique – the
ganache needs to be at the proper
temperature when the medium-
peak whipped cream is folded in,
and each layer needs to be frozen
before the next layer is added. This
dessert is also perfectly portable,
which means customers can enjoy it
anywhere.

Yield: 12-15 portions

(in 6-oz jars)

Mi-Amer 58% White Chocolate Blanc

Dark Chocolate Mousse Satin 29% Mousse
• 315 g heavy cream • 200 g heavy cream
• 275 g Cacao Barry Mi-Amer 58% dark • 295 g Cacao Barry Blanc Satin white 29%
chocolate chocolate
• 500 g whipped cream, medium peaks • 500 g whipped cream, medium peaks

1. In a saucepan, bring the liquid cream to a
boil and pour over the chocolate. Burr mix,
then allow to cool to 113˚F (45˚C), then fold
in the whipped cream.
2. Divide mousse among glasses and freeze.
1. In a saucepan, bring the liquid cream to a
boil and pour over the chocolate. Burr mix,
then allow to cool to 113˚F (45˚C), then fold
in the whipped cream.
2. Pipe over frozen dark chocolate mousse
layer and freeze again.

Pastry Arts 141

 Equilibre 36% Milk
Chocolate Mousse
• 250 g heavy cream
• 295 g Cacao Barry Equilibre 36% milk
chocolate
• 500 g whipped cream, medium peaks

1. In a saucepan, bring the liquid cream to

a boil and pour over the chocolate. Burr
mix, then allow to cool to 113˚F (45˚C),
then fold in the whipped cream.
2. Pipe over frozen white chocolate
mousse layer and freeze again.

Almond Crumble
• 200 g unsalted butter
• 100 g granulated sugar
• 200 g all-purpose flour
• 40 g almond flour
• 10 g Maldon sea salt

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle,

mix the butter and sugar until well
aerated. Add the flour, almond flour
and salt and mix until combined. Wrap
dough and freeze.
2. Put dough in Robot Coupe and pulse
until crumbled. Bake on Silpat-lined
sheet pan at 320˚F (160˚C) for about
15 minutes. Cool.
3. Before using, make sure all crumble
pieces are small. Top each dessert with
a generous layer of crumble before
serving.

142 Pastry Arts

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Recipe

Black
Forest
By Jordan Pilarski

144 Pastry Arts

 T his dessert is inspired by the traditional flavors of a Black
Forest gateau created back in the early-mid 1900s. Most
of my plated desserts are created with a very neo-classic
approach – taking traditional and well-known flavor
combinations and giving them a very modern artistic finish.
Each one of the following recipes was made in order to
achieve the perfect balance of all flavors considered in a Black Forest gateau.
Technique driven, this dessert showcases some gastronomy, as well as ingenuity
when creating realistic elements. Desserts that I tend to enjoy usually stand as
my inspiration when deciding on what classic combination to choose and put a
modern spin on.
Yield: 10 plates

4. Cool to 104˚F (40˚C), then mix in butter

Black Cherry with immersion blender. Deposit into
Semi-Freddo Pavoni GG016 cherry silicone molds.

• 3 g powdered gelatin Microwave Sponge Cake

• 15 g water
• 130 g black cherry purée • 180 g egg whites
• 32 g granulated sugar • 55 g granulated sugar
• 39 g egg yolks • 35 g almond flour
• 50 g whole egg • 16 g all-purpose flour
• 50 g unsalted butter, softened • 3 g vanilla paste

1. Bloom gelatin in water.
2. In a medium-sized pot, melt the
purée and sugar. Bring to a boil.
3. Mix together the egg yolks
and egg until homogenous.
When the purée is hot,
slowly temper into egg
mixture and then put
back into the pot. Cook
to 180˚F (82˚C), or until
you see it begin to thicken,
then remove from heat.
1. Combine all ingredients and whisk until fully
incorporated. Strain mixture.
2. Place in a siphon gun and charge
twice with CO2 cartridges.
Dispense into paper cups about
halfway full. Microwave for 45-
60 seconds on high. Once the
cake is cooked, immediately
flip upside down onto a tray
lined with parchment paper.
Freeze and unmold when
ready to use.

Pastry Arts 145

 Valrhona 66% Caraibe
Dark Chocolate Cremeux
• 3 g powdered gelatin
• 15 g water Kirsch Gel
• 162 g milk
• 250 g kirsch liqueur
• 162 g heavy cream
• 120 g granulated sugar
• 65 g egg yolks
• 5 g agar agar
• 150 g Valrhona 66% Caraibe dark
chocolate • 40 g water

1. Bloom gelatin in water. 1. Place kirsch in a small saucepan.

2. Combine milk and cream in a small saucepan.
Bring to a boil. Once the cream is boiling,
temper into the egg yolks and back into the
saucepan until thickened.
3. Pour over chocolate and mix with immersion
blender until smooth. Refrigerate overnight
and use when ready.
2. Whisk together the sugar and agar agar.
3. Bring kirsch to a boil and then add the sugar
mixture. Whisk and bring back to a boil.
Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Let
sit in cooler until fully set.
4. Process in Robot Coupe with the water until
smooth.

146 Pastry Arts

 Black Cherry Ribbon
• 23 g powdered gelatin
• 15 g water
• 65 g granulate sugar
• 4 g agar agar
• 250 g black cherry purée
• 1 full sheet acetate

1. Bloom the gelatin in the water.

2. Whisk together the sugar and agar agar.
3. Place the purée in a small saucepan and
bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, add the
sugar mixture and bring back to a boil.
Remove from the heat and stir in the
gelatin. Immediately pour onto a large sheet
of acetate and spread out evenly. Let sit in
refrigerator until set.
4. Cut out 4ʺ (10.16 cm) circles when ready to
plate.

Chocolate Rosemary Soil

• 57 g unsalted butter, softened
• 57 g granulated sugar
• 85 g all-purpose flour
• 30 g cocoa powder
• 10 g rosemary, finely chopped

1. Place all ingredients into a stand mixer fitted

with a paddle attachment and mix on low
speed to a sandy texture.
2. Place on a half sheet pan lined with
parchment paper and bake at 350˚F (177˚C)
for 12-15 minutes. Cool, then blend in
Robot Coupe until fine textured.
4. Once crumble is fully cooled, place in a
robot coupe and blend until texture is fine.

Pastry Arts 147


Mirror Glaze (Cherries)
• 16 g powdered gelatin
• 285 g water, divided into 3 measurements
• 250 g glucose
• 250 g granulated sugar
• 50 g Valrhona Ivoire white chocolate 35%
• 80 g cocoa butter
• 160 g condensed milk
• 3 g purple food coloring
• 3 g burgundy food coloring
• 3 g red food coloring
148 Pastry Arts
1. Bloom gelatin in 80 g of the water.
2. Place 125 g of the remaining water, the
glucose and sugar in a small saucepan and
bring to a boil.
3. Place the white chocolate, cocoa butter, the
remaining 80 g water and condensed milk
into a medium-sized bowl. Once the sugars
and water come to a boil, pour over the
rest of ingredients and mix with immersion
blender until combined. Add the food
coloring and mix until combined. Let cool to
104˚F (40˚C) before you use for glazing.
Assembly
• Micro red sorrel
• Fresh cherries
1. Cut a 4-inch (10 cm) round of the black
cherry ribbon and place in the center of the
plate. Place about 3 Tbs of crumble in a line
on the left side of the ribbon. Fill each log
(like a cannoli); put the chocolate cremeux
into a piping bag and fill one half end of the
log. Put the kirsch gel into a squeeze bottle
and place three dots in the center of the
log. Fill the rest of the log with cremeux and
level. Put 3 filled chocolate logs on top of
one another in the shape of a triangle over
the crumble on the left side of the plate.
2. Place stems into the cherry semifreddo and
put two on the plate of either side of the
logs. Unmold microwave sponge and place
quarter sized pieces also on either side of
the logs. Finish with fresh cherry halves and
micro red sorrel leaves and serve.
Jordan
Pilarski
Pastry Chef, Alessia
Patisserie and Cafe,
Santa Barbara, CA
Early Influence
Growing up I was always inspired by
my grandfather, an architect who always
was working with his hands and drawing up
blueprints in his basement. I became infatuated
with ‘creating’, and that ultimately led me to
become a pastry chef. With that precise and
mathematical mind, 10 years later I have made
a name for myself within my community of
pastry chefs and have continued to push the
envelope for creating neo-classical desserts.
Not only am I continuously evolving my style,
but I have been lucky to be able to pass that
creativity down to fellow team members of
mine.
Signature Style
‘Neo-classic’. Known for a massive architectural
style change in the mid-18th century where
simplicity of geometric forms and blank walls
changed western design. This best depicts my
style as a pastry chef – using classic ingredient
pairings, and then creating plates that
showcase straight lines, geometric shapes, and
a simplistic approach.
Inspiration for New Recipes
For most of my plated desserts, I gather
inspiration from objects or different types of
architecture. For the ‘Black Forest’, I took a look
at the literal terms and decided to base this
plate off of logs or wood. Creating edible logs,
transports the eaters’ senses to that of a forest
of dark rich flavors. It creates an experience
before you even take your first bite. With that
inspiration I am able to plug in the traditional
Black Forest gateau flavors,
which most people enjoy, as I
see fit. Designing and executing
this plate, like so many others,
is my most treasured reason for
becoming a pastry chef.
Current Flavor Favorites
I love combining robust and bright
flavors. At the moment, I really enjoy the use
of citrus in my desserts. Living in Santa Barbara,
citrus is a huge part of this city’s culture, as
well as its history. Having lemon, lime, pomelo,
kumquat, orange and other trees all over the
city really helps with the incorporation of them
in my desserts.
Production Tip
Having graduated from Johnson and Wales
University in Providence, Rhode Island with a
Bachelor’s degree in Baking and Pastry Arts, I
know that working in a clean environment and
having a sense of urgency is something that
sets a good chef apart from a great one. Having
an organized mind reduces stress and mistakes
in the kitchen. Working clean helps yourself
multitask and transition from each project
flawlessly as you work towards your own goals
as a chef.
Technical Tip
Tempering chocolate is a key technical skill
to have as a pastry chef. The peacefulness of
table tempering is one of the most scientific
skills in the pastry kitchen. Heating chocolate,
then cooling it rapidly on a marble table allows
you to manipulate something that tastes so
good into really anything you want. The logs in
this dessert are made with tempered chocolate
that has been casted inside of a foam PVC
pipe cover. Once the chocolate is set inside,
unmold the foam and give it some texture with
a fork to create the “wood” look that is desired.
Chocolate is just too much fun!
Photos by @fullframefoodie
Pastry Arts 149
Recipe

Poached
Peaches
Vanilla Mascarpone Mousse, Raspberry Sorbet

By Deden Putra, Executive Pastry Chef,

Pechanga Resort and Casino, Temecula, CA

150 Pastry Arts

 M y four-year-
old son
doesn’t like
chocolate
– he thinks it’s too sweet. But he
does love fruit, and his favorite
combination is raspberries and
peaches. This dessert was inspired
by that pairing. I added the flavor
of thyme to the raspberry sorbet,
which adds an earthy note that
blends nicely with the other
elements of the dish.
Yield: 12 servings
Poached Peaches
• 12 peaches, medium ripe
• Citric acid and water solution for soaking
peaches
• 100 g honey
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped
• 50 g water
• 75 g raspberry purée
1. Peel, core and wash the peaches and soak
them in a cold citric acid-water solution to
prevent oxidation; set aside.
2. In the meantime, combine the honey, vanilla
bean, water and raspberry purée and bring
it to a boil. Add the peaches and cook the
for about 3- 5 minutes over low heat. Store
in the fridge.
•
•
•
Vanilla
Mascarpone Mousse
100 g heavy cream
200 g mascarpone
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped
• 28 g confectioners’ sugar
1. Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks; set
aside.
2. In the medium bowl, combine the
mascarpone, vanilla bean and confectioners’
sugar and stir it just until it comes together
(do not overmix). Fold in the whipped
cream. Put into a piping bag fitted with a
star pastry tip and set aside for plating.
Candied Almonds
• 175 g egg whites
• 200 g sliced almonds
• 175 g confectioners’ sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 325˚F (163˚C).
2. Combine the egg whites and sliced
almonds, and stir well to make sure all
almonds are coated with egg white. Stir in
the confectioners’ sugar.
3. Spread the coated sliced almonds onto a
Silpat-lined sheet pan and bake for about
5 minutes. Stir the almonds and bake for
another 5 minutes, until they are a light
caramel brown color.
4 Cool, then store in an airtight container
until ready to use.
Pastry Arts 151

Thyme Raspberry Sorbet
• 3 g stabilizer for sorbet
• 244 g water
• 290 g granulated sugar, divided
• 20 g trimoline
• 70 g glucose syrup
• 7 g thyme leaves
• 1000 g raspberry purée
1. Combine the stabilizer with 10 g of the
sugar and set aside.
2. To make a sorbet syrup, combine the water,
280 g of the sugar, the trimoline and glucose
in a medium pan, bring to a boil, then stir in
stabilizer sugar mix. Add fresh thyme and
infuse the syrup for about 1 hour.
3. Strain the syrup and stir in raspberry puree
using a hand blender. Process the sorbet
base in an ice cream machine.
Red Macaron Shells
• 261 g almond flour
• 261 g confectioners’ sugar
• 91 g egg whites
• 2 g red food coloring
• 261 g granulated sugar
• 65 g water
• 100 g egg whites
1. Preheat the oven at 300˚F (149˚C).
2. Combine the almond flour, confectioners’
sugar, egg whites and red food coloring in a
152 Pastry Arts
Robot Coupe and mix until smooth and well
combined. Transfer into a medium-sized
bowl, cover with plastic and set aside.
3. Combine the granulated sugar and water in
a saucepan, bring it to a soft ball stage, 215-
225˚F (102-107˚C).
4. Whip the egg whites until frothy, then pour
in hot sugar syrup slowly while continuing
to mix until firm peaks form.
5. Fold the meringue into the almond mixture
a little at the time until all well combined.
Fill a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip with
the macaron mixture. Pipe 1ʺ (2.5 cm)
circles on a Silpat and bake them for 14 -16
minutes.
Raspberry Soup
• 500 g raspberry purée
• 150 g water
• 75 g granulated sugar
• 85 g lemon juice
• 1 g lemon zest
1. Combine all the ingredients together in a
saucepan and bring to a boil. Set aside.
Assembly
• Fresh raspberries
• Edible flowers
• Micro greens
1. Place half of a poached peach in the center
of a bowl-shaped plate. Pipe mascarpone
mousse on top, and place a macaron shell
off to the side.
2. Pour some Raspberry Soup around the peach
and place a quenelle of Thyme Raspberry
Sorbet next to the peach. Scatter with fresh
raspberries and candied almonds. Garnish
with edible flowers and micro greens.
 P RPORDOUDCUECDE IDN I LNA T
LAIN
TIA
N MAEMR EI C
RAICA

FROM
FROM
THETHE
ORIGIN
ORIGIN
Latin American
Latin American
originorigin
ingredients
ingredients

REDUCED
REDUCED
CARBON
CARBON
FOOTPRINT
FOOTPRINT
Mapping
Mapping
our emissions
our emissions
to lower
to lower
our carbon
our carbon
outputoutput
through
through
our entire
our entire
value value
chain;chain;
purchasing
purchasing
ingredients
ingredients
locally.
locally.

LOCAL
LOCAL
PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION
We produce
We produce
locally,
locally,
in order
in order
to keep
to added
keep added
value value
in the in
country:
the country:
KnowKnow
How, How,
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qualified
qualified
positions.
positions.

SCALING
SCALING
IMPACT
IMPACT
THROUGH
THROUGH
SUSTAINABILITY
SUSTAINABILITY
INITIATIVES
INITIATIVES
Our alliances
Our alliances
with communities
with communities
are focused
are focused
on creating
on creating
responsible
responsible
projects
projects
with awith
positive
a positive
social,social,
environmental
environmental
and economic
and economic
impact.
impact.

ALLIANCES
ALLIANCES
We areWefocused
are focused
on generating
on generating
alliances
alliances
with farmers
with farmers
& communities
& communities
by working
by working
in eliminating
in eliminating
intermediaries.
intermediaries.

ACADEMIC
ACADEMIC
ALLIANCES
ALLIANCES
We promote
We promote
knowledge
knowledge
exchange
exchange
through
through
events,
events,
workshops,
workshops,
courses courses
and and
projects
projects
with local
with and
localinternational
and international
Universities
Universities
and Institutes,
and Institutes,
with the
with the
objective
objective
of supporting
of supporting
the formation
the formation
of professionals
of professionals
that will
thattoo
willpromote
too promote
positive
positive
changes
changes
in the in
world.
the world.
Also, Also,
these these
alliances
alliances
allow allow
us to deepen
us to deepen
our our
knowledge
knowledge
in Sustainability,
in Sustainability,
R&D and
R&DGastronomy.
and Gastronomy.

L AT
LAIN
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N MAEMR EI C
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DEI E
DNI ETN
ST S
Local Local
harvests
harvests
by local
by small
local small
farmers.
farmers.

CACAO
CACAO
Our chocolates
Our chocolates
are created
are created
exclusively
exclusively
with with
Latin American
Latin American
fine aroma
fine aroma
cacaocacao
from: from:
Ecuador,
Ecuador,
Peru and
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The Dominican
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MILK
MILK
WholeWhole
milk from
milk the
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the Andes
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Mountains

PANELA
PANELA
Unrefined
Unrefined
wholewhole
cane sugar
cane sugar
obtained
obtained
from the
from
coastal
the coastal
plainsplains
of Latin
of America.
Latin America.

ANDEAN
ANDEAN
CORN
CORN
We have
We rediscovered
have rediscovered
this ancestral
this ancestral
grain by
grain
incorporating
by incorporating
it to one
it to one
of ourofmost
our innovative
most innovative
recipes.
recipes.
Produced
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and purchased
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Ecuadorian
producers.
producers.
NON NON
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AndeanAndean
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04 04 www.republicadelcacao.com
www.republicadelcacao.com
Recipe

Limone e Fragola
Mandorla
(Lemon and Strawberry Almond)
By Casey Doody

154 Pastry Arts

 I nspiration for me is driven seasonally. This dish was on the menu during the
height of rhubarb season. My favorite way to utilize rhubarb is by pickling,
as it still maintains a bit of a bite texturally to the dish. Developing recipes
for an Italian restaurant, I decided to utilize semolina for the flour in this
cake. I incorporated caramelized lemons into the batter, which enhanced the
combination of strawberries and rhubarb. Valrhona Opalys tied this all together
with a lush white chocolate basil sauce that’s poured tableside.

Yield: About 17 servings

Lemon Coulis
• 6 lemons
• 1250 g granulated sugar
• 500 g lemon juice
1. Cut lemons in half vertically and set aside.
2. Make a dry caramel with the sugar, taking
it to a golden amber color. Deglaze with
the lemon juice. Pour the caramel in a hotel
pan and layer the lemons on top, flesh-side-
down, so that the rind is exposed. Cover
the pan with foil and bake at 280˚F (138˚C)
for 1 to 2 hours, or until the lemons are
soft enough to be easily broken down in a
blender.
3. Working in batches, place the lemons along
with some of the caramel juice in a Vitamix
blender and process to a smooth paste.
Pass the paste through a chinois after
each blending to ensure the paste is extra-
smooth. Cover the coulis with plastic wrap
and chill until ready to use in the semolina
cake.
Lemon Semolina Cake
• 600 g unsalted butter
• 450 g Demerara sugar
• 2 g salt
• 6 g vanilla paste
• 1 tsp almond extract
• Zest of 6 lemons
• 9 extra-large eggs
• 600 g almond flour
• 300 g semolina flour
• 17 g baking powder
• 40 g Lemon Coulis
• Sliced Almonds, as needed for sprinkling
on top
1. in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle
attachment, cream together the butter,
sugar, salt, vanilla paste, almond extract and
lemon zest on medium speed. Scrape down
sides until smooth.
2. Add eggs one at a time.
3. Combine the wet ingredients with dry
ingredients. Fold in the Lemon Coulis.
4. Pipe 100 g of batter per portion into each
of 20 JB Prince (M246-4.5) 4 1/2ʺ (11.4
cm) entremet ring molds. Sprinkle sliced
almonds on top of batter before baking.
Sprinkle a little bit of demerara with the
sliced almonds to give a nice crust to the
top of the cake. Bake 325˚F (163˚C), 10%
humidity, for 20 minutes, rotating halfway
through baking.

Pastry Arts 155


Strawberry Coulis
• 150 g granulated sugar
• 4 g agar agar
• 1000 g strawberry purée (Boiron)
• 2 gelatin sheets (gold)
1. In a bowl, mix together the sugar and agar
agar.
2. In a pot, bring the purée to a boil. Once the
purée begins to boil, add the sugar mixture.
Bring the liquid back up to a boil before
removing from the heat and adding the
gelatin. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or
overnight.
3. Once chilled, put the coulis in a Vitamix and
blend until smooth. Reserve.
156 Pastry Arts
Pickled Rhubarb
• 453 g rhubarb, cleaned and washed
• 183 g water
• 179 g white vinegar
• 30 g grenadine
• 2 g crushed pink peppercorns
• 166 g granulated sugar
1. Cut the rhubarb stalks into 1/4ʺ (6.3 mm)
cubes.
2. In a pot, simmer the water, vinegar,
grenadine, peppercorns and sugar until
sugar has dissolved. Strain out the
peppercorns and cool the pickling liquid.
3. To compress the rhubarb for pickling, place
the diced rhubarb in a vacuum sealer bag.
Put enough pickling liquid in the bag to
just barely cover the diced rhubarb. Using
a chamber vacuum sealer machine, place a
filled pouch with rhubarb into the chamber,
then press to vacuum seal. The seal bar
double-seals the pouch, guaranteeing
complete, long-lasting closure. Place in
cooler until ready to use for plating.
Vanilla Ice Cream
• 2000 g milk
• 860 g heavy cream
• 20 g vanilla paste
• 633 g granulated sugar
• 130 g dextrose
• 170 g nonfat milk powder
• 16 g ice cream stabilizer
1. In a pot over medium heat, bring milk,
cream and vanilla to 131˚F (55˚C). Whisk
in the remaining ingredients. Bring the base
up to 176˚F (80˚C). Chill over an ice bath.
Refrigerate overnight.
2. Immersion blend and spin the next day.
Makes 4 quarts.
 Opalys Basil Crème Pasti
• 80 g egg yolks
• 125 g granulated sugar
• 250 g heavy cream, 40%
• 250 g milk
• 10 g basil
• 80 g Valrhona Opalys 33% white chocolate
1. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a
bowl.
2. In a pot, bring the cream and milk to a
simmer. Add the basil and allow to steep
for 10 minutes. Strain out basil and return
liquid to the pot.
3. Make an anglaise by tempering the egg yolk
mixture into the warm dairy liquid.
4. Whisk in the white chocolate until
emulsified. Strain the anglaise through a
chinois and into a Cambro. Immersion blend.
Cool in an ice bath until chilled. Reserve in
the cooler until service.
Rhubarb Curls
• Rhubarb stalks, as needed
1. Using a peeler, peel strips of rhubarb and
place in ice water. The ice water will cause
the rhubarb to curl, creating an abstract
garnish.
Assembly
• Quartered strawberries, as needed
• Micro basil, for garnish
1. Toss equal parts quartered strawberry slices
and pickled rhubarb in the Lemon Coulis,
just to coat the fruit. This adds flavor and
makes the fruit shine.
2. Place a semolina cake in the center of
the plate. Spoon the strawberry-rhubarb
mixture (about 40 g ) from step 1 on top, to
the right half of the semolina cake. Quenelle
a scoop of vanilla ice cream and put it next to
the fruit on the left side of the cake. Adorn
the top with the micro basil and rhubarb
curls. Pour the Crème Pasti tableside.
Pastry Arts 157
 Casey Doody
Boka Restaurant Group Director of
Pastry for Le Select, GT Prime, Swift &
Sons, Swift Tavern and Boka Catering

Early Influence
It may not have been early on, but this phrase
was the most impactful influence: “Sense
of Urgency.” Every day when I walked into a
NYC kitchen, I read this daily under the clock.
Working in New York changed my life – the
cultured experiences, the community of chefs,
the hustle in striving for perfection, constantly
being in survival mode, knowledge from a true
mentor. My time in New York was short-lived
due to COVID, but it was an important part in
my pastry journey. New York taught me a lot,
but kept me hungry. Being in rooms with such
talent made me want more for myself within
my career. It was never about accolades, but
about being a part of the legacy. Not only did
it make me a stronger person, but it made me a
better chef because of it.

Signature Style
French- and Italian-based technique, mixed
with modern plating styles while being
whimsical with nostalgic flare.

Inspiration for New Recipes

I was taught early on in my career by a
phenomenal chef who told me to “read your
cookbooks front to back like a book.” I find
myself doing this a lot when sitting down to
begin concept dishes that become R&D for new
menu items. Seasonality is the driving force
in most dishes I create. I love a good farmers’
market haul and the relationships formed with
local companies. Traveling and dining around
town are always nice experiences to pull
inspiration from. I tend to lean more towards
chocolate- and fruit-based desserts and always
try to keep a rotation of at least one gluten-free
or dairy-free dessert on the menu at all times.

158 Pastry Arts

Current Flavor Favorites
Keep. It. Simple. Sometimes my brain goes into
hyper speed, and I start fusing flavors together
and get overly excited, but then take a step
back and remind myself keep it simple. I love
combining savory techniques in pastry recipes.
I’m currently into the “no waste” movement
and utilizing every bit of an ingredient – more
manipulation of an ingredient to draw out
flavors that are enhanced in multiple ways. I
oversee multi-unit properties and find that the
clientele and vibe are drastically different at
each location. Curiosity of combinations at our
steak driven restaurant become more nostalgic
where we create a WOW factor to bring to the
table, versus our seafood driven concept where
I can get away with some funky, fun, seasonal
smaller plates to grab diners’ interests.
Production Tip
If there is one production tip I can share, it’s
that molds and frames are your best friends!
I find molded or framed desserts are efficient
when doing high production. Consistency is
key, and the visual impact by using Silikomart
silicone molds or JB Prince frames, makes a
dessert look sharp. I find the shapes, size, and
the 3D dimension that results from their use
enhances the main components of a dish and
saves time.
my time working in pastry, and because I was
not afraid to speak up and ask questions, this
helped me to enhance my bread knowledge.
If you were to ask me 10 years ago that I’d
be known for creating bread programs for
hospitality groups, and be known in Chicago
for developing a focaccia program at my last
gig where we made 80 loaves daily, I would’ve
said you’re crazy. It wasn’t until I really started
reading and teaching myself outside of the
restaurant and making bread at home weekly
that I truly mastered this technique. We all
know the saying “fake it until you make it,”
and I hate that phrase because if you’re trying
you’re not faking it. Keep practicing. Focus and
determination will take you far.
Career Advice
• Always be a student, keep learning.
• When plating a dish, less is more.
• Convert all recipes to grams.
• Pastry chefs need sharp knives, too.
• Never trust anyone – double- and triple-
check everything.
• And lastly, be authentic. No one is you, and
that is your super-power.

Technical Tip
Early on in my career, bread was a struggle
for me. I didn’t understand formulation either.
Lamination, bakers’ percetages, hydration,
temperature and bread terminology was
intimidating to me. The beginning of my career
was spent working in hotels and country clubs
where production was high volume, and we
out-sourced bread. It wasn’t until I was a pastry
sous chef in NYC that I had a true mentor in
pastry. Bread at the restaurant in New York
was made in-house daily, and this forced me
to really hone in on my bread knowledge and
passion for creating delicious focaccia. I wasn’t
afraid to admit I had not made much bread in

Pastry Arts 159

Recipe

Aztec
Calendar
(Mole, Tequila, Avocado, Agave)
By Angel Ramirez Betancourt

160 Pastry Arts

 T
his flaming dessert
was inspired by
the New Fire
Ceremony, also
called The Binding
of the Years, an
Aztec event that
is celebrated once
every 52 years
when the 260-day ritual and 365-
day civil calendars return to the same
positions with respect to each other.
All the sacred and household fires
were allowed to go out in preparation
for this ceremony, which was meant
to prevent the end of the world. In
this dessert, the silky smooth texture
of the Instant Cremeux complements
perfectly with the Faux Crunchy Mole
and the sharp citrus flavor of the
Passion Fruit Sorbet.
Yield: 12 servings
Vegan Chocolate
Instant Cremeux
• 430 g Valrhona 72% Araguani dark
chocolate
• 80 g La Dama tequila
• 150 g soy milk
• 450 g Hass avocado flesh
• 200 grams agave
1. Melt the Valrhona Araguani in the
microwave, stirring every 10 seconds; set
aside.
2. Put all the remaining ingredients into a
Vitamix blender and process until smooth.
Add the melted chocolate while processing.
Process for another 30 seconds, until
smooth. Pipe into molds and freeze.
Reserve until ready to use.
Faux Crunchy Mole
• 50 g peanut butter
• 190 g Valrhona 70% Guanaja dark
chocolate
• 125 g Valrhona Eclat d`Or crêpe dentelle
flakes
• 30 g amaranth
• 4 g cinnamon powder
• 2 g sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
1. Melt the peanut butter and Valrhona
Guanaja and reserve.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine all the dry
ingredients and fold in the melted chocolate
and peanut butter.
3. Spread on the desired mold (22 g per mold)
and sprinkle with salt.
Cocoa-Caraïbe Sablé
• 80 g Valrhona 66% Caraïbe dark chocolate
• 200 g sliced almonds
• 156 g unsalted butter
• 200 g brown sugar
• 160 all-purpose flour
• 50 g cocoa powder
• 8 g salt
1. Melt the dark chocolate; reserve.
2. Put the sliced almonds in a Robot Coupe
and process until ground. Add the butter,
brown sugar, flour and cocoa powder and
pulse until the mixture is combined and has
a sandy texture. Add the melted chocolate
and process until combined.
3. Form the dough into logs with the help of
two sheets of parchment paper. Freeze the
dough.
4. Cut rounds from the logs and bake on lined
sheet pan at 350˚F (177˚C) until baked
through.
Pastry Arts 161
 Passion Fruit-Mango Sorbet
• 430 g passion fruit purée
• 500 g mango purée
• 400 g water
• 1000 g simple syrup
• 10 g sorbet stabilizer

1. Mix all ingredients together and churn into

the ice cream machine.

Passion Fruit-Mango
Fluid Gel
• 250 g mango purée
• 260 g passion fruit puree, plus more, if
needed
• 180 g granulated sugar
• 6 g agar agar powder
1. In a small pot, bring the purées, sugar and
agar agar to a boil, stirring.
2. Refrigerate until firm.
3. Process in Vitamix blender until creamy;
add extra passion fruit purée, if necessary,
to get a good consistency.
Bahibe Chocolate Mousse
• 12 g gelatin sheets (silver)
• 440 g heavy cream 45%
• 800 g Valrhona 46% Bahibe milk chocolate
• 740 g heavy cream 45%, whipped
1. Soak the gelatin in ice water until softened;
squeeze out excess water and set aside.
2. In a small pot, bring the 440 g heavy cream
to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the
gelatin until dissolved. Pour the liquid over
the chocolate and whisk until smooth. Cool
to 104˚F (40°C), then fold in the whipped
cream.
Ìï
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Assembly
• Edible gold powder M
• Tequila
• Flash paper, cut to size
ò†
1. Unmold the Vegan Chocolate Instant
Cremeux (which represents the calendar).
Mix the gold powder with a small amount of
tequila and paint the cremeux with it. Place
on top of the unmolded Faux Crunchy Mole.
2. First pipe a circle of the Bahibe Chocolate
Mousse on the plate (the same size as the
Calendar mold).
3. Add some of the Passion Fruit-Mango Fluid
Gel, then a scoop of the sorbet. Finish by
adding the sable cookies on the sides of the
mousse. Add the calendar on top ,then top
with the flash paper and light it on fire for
the ceremony.
Photos by @studiocaribe @2fphotography

162 Pastry Arts

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K�untu 80%
CREATED WITH YOU, FOR YOU
The Komuntu couverture came into being when a group of ethically-minded
people got together to make the ultimate in responsibly made chocolates. All
profits made from this chocolate during the year of our 100th anniversary are
donated to cocoa producers. Its flavor represents the implication of an entire
sector and tells the story of the men and women we have met around the world.
This blend of Grands Crus reveals a balanced aromatic profile between
powerful cocoa-rich inflections and harmonious aromas: woody and bitter
notes complemented by toasted cocoa nib.

TO DISCOVER KOMUNTU AND LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR 100 YEARS OF COMMITMENT, VISIT VALRHONA.COM OR CONTACT US AT (718)522-7001
Recipe

Raspberry
Ruby Tart
By Fred Csibi-Levin

164 Pastry Arts

T his tart takes the classic
combination of raspberry
and dark chocolate to an
elevated and exquisite
level. The components
of this dessert will take
you on a journey of textures and deep
raspberry flavors accentuated by the
ruby chocolate. You will get multiple
forms of raspberry and berry notes
from the crémeux, fresh fruits, coulis
and ruby ganache. The design and
decorations make this a modern and
sleek dessert that is perfect for the
spring and summer.
Yield: Three 6ʺ (15.24 cm) tarts,
or 12 portions
Egg Wash
• 20 g egg yolks
• 5 g heavy cream
1. Mix together well and set aside until ready
to use.
Pâte Sucrée
• 340 g all-purpose flour
• 124 g confectioners’ sugar
• 3.5 g salt
• 224 g unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1ʺ
(2.5 cm) pieces
• 30 g whole eggs, lightly beaten
• 60 g egg yolks, lightly beaten
1. Put the flour, sugar, salt and cold butter
in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a
paddle attachment. Mix butter into flour
on low speed until you get a sandy (mealy)
texture. Add eggs and egg yolks all at once.
Continue to mix on low until eggs are
incorporated, butter is completely mixed
in and the dough comes together. Do not
overmix.
2. Place on a lightly floured surface and form
a disc. Chill the dough for 15-30 minutes, if
needed.
3. Preheat the oven to 350˚F (177˚C). Roll
the dough to 1/4ʺ (6.3 mm) thickness on
a lightly floured surface using a rolling pin.
Line 6ʺ (15.24 cm) tart rings, bake for 20
minutes, then remove from the rings and let
cool completely.
4. Using a pastry brush, brush the tart with the
egg wash and bake for 5-10 minutes, until
golden brown.
Almond Praliné
• 150 g almonds, roasted
• 150 g granulated sugar
• 20 ml water
• Pinch of salt
• Grapeseed oil, as needed
1. Roast the almonds at 300˚F (149˚F) for 15
minutes.
2. Caramelize the sugar with the water in a
saucepan until amber in color. Add the warm
almonds and salt and combine to create a
nougatine. Spread over a silicone mat. Let
cool completely.
3. Break the nougatine into small pieces and
put in a food processor. Blend until smooth,
the paste should be runny. If needed, add
small amounts of vegetable oil to achieve
the consistency.
Pastry Arts 165
 Dark Chocolate
Feuilletine Croustillant
• 120 g dark chocolate, 70% Eleven O’One
Stover & Co.
• 60 g Almond Praline, from above
• 120 g feuilletine flakes
• 1 g salt
1. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.
2. Add the Almond Praline to the melted
chocolate and combine well.
3. Add the chocolate mixture to the feuilletine
in a bowl. Combine with a spatula. Add the
salt, combine well.
Fresh Raspberries
• 300 g fresh raspberries
1. Wash, dry and cut the raspberries in half.
166 Pastry Arts
Raspberry Crémeux
• 85 g raspberry purée
• Pinch of salt
• 55 g granulated sugar, divided
• 2 egg yolks
• 100 g white chocolate, 33% Eleven O’One
Stover & Co.
• 20 g unsalted butter
1. Heat the purée, salt, and half of the sugar in
a pan and bring to a simmer.
2. While the mixture heats, whip the egg yolks
and remaining sugar to the ribbon stage.
Slowly add the hot mixture to the ribboned
eggs while whisking. Put the mixture back
into the pan, heat while whisking until it
slightly thickens, between 180-183˚F (82-
84˚C) – do not allow it to boil. Strain over
the white chocolate and let stand for 30
seconds. Combine until a smooth emulsion
is achieved.
3. Add the butter in small pieces and combine
well. Let cool completely in the fridge.
Ruby Chocolate Ganache
• 100 g heavy cream
• 20 g glucose syrup
• Pinch of salt
• 200 g Callebaut Ruby chocolate
• 25 g unsalted butter, softened
1. In a small saucepan, bring the heavy
cream, glucose syrup and salt to a
boil. Pour over the Ruby chocolate
and let stand, undisturbed, for 30-
60 seconds. Stir with a spatula with
circular motions in the center of the
bowl until emulsified.
2. Add the soft butter and mix to
combine.

Vanilla Bean
Whipped Ganache
• 65 g white chocolate, 33% Eleven O’ One
Stover & Co., finely chopped
• 250 g heavy cream, divided
• 25 g glucose syrup
• Pinch of salt
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 2 gelatin sheets, bloomed in cold water
1. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and
set aside.
2. In a saucepan, combine half of the heavy
cream, glucose syrup and salt with the vanilla
bean pod and seeds. Bring to a simmer and
let steep for 5-10 minutes. Remove the
vanilla bean pod and reheat the mixture to a
boil. Pour over the chocolate and let stand,
undisturbed, for 1 minute. Combine well
with a spatula. Add the bloomed gelatin
and stir with a spatula until fully combined.
Add the remaining half of the cold cream
and use an immersion blender to emulsify.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in the
fridge until set, 2-4 hours.
3. Remove from the fridge, place in the bowl
of a stand mixer and whip with a whisk
attachment until smooth and airy peaks
form.
Tuile Flowers
• 50 g unsalted butter, very soft
• 50 g granulated sugar
• 50 g egg whites
• 50 g all-purpose flour
• Gel colorant, as needed
1. In a bowl, using a rubber spatula, combine
the soft butter and the sugar to form a
paste. Add the egg whites and whisk until
fully combined and emulsified. Mix in
the flour and combine with a whisk. Add
the gel colorant and mix until the color is
homogenous.
2. Spread the paste over a flower tuile mold.
Bake at 350˚F (177˚C) for 5-7 minutes.
Pastry Arts 167
 Raspberry Coulis
• 100 g raspberries
• 50 g granulated sugar
• 1 Tbs lemon juice
• Pinch of salt
1. Cook the raspberries with sugar, lemon
juice and salt until the raspberries are soft.
2. Purée using an immersion blender until
smooth. Strain and cool completely.
Chocolate Décor
• 300 g dark chocolate
1. Temper the chocolate, pour over an acetate
sheet and spread to make a thin layer using
an off-set spatula. Once the chocolate
starts to set and becomes dull, cut a large
disc using a 6ʺ (15.24 cm) tart ring. Cut
smaller cavities inside the disc using cookie
cutters of 3 different sizes. Make 3 cavities
per cutter. Let the tempered chocolate discs
fully crystalize.
2. Remove from the acetate.
168 Pastry Arts
Assembly
• Small chocolate discs
• Gold leaf
• Small pieces of fresh raspberry
1. Add a thin layer of the Dark Chocolate
Feuilletine Croustillant to the bottom of
each tart using an offset spatula. Place
halved raspberries on top of the croustillant
to form a layer. Pipe a layer of the Raspberry
Crémeux on top of the raspberries. Pipe a
layer of the Ruby Chocolate Ganache to
completely fill the tart shell. Remove any
excess with an offset spatula. Place in the
fridge to set.
2. Place the chocolate disc on top of the tart.
3. Whip the Vanilla Bean Whipped Ganache.
Pipe to fill the cavities using both star and
round tips. Warm a stainless steel teaspoon
measuring spoon and gently press it against
two of the piped ganache dollops to create
a cavity. Pipe Raspberry Coulis on the
cavities. Place the Tuile Flowers on top of the
piped ganache. Finish by adding additional
decorations including small chocolate
discs, gold leaves and small pieces of fresh
raspberry.
Fred Csibi-Levin
Pastry Chef, Confections by Fred, LLC
Early Influence
I have always had a sweet tooth and really
enjoyed making desserts with my grandmother
when I was very young, but it was not until
a few years ago that I decided to pursue a
career in pastry. I am a scientist with a PhD
in cell biology. The relationship between
science and baking is what initially caught my
attention, which inspired me to attend pastry
school and become a pastry chef. I wanted to
deepen my understanding on how science is
at the forefront of baking. I incorporate this
knowledge into any new recipe I develop, and
often do experimenting with new techniques
and flavors.
Signature Style
Elegant and modern, yet approachable. I apply
a variety of techniques, textures and flavors to
each of my desserts.
Inspiration for New Recipes
I draw inspiration from many renowned chefs,
including Pierre Hermé, Antonio Bachour and
Gregory Doyen. I like to create new recipes
from seasonal ingredients and understand how
to pair them to create interesting and balanced
flavor profiles. I particularly enjoy creating
entremets with a variety of shapes, which I was
able to train in while I was head pastry chef at
Jonquils Cafe in Boston, MA.
Current Flavor Favorites
I am exploring the combination of berries and
citruses with nutty flavors. I recently developed
a few versions of desserts combining raspberry
and black sesame, which have received great
reviews.
Production Tip
As someone that has run both research labs
and production kitchens I advice creating
an environment with open communication,
where all the tasks are shared so everyone is
aware of what needs to be achieved. This open
communication along with well-established
processes and a skilled and passionate team is
the perfect formula for a productive kitchen.
Technical Tip
I have mastered both French macarons and
entremets, both of which are known to be
difficult to make. My tip for these pastries is
to take the time to understand each ingredient.
Practice and do not be afraid of experimenting
with the techniques. Always keep a notebook
with notes and changes that you do to your
recipes, and write down the outcomes.
Career Advice
Meringue – learn all about it since it is a key
component in making a variety of desserts like
sponges, mousses and macarons. It may seem
simple, but it is actually quite technical, so
understand the parameters and science behind
making a proper meringue, and the proper
consistency you should obtain. Do not rush
the process and take your time to whip your
meringue.
Pastry Arts 169
Recipe

Chocolate
Hazelnut Cremeux
By Keisha Sanderson

170 Pastry Arts

 I
Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse
love this Chocolate
Hazelnut Cremeux • 450 g heavy cream
because of its • 2.4 sheets gelatin
simple, clean, elegant • 220 g 65% dark chocolate
presentation, along • 240 g gianduja chocolate
with its texture and • 11 g coffee liqueur (optional)
flavor combinations. • 42 g dark rum
The nuttiness from the
hazelnut pairs so well with the
chocolate and caramel, without 1. In a mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream
overwhelming the palate. This is to soft peaks. Reserve in refrigerator until
also one of my most favorite and ready to use.
sophisticated desserts to date. 2. Bloom the gelatin in ice water. Once
bloomed, drain the gelatin and melt.
Yield: 8 servings 3. Over a double boiler, melt the dark
chocolate and gianduja together. Fold in the
heavy cream followed by the coffee liqueur
and rum. Lastly, fold in the melted gelatin.
4. Fill PavoFlex molds halfway with the mousse.
Place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to
partially set. Using an Ateco 1/2ʺ (12mm)
Vanilla Caramel Sauce round tip, pipe a straight line of the Vanilla
Caramel Sauce on top of the mousse. Place
• 1 g powdered gelatin in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to partially
• 3 g ice-cold water set.
• 140 g glucose 5. Fill the mold with more mousse and level the
• 106 g granulated sugar tops with an offset. Place in the refrigerator
• for 30 minutes, wrap, and then place in the
215 g heavy cream
freezer overnight.
• 2 vanilla beans
• 70 g unsalted butter
• 2 g salt

1. Bloom the gelatin in the cold water and set

aside.
2. In a pot, caramelize the glucose and sugar
to a golden color. Heat the cream with the
vanilla beans. Whisking vigorously, add
the hot cream in stages. Heat the caramel
to 228˚F (109˚C) and transfer to a round
container.
3. B
 urr mix in the gelatin, followed by the butter
and salt. Burr mix until smooth. Strain and
allow it to cool.

Pastry Arts 171

 Crispy Praline Layer
• 40 g gianduja
• 60 g white chocolate
• 300 g praline paste
• 150 g feuilletine
1. Over a double boiler, melt the first three
ingredients together. Fold in the feuilletine.
2. Spread between two silicone baking mats
and roll to a thickness of 4mm using a
sheeter. Freeze until ready to use.
3. Remove from the freezer and unmold from
the mats. Using an oval external cutter, cut
out the bases for the cremeux to sit on.
Place in the freezer until ready to glaze.
172 Pastry Arts
Vanilla Mascarpone Cream
• 210 g heavy cream, divided
• 20 g granulated sugar
• 1 vanilla bean
• 18 g gelatin mass
• 113 g mascarpone cream
1. Heat 20 g of the heavy cream with the sugar
and vanilla bean. Add the gelatin mass, mix
to dissolve, then pour over the mascarpone
and remaining 190 g cold heavy cream.
Emulsify with a hand blender. Strain into a
storage container and refrigerate overnight.
2. The following day, whip the cream to a
medium-stiff peak. Reserve in a piping bag
with an Ateco 0.3ʺ (8mm) tip.
 Chocolate Ganache
• 250 g water
• 125 g granulated sugar
• 75 g cocoa powder
• 438 g heavy cream, divided
• 500 g 64% dark chocolate
• 50 g unsalted butter

1. Bring the water, sugar and cocoa powder to

a boil. Bring 63 g of the heavy cream to a
boil and add to the cocoa powder mixture.
2. Make a ganache with the chocolate, the
remaining 375 g heavy cream and the butter.
Add the cocoa mixture to the ganache
and whisk together. Strain and pour into a
glazing funnel.
3. Unmold the cremeux and place on a glazing
screen. Glaze the cremeux and transfer to
the crispy base.

Pastry Arts 173

 Caramel Sauce
• 375 g granulated sugar
• 40 g glucose
• 100 g heavy cream
• 3 vanilla beans
• 5 g salt
• 100 g unsalted butter

1. Make a blonde caramel with the sugar and

glucose. Bring the heavy cream and vanilla
beans to a boil. Deglaze the caramel with
the hot cream. Add the salt followed by the
butter. Allow to cool.
2. Once cool, transfer to a squeeze bottle.

Plating
• Chocolate plaques
• Sugar swirls

1. Place the cremeux in the center of the plate

horizontally. Pipe the mascarpone cream
in a rope on top of the cremeux. Garnish
with a chocolate plaque and a sugar swirl.
Using the squeeze bottle, place one dollop
of caramel sauce perpendicular to the
cremeux.

174 Pastry Arts

Keisha
Sanderson
Executive Pastry Chef, Brush Creek
Luxury Ranch Collection, Saratoga, WY
Early Influence
Since the young age of nine years old, I grew
up being in the kitchen with my godmother. My
passion for baking gives me so much love and
happiness. I love that I can make others happy
by simply sharing what I bake with them. I love
to watch how happy they suddenly become.
The science and creative side of making
pastries is what keeps me motivated and allows
me to continue to make more and more people
happy, even in a fast-paced environment.
Signature Style
I cannot attach one label to my pastries. Just
like the transitions in my life, the variety in my
pastries and desserts embodies many styles.
Some may be of simple elegance, balanced,
rich and complex. However, they may also be
modern and geometric, as I enjoy plating pastry
and dessert creations that embody different
shapes and clean lines.
Inspiration for New Recipes
I draw inspiration from nature, fairy tales, my
childhood, the place I grew up and my amazing
property here at The Farm at Brush Creek
Ranch. Having the luxury of all these amazing
areas on property allows me to collaborate and
create new recipes every day for the entire
collection of Brush Creek Ranch. We have
the Greenhouse, which provides us with fresh
berries, herbs, vegetables, etc.; the Creamery,
which supplies us with fresh goat milk and
cheese; and the Distillery that supplies us with
house-made spirits, as well as spillage and char
from the barrels. The most beautiful part about
creating my recipes is that my ideas come
to me at night, when the world is peaceful.
I always have a notebook and a pen at my
bedside, so I don’t miss a single thought. Pastry
is an art that improves with the exploration of
new ideas, innovation, and the willingness to
try something new every day. My Chocolate
Caramel Cremeux was created as the chocolate
dessert on our summer 2019 menu, as I wanted
to build a heavenly chocolate dessert that had
a clean, elegant finish.
Current Flavor Favorites
I am currently working on a new dessert, Red
Berry Basil Mousse. This flavor combination
really captures the taste of the West here in
Wyoming and creates a lasting memory for our
guests, making them want to come back. The
Red Berry Basil Mousse is inspired by the land.
I told myself I would utilize all the red berries
available at the Greenhouse, along with some
basil to create something special for my guests.
The dish will be vegan, gluten- and dairy-
free, allowing guests with multiple allergies or
dietary restrictions to receive the same quality
dining experience as our other guests.
Production Tip
Set yourself up for success. Start with the tasks
that take the longest, then move on to the
shorter tasks, multitasking where you can.
Technical Tip
I believe I have mastered wedding cakes, from
the flavor combinations to the layering and
decorating, including the ‘faux bois’ technique,
which mimics the texture and appearance of
tree bark. My tip for wedding cakes is: Never
stack cakes that are for traveling – the tiers
should always be separate, to be assembled at
the venue, and always have a backup plan in
case of crisis!
Career Advice
Change your mindset. You don’t get in life what
you want, you get in life what you are.
Pastry Arts 175
Recipe

Fraîcheur
d’ Agrumes
By Clement Goyffon

176 Pastry Arts

 M
y idea for this
dessert is
the feeling of
springtime. It’s
very light, not
very sweet, and
has a soft texture
with the jelly. The grapefruit brings the
bitterness, the strawberry balances
the acidity with a taste of sweetness,
and the yuzu brings a floral touch. As
you take the first bite you experience
the acidity of the grapefruit, then you
finish with cheesecake mousse and
a good crunch from the shortbread.
Everything works together to bring
symmetry to the pastry. It’s a very
fresh dessert, so it’s ideal to eat when
the weather is hot.
Yield: 12 servings
Vanilla Shortbread
• 125 g unsalted butter
• 125 g confectioners’ sugar
• 200 g all-purpose flour
• 50 g almond flour
• 5 g salt
• 20 g cornstarch or other starch
• 50 g whole eggs
1. In a stand mixer, mix together the butter
and the dry ingredients until crumbly.
Add the egg and mix until dough forms.
Form into a disc, wrap and let rest in the
refrigerator.
2. Roll dough out to 2mm thickness. Cut out
rounds to form a base that fits the size of
mold. Bake at 300˚F (150˚C) until lightly
browned, 12-13 minutes.
Grapefruit-Strawberry Jelly
• 39 g granulated sugar
• 6 g pectin NH
• 198 g grapefruit juice
• 72 g strawberry purée
• 20 g glucose syrup
• 2 vanilla beans, split and scraped
• 13.2 g gelatin mass
• 13.2 g yuzu juice
1. Combine the sugar and the pectin NH; set
aside.
2. In a saucepan, heat the grapefruit juice,
strawberry purée, glucose and vanilla beans
and sprinkle in the sugar-pectin mixture.
Cook this mixture for 2 minutes, until it has
the consistency of a confit. Add the gelatin
mass and mix well to dissolve the gelatin.
Add the yuzu juice and blend again. Mix
well together and add the yuzu juice. Blend
again. Keep in a fridge until ready to use.
Blend again before using (15 g for each
mold).
Blood Orange Cremeux
• 40 g granulated sugar
• 2 g pectin X58
• 5 g cornstarch
• 175 g blood orange purée
• 50 g grapefruit purée
• 25 g yuzu purée
• 50 g unsalted butter
• 30 g gelatin mass (200 bloom)
1. Mix together the sugar, pectin and
cornstarch together; set aside.
2. In a saucepan, warm the purées together
then sprinkle in the sugar-pectin mixture.
Bring to a boil, whisking, then mix in the
butter and gelatin mass. Pour over the
Grapefruit-Strawberry Jelly (28 g per mold).
Place in the blast freezer.
Pastry Arts 177
 Cheesecake Mousse
• 250 g cream cheese
• 185 g sour cream
• 40 g egg yolks
• 80 g granulated sugar
• 25 g water
• 2 vanilla beans, split and scraped
• 41 g gelatin mass
• 290 g heavy cream, whipped to the texture
of yogurt
1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle
attachment, combine the cream cheese and
sour cream.
2. Make a pâte à bombe: In a stand mixer
fitted with the whisk attachment, begin
whisking the egg yolks. Cook the sugar and
water to 246˚F (119˚C) and pour over the
whisking egg yolks. Add the vanilla bean
seeds. Continue to whisk until the mixture
has cooled to 104˚F (40˚C). Add the gelatin
mass, then add to the cream cheese mixture
until well blended. Fold into the whipped
cream. Pipe over the cremeux layer (50 g
per mold).
Pink Glaze
• 150 g water
• 300 g granulated sugar
• and a white chocolate stick.
300 g glucose
• 200 g evaporated milk
• 140 g gelatin mass
• 1 g pink food coloring
• Vanilla powder, to taste
Yuzu Ganache
• 650 g heavy cream
• 180 g Valrhona Ivoire white chocolate
• 30 g gelatin mass (200 bloom), melted
• 175 g yuzu purée
1. Bring cream just to a boil.
2. Pour over the white chocolate and melted
gelatin. Burr mix with the yuzu purée. Allow
to set in the refrigerator overnight to fully
crystallize.
3. When ready to use, whip to soft peaks (be
careful when whipping the ganache – dilute
it with a little milk at the start and whip
the cream at low speed, then finish with a
handheld whisk to control the texture).
Assembly
• Silver leaf
• White chocolate sticks
1. Glaze the cake with the Pink Glaze (glaze
should be at 86˚F/30˚C), then put on the
shortbread base. Pipe the whipped Yuzu
Ganache in a decorative pattern on top (see
photo – this takes some technique).
2. Pipe small dots of the Pink Glaze on top of
the ganache. Garnish with some silver leaf

1. In a saucepan, heat the water, sugar and

glucose to 225˚F (107˚C), then add the
evaporated milk and melted gelatin mass
and mix well. Add the food coloring and
vanilla powder and store in a refrigerator
overnight.
2. The following day heat and use at 37˚F
(3˚C).

178 Pastry Arts

Clement
Goyffon
Executive Pastry Chef, ONE65,
San Francisco, CA and World
Champion, Team USA,
International Catering Cup 2023

Early Influence
I worked with many famous pastry chefs in
France – Meilleurs Ouvrier de France, World
Champions, and Michelin three-star chefs.
I learned a lot from my experience there in
preparing for the World Cup. It helped me a lot
to develop my skills and my organization.

Signature Style
I describe my pastry style as simple, modern
and efficient. I like to have different textures
in my cake. For me the goal is to have a pastry
start emotion in someone as they eat.
Inspiration for New Recipes
With Chef Claude Le Tohic (James Beard
Award, MOF), we follow the seasonality of the
produce, and it’s the available product that
inspires us. I really like to visit some museums
and walk in the Golden Gate Park gardens –
this helps my creativity. I get inspired by both
nature and art. The past year, when we were
training for the World Cup, I learned a lot of
new skills and techniques; I love to find new
applications for those.
Current Flavor Favorites
Right now, I am working on a new cake. It will
be like a mix of French and American culture:
peanut praline with vanilla confit, vanilla
cremeux. Then, I add a twist with a blood
orange confit, a chocolate mousse, and a salty
croustillant.
Production Tip
I will give you a small tip for the bakery: put
your paton in the freezer before you shape
croissants. I want my dough at 41˚F (5˚C ),
because the colder your paton, the better layers
you’ll have. The lower temperature prevents
the butter from mixing with the dough and
preserves the lamination.
Technical Tip
For pastry cream, mix all the ingredients
together when they are cold, and cook the
mixture slowly to impart new flavors and a new
texture. In the end, add brown butter to change
your degustation and the flavor.
Career Advice
My best advice is to follow your dreams and
not count your hours. Focus instead on what
you’re trying to achieve. Just like pastry, good
things take time. Your career is an investment
in your passions.
Photos by Marina Musteata

Pastry Arts 179

Places

CH Patisserie Sioux Falls, SD

www.chpatisserie.com

180 Pastry Arts

Pastry Arts 181
182 Pastry Arts
Chris Hanmer
Chef-Owner

Company Mission
Beautiful food is not an end in itself. A beautiful
pastry creates a beautiful moment at the
table as it’s shared, and a beautiful memory
long afterward. We elevate food as a way of
elevating life. Let’s put it this way: We are not
here to change the food in Sioux Falls, we are
here to change Sioux Falls through food.

Signature Product
The French Macaron remains our signature
offering because it encapsulates our philosophy
of delight and taste innovation in a delicate
form. Our loyal fans are thrilled that we also
offer over fifteen types of viennoiserie and
petits gâteaux, not to mention a full range of
espresso, coffee and French hot chocolate.
Each month we introduce fresh takes on classic
pastries so that there is always something new
to discover.
Production Tip
At the beginning, I kept the entire planning
process for the week in my hands alone. But
I always believed there was a better path: to
bring the whole team into production planning.
I made a conscious decision to break from the
mold, which ended up unleashing us in terms
of both creativity and productivity – giving
us a shared vision and bringing this incredible
cohesiveness to every detail of what we do.
Equipment ‘Must-Haves’
Six years ago, we were making 200,000
macaron shells a year – and I was hand-piping
each and every one of them. At that point, we
made one of the best investments in a piece
of equipment we’ve ever made: we bought a
depositor. Thanks to this machine, production
time was cut from hours to minutes, making it
a “must have” for us. Equipment is great, by the
way, but make sure you also invest in the right
training to use it effectively.
Secret of Success
The most important factor to success over
time is one of the simplest: consistent quality.
Customers get the message that everything is
excellent, every single time. If we’re going to
offer something, we master it, and then we
make it with the same expertise every time.
If you hit that standard, people will travel
hundreds of miles just to experience it.
Future Goals
An unsung legacy of businesses like ours is the
impact on our team. The shared experiences
and growth that comes from building and
being part of a team – it’s all so incredible, this
sense of community. And all our plans for the
future really flow from the quality of our team,
knowing that whatever we take on, this is the
talent that will make it flourish.

Pastry Arts 183

Places

Fan-Fan
Doughnuts
Brooklyn, NY
www.fan-fandoughnuts.com
184 Pastry Arts
Pastry Arts 185
186 Pastry Arts
Fany Gerson
Owner

Company Mission for all of our doughnuts and we couldn’t do it

without it the Microplane. We also make our
At Fan-Fan Doughnuts, we’re dedicated to
own jams and we use the copper pot to make
making great doughnuts, making people
them as they’re made in small batches just
happy, and bringing people together. We want
like any caramel component we have to make.
to celebrate diversity and are inspired by the
It’s a great heat conductor, which makes a big
flavors and traditions from around the globe.
difference.

Signature Product Secret of Success

We have some core flavors, and others which
I think that one of the keys for us has been
we rotate depending on the season. Some of
that it’s very personal. I’m not trying to mimic
our signature flavors include guava and cheese,
anyone and most of the flavors are inspired by
Danny Boy, (salted brown butter caramel),
people I love and are close to me, or by a self-
mango lassi, churros and chocolate, and yuzu
exploration of other people and cultures that
meringue. We also do an annual Chocolate
inspire me. The other thing is that we don’t
Doughnut Festival, which is a very special
take any shortcuts. We take a lot of pride in
event where we change all the flavors of our
everything we do. We make the doughnuts
shop and create 18 to 20 chocolate-flavored
in small batches throughout the day, so you
creations, each with a different theme.
always get a fresh doughnut! We make all of
our fillings, glazes (and even sprinkles!) without
Production Tip any colorings, using the best ingredients we
can get our hands on. Another big focus for
We weigh out certain ingredients ahead of
us is building community. Community from
time and create “kits’’ of our own, which
within, our friends, neighbors and colleagues in
certainly saves us time. We also try to focus
the industry. This inspires me to continuously
on reducing waste, so we’re always thinking of
create and collaborate.
ways to create by-products from leftovers. For
example, we love creating something unique
and special: we’ll make doughnut croutons and Future Goals
a doughnut chocolate bread pudding, and a
One thing I’m really looking forward to is
cheesecake with toasted doughnut crust using
bringing my newest savory concept, Mijo,
leftover unglazed doughnuts.
to market. It will also be the first venture I’m
launching from inception to execution with my
Equipment ‘Must-Haves’ husband and business partner, Danny Ortiz de
Montellano. Mijo is an abbreviation of “My Son”
The sheeter, fryer and large mixer are the three
in Spanish and will be part of a larger project
pieces of absolute must-have equipment in
we have in the works. Stay tuned!
order for us to properly do production. The
other smaller must-have tools are Microplanes
and a copper pot. We grate nutmeg by hand Photos by Melissa Hom

Pastry Arts 187

Places

Brown Sugar
BakeryChicago, IL
www.brownsugarbakerychicago.com

188 Pastry Arts

Pastry Arts 189

Stephanie Hart
Owner
Company Mission
My original goal was to represent or build a
space where African-American desserts could
be celebrated. Bakeries in my community were
dying, and a cake like my grandmother made
wasn’t available unless you had the hookup
with the lady on the block, or you had a cousin
that did it. So my goal was to celebrate the
women that I felt the most love from. And I
felt love through their desserts. Our family, like
many African-American families, we didn’t go
on vacations. We went on the Fourth of July
to a wonderful barbecue that my grandmother
would do that ended in some fabulous peach
cobbler or cherry pie or whatever the thing was
for that season. And it was made with so much
love and care. Desserts are something that I’m
very picky about, and that most people are not.
Most people, if they get their shot of sugar,
190 Pastry Arts
that’s good enough. And for me, it’s not good
enough.
Signature Product
Our caramel cake is our biggest seller – it
constitutes about 60 percent of my sales.
To make the caramel that I make was such a
challenge, but it also made my business, and I
swear I was able to do it because I’m more of a
scientist than I am an artist. And when I got that
caramel right, the floodgates open, literally, I’ve
started selling cake slices in gas stations and
fast food places like Harold’s Chicken, which is
a very popular Chicago food chain. And I put
an 800 number on the packag because the city
said, “You have to be accountable. You can’t put
these cakes in here blindly. You have to have a
way for the customer to reach you.” And people
were calling me saying, “I’m at 63rd and Stony
Island, and they don’t have any cake.” And I’d be
like, “Okay, what do you want me to do about
it?”
Production Tip
If you’re going to scale up at all, the first thing
you’ve got to do is look at how you can be
faster, stronger, better, with the same quality.
I would say prep is the number one thing.
Coming in after that is organizing to be as
close to production as you can. So if you get
10 orders, do you put the two that are alike
together, or do you just work the orders?
Oftentimes people are behind. So what you
need for today has to be done yesterday. I
would say my biggest tip to getting faster and
more efficient is proper prep. And for some
reason, people in the bakery industry believe
that everything has to be made today to be the
highest quality, and that’s a lie from hell. That’s
how we function. Restaurants prep all the time,
but bakeries don’t tend to prep. They tend to
work, right? It’s coming out of the oven now.
Well, we start at four o’clock. Well, as you get
bigger, you can’t start at four o’clock. You need
to start at six the day before.
Equipment ‘Must-Haves’
One of the first things that really helped me was
an adjustable blade for cutting cakes. I really
needed to make my cakes even, and I started
using a level blade. The one that we use in our
bakery is kind of band saw system that we had
a guy come in and make for us. Actually, I just
invested in major cake automating equipment,
so we won’t be hand cutting our cake anymore.
Another tool we use all the time is the cake
turntable. I’ve got the flat ones, the Wilton
ones, and I can set up a whole table of cakes
that I can spin at one time. So I’ll have 18 of
those set up on a table, and then as I fill the
layer I move along, somebody comes behind
me and puts the next layer on, and then I go
back and fill the next layer. And we work like
we’re a factory.
Secret of Success
Consistency – I’m a freak about it. And by that I
mean I use the same milk, the same butter, the
same everything. If I have to change a vendor,
it is a major situation because I’ve got to test
everything. I’ve got to know how it’s going to
affect everything else. I use one brand of butter,
or whatever, just like my grandmother did. This
is what I do, and I’ve stayed true to what I do
and how it came out for me. So yeah, I think
consistency and doing it the same is the most
important thing. Just don’t take it for granted
that you can make a change without it affecting
your business. And maybe it’s a change for the
better, but you better monitor it.
Future Goals
On the horizon for us is really moving this
taste that we have created – and that I feel
makes people happy and brings back happy
memories – across this nation. And to do that,
I am growing into a factory. I’m moving. And
it’s not easy to do this because we just talked
about my fanaticalness around ingredients that
go into our cakes. Now I have to work to get
all of my recipes to come out the same as they
were coming out at the bakery in this factory.
And it’s challenging. I’m knocking them down
one at a time. We plan on cutting our ribbon
in June of 2023, and we’ll be moving in there.
We’re also adding ice cream cakes to our menu
for summer.
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Places

Botolino
Gelato
Artigianale
Dallas, TX
www.botolino.com

192 Pastry Arts

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Carlo Gattini
Owner
Company Mission
To offer Dallas the best gelato that we can
make and hopefully the best gelato that can
be made. All made from scratch with the best,
natural ingredients of course.
Signature Product
I believe that we are known for the quality of
our products, our pride in production and our
rotating flavors, a number of which have a local
(if not Mexican) influence.
Production Tip
We always try to find the best and latest
machines to aid us in production. Gelato is a
machine dependent product and the latest and
greatest assure quality, speed and consistency.
A single, skilled and well-equipped worker
can produce a surprising amount of artisanal
gelato.
Equipment ‘Must-Haves’
As mentioned above, the best gelato
machines from Italy are fundamental for
our operations; we only use Carpigiani
machines, and these include pasteurizers
and batch freezers. We are also very excited
about our recent order of a machine called
Roboqbo, also from Italy, which will aid us
in the production of our cakes (semifreddo),
but also much, much more.
Secret of Success
Our making the best artisanal gelato we can,
our continued drive to improve and our proper
“packaging” of the brand; everything from store
design, name, logo and marketing message.
Future Goals
We will soon begin the build out of our second,
much larger laboratory for the production of
our cakes, but also sorbettos and vegan gelato,
as well as chocolate bonbons. We should soon
sign the lease for our third location.
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Places

Daily
Provisions
New York, NY
www.dailyprovisionsnyc.com

196 Pastry Arts

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Christine Lisa
Executive
Pastry Chef
Company Mission
Daily Provisions is an all-day neighborhood
kitchen from Union Square Hospitality
Group. Open early, Daily Provisions offers
our take on classic bakery items prepared
each morning, including signature crullers,
breakfast sandwiches, and freshly brewed
coffee and teas. Throughout the afternoon
and evening, Daily Provisions serves made-to-
order sandwiches, salads, and seasonal sides,
in addition to comforting dinner dishes like
Roast Chicken and our brand-new Patty Melt.
The primary mission of Daily Provisions is to
serve the best possible version of those classic
nostalgic dishes.
Signature Product
We’re most known for our crullers: crispy on
the outside and light and airy in the center.
Maple and Cinnamon Sugar have been on the
menu since we opened, and we always have a
third rotating seasonal flavor. After that, our
Chocolate Caramel Chunk cookie has a very
loyal following. We mix homemade caramel
candy into the dough and when it bakes, you
get pools of soft, gooey caramel in the center,
plus crunchy edges from the caramel that oozes
out onto the tray.
Production Tip
As we grow and increase production, we’re
focused on efficiency and are always looking
for ways to speed up the process with the
equipment and space we have. Staff retention
is key – I feel very lucky to have team members
who have been with me for years. They’re
motivated to find efficiencies on their own and
I’m always impressed with the small things they
do to shave time off a project, even if it’s just
two minutes. On a technical
level, and this might be
obvious, but scaling recipes
in multiple batches (if you
have the space) has been a
huge time saver for us. Use
your vendors for help sourcing
ingredients that will reduce labor
hours. For example, we used to blend
rolled oats for one of our recipes, but now
purchase oat flour which has eliminated a step
in production. Finally, partner with companies
that share your values, especially for special
menu items. For the holidays, we love to
expand our pastry offerings by selling unique,
delicious products made by small businesses.
Equipment ‘Must-Haves’
Once we started making hundreds of crullers a
day, it no longer made sense to cook the dough
on the stove top. Having multiple small pots
going at once wouldn’t have been efficient.
That’s when we had to look outside the pastry
kitchen for solutions. The savory team uses a
Tilt skillet for the production of stocks – it’s
essentially a giant pot that tilts forward for easy
removal and clean-up. It has been a key part of
our growth and we couldn’t live without it!
Secret of Success
We strive for quality and consistency
which comes from well-trained, passionate
employees. Hire the right people and don’t ever
settle. It may hurt in the short-term when you’re
working long hours to cover shifts, but you’ll
be grateful to have made the investment in the
long run. Our motto here at Daily Provisions is
to make craveable food – things you know and
love, better than you thought they could be.
Keep it simple and tasty!
Future Goals
We’re excited to bring Daily Provisions to more
people, whether through new store openings,
exciting collaborations, or pop-ups.
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