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

PASTRY ARTS ISSUE NO. 25 FALL 2024

CAVIAR POPSICLE
B Y R E N É F R A N K

Seasonal Produce • Sustainable Baking • Dehydrated Garnishes

Understanding the Lamination Layer • Ubiquitous Ube • Cuckoo for Coconut Sugar
 Am�ika Wh�e 35%
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Contents 90
Features

28

112

28
Marc Heu
Rise and Shine 136
90
René Frank
Class without Classification

112
Yoonjung Oh
Young and Upcoming Pastry Chef

136
Said M’Dahoma
Revenge of the Pastry Nerd

Pastry Arts 3
A Unique Sensorial Experience
Luker Chocolate, a family-owned manufacturer of fine chocolate
couvertures, is based in Bogota, Colombia, a country geographically
privileged for the cultivation of cacao. Established in 1906, they are one
of the world’s largest producers of chocolates made exclusively from fine
flavor cacao beans of the Trinitario variety, distinguished by its aromas and
its fruity and flowery flavor with nutty malt notes. Find Luker Chocolate
exclusively for food service through AUI Fine Foods.
Contents 98
Trends
12 12 54
Cuckoo for 98
Coconut Sugar Ubiquitous Ube

Columns
16
78
16 New & Notable: Latest
Vanilla 101: Products, Equipment
Elevating Simple and and Books

84
Comforting Desserts

36 Expert Tips: Five Tips,

24 60
Chocolate Talk: Five Experts

108
Pierre Zimmermann
Gives Life to Old
World Traditions Cottage Life:
Writing a Cookbook
60
Flavor Inspiration: 124
84
Combos and Fruit Intelligence:
Technical Tips Fig

General
24 36
Simple Swaps for More
Sustainable Baking
70
42 Enhancing Desserts

118
Maximizing Seasonal with Dehydrated
Produce in Desserts Garnishes

46 102
Ingredient Function:
Yeast
Understanding the
Lamination Layer 124
54
Calculation Process

118
42
Shining a Light on
Better Photography Promo Planner

Pastry Arts 5
Contents
144 158 162
166

154 150

Recipes
158
144 Fall of Acorn
Chocolate Raspberry by Nitin Bali

170
Indulgence by Matthew
Ratliff 162
150
Rhubarb and Vanilla by
Miranda Kohout
Dark Chocolate Budino
by Nikey Boyd 166
154
Peanuts and Coffee
Entremet with
Italian Pistachio Olive Colombian Coffee
Oil Cake by Erin Pearls by Tristan
Swanson Rousselot

Places
174 178
170 178
Jeffrey Cagnes Defence Bakery 184
174 184
Frederic Blondeel Café Oberweis

Pastry Arts 7
 PASTRY ARTS
Pastry Arts Magazine
151 N. Maitland Ave #947511
Maitland, FL 32751
Email: [email protected]
Website: pastryartsmag.com

EDITORIAL
DISCOVER OUR

PEARLS
Managing Editor
Brian Cazeneuve
Staff Writers
Meryle Evans
AnnMarie Mattila
Contributors
Michael Laiskonis, Jaime Schick, Tish Boyle, Vivien Bui,
Dennis Teets, Genevieve Meli, Miranda Kohout,
A POP OF FLAVOR
Crystal Bonnet, Craig Neff, Jimmy Griffin,
Robert Wemischner, Caroline Mays
Cover
Caviar Popsicle
By René Frank
Cover Photography
Courtesy of Coda

CREATIVE
Graphic Designer
Rusdi Saleh

BUSINESS
President
Shawn Wenner
VP Sales
Jeff Dryfoos

ADVERTISING
For advertising availability & rates, contact at
[email protected]

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, 3 flavors: Vanilla, Cocoa
which means Pastry Arts Magazine will earn a commission and Colombian Coffee.
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 submission Attractive and modern visual
inquiries or general feedback and questions, please email to sublimate all creations.
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Unique texture for an explosion
Pastry Arts Magazine of flavors in the mouth.
Published by Rennew Media, LLC
© Copyright 2024, Rennew Media, LLC
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Pastry Arts
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9
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EDITOR’S NOTE
René Frank’s restaurant, Coda, is a diamond in the rough on the less glamorous side of
Berlin. Frank offers a groundbreaking 15-course dessert-tasting menu that is really a
cousin once removed from traditional dessert. His innovative approach earned him the
designation as the World’s Best Pastry Chef two years ago, and you can read more about
his journey and unique philosophy in this issue. At conception, Frank’s risky idea – and his
restaurant’s location -- would never have fit the bill as the success story it has become,
but he isn’t alone.
That brings us to Marc Heu, the son of Hmong refugees from Laos. Heu’s family raised
him in a barn in French Guiana and he slept in a cow trough as a young boy. Years later, he
opened a pastry shop in a converted auto-repair garage in St. Paul, MN. This year, he was
nominated for a James Beard Award as his adopted country’s best pastry chef. So who
says you can’t get there from here? Heu achieved his honors through pluck and luck, and
he describes how the love in his personal life matched the love he found in his profession.
Like Heu, Yoonjung Oh travelled a long journey before becoming Executive Pastry Chef
for Hive Hospitality. Oh was born in South Korea, got her first job at a Swedish restaurant
in multi-cultural New York and now oversees the pastry programs at restaurants that are
French-Japanese and French-American.
French-born Said M’Dahoma moved to the lovely Western Canadian hub of Calgary
not as an aspiring chef, but as a Neuroscience PhD student. The much more complicated
molecular biology for making the perfect croissant came later for M’Dahoma, who goes
by Said, the Pastry Nerd and was named Western Canada’s Foodie of the Year after
trading microscopes for mixing bowls. He tells us how and why he did it.
In our Places section, we visit bakeries, patisseries and chocolate shops in France,
Luxembourg, Belgium and India, so if the Fall issue of Pastry Arts had a passport, it would
be stamped to its edges.
As always, this issue of Pastry Arts is full of Expert Tips, Flavor Inspirations, Trends and
Recipes to keep readers busy until the next issue. The stories in these pages confirm that
there are endless recipes for success and countless locations to find them.

Warm regards,

Brian Cazeneuve
Managing Editor

Pastry Arts 11
Trends

Cuckoo
for Coconut Sugar
By AnnMarie Mattila
Photo by Johanna Le Pape

12 Pastry Arts
 T
Like many other alternatives, coconut sugar
is minimally processed and often more
here’s no environmentally sustainable. You simply boil sap
denying white from coconut palm flowers in order to evaporate
the water. The sap maintains a lot of the
sugar often naturally occurring nutrients, unlike granulated
reigns supreme sugar from sugar cane or sugar beets. Coconut
in most pastry sugar also has a lower glycemic index and is
vegan-friendly, making it an excellent choice for
kitchens—a quick glance customers with dietary restrictions.
at any standardized recipe What sets coconut sugar apart is just how
would support this notion. easily it can mimic granulated sugar in most
recipes. When Guittard developed their Santé
But in the last few years, baking chips with coconut sugar, their executive
the push for alternatives pastry chef Donald Wressell was surprised just
from chefs and customers how easy it was to use. “Somebody can grab a
bag and start working with it, and they won’t
has turned the spotlight have any problems,” he notes. From brownies
away from sucrose and to even enrobing bonbons, the chocolate melts
and reacts in the same way any as their other
towards more natural, products would.
less processed options. “Coconut sugar can often be used as a one-
Among those is coconut to-one substitute for granulated sugar,” explains
Johanna Le Pape, pastry chef and author of
sugar, with an uncanny Patisserie Revolution. When developing recipes,
ability to be both similar she does note that “slight adjustments might be
and different enough from needed depending on the recipe and the desired
outcome.” Coconut sugar is naturally darker
white sugar to make it and maintains more moisture because it is less
increasingly more popular. processed, so color, texture, and baking times
may need to be tweaked accordingly.
Addison LaBonte, owner of Sweet Addison’s,
agrees that the one-to-one swap for granulated
sugar works well in most baked goods like cookies.
Organic coconut sugar is her favorite alternative
to work with while developing products for her
better-for-you brand. Her tip: “I highly recommend
extra fine coconut sugar. It is much less grainy and
gritty than regular coconut sugar.”

Photo by Guittard

Pastry Arts 13
 One of the more significant differences
when working with coconut sugar is the
flavor. “Coconut sugar has a rich, caramel-like
flavor,” explains LaBonte. When working with
it, you have to keep that in mind, as it will be
a noticeable difference to the palate. Le Pape
notes that it “can enhance the flavor in certain
recipes, like cookies, cakes, and muffins, but it
might not be ideal for recipes where a neutral
sweetness is desired.”
Of course, the unique flavor profile can
work in a recipe’s favor, too. Le Pape says
that it “adds depth to baked goods without
being overly sweet. It’s an excellent choice for
those looking for a more complex alternative
to traditional sugar.” During his tenure at
Gramercy Tavern,, chef Miro Uskokovic told Photo by Guittard
Pastry Arts in 2018, “I like to use it in the fall

and winter months as it has beautiful caramel

Photo by Sweet Addison’s and toffee overtones that go well with cold
weather fruit like pears and apples.”
And while the increased popularity of
and demand for coconut sugar is making it
easier to source, the price continues to be
a challenge. Particularly when inflation is
increasing the cost of all goods, switching to
coconut sugar may not be in the cards unless
you play them right. Customers will pay for
that privilege, but you have to educate them.
“My customers love that I use coconut sugar
instead of white sugar. You can taste the
difference, and you don’t feel as bloated or
groggy after!” exclaims LaBonte.
Some customers are looking for newness
and differentiation, while others are looking
to fill a dietary or environmental requirement.
Coconut sugar feeds into both of those needs. It
can also fuel creativity. “I think chefs and bakers
are looking for different, something unique
out there, something that gives them a little
edge,” Wressell says. Experimenting with sugar
alternatives is increasingly popular both in the
kitchen and at the register, so why not start with
a similar yet different choice of coconut sugar? A
sweet new world may open up.

14 Pastry Arts
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Vanilla 101

Forte’s
Forte
Elevating Simple and
Comforting Desserts
By Robert Wemischner

16 Pastry Arts Sponsored by Tahitian Gold Vanilla

 W
ith practiced and exacting hands, Nicholas Forte,
Executive Pastry Chef for the Tao Group, carefully
pipes layers of vanilla-flecked gelato, which has a
base that mellows overnight before churning and
producing the deepest vanilla flavor. He then alternates the finished
gelato with chocolate sorbet and a chocolate hazelnut streusel, placing
layers into molds shaped like sticks of butter for Viennetta, a standout
plated dessert served at Lavo in West Hollywood, CA. He enrobes the
construction with a thin layer of milk chocolate for a crackled texture
and serves the dessert with a chocolate sauce, poured tableside for
added elegance. He finishes the whole ensemble with mascarpone
cream whipped just enough to hold its shape
and flavored with Tahitian Gold’s whole bean
vanilla paste of Tahiti. “Elevating simple
and comforting desserts is my abiding
philosophy,” he says.

With their often-limited palette of ingredients,

Italian desserts inspire Forte to make every
ingredient count. This approach allows the
vanilla to shine the brightest, offering a
luxurious note that rounds out the creamy
richness of the gelato. “The vanilla is the star
of the show in many of the elements of this
dessert,” he says enthusiastically.
Forte insists on using premium ingredients
such as Extra Brute Cacao Barry Cocoa
Powder, roasted hazelnuts, and whole
gourmet vanilla beans that he hand-blends to
maximize flavor infusion. By emulsifying the
vanilla gelato base with a hand blender, Forte
breaks down the bean’s cell walls, increasing
its surface area and allowing the mixture to
absorb more flavor compounds, resulting in a
richer and more complex flavor.

Pastry Arts 17
 “I’m always looking to make and try new orbs of rich dough, emerge from the fryer and
things,” Forte adds. “Working at the Tao Group are dipped into Tahitian Gold’s vanilla sugar
with its numerous concepts reflecting different and served warm. “The flavor of the crunchy
cuisines, I get to create an array of desserts, coating is the first thing that hits your palate,”
which fits well on those restaurants’ varied Forte says.
menus.” Forte is especially enthusiastic about using
Based out of Hakkasan at the MGM in Las vanilla in a savory context. “I am working on
Vegas, one of Tao Group’s flagship restaurants, a chocolate hazelnut focaccia, which uses
Forte enjoys conducting the R&D efforts. Tahitian Gold Vanilla Salt as its final touch,”
Alongside his creative work, he also trains he explains. “The dough, itself, is flavored
pastry chefs, while leading and managing the with some extra brute cocoa powder, and
pastry programs at the group’s West Coast crushed hazelnuts are incorporated in the last
restaurants. fold of the dough. Once out of the oven, the
A man of many talents, he has created focaccia is topped with hazelnut praline piped
a panettone trifle for Lavo in Mexico City into the divots in the dough. This sweet and
that consists of cut up brioche, dried orange savory crossover is the perfect combination of
and orange zest. He pairs it with a vanilla chocolate, hazelnut, saltiness and vanilla.”
mascarpone mousse, mango gelee and salted Great ingredients, stellar technique and a
meringue. Another special treat, Italian- sophisticated audience combine to bring out
inflected bomboloni, individual deep-fried the best of Forte.

18 Pastry Arts
Viennetta
Classica
By Nicholas Forte,
Corporate Pastry Chef,
West Coast, TAO Group
Hospitality

Pastry Arts 19
 O
Tahitian Vanilla
ur take on a
Bean Gelato
classic Italian
comfort dessert, • 1000 g whole milk
the Viennetta • 1 ea Tahitian Gold Vanilla Beans of Tahiti
Classica is a true showcase of • 60 g dextrose
Tahitian Gold’s premium vanilla • 60 g milk powder
bean, backed by strong dark • 180 g granulated sugar
chocolate elements. Inside, • 4 g ice cream stabilizer
it is composed of a Tahitian • 150 g heavy cream
vanilla bean gelato, dark
chocolate sorbet and salted 1. Combine the milk, scraped vanilla bean
and pod in a medium-sized pot. Begin to
hazelnut streusel, all dipped in warm until the mixture reaches 104°F
a thin milk chocolate shell and (40°C).
covered in a light mascarpone 2. Begin to add the dextrose slowly,
whipped cream. Each Viennetta whisking continuously until well
combined.
gets warm chocolate sauce
3. Add the milk powder, whisking
poured at the table, not only continuously until well combined.
providing another element 4. Combine the granulated sugar and
of flavor and temperature, ice cream stabilizer in a small bowl.
but also elevating our guests’ Then slowly add to the milk, whisking
experience. continuously until well combined.
5. Bring the mixture to 185°F (85°C).
Yield: 12 Viennettas 6. Pour the mixture into a deep metal
container and place directly on an ice
bath, cooling until the base reaches
39°F (4°C).
For each Viennetta, you will use: 7. Add the heavy cream and emulsify with
• 60 g Tahitian Vanilla Bean Gelato a hand blender.
• 15 g Salted Hazelnut Streusel 8. Let the gelato base mature overnight in
• 60 g Chocolate Sorbet the fridge.
• 2 g Milk Chocolate Dip 9. The next day, hand blend briefly,
then strain to get any small pieces of
• 70 g Mascarpone Whipped Cream
vanilla pod out. Spin according to your
• 30 g Chocolate Sauce machine.
10. Immediately after spinning, pipe into
Equipment: Hedume Silicone Butter Mold your frozen Viennetta molds or reserve
Tray, size: 6.7 inches (17 cm) x 5.8 inches the gelato in the freezer. Before
(14.7 cm) x 1.5 inches (3.8 cm); cavity size: piping, temper the gelato to a softened
5.1 inches (1.3 cm) x 1.3 inches (3.3 cm) x 1.4 consistency, or process it in a Pacojet
inches (3.6 cm). and then pipe it afterward.

20 Pastry Arts
 2. Line a half-sheet pan with
Salted Hazelnut Streusel parchment paper, then break up
the dough into smaller pieces and
• 100 g unsalted butter place on top.
• 50 g dark brown sugar 3. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for roughly
• 45 g confectioners’ sugar 15 minutes, making sure to break
• 180 g hazelnut flour up streusel every 5 minutes or so
to achieve small crunchy pieces.
• 55 g Cacao Barry Fleur de Cao 70% Dark
Chocolate, melted 4. Immediately after baking, place the
streusel into the bowl of a stand
• 17 g vegetable oil
mixer and add the dark chocolate,
• 3 g Tahitian Gold Vanilla Fleur de Sel (Sea oil, and vanilla sea salt. Paddle for
Salt) 1-2 minutes, until the chocolate
has coated each piece of streusel.
1. Combine the butter, brown sugar, 5. Place the prepared streusel back
confectioners’ sugar and hazelnut flour on a parchment-lined sheet pan
in a stand mixer and paddle until the and let it cool at room temperature
ingredients have formed a smooth dough before storing or using it for
and no more chunks of butter are visible. assembly.

Pastry Arts 21
 warm, add the heavy cream and emulsify
again before cooling completely to 39°F
(4°C).
5. Let the chocolate sorbet base mature
overnight in the fridge.
6. The next day, hand blend briefly, then spin
according to your machine.
7. Immediately after spinning, pipe into
your frozen Viennetta molds on top
of the Salted Hazelnut Streusel or
reserve the sorbet in the freezer. Before
piping, temper the sorbet to a softened
consistency, or process it in a Pacojet and
then pipe it afterward.

Milk Chocolate Dip

Chocolate Sorbet • 300 g Cacao Barry Alunga 41% Milk
Chocolate
• 1000 g water • 300 g Cacao Butter
• 160 g trimoline
1. Combine both ingredients in a small
• 100 g Cacao Barry Extra Brute Cacao
container and melt in 30-second
Powder
increments in the microwave, being careful
• 2 g ice cream stabilizer not to burn it or incorporate too many
• 300 g granulated sugar bubbles.
• 175 g Cacao Barry Extra-Bitter Guayaquil 2. Reserve in a warmer until needed.
64% Dark Chocolate
• 75 g Cacao Barry Fleur de Cao 70% Dark
Chocolate Mascarpone Whipped Cream
• 100 g heavy cream
• 525 g heavy cream
• 225 g mascarpone cheese
1. Combine the water, trimoline and cocoa
• 75 g confectioners’ sugar
powder in a pot and whisk to combine.
Begin warming to 104°F (40°C). • 8 g Tahitian Gold Whole Vanilla Bean
Paste 3X, Tahiti, Tahitian Classic
2. Combine the ice cream stabilizer with the
granulated sugar, then slowly add to the
base. Continue to cook until the mixture 1. Combine all of the ingredients in a stand
reaches 185°F (85°C). mixer bowl and start to whisk on low
3. Pour the mixture over both chocolates speed until the mascarpone cheese is no
in a deep metal container. Let sit for one longer visible.
minute before emulsifying with a hand 2. Increase the speed and whip until you see
blender. soft to medium peaks.
4. Place the sorbet base on an ice bath and 3. Place in a piping bag fitted with an Ateco
begin to cool. Once the mixture is slightly #47 Basketweave tip.

22 Pastry Arts
 Make sure the Milk Chocolate Dip is at
Chocolate Sauce 104°F (40°C). Dip each Viennetta quickly
into the mixture, removing excess from
• 130 g water the bottom using the top of the container.
• 154 g granulated sugar Place dipped bases directly into the
• 93 g heavy cream freezer until ready to pipe.
• 54 g Cacao Barry Extra Brute Cacao 6. For piping, start by placing a rectangle of
Powder parchment paper down on a turntable.
Pipe a small amount of Mascarpone
• 50 g Cacao Barry Fleur de Cao 70% Dark
Whipped Cream and place a frozen,
Chocolate
dipped Viennetta base on top.
Make sure to remove any frost
1. Combine the water, that may have formed on the
granulated sugar, heavy outside of the chocolate. Using
cream and cocoa powder freshly prepared Mascarpone
in a pot and bring to a Whipped Cream, start by
boil. piping on each of the shorter
2. Continue to boil for three ends. Begin by piping a wavy
minutes on medium-low row of the whipped cream,
heat. followed by a straight line.
3. Place the dark chocolate in Continue this pattern until you
a deep metal container, then have three rows of each. The top
pour the sugar mixture over it. of the final straight row of whipped
cream should be flush with the top of the
4. Let sit for one minute before emulsifying
Viennetta. Use a warm spatula to clean
with a hand blender.
the excess whipped cream off each end.
5. Place on an ice bath, then store in the
7. Repeat the same pattern along both long
fridge until needed.
sides.
8. Finish piping the top in a waving motion,
Assembly making sure to cover the chocolate
completely.
1. Start by placing all of the needed 9. Store the finished Viennetta in the freezer
Viennetta molds in the freezer for at least until needed.
30-60 minutes. 10. To plate, carefully remove the Viennetta
2. Pipe 60 g of the Vanilla Gelato evenly into from the freezer using an offset spatula.
the bottom of the molds. Carefully dust cocoa powder down the
3. Add 15 grams of the Salted Hazelnut middle of the Viennetta, leaving the
Streusel on top and gently press down to outermost waves of whipped cream white.
flatten. 11. Carefully remove the Viennetta from the
4. Finish by piping 60 g of the Chocolate parchment and place it on a clean serving
Sorbet on top, then smoothing and plate.
cleaning the top of the mold with an offset 12. Warm the Chocolate Sauce briefly in
spatula. Place immediately in the freezer the microwave and serve it to be poured
until firm enough to unmold. tableside.
5. To dip, take a frozen Viennetta base and 13. Slowly pour the chocolate sauce over the
remove any frost that may have formed. outermost waves of Chantilly.

Pastry Arts 23
Sustainability

Bake an Impact
Simple Swaps for More
Sustainable Baking
By Genevieve Meli

24 Pastry Arts
 W
hen people think about baking, sustainability
isn’t necessarily the first thing that comes to
mind. This is, in part, because our craft has
traditionally relied heavily on ingredients
including dairy, eggs and refined flours—not the most
sustainable, right? But by simply thinking a little differently, we
can make small, impactful changes. That’s the mindset I applied
to my new book, Baking and Impact: Small Changes for More
Sustainable Baking (CIA Press).

As pastry professionals, we’re a pretty creative it becomes almost gel-like. I choose flax seeds
lot—baking up beautiful, delicious works since I can utilize the entire plant, so there is
of art. And we have countless tricks up our no waste. Growing flax also offsets carbon
sleeves for making magic. Too often, though, emissions as the plant breathes in CO2 and
especially with home or hobby bakers, people coverts it into oxygen.
run out and buy a ton of ingredients for
one single recipe. And doing that multiple
times can add up to a whole pantry full of
ingredients that may turn before we use them
again, which leads to food waste. It doesn’t
have to be that way. By simply swapping what
you have on hand, you can still achieve an
incredible bread or dessert, while lessening
the use of animal proteins and mitigating
waste.
Here are a few examples of simple swaps
I’ve made.
Blackberry Zucchini Bread: This is a go-to
recipe of mine. I want to replace the eggs with
something that is readily available at most
retail stores, and that does not use eggs. I
choose to substitute flax seeds for the eggs.
Grind flax seeds into a meal and then add
water—approximately 1 tablespoon flax to
two tablespoons water is the equivalent of
one large egg. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes until

Pastry Arts 25
 Another swap I love involves a decadent dioxide from the atmosphere and turn it into
chocolate truffle. I make dairy-free with oxygen. Maple sugar also gives a beautiful
dark chocolate and I swap oat milk for heavy flavor to the caramel apple. To finish the apple,
cream. I choose oat milk since, out of all I place rose stems on top because apples and
other plant-based milks, oat milk requires roses come from the same family.
significantly less water than traditional dairy And this is just the tip of the iceberg—with
and other plant-based milk—and oats have a little creativity, bakers can fire up a whole
low carbon emissions. Blue spirulina, which is host of sustainable options, and if everyone
derived from seaweed, not only makes for a makes one or a few small changes, what an
visually stunning truffle, with its vibrant blue incredible impact we can have!
hue, it also provides depth of flavor. Green
spirulina can also work in this recipe.
In the fall months, one swap that’s Genevieve Meli is a certified master baker,
especially tasty is caramel apples. The certified higher-education professional, and
main ingredient in caramel is sugar. White associate professor of Baking and Pastry Arts,
granulated sugar must go through a at the Culinary Institute of America. Find out
refining process, so inherently, it is not very more in her latest book, Baking an Impact: Small
sustainable. In considering other options, Changes for More Sustainable Baking (CIA Press).
I choose maple sugar, which comes from
maple syrup. Maple trees trap the maple Photos courtesy of
syrup. Similar to flax, the trees remove carbon The Culinary Institute of America

26 Pastry Arts
GASTRONOMIQUE

DI SC OVE R T HE BEAUTY OF THE BAKE

Since 1886, Hero Foods has helped chefs create unforgettable dining experiences that capti-
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H E RO-FOODS ER V IC E.C OM
Profile

RISE
AND
SHINE
Inspiring
Marc Heu
Ascended
from Modest
Beginnings to
a James Beard
Nomination
By Craig Neff

28 Pastry Arts
O
n weekend mornings the line of customers
can snake down the block. In a once-sketchy
stretch of St. Paul, Minnesota, the Marc
Heu Patisserie Paris — an auto-repair garage
transformed into a chic boutique of treats — has become
a destination, a cultural celebration, an improbable
imagining filled with stunningly beautiful croissants, petit
tarts, kouign amanns, eclairs, cakes and more.
“If you’re passionate in life, and you really work hard,
you can achieve everything,” says the soft-spoken Heu,
35, who grew up in French Guiana as the son of Hmong
refugees from Laos. Says his wife and patisserie-managing
partner, Gaosong, “It’s a rags-to-riches story. It’s a very
true American-dream story too.”

Pastry Arts 29
 “My parents had so many horror stories,”
says Marc. “People who didn’t know how
to swim, but they had to. Some drowned
because the current was too strong. My
parents would share their stories with me and
my five brothers and sisters to let us know
how lucky we were.”
Many Hmong, including Gaosong’s
mother and father, moved to the U.S. The
largest concentration of Hmong ended up
in Minnesota’s Twin Cities, currently home
to almost 90,000. But Marc’s father hated
the cold and knew a little French, so he and
Marc’s mother went to France. They settled
near Lyon, took jobs in factories, and started a
family.
Life was hard. Having endured anti-
immigrant bias and seeking a better
opportunity, the Heus eventually moved 4,000
miles to South America, to sparsely populated,
rainforest-covered French Guiana, where
the French government gave them and some
Heu has risen swiftly. At age 28, he began
other Hmong families a chance to farm. Marc
learning to be a pastry chef. By 30, he had
was three years old. “All of a sudden, boom, I
graduated from the Lenôtre culinary school
woke up in the middle of nowhere,” he says. “A
in Paris, worked at that city’s historic Stohrer
lot of bug and animal noises. It was the jungle.”
patisserie and the three-Michelin-starred Le
Pré Caletan restaurant, and honed his craft at The family’s new home was a livestock
Dominique Ansel’s namesake bakery in New barn with no walls, water or electricity. Marc
York. At 30, he opened his patisserie, and this slept in a cow trough for the first several
year he earned his first James Beard Award years. Over time, his parents put up sheet-
nomination. “I was speechless,” he says of metal walls and started growing and selling
receiving the news in a text message from vegetables and then tropical fruit. Marc and
a friend. “When I saw it, I thought about my his siblings had to labor on the farm when
whole life.” not attending school an hour away. “I hated
it,” says Marc, who often saw jaguars (he has
That life has been a mille-feuille of layers,
a tattoo of one on his arm), and encountered
a family journey spanning four continents
snakes while picking in the passion fruit vines.
and tales of hardship, racism, kindness and
“But the hard work was good training. I feel
love. After the Vietnam War ended in 1975,
like my parents trained me my whole life for
his parents and more than 100,000 others in
today without me knowing it.”
the Hmong ethnic minority fled Laos to avoid
retribution from the communist victors. Many Marc’s scientific mind — an asset in the
Hmong had fought for or aided the American precisely measured world of baking — helped
side in hopes of protecting their land and him win a national school rocket-drawing
4,000-year-old culture. Now they desperately contest run by the Guiana Space Centre, the
swam across the Mekong River to refugee European Space Agency’s primary launch site.
camps in Thailand. He dreamed of being an astronaut.

30 Pastry Arts
 But cooking interested him too. Sometimes always an intellectual,” says Marc’s older sister
— “to bring a little joy into the family,” says Katy, who earned a Ph.D. in biology in France.
Marc — his older sisters would mix simple “He did his best so we could go to school.”
ingredients to make what he calls “a very dry Marc was a good student, but his teen
sponge cake. They let me whisk the egg white. years were a struggle. “When I left home, I
That’s where my first love for baking came was just lost,” he says. “All I knew was French
from.” Guiana. It was like I had been living in a small
When musing on the joy and power bubble. [Mainland France] was a different
of food, Heu says, “It’s about childhood world — a much bigger world. I didn’t have the
memories,” evoking Marcel Proust’s novel mental capacity to deal with living on my own,
In Search of Lost Time, in which a taste of a far away from my parents. I lost all the tools I
madeleine launches the narrator into 300,000 thought I had.”
words and seven volumes describing his past.
For Heu, a life-altering mouthful came at age
16, when he ate papaya mousse cake from a
bakery in France. “It was amazing,” he says.
Heu didn’t even like papaya; it reminded him
of toiling on his parents’ farm. But he realized
the magic a master baker could perform.
Heu’s parents had sent him to the French
mainland at 14 to attend a boarding school
because the nearest high school in French All of the sudden,
Guiana was of poor quality and two hours
away. “Even if my dad is a farmer now, he was boom, I woke up
in the middle of
The Heu family: Jean, Marc, Katy, nowhere.
Elizabeth (mother) and Vincent (father)

Pastry Arts 31
 As in grade school in French Guiana, more than I had ever known growing up in
Heu sometimes faced taunting and bullying Minnesota. He really saw the possibilities for
because he was an Asian immigrant. He the world that he wanted to live in. It was just
imagined being a pastry chef, but “I thought so inspiring. To this day I’m inspired by Marc —
you had to be a white person to do it,” he says, just his dreams and aspirations.”
because that’s all he saw. He decided that to
“That’s why we got married so quickly,”
make his parents happy he would become a
says Marc. “We share the same vision about
doctor. He began pre-med studies.
family, community, entrepreneurship. We
And then, in 2012, at age 23, he took
were like, ‘What can we do to have not an
a vacation to Minnesota to visit relatives.
ordinary life but an extraordinary life, to have
Everything changed. His cousin set him up on
an impact through our work?’”
a blind date with Gaosong, then a student at
the University of Minnesota. She was smart While Gaosong finished school, Marc took
and dynamic. They fell in love. Marc proposed a job in supply distribution at a hospital in
two weeks later, and they were married within Minneapolis to support them. One day, to
a month. surprise her, he tried baking his first croissant.
“Marc’s good looking, but his mind was He had to look up a recipe on the Internet.
the most attractive thing,” says Gaosong. Gaosong was amazed by how fabulous it was.
“He is such an expansive dreamer. His ideas, “You have a natural, God-given talent,” she
and how he sees the world, it was so much told him.

32 Pastry Arts
 Later, when he was due to resume his pre- “I was there for only a limited amount of
med studies, he confessed to her that he really time, so I had to absorb as much as possible.
wanted to be a pastry chef. “You owe it to Sometimes I stayed so late, there were no
yourself to follow your dreams,” she told him. trains home. I had to spend my food money on
“Nobody wants to go to a doctor who’s only an Uber.”
half into it. You have something special, and “Marc was my best stage,” says Cagnes.
it would be a shame for it to go to waste. The “He worked with me for six months. He’d tell
world wants to eat what you have to offer.” me, ‘If you get in at five o’clock [a.m.], I’ll be
After looking into U.S. culinary schools, the there at five o’clock with you. If you finish at
Heus decided Marc’s most authentic pastry- three o’clock, I’ll stay there until three o’clock
chef training would be in France. He couldn’t with you.’ Every day. He worked very, very
afford tuition, however, so he returned to hard. He’s a very good man with a very good
French Guiana and worked for eight months mentality. Having him there was perfect for
on his parents’ farm, keeping all the proceeds me.”
from sales two days a week. He then dug into
a three-month pastry-arts program at Lenôtre.
While strolling in Paris near the end of
the program, he and Gaosong wandered by a
small pastry shop with a long line outside. It
I was always the
was Stohrer, the oldest patisserie in the city,
founded by King Louis XV’s pastry chef in
first one there
1730.
Though nervous, Marc talked his way into
and the last one
the kitchen, where he met head chef Jeffrey
Cagnes. “I said I was a big fan of his work, to leave.
even though I had no idea who he was,” Marc
says with a smile. “I just lied and said, ‘I pretty
much just want to be like you. I’m in school
right now. I’m finishing my program in about
two weeks.’ And he looked at me in a kindly
way and said, ‘Hey, you know what, do you
want to come and start with me when you’re
done?’”
“Every time I talk about that, the tears want
to come to my eyes,” Marc says. “Like right
now. I can’t believe so much kindness coming
from another person. And I knew at that point
it would change my life.”
For six months — during which the unpaid
Heu had to go on public assistance to support
himself—Cagnes was an exceptional mentor
and role model, spending extra hours to teach
him every fine point about pastry making
and running a patisserie. “I was always the
first one there [at Stohrer] and the last one
to leave. I had nowhere else to go,” says Heu.

Pastry Arts 33
 Today Heu starts work as early as
2 a.m. He moves briskly around the
rooms of a large kitchen, checking the
whiteboard to-do lists and offering
We do everything tips to his young, multi-ethnic staff
members, who at 4 a.m. on a recent
from scratch morning are slicing fresh raspberries
to place atop passionfruit-raspberry

every day. tarts and plucking single leaves

of cress to adorn bright yellow,
bite-sized citrons. He takes time
to pipe elegant swirls of pistachio
buttercream filling into a Paris Brest
cake that he later decorates with
edible flakes of 24-karat gold.
“We do everything from scratch
every day,” he says, citing the
importance of the French butter
and chocolate he uses and the
attention to detail in every item. “You
would think that making a croissant
would be simple, but it’s a three-
day process; you cannot take any
shortcuts on any step. You have to
check the humidity in the room. Even
when you’re rolling it, when you’re
laminating, the pressure, sometimes
you have to add a little bit more milk
or water than you should…it’s very
technical.”
Heu credits his father for his
perfectionism. “My dad always set
the bar so high. It’s never good
enough. So I always try to do better,
every single time,” he says.
From its modest beginnings — “We
started in my parents’ basement, with
Marc making king cakes [galette de
rois],” says Gaosong — the patisserie
has grown rapidly along with Marc’s
reputation. “I already see him as the
avant-garde French pastry chef in
Minnesota,” says David Fhima, one of
the Twin Cities’ most accomplished
restaurateurs. “He’s somebody who
needs to be talked about.”

34 Pastry Arts
 Heu with his mentor, Jeffrey Cagnes,
whose kindness changed his life.

The Heus are constantly inventing. In July

Marc made Olympic-themed croissant donuts
The modest Heu is quick to share credit to honor Minnesota’s athletes, including St.
with his energetic and creative spouse, Paul’s own gymnastics gold medalist, Suni Lee,
who besides being co-owner and COO of who is Hmong. He and Gaosong put together
the business is a singer, actress, director, a Bastille Day soiree featuring some of the
videographer and arts educator. “I just do savory pastries he may soon branch into. “I
the baking, which is nothing — that’s like have so many ideas,” says Marc as he thinks of
10 percent of the business,” says Marc. future possibilities.
“Gaosong takes care of everything else, like
the marketing strategy and anything financial.” “Marc’s so young and he’s got so much
She even stayed up all night to help him make more to go and to offer,” says Fhima. “I just
4,000 bite-sized desserts on short notice for can’t wait to see what he’s going to do with it.”
fans at a Minnesota Timberwolves playoff
game last spring. Photos Courtesy of Marc Heu

Pastry Arts 35
Chocolate Talk

Pierre Zimmermann
Giving Life to Old
World Traditions
in the New World
By Vivien Bui, Guittard Chocolate Company

36 Pastry Arts Sponsored by Guittard Chocolate Company

A
t Guittard, we’ve always believed that our
customers make us a better company –
they inspire us and reaffirm our purpose.
Our friendship with Master Baker Pierre
Zimmermann, owner of La Fournette bakery
in Chicago, is a testament to that dynamic.
He is a longtime friend of Guittard, and we share many of the
same passions – whether it’s running a multi-generational family
business, crafting the finest products or pushing the limits of
innovation, creativity and inspiration, we’re kindred spirits. In
the spirit of camaraderie and as we embark on the launch of our
Couverture line, there was no better time than now to sit down
with Pierre, himself, to talk all things inspiration, creativity, family
business and, of course, chocolate.

Pierre Zimmermann has a star-studded resume. He

won the Bakery World Cup as a team member in
1996, and then in 2008 as the coach of the French
team. In 2016, the Master Baker co-founded the
Intergalactic Bakers Federation, an international
nonprofit dedicated to baking a better world through
providing education and volunteer work to bakers
everywhere.
As a fourth-generation baker in his family,
Zimmermann grew up in a playground of butter, flour
and chocolate – something that ignited his passion
for the craft early on. He took that spark and ran
with it, becoming an apprentice in Strasbourg at
only 14-years old and pursuing a master’s degree in
pastry before he hit 20. When he started to compete
in pastry competitions, he won first in Strasbourg
and second in all of France.

Pastry Arts 37
 Joining the family bakery in Alsace, La were ups and downs, the novelty of their
Patisserie Zimmermann, wasn’t a given. But adventure kept things interesting. While they
when he and his sister would join the team were building their project, a French bakery
during the busy holiday season, Zimmermann in Old Town, Zimmermann taught at The
quickly learned how much he enjoyed their French Pastry School full time. He sent out a
bustling kitchen environment, eventually survey to his students with prospective names,
taking over the company in 1996. wanting something French and highlighting
Around that time, an old colleague from their artisanal craft. The winning name
his apprenticeship won the chocolate title was La Fournette – meaning “a little oven.”
at the World Chocolate Masters, where Fourteen years later, La Fournette is still just
Zimmermann won the World Cup of Bread as dedicated to the balance of innovation and
Baking title. This colleague was Jacquy tradition that has defined Pierre Zimmermann’s
Pfeiffer, and he happened to be opening work. His latest project is a macaron box
the French Pastry School in Chicago (with inspired by the iconic architect and Chicagoan
Sebastien Canonne). When the winners’ Frank Lloyd Wright, replete with the color
names were published, Pfeiffer recognized palette of stained-glass windows. And now,
Zimmermann and called him up to help with their sons have joined the kitchen, another
the breakfast pastry and bread section of his generation continuing the age-old tradition of
new school. Zimmerman came to Chicago 17 practicing an old-world craft in the new world.
times in the next ten years to teach, falling One of the early choices Zimmermann
more in love with the city every time. made for La Fournette was to seek out
This growing affection towards Chicago products that would both deliver on his quality
would soon change his life. When he turned expectations and help him tell his company
45, his friends started talking about retiring story. Guittard Chocolate’s focus on flavor and
– a notion that struck terror in Zimmermann history as a five-generation family business
and his wife, Michele. He felt that he had with roots in French tradition was a natural
his whole life ahead of him and wasn’t fit. Recently, while experimenting to improve
ready to start winding down yet. When both flavor and shelf life of his macarons,
he contemplated where to start this new Zimmermann developed a raspberry white
life, he thought of the windy city. It had a chocolate ganache made with Guittard
neighborhood feel, was close to a great lake, 31% Creme Francaise Couverture, making
and full of greenery. it more shelf stable, but also providing a
This came with questions. How would new decadent taste to La Fournette’s loyal
they be able to close their existing bakery, customers.
one that had been successfully functioning
for generations? How would they sell all
the equipment and find new homes for the
apprentices working at their bakery? What
does it take to run a business and start over in
America? It wasn’t an easy decision, but it was
a team decision. In 2010, Pierre and Michele
Zimmermann moved to Chicago with their
two sons and embarked on the next leg of
their journey.
At first, learning how to speak English was,
he recalls, “experimental at best.” While there

38 Pastry Arts
 Always trying to keep things fresh and • 194 g aged egg whites, divided
relevant, Zimmermann created the “Old • 250 g sucrose
Fashioned” Whiskey Macaron, a unique • 63 g water
flavor collaboration between Guittard and • 20 g natural caramel color
La Fournette; he pairs a caramel shell with
• Chopped hazelnuts, as needed
an old-fashioned-inspired ganache, which
includes bourbon, bitters, orange zest and Total weight: 1027 grams
two Guittard products from the Guittard
Couverture line: the 41% Eclipse du Soleil and 1. Process the almond powder with the
the 72% Coucher du Soleil. confectioner’s sugar in a Robot Coupe®
In the spirit of our devotion to the craft and let it dry.
of chocolate, brought to life by Pierre 2. Fold in the 100 g of the aged egg whites
Zimmermann’s devotion to the craft of pastry, and the caramel color and mix until
we present this recipe to try in your own homogenized.
kitchen: 3. Boil the sucrose and water to 248°F
(120°C).
“Old Fashioned” 4. Do not stir the syrup after it boils, or it will
Whiskey Macarons crystallize.
5. Whisk 94 g of the egg whites in a stand
mixer. Pour the hot sugar over the whites
Caramel Shells
and whisk until the meringue is stiff but
• 250 g natural almond flour still shiny and the meringue reaches 122°F
• 250 g confectioner’s sugar (50°C).

Pastry Arts 39
6. Fold the meringue into the almond
mixture until it becomes glossy and slightly
runny.
7. Pipe onto a silicone mat or parchment
paper.
8. Sprinkle chopped hazelnuts on top.
9. Let dry until you get a skin on top.
10. Bake at 300°F (149°C) for 12 minutes in a
convection oven with the vent open.
11. Let cool.

‘Old Fashioned’ Whiskey Filling

• 60 g glucose
• 240 g cream
• 210 g sugar
• 80 g Guittard Eclipse du Soleil 41% Milk
Chocolate
• 160 g Guittard Coucher du Soleil
72% Dark Chocolate
• 150 g bourbon whiskey
• 70 g butter
• Bitters, to taste
• Zest of 2 oranges

Total Weight: 980 g

1. Boil the cream and the glucose.
2. Meanwhile, make a dry caramel with the
sugar.
3. Add the hot cream to stop the cooking
process of the caramel.
4. Pour over the chocolates.
5. Add the whiskey, bitters, orange zest and
butter.
6. Hand blend it, cover it and let it rest
overnight in a cooler.

40 Pastry Arts
Flavor
T H AT I NS PI R E S

Over 40 flavors available. For complimentary

samples visit perfectpuree.com/pastryarts
Plated Desserts

Sweet Seasons
Maximizing
Seasonal
Produce in
Desserts
By Jaime Schick

Photo by Andy Ryan

42 Pastry Arts
T
Photo by Gerry Daly
oday we can get almost any
fruit, vegetable or fresh herb at
any time of the year, regardless Climates play a major role in
the availability of seasonal
of where we live. This can blur
produce. Temperate climates
the lines of what seasonality will have a variety of local
means. According to Merriam-Webster, produce available year round in
the definition of seasonal is “relating to, a seasonal rotation. Using what
or varying in occurrence according to the is currently growing would
easily allow for integrating
season,” “affected or caused by seasonal seasonal produce into desserts.
need or availability.” Using this definition, If you are working directly with
we can approach seasonality through two a small farm, the term farm-
lenses. One uses the calendar to determine to-table would be appropriate.
the four seasons. The second considers You can learn what is in
season locally by talking with
what is locally available at the time. In local farmers and purveyors,
either instance, using produce at peak attending farmers’ markets
ripeness means we can add peak flavor to or doing market research
the plate. From a marketing standpoint, to understand what other
establishments are using. These
seasonal produce is a profitable selling
connections can also aid in
point. This allows the menu to highlight sourcing produce, which comes
specific farms, ingredients or local brands, down to creating good working
and it then becomes a talking point for relationships with purveyors
service staff. Other factors that influence and farms. Additionally, forging
relationships with other
how we can approach seasonality are local pastry chefs creates a
location, the establishment’s theme and community of knowledge and
clientele expectations. inspiration.

Pastry Arts 43
 By contrast, extreme climates can limit
produce availability during certain months. In
this example, seasonality becomes the theme
based on calendar months, location and the
expectations of the clientele. Using flavors
typically associated with each season gives the
perception of seasonality. Apple, pumpkin, warm
spices, maple syrup and the last of the summer
harvest are considered fall flavors. Winter
flavors continue with the warm spices, but trend
towards warmer desserts, richer components
and comforting dishes that can include caramels,
chocolates, dried fruits and nuts. Frozen IQF fruit
and frozen purees are excellent and convenient
products to fill the gaps when local produce is
unavailable, without sacrificing flavor. In Spring,
you will still use some remaining winter produce,
but also begin to lighten through first-of-the-
season produce such as rhubarb, green almonds,
mango, strawberries, fresh herbs and flowers.
Summer brings a bounty of produce options.
Desserts tend to be the lightest and most
refreshing during the summer months. Stone
fruit, figs, berries, fresh herbs, fresh flowers and a
variety of vegetables are widely available.
Seasonal produce has optimal flavor, and
flavor is, of course, the driving force behind using
seasonal produce. When produce is at peak
flavor, showcasing it on the plate in its natural
state is ideal. Minimally cutting the fruit, adds
a visually rustic and organic feel to the dessert.
The dessert on the right shows fresh raspberries
presented as halves. This elevates the look of the
dish while maintaining the integrity of the fruit.
There will be occasions when the ripeness
of the product is less than ideal. This is an
opportunity to use specific cooking methods to
aid in flavor development. High-heat cooking
includes roasting, grilling and sauteing. This
allows for some caramelization of natural or
added sugars, creating a deeper, more complex
flavor. You can add fats, sweeteners, and spices Photo by
for additional layers of flavor. These cooking Jaime Schick
methods are perfect for highlighting knife skills,
such as a small dice or brunoise. On a dessert,
these shapes offer sharp, precise edges.

44 Pastry Arts
 Photo by
Bobby Guliani

Low-heat cooking methods include Flavor Pairing Tip: Pick three (or four)
poaching, sweating, sous vide cooking, main flavors to focus on. These can be from
dehydrating or macerating. These methods your favorite coffee drink (coffee, chocolate,
will provide a softer, subtler option due peppermint), from a book (corn, blueberry,
to lower heat and can utilize a variety of lime), or from your favorite dessert (carrot,
liquids, spices and sweeteners to add depth cream cheese, spices). Think about including
of flavor. Parisienne scoops for poaching those flavors in different textures and
or cooking sous vide add a soft round variations throughout the dish. I recommend
shape contrast, while dehydrating at a low repeating flavors to keep a dish feeling
temperature concentrates and amplifies cohesive. Think of chocolate cake, peppermint
flavors with a crisp texture, such as a fruit mousse, coffee caramel sauce, chocolate soil,
chip. In the dessert above, you use both of caramel foam, vanilla-peppermint ice cream,
these techniques. The dehydrated fruit chip coffee microwave cake, tempered chocolate.
adds dimensions and angles against the
Parisienne scooped produce and round
main item. Jaime Schick is an Associate Professor at
Using seasonal produce will enhance Johnson & Wales University in the International
a dessert in many facets. Through flavor, Baking and Pastry Institute where she teaches
visual appeal and marketability, however courses ranging from baking and pastry
you choose to approach seasonality at your foundations to contemporary plated desserts.
establishment, it is sure to offer guests She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in
new and comforting flavors and provide Baking and Pastry Arts, as well as a Master’s of
inspiration when developing desserts. Education in Teaching and Learning.

Pastry Arts 45
Ingredient Function

YEAST
Breaking Down
a Core Ingredient
By Miranda Kohout

46 Pastry Arts
 T
here’s yeast in every bakery, even if a single loaf of
bread never graces the oven. You can find wild yeasts
in produce, cheeses and even in the air. A baker or chef
who chooses to harness the leavening and fermentation
power of yeast, be it wild or commercial, is entering into a contract
with a living entity: the chef feeds the yeast and provides favorable
growing conditions, and in turn, the yeast leavens breads and other
baked goods and gives them unique depths of flavor. An exploration
of yeast is, in essence, a look at how to nurture the relationship
between baker and these beneficial bacteria.

respiration produces fermentable sugars,

Yeasts, A Quick Introduction which contribute to flavor and feed the yeast.
Yeasts are single-celled microorganisms Yeast also produces some acid during this
related to mushrooms, and there are more process, and lactobacillic acid contributes a
than 1000 different yeast species. Bakers small amount of carbon dioxide.
concern themselves with Saccharomyces This cyclical process continues into the
cerevisiae, strains of which have been proofing stage and even contributes to oven
identified as particularly beneficial for baking. spring when the sudden high temperature
These strains are cultivated industrially and kicks off rapid carbon dioxide production
processed for commercial distribution. before the yeast dies at 140°F.
Yeast leavens bread and other baked goods
via fermentation. Put simply, the yeasts
consume sugar and starches and then convert Types of Yeast
them into carbon dioxide and alcohol. Strong Commercial Yeast
and stretchy gluten networks can trap and Commercially produced yeast offers the
support expanding bubbles of gas and steam leavening power of a wild yeast colony
and create a product with good volume and an without the care and feeding required for a
aerated structure. starter. A scoop of beige granules admittedly
lacks the romance of a historic and nurtured
starter, as well as the intriguing flavors
How Yeast Works: A Closer Look that come with long fermentation times.
Yeast works in doughs via respiration and However, the convenience and long shelf life
fermentation, with each process helping of manufactured yeast is a better fit for many
to balance the activity of the other. Bakers bakeries, and there are products in which the
encourage respiration by stirring, kneading tang of sourdough is undesirable. You can even
and degassing dough, bringing in oxygen used freeze commercial yeast for long-term storage.
by the yeast for respiration. In addition to It will lose some viability stored this way, and
producing our leavening hero, carbon dioxide, you should increase the amount used by 25%.

Pastry Arts 47
Commercial yeast is available in Quick Yeast - not often seen outside of home
different formats: kitchens. This is a fast-acting yeast strain that
Fresh Yeast - available in cakes and granules. has been genetically engineered to leaven
The yeast cells in this format are alive, with less rising time.
meaning they you should keep them
refrigerated because they have a very short
shelf life. Bakers who prefer this type of
Proofing/Proving
yeast cite its ability to produce more gas (and Commercial Yeast
therefore better leavening) than other formats. While some argue that this preliminary
Active Dry Yeast - available in granules. Dry this bread-baking step is a holdover from when
yeast at higher temperatures than those used commercial yeasts were unreliable, others
for similar formats. The heating process kills maintain that verifying yeast’s viability before
the exterior yeast cells, leaving a protected proceeding with a recipe is still a necessity.
core of live yeast. The higher heat used means Given the time and effort put into bread
a thicker coating of yeast debris, which is why production, assurance that one’s yeast is
this yeast must be soaked before use. hale and hearty can, at the very least, help
Instant Yeast - very similar to active dry yeast, eliminate one potential cause of failure.
but with some practical differences. Dry Before proceeding with a recipe in its
this yeast using a gentler process, creating entirety, a baker will combine the yeast with
a thinner shell of yeast debris. Instant yeast a small portion of the recipe’s water (warmed)
absorbs water easily and quickly, which means and flour and wait to see signs of activity.
you do not need to soak it. Instant yeast Having proven — or proved — that the yeast is
produces carbon dioxide more vigorously than alive and active, the baker then continues with
active dry yeast. the recipe.
While proofing may be unnecessary, active
dry yeast still requires soaking in warm water
before use. If you don’t soak the yeast, the
thick outer coating of dead yeast will prevent
water absorption, resulting in solid yeast
granules with their active yeast cores still
trapped inside, peppered throughout the
dough rather than integrated into it.
You should not soak active dry yeast in
cool water. Experts have found that soaking
yeast in cool or cold water results in poor
yeast activation and causes the yeast to
release substances that interfere with
gluten formation. The ideal temperature for
soaking yeast is 105°F. Activation slows at
120°F, and the yeast will die at temperatures
above 140°F. You may be surprised by the
temperature of your hot tap water. Be sure to
check it if you consistently have issues with
seemingly inactive yeast.

48 Pastry Arts
 Best Practices for Using
Commercial Yeast
At warmer temperatures, yeast grows quickly,
exhausting its food supply and becoming
completely inactive after 18 hours. Cooler
temperatures, on the other hand, slow down
yeast activity. It will grow slowly and steadily.
Allowing a dough to rest for three hours at
a warm room temperature results in roughly
the same amount of leavening as 18 hours
at refrigerator temperatures. The extra rising
time required by cooler temperatures allows
for the creation of more complex flavors due
to the extended fermentation activity.
does not allow for the development of more
For best flavor, chefs should avoid using
complex and desirable flavors.
large amounts of commercial yeasts. An
excessive amount of commercial yeast not For an overnight fermentation, .25% of the
only contributes a distinct and unpleasant flour weight (roughly 1 gram of yeast for every
flavor; it also accelerates the rising time and 450 grams of flour) is a good starting point.

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Wild Yeast
Many cultures throughout history have found
ways to attract and nurture yeasts present in
the air and put them to work flavoring and
aerating different foods. These wild yeasts
work in conjunction with different lactobacilli
bacteria both to offer a complex fermented
flavor and create gasses that leaven baked
products.
Some artisan bakers continue to make
bread with wild yeast, creating and nurturing a
sourdough starter or levain. Unlike commercial
yeast, a sourdough starter requires care,
needing to be fed and maintained at an and vents can be paramount. For peak
amenable temperature to keep its resident performance, wild yeasts in doughs generally
yeasts alive and maintain a proper pH balance. perform better at slightly cooler temperatures
Some bakeries streamline this process by than commercial yeasts. For best results,
adding a small portion of the previous day’s seeking out or creating an ideal location for
dough to the current day’s bake, thus keeping bulk rises may be necessary.
the yeast and bacterial culture alive and active
while simultaneously using it in production.
A bit of pâte fermentée (old dough) typically Ingredients That Affect
contains 10,000 to 1 million yeast cells per Yeast Performance
gram of dough.
Salt
On occasion, bakers will opt to add a little
“insurance” to a recipe or boost their wild We are all familiar with the edict that salt
yeast by adding a small quantity of commercial should never touch yeast. While it is true that
yeast to their sourdough recipes. a large quantity of salt mixed with yeast and
allowed to sit for several hours would kill the
yeast, the amount of salt used for baking is
Maintaining and Using Wild Yeast not enough to affect yeast performance.
A sourdough starter should be fed frequently
for maximum activity. The more it is divided Sugar
and refreshed, the more leavening power it When proofing yeast, many bakers add a
will have. It is best to feed a sourdough starter small amount of sugar as food for the newly
when it has reached or just passed peak awakened yeast. However, in doughs, the
activity. Timing feedings to produce maximum hygroscopic nature of sugar causes it to pull
results can range from tricky to extremely moisture away from yeast and inhibit its
inconvenient, and bakeries that maintain a activity. This is why sweet doughs require a
starter often opt to feed the starter on a set larger proportion of yeast than doughs that
schedule, sometimes adjusted for seasonal contain little to no sugar. Sweet doughs suffer
temperature fluctuations. volume loss at quantities of sugar greater than
Yeast, particularly wild yeast, thrives at 10 grams of sugar per 125 grams of flour, and
close to ideal room temperatures (68-78°F), bakers should adjust their yeast quantity as
so keeping starters away from ovens, windows necessary.

50 Pastry Arts
 Acid Spices
Yeast fermentation is most efficient at a pH Other ingredients, such as small quantities of
between 6.0 and 8.0. This level hovers right cardamom, ginger, nutmeg and thyme, have
around neutral and is not something most been found to increase yeast performance.
bakers typically need to consider. Still, it is Cinnamon can boost yeast performance up
good to note that if the pH of the dough to a point. At quantities greater than 1 gram
is too low or too high, it can affect yeast of cinnamon per 1 gram of yeast in
performance, so additives like buttermilk, a recipe, the leavening
lemon juice or even very hard water should be quality of yeast
used carefully. will start to be
negatively
affected.
Malted Barley
Malted barley is excellent food for yeast,
so much so that it is even added to some Minerals
flours. It contains live enzymes that convert Milk’s
starches to sugars that act as food for yeast. minerals
Adding malted barley syrup or non-diastatic promote yeast
malt powder to a dough can help boost yeast growth, making it a multi-
performance. tasking ingredient. Distilled water lacks
these minerals and should be avoided.

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 For example, the equivalent of 1 gram of
Other Inhibiting Factors instant yeast is 1.25 grams of active dry yeast,
It can be hard to determine if poor yeast and the reverse is true when substituting
performance is due to ingredient interference instant yeast for active dry yeast.
or poor methods. How a baker handles the Fresh yeast has no coating of yeast debris -
dough can affect how well yeast performs. 100% of its weight is live and active - so when
For example, yeasts multiply in dough in substituting dry yeast in a recipe that calls for
clumps. As these clumps grow, the yeast in the fresh, 40% more active dry yeast is necessary
center of the clump is cut off from oxygen and to create the same leavening effect. Reduce
food. Degassing, stretching and folding help this adjusted quantity by 25% if you substitute
distribute yeast and form gluten. Degassing instant yeast for fresh.
also splits larger, weaker bubbles into smaller, Substituting wild yeast for commercial
more stable bubbles, resulting in a strong yeast is a bit more complicated, and
network of many bubbles. converting a recipe to use a sourdough starter
A strong gluten network can support these will likely require some experimentation. You
gas bubbles as they expand, allowing them to need a much greater volume of sourdough
hold their shape until the dough has risen and starter in order to provide close to the same
set in the oven. In poorly developed doughs, amount of active yeast bacteria found in a
these bubbles will rupture before setting, commercial product, and it brings with it
yielding a dense product. additional flour and water, which you will need
to take into account. A good place to start is
by replacing 5 grams of yeast with 100 grams
Substituting Types of Yeast of sourdough starter and reducing the amount
A percentage of the weight of dry yeast is of flour and water in the recipe by 47 grams
made up of the outer coating of dead yeast each, assuming the starter’s hydration is
cells. Active dry yeast has a thicker layer of 100%.
this debris than instant yeast, so less of the
weight of active dry yeast is made up of
live yeast cells. Therefore, roughly 25%
more yeast will be necessary to achieve
the same leavening effect when
substituting active dry yeast for
instant yeast.

52 Pastry Arts
Trivia
You may know someone in possession of a
“vintage” sourdough starter, one that was first
set out to develop a wild yeast colony over
100 years ago. This makes for a great story,
but is there anything more to it? Somewhat
sadly, science has determined that while the
idea of a heritage starter makes for a great
conversation topic, none of the original
microbes reside in the current version of that
starter.
Further romance-killing research found
that sourdough “terroir” is also a myth, and
species of lactobacilli and yeasts are not
limited by geography. For example, you can
find L. sanfranciscensis, the eponymous San
Francisco sourdough bacteria, throughout
Europe. The conditions in which a bacterial
culture lives have more impact than
geography.
But don’t toss your heirloom starter just
yet! Successful business owners know that a
good story will win out over molecular analysis
any day. Besides, for many of us, our
heirloom starter is more than
an ingredient; it’s part of
the team.

Pastry Arts 53
Food Photography

Shining
a Light
on Better Photography
With Patrick St-Arnaud

54 Pastry Arts
P
hone-camera
capabilities
have grown
exponentially
in the last
few years, but as any chef
or baker knows, great
equipment will only take
you so far. Knowledge,
practice and dedication are
what make an end product
memorable and enable a
creator to produce high-
quality items consistently, be
they pictures or pâte à choux.
Patrick St-Arnaud, a
filmmaker and photographer
in Montreal, Canada, is We’ve talked about photography in
the magazine before, and the most
responsible for the stunning
mentioned topic is proper lighting.
and informative videos on If you could give just one piece
the Chocolate Academy™ of advice regarding lighting your
website and the eye-catching shots, what would it be?
Reels seen as part of their For starters, I would always follow the
Instagram feeds. We asked “one sun” concept. By having only one
him to get specific about light source, you’ll always have a natural
how to set up and edit great lighting feeling because it emulates the
most natural light scenario there is. From
images, whether you’re there, play with angles, diffusions etc. But
working with a digital camera make sure you block any light source that
or your phone. His honest is not your main “key” light.
and practical answers offer
guidance for anyone looking Say that you agree that lighting is
the #1 key to a good photo. What’s
to improve their photos and
the second-most important quality?
brand image.
Has to be composition. One does not go
without the other.

Pastry Arts 55
 cameras and even phone cameras have a
“Grid” option nowadays that allows you to
see the subdivisions on your screen while
photographing.

As a professional, can you tell the

difference between a picture taken
with a camera and one taken with a
phone when you’re flipping through
Instagram? What about if you’re on a
website?
Any good photographer can do well with any
type of camera that is on hand. Those new
phone cameras are getting seriously good, so
the quality lies more than ever in the eye of
the beholder. Having said that, if we leave the
pros out of the equation, it’s pretty easy to
spot, yeah.

If so, what gives usually gives it away?

Is it something that could be avoided
when taking the picture or adjusted
when editing?
The most notable differences that still exist
between conventional cameras and phone
cameras today are the focal length and depth
of field. With wide-angle shots, if the lighting
and composition are properly done, it’s hard
to tell the difference, but when you get into
more close-up shots, the phones have their
limitations. Because of that, a natural blurry
background effect is hard to achieve on a
What’s the right way to achieve/create phone.
this quality?
After that, there is the editing factor. A
Like with any craft, rules are meant to be pro would always correct his shots in post-
broken. But to break them, you have to know production. Retouching should not feel
and master these rules to do so. Therefore, heavy. Always making sure colors, contrast
I would probably start with the Rules of and exposure are well-adjusted makes a big
Thirds to start composing my shots nicely. difference in the final images.
Imagine the frame of your shot being divided Filters are also often applied in post-
in thirds horizontally and vertically. Then, production to convey a feeling, but they have
place the main subject or intention at one of to be used with moderation. If it’s too heavy,
the converging points of those lines. Most this also screams “non-pro.”

56 Pastry Arts
When you are editing food your content. Instagram, TikTok and Facebook
photographs, are there some general are brand-selling platforms. When your brand
rules to follow? feels unified, it makes you look more serious,
obviously. And also more in control.
The main line of conduct you have to follow
would be to keep the color accurate. Food
photography will also have a tendency to be a Let’s talk about that cool, blurry
bit more saturated to make it look craveable. background effect. Many newer phone
Again, without overdoing it. cameras will do this automatically
now or have a “portrait mode.” Do you
Is professional editing software think this feature works well on phone
worth it for someone who isn’t a cameras?
professional?
I didn’t try every phone on the market,
I think it is if the goal is to have a proper obviously, but in my opinion, they don’t work
brand and to achieve consistency throughout well. It doesn’t feel natural.

Pastry Arts 57
 How do you achieve this effect with a
digital camera?
It’s super easy to achieve on a digital camera.
All you need to do is to use a wide aperture
with your lenses and make sure there’s distance
between your subject and the background.

Professional photographs of plated

desserts often have a pure black or white
background with focused lighting. How
would a non-professional create that set-
up?
A good place to start would be to start with
that “one sun” theory: use only one light
source. Then, frame the item so that you have
only the white/black background and nothing
surrounding it.
Next, you’ll want to zoom in as much as
possible with the native lenses your phone has
to offer. On an iPhone, the native lenses are the
little numbers (.5, 1x, 2x, 3x) that you see at the
bottom of the camera screen. Don’t go to 10x if
the highest native number is 3x.
I would also shoot these photos in RAW
(many newer phones have this option in the
Settings) and then correct the exposure, contrast
and color in an editing software afterward.

If someone is considering buying a digital

camera, is the kit lens sufficient for
taking good photos of their creations? If
not, what are the specs for a good lens
for a chef or artisan?
Depends on the kit lens, but if it goes above
70mm, I think it’s good enough to start with.
After that, ideally, you want to look at
90mm and above and at lenses that have wider
apertures, such as 2.8 to 1.4, to create a bigger,
shallower depth-of-field effect.

Photos by Patrick St-Arnaud

58 Pastry Arts
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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.

60 Pastry Arts
 BANANE
By Adoline Eva Dsouza
Head Pastry Chef &
Founder, Chez Adoline
@chez_adoline

Flavor Profile
The dominant flavours in this dessert
are a light and unctuous banana cream, a
caramelized banana cake and a layer of salted
caramel. We complement these by adding
flavors of whipped chocolate ganache with
Callebaut 823, a hazelnut crumble base and a
Callebaut 811 tempered chocolate strip.

Technical Tip
When making a Biscuit Japonais, do not let
the pâte a choux dry out completely while
cooking. Mix the eggs into the dough a little
at a time in order to ensure a smooth batter.
Make sure your egg whites are whipped only
until the soft-peak stage so they can be folded
into the batter without losing volume.

Photos by Adoline Eva Dsouza

Pastry Arts 61
 Flavor Profile
This dish contains the earthy flavours of a
porcini and dark Callebaut chocolate delice
with chocolate soil and edible white chocolate
and biscuit rocks. Pandan sponge and a tonka

The Forest bean meringue add color and flavour.

Floor Technical Tip

Infuse your porcini powder in the initial milk
stage of your custard when making your
By Alex Cole delice. This enables you to reach your desired
strength of flavour and gives a nice even
Head Pastry Chef, distribution.
Holroyd Howe
@chefcolepastry Photo by Alex Cole

62 Pastry Arts
 Flavor Profile
The flavor profile includes a creamy rice
pudding enriched with vanilla, miso caramel
and rice vinegar in the form of a gel. The top

Rice part of the dessert includes a cream made

with toasted rice. The whole dessert works

Pudding Tart
perfectly in a combination of a crunchy sable
and Callebaut gold chocolate in the form of
decoration.

By Dražen Zeljković Technical Tip

& Ana Marić In order to make a dessert work visually
and make it look like a plate filled with rice
Chocolatier & Pastry chef pudding, you need to make a custom mold.
Chozen - Peace of Chocolate Make the mold using a thermoforming
machine, forming plastic around the simple
@drazen_zeljkovic pile of rice.
@anamaric.am
Photos by Dražen Zeljković

Pastry
Pastry
ArtsArts63 63
 Mille-
Feuille
2.0
By Ileene Cho
Executive Pastry Chef,
The Noortwyck Flavor Profile
@Ileene.cho The flavor profile draws inspiration from the
classic banoffee. It features layers of banana cake,
stout caramel, pecan praline, caramelized banana
ice cream, and a blend of Valrhona 61% Extra
bitter and 70% Guanaja namelaka, all topped
with crisp gavotte tuiles. Overall, the dessert
offers a harmonious combination of sweet, nutty,
caramelized, and chocolatey notes, balanced with
rich textures and a touch of bitterness.

Technical Tip
One technical tip for working with gavotte batter is
to shape it immediately after baking while it’s still
warm and pliable. The batter’s versatility allows for
experimentation with various flavors and shapes,
but it becomes brittle as it cools. If it hardens
before there is a chance to shape it, simply return
it to the oven for a brief period to soften it again.
This will make it easier to mold into the desired
shape. Working quickly or reheating as necessary
helps achieve the perfect texture of the dessert.

Photos by Ileene Cho

64 Pastry Arts
PB&J Chocolate Bar
By Juweria Baig
Pastry Chef, Recipe Developer
@juweriabaig_pastry

Flavor Profile
Who could resist classic peanut butter
and jam in a chocolate bar? I’ve combined
raspberry pâte de fruit made from fresh
farm berries in Scotland, peanut gianduja
made with peanut paste, Callebaut white
chocolate and sea salt flakes. The bar is
encased in a Valrhona Ivoire 35% white
chocolate shell adorned with gold flakes.
The balanced sweetness and warm milky
notes of Ivoire complement the fruitiness
and nuttiness of the fillings. White chocolate
can get overwhelmingly sweet, but the sharp
tanginess from raspberries lends the right
amount of acidity, and sea salt balances the
profile.

Technical Tip
Pâte de fruit is a great option for giving
a fruity punch to bonbons or chocolate
bars without compromising shelf life. Blitz
pâte de fruit to a smooth paste and pass
it through a chinois to eliminate any small
lumps. This gives a perfect jam texture.
Usually, gianduja has a 1:1 nut-to-chocolate
ratio. But for a softer filling, or in my case,
when I didn’t want the sweetness of white
chocolate to overpower the bar, I use a
3:2 nut-to-chocolate ratio. Always temper
gianduja to ensure it crystallizes properly,
and has a silky smooth mouthfeel and a good
shelf life.

Photo by Shadan Baig

Pastry Arts 65
 Flavor Profile
The main flavors are pistachio nuts, milk
chocolate, and kadayif. The kadayif is baked
crunchy in salted butter to ensure it’s not
too sweet. Additionally, the bar should look
luxurious, so we colored it with green and gold
cocoa butter and added some small gold leaf
accents.

Dubai Bar Technical Tip

You can add a little bit of fresh vanilla to
enhance the pistachio flavor. If you use small
By Stijn gold-leaf accents, spray a thin layer of cocoa
butter over them before you start coloring.
Vandenbouhede To get the perfect shine, make sure that
your molds are clean and your cocoa butter
Chocolatier, Chocolaterie is tempered. Let the painted molds rest for
Vandenbouhede a couple of hours to fully crystallize before
making your chocolate shell.
@stijnvandenbouhede
@chocolaterie_ Photo by Victor Van Langenhove,
vandenbouhede Stijn Vandenbouhede

66 Pastry Arts
THE SNOW
(Christmas
Plum Cake)
Flavor Profile
By Sumant Sharma “The Snow” (Christmas Plum Cake) features
two standout flavors: the rich, spiced warmth
Executive Pastry Chef, of the plum cake, enhanced by alcohol-soaked
Musaafer Houston dry nuts and fruits, and the bold, peppery
kick of the black pepper cremeux. These
@sumant.k.sharma two elements create a dynamic interplay of
warmth and spice, encapsulating the essence
of festive indulgence.

Technical Tip
The right infusion of spices is necessary to get
the desired flavor profile of the dish. You need
to infuse the black pepper into the cream at
just the right temperature in order to extract
its full flavor without overwhelming the
dessert. Heat the cream to a gentle simmer,
around 185°F (85°C), and then add freshly
cracked black peppercorns. Allow the mixture
to steep for 10-15 minutes off the heat to
develop a balanced peppery note. Then
cool down at room temperature and rest it
overnight. Strain the cream before proceeding
with the cremeux, ensuring a smooth texture
while delivering a sophisticated spice that
enhances the overall flavor profile.

Photos by Raydon Creative

Pastry Arts 67
 Flavor Profile
Tropical entremets: sablé, crunchy layer,
coconut cream, mango mousse and white
chocolate ganache.

Tropical Treat Technical Tip

Think about your flavor combination first
By Valeria and balance your texture with smooth and
crunchy components. Here, coconut sorbet
Shevchenko brings more freshness and tropical flavor,
lengthening the taste experience on the
Pastry Chef palate.
In the CONCEPT,
@intheconcept Photo by Valeria Shevchenko

68 Pastry Arts
SOME THINGS KEEP GETTING BETTER.
THE NEXT GENERATION OF
COUVERTURE IS HERE.
Designed for the artisan by the artisan, we made
sure we crafted a complete line of couverture
chocolates in the right viscosities for the right
applications with the right flavor profiles.

GUITTARD.COM/PROFESSIONAL
Raw Desserts

Enhancing Desserts with

Dehydrated
Garnishes
By Crystal Bonnet

70 Pastry Arts
 W
ith a dehydrator, you can transform simple
ingredients into stunning, flavorful decorations
that add both visual interest and a satisfying
crunch to your creations. In this article,
we’ll explore how to use a dehydrator to create these garnishes,
share ideas for different types and offer tips on pairing them with
textures and flavors to enhance your desserts.

The Dehydrator: A Versatile Tool Ideas for Dehydrated Garnishes

for Creative Garnishes The possibilities for using dehydrated
A dehydrator is an essential tool in the raw garnishes are virtually limitless. Picture them
vegan kitchen, capable of turning ingredients as truffle coatings, layered cake finishes,
into versatile garnishes. Unlike other drying cheesecake and tart accents, decorative rims
methods and equipment, a dehydrator maintains for dessert shooters or parfait glasses and
low temperatures, ensuring that the nutrients in even as enhancements for ice cream and
your ingredients are preserved while achieving chocolate creations.
the desired crispy texture. This gentle drying • Candied Citrus Slices: This is one of my
process also intensifies the natural flavors, favorite decorations for cakes. Baking
making your garnishes not just a visual accent citrus slices can cause them to turn
but a flavorful one as well. brown due to oxidation from high heat.
Did I mention how incredibly easy But with a dehydrator, you can keep the
dehydrators are to use? Dehydrating is a worry- temperature low, preserving the vibrant
free process—unlike baking, in which you have colors of citrus and adding an elegant
to monitor the oven closely in order to prevent touch to your desserts or cakes.
burning. Simply add your ingredients, set • Candied Nuts: Candied nuts are a go-to
the dehydrator and walk away. If you’re fully component for truffle coatings, chocolate
dehydrating, there’s no risk of over-drying— and cake toppings. While candied nuts
once the moisture is removed, the process is are simple, adding ingredients such as
complete. This also extends the shelf life of your espresso beans, cacao nibs, spices and
garnishes, allowing you to prepare large batches citrus zest can elevate them. I’ve also used
and store them for long periods without losing candied nuts to make praline for cakes
quality. and chocolate.

Pastry Arts 71
• Candied Coconut Sprinkles:
These are my healthy version Pairing Garnishes with
of traditional sprinkles. I add Textures and Flavors
superfood or freeze-dried fruit The key to using dehydrated garnishes effectively
powders for color and dehydrate
lies in pairing them with complementary textures
them at a low temperature to keep
and flavors. Here are a few tips:
their vibrancy. You can use them
anywhere you would normally use • Contrast with Creamy
sprinkles. Textures: Dehydrated
garnishes perfectly
• D
 ehydrated Edible Flowers:
complement creamy
Dehydrating edible flowers such
desserts such as
as pansies, marigolds or rose petals
truffles, cheesecakes
preserves their color and shape,
or mousse. Their
making them ideal for a delicate
crunch adds a
floral garnish that adds beauty and
delightful contrast,
a subtle hint of flavor. Painting
creating a balanced
on some crystallized sugar before
texture on your dessert or
dehydrating adds a candied touch.
plate.
• Enhance Natural Flavors: Use
garnishes that complement or enhance the
primary flavors of your dessert. For instance, a
candied lemon slice can amplify the citrus notes
in a lemon tart, while a sprinkle of dehydrated
mint can elevate the freshness of a berry-
based dessert.
• Play with Color: Dehydrated
garnishes can also add vibrant color
to your desserts. Consider how the
colors of your garnishes will interact
with the dessert’s base—bright,
contrasting hues can make your
creations more visually appealing.
By mastering the use of a
dehydrator and experimenting
with different ingredients, you
can create garnishes that not
only enhance the visual appeal
of your desserts, but also add
exciting layers of texture and
flavor. Whether you’re looking to
add a delicate crunch, a burst of
color or a hint of unexpected flavor,
dehydrated garnishes are a versatile
tool that can take your desserts to the
next level.

72 Pastry Arts
Candied Citrus Slices
This is a beautiful garnish for desserts. The 2. Combine the citrus slices and sweetener in
citrus slices have a lovely crystallized texture. a bowl and mix well until all the slices are
Feel free to double or triple the recipe to stock evenly coated.
up, as the garnishes will keep in the freezer for 3. Place each citrus slice on a mesh dehydrator
months. tray and dehydrate at 105°F (40°C) for 24
hours until the slices are fully dry*.
Equipment: Dehydrator 4. Transfer to an open container and place in
• 1 lime the freezer to crystallize fully.
• 1 orange
• 1 lemon *Do not dry them past a temperature of 105°F
(40°C), or they will oxidize and brown.
• 4-6 Tbs xylitol, erythritol, or Lakanto®
Classic Sweetener
Storage: You can store candied citrus slices in
the freezer for months. If you store them in a
1. Remove the tops of the citrus and slice each Ziploc bag, be careful, as they will break easily.
fruit into thin slices.

Pastry Arts 73
Cacao Espresso Dust
You will love this recipe if you’re a coffee 1. In a coffee grinder, spice grinder or blender,
and chocolate fan like me. It’s a super-easy coarsely grind whole coffee beans and
dehydrated garnish with a long shelf life. This add them to the food processor with the
is a fun garnish I love to use in many of my raw walnuts, cacao powder, powdered coconut
dessert recipes. Use it as a garnish on plated sugar, coconut nectar, salt and vanilla.
desserts, on the base of cakes, as a truffle 2. Process the mixture until it reaches a
coating, on chocolate bars and in a crust base crumble consistency. Do not overprocess
for added texture and flavor—so many options! the mixture, or you will end up with a paste.
3. Spread the mixture on a lined dehydrator
Equipment: Food processor, dehydrator, tray and dehydrate at 115°F (46°C) for
blender, coffee grinder or spice grinder 18-24 hours or until it is dried, flipping
the batch halfway through.
• 40 g organic whole coffee beans 4. Once it is done in the dehydrator, allow it
to cool, then process it again in the food
• 50 g raw walnut halves, soaked for 4 hours processor to form a crumble.
and rinsed
5. Store in the freezer until ready to use.
• 21.5 g cacao powder
• 48 g powdered coconut sugar
Storage: Store the Cacao Espresso Dust in a
• 2 Tbs coconut nectar sealed container in the freezer for months. This
• 1 tsp vanilla extract will ensure it stays crispy and crunchy.
• ⅛ tsp Himalayan salt

74 Pastry Arts
Candied
Ditch the toxic dyes! These Candied
Coconut Sprinkles are a vibrant and healthy
alternative to sugary sprinkles. Made
with desiccated coconut and colored with

Coconut superfood powders, they add a delightful

crunch and a touch of natural sweetness to
your favorite desserts. Use them as truffle

Sprinkles
coatings on ice cream sandwiches, cakes
and dessert shooters.

Equipment: dehydrator, dehydrator liners

• 340 g desiccated medium shred coconut

• 48 g powdered lakanto, erythritol, or
xylitol
• ½ tsp blue spirulina (blue)
• ½ tsp turmeric (orange/yellow)
• ½ tsp pink pitaya powder, beet powder,
freeze-dried raspberry powder or freeze-
dried strawberry powder (red/purple/
pink)
• ½ tsp matcha powder, moringa powder,
spirulina, or chlorella (green)

1. Soak the coconut in enough water to

cover all the coconut and soak for 4
hours.
2. Strain the coconut through a fine-mesh
strainer and transfer the coconut into a
mixing bowl.
3. Add the sweetener and mix until well
combined.
4. Split the sweetened coconut evenly into
four separate bowls and add desired
colors to each bowl.
5. Spread each bowl of coconut onto a
lined dehydrator tray and dehydrate
at 115°F (46°C) for 12-18 hours until
completely dry.

Storage: Store in separate freezer bags in

the freezer for up to 1 year.

Pastry Arts 75
Candied
Pistachios
These candied pistachios are the perfect
crunchy topping for a pistachio tart or any
dessert needing a bit of texture. The recipe
is versatile—feel free to experiment with
different nuts or seeds and add your favorite
spices for a personalized twist.

• 62 g shelled pistachios, soaked for 2 hours

and rinsed
• 1 Tbs coconut sugar
• 1/8 tsp Himalayan salt
• 1/8 tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Pulse all ingredients in a food processor

approximately eight times to break down
the pistachios. Do not overprocess; this Driven by the motto “With knowledge, anything
mixture should be chunky. is possible!” Crystal Bonnet is a raw food
chef, instructor and cookbook author. She has
2. Spread the pistachios on a lined dehydrator dedicated more than 11 years to mastering the
tray and dehydrate at 115°F (46°C) for art of raw cuisine and desserts. Her journey
18-24 hours until it is fully dry. includes developing plant-based menus for
3. Allow to cool and store in a sealed container restaurants, catering health retreats in Canada
in the freezer for optimal crunch until ready and Europe and launching a raw chocolate and
to use. dessert business. Now, she empowers aspiring
chefs worldwide through her online culinary
school: Crystal Dawn Culinary.
Storage: Store in a sealed container in the
freezer for months. This will ensure it stays
crispy and crunchy. Photos by Crystal Bonnet

76 Pastry Arts
Weiss chocolates & pralines are handmade
in France for over 140 years
Only the finest ingredients.
All of our products are “clean label” and made with high quality ingredients
To learn more about Weiss, visit chocolat-weiss-professionnel.fr @chocolatweiss, or contact us at [email protected]
New & Notable

Club Coupe du Monde Team USA

Announces Executive Board
Club Coupe du Monde Team USA is excited • Alumni & Public Affairs Co-President: Chef
to announce the appointment of its new Ewald Notter, World Pastry Champion
Executive Board, ushering in a new chapter • Alumni & Public Affairs Co-President: Chef
for the team. Spearheaded by team President En-Ming Hsu, World Pastry Champion and
Stéphane Chéramy, this board features a Owner of SIP LLC
distinguished group of pastry professionals • Pastry Council Director: Chef Romain
who bring fresh perspectives and the Cornu, Vice President of Global Pastry at
invaluable expertise of alumni who have Tao Group
played pivotal roles in the team’s rich history.
Together, they are poised to elevate the art of • Communications Director: Charles Mirarchi
pastry in the United • Treasurer: Chef Bill Foltz, U.S. Pastry Chef
States and solidify of The Year
America’s presence • Sponsorship Director: Chef Kévin
on the global D’Andréa, TV Celebrity and CEO & Culinary
stage. This Director of FoliePop’s
announcement • Logistics Co-Director: Chef Olivier
signals a Saintemarie, Culinary Director at Jerome
new era of Bocuse International
creativity and • Logistics Co-Director: Chef Rabii Saber,
collaboration James Beard Finalist and Executive Pastry
as the Chef at Four Seasons Orlando
Stephane Cheramy for team gears
up for future • Coach - Tasting: Chef Salvatore Martone,
Club Coupe du Monde Corporate Pastry Chef at Bastion
competitions,
including a highly Collection/Joël Robuchon
anticipated return to the • Coach - Sculptures: Chef Victor Dagatan,
Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie in Lyon, Ice Sculptures World Champion and Pastry
France, in 2027. The board is committed Chef at Grande Lakes Orlando
to fostering innovation, sustainability, and • Coaches for Chocolates and Sugar: To be
education in the pastry arts, ensuring that announced at a later time
American pastry remains at the forefront of This year’s Executive Board is particularly
the global culinary scene. In addition to Chef notable for the return of several alumni
Chéramy, the Executive Board comprises: whose legacy is intertwined with the team’s
• Vice President: Chef Nathaniel Reid, U.S. past successes. These returning members
Pastry Chef of The Year and Chef-Owner of have previously contributed to numerous
Nathaniel Reid Bakery team achievements, including gold and
• International Judge/Head Coach: Chef bronze medals at the Coupe du Monde de
Laurent Branlard, two-time World Pastry la Pâtisserie. Their wealth of experience and
Champion and Executive Pastry Chef at success stories will be invaluable as the team
Hard Rock Hotels moves forward.

78 Pastry Arts
A Slow Rise
Decades before sourdough took over Instagram,
Daniel Leader was making his first celebrated
loaves at Bread Alone, his pioneering upstate
New York bakery. From revolutionizing artisan
breadmaking in the eighties to operating the
country’s first carbon-neutral bakery today, Bread
Alone has existed at the cutting edge of bread and
pastry for more than 40 years. Leader’s latest book
(written with Lauren Chattman), A Slow Rise: Favorite
Recipes from Four Decades of Baking with Heart
(Avery, 2024; $40), charts its legendary history
and showcases its most beloved recipes. The heart
of Leader’s baking philosophy is his embrace of

Æbleskiver
soft-skill baking—seeing, feeling, smelling, and
even listening to the dough—over science-based
techniques promising the perfect loaf. As he
says, in baking, there is always an element of the
unknown, and even a bit of magic. No two bakes for All
are exactly the same, and it’s the idiosyncrasies of
each loaf, cake or crust that make A new book by Pim Pauline Overgaard
baking such a thrill. celebrates the art of Danish
æbleskiver, the small, sphere-shaped
Here, across more
pancakes that are traditionally served
than 60 recipes,
during the holidays and for special
Leader will teach you
occasions. Æbleskiver: A New Take
to bake with your
on Traditional Danish Pancakes (The
senses, have patience
Collective Book Studio, 2024; $29.95)
and form an almost
features a collection of more than
meditative practice in 70 recipes ranging from savory to
the kitchen. Nostalgic, sweet, including innovative versions
simple classics such as such as Ricotta Salata Æbleskiver with
Whole Wheat Bread and Grilled Corn and Fresh Herb Spread;
Hearty Seeded Sandwich Saffron Rice Æbleskiver à la Paella;
Loaf live alongside more Almond Æbleskiver with Warm Mixed
complex concoctions Berry Compote; and White Chocolate
such as Baltic Dark Hazelnut Æbleskiver with Sweet
Rye and Fermented Wheat Bran and Barley Epis Beet Ice Cream and Candied Beet
with Beet. For desserts everyone will love, Leader Chips. With an enticing collection of
shares his recipes for treats such as Lemon-Currant recipes and beautiful photography
Einkorn Scones, Pistachio-Brown Butter Financiers, throughout, Æbleskiver will inspire
Blood Orange-Lemon Tart, and Mocha-Filled both novice cooks and seasoned
Brioche Buns. A celebration of baking with heart chefs alike to explore the rich tapestry
and soul, A Slow Rise is a must-have for serious and of Danish flavors through Denmark’s
novice home bakers alike. favorite treat.

Pastry Arts 79
Small Batch Cookies
Pastry chefs generally don’t deal in small batches, but there are times when a
diminutive portion is just right. Baking at home for one or two, for example,
or when testing out a new recipe for work. In his new book, Small Batch
Cookies (Kyle Books, 2024; $26.99), British baking pro and TV personality
Edd Kimber offers a range of innovative cookie recipes that yield from one
to six servings. Recipes are divided into chapters on Soft & Sumptuous,
Crispy & Crunchy, Ooey Gooey, Sandwich Cookies, Chocolate Heaven, and
Chewy. Along with his flawless, delish, no-fail recipes, Kimber supplies his
Cookie Manifesto (including information on shaping and scooting), Boring but Important Bit
(ingredients and how best to use them) and tips on equipment, especially pieces pertinent to small
batch baking. Some recipes can be made in air fryers, and of course, recipes can be scaled up when
you want or need a bigger batch. The book has color photos throughout; for more info, follow Edd on
Instagram @theboywhobakes or visit www.theboywhobakes.co.uk.

New Edition of The Cake Bible

Found in the kitchen of every serious baker The Cake Bible (William Morrow, 2024; $45),
and beloved for decades, The Cake Bible has written with her husband and baking partner
long been a guiding light in the world’s baking Woody Wolston, is changing with the times.
literature, with Rose Levy Beranbaum’s deep For 35 years, Levy Beranbaum has been
knowledge and respect for craft found on tweaking and reworking her methods based on
every page. It’s a comprehensive resource reader feedback and constant conversations
for home and professional bakers who want with other bakers and food and equipment
to make glorious, technically perfect cakes professionals. This striking new edition—with
and understand why the ingredients in cakes new photographs in an expanded section—
work the way they do. The book was hugely contains recipes for classic and innovative
influential from the moment it first came cakes and complementary adornments of
out in 1988, selling hundreds of thousands all types, instructions for making stunning
of copies and going through 60 printings. It decorations, and flavor variations for every
introduced the reverse creaming method, craving and occasion, with foundational recipes
incorporating flour and butter first instead like All-Occasion Downy Yellow Butter Cake
of butter and sugar. This makes mixing faster and Angel Food Cake and showstoppers like
and easier, helps cakes rise more evenly, and the Strawberry Maria, which brings together
results in a finer and more tender cake texture. Génoise au Chocolat, Grand Marnier-flavored
And it’s among the first American syrup and Strawberry Cloud Cream.
cookbooks to offer measurements Rose also provides instructions for
in weights, highlighting the baking for special occasions, such
superiority of the metric system, as weddings, with recipes to serve
which has become the gold 150 people as well as formulas to
standard in baking books. scale the recipes for any number
But much has changed since of desired servings. For more info,
1988, and the new edition of visit www.realbakingwithrose.com.

80 Pastry Arts
 Lahey
on Bread
Award-winning author and baker Jim Lahey reflects in his
introduced the world to his innovative introduction,
no-knead bread recipe when it was first “Bread holds
published in The New York Times in 2006, a sacred place
igniting a home baking revolution. In 2009, deep within…
he published his first book, centered around our soil and
the no-knead method. Today, Lahey, founder souls. It is at
of the Sullivan Street Bakery, returns with the core of
a 15th-anniversary edition of My Bread: The our histories, our hearts, our hearths. Its allure
Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method sparks curiosity, driving us to delve deeper
(Norton, 2024; $35). Repackaged for a into the process, setting higher standards
new generation, the new version features and nurturing greater expectations for this
a forward by Martha Stewart as well as five humble staple and those who bake it.” Written
never-before-published recipes, including a by a bread master, My Bread is an excellent
pistachio-goji bread and a foolproof way of resource that is bound to inspire bread bakers
making Panko breadcrumbs at home. As Lahey everywhere.

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Viola on Honeynut Squash Tart, Candied Walnuts, White Chocolate Crémeux
freshorigins.com Sustainably Grown Chef Iris Conaway

Pastry Arts 81
 Olympic Chocolate
When the world came to Paris for the Olympic Games
this past summer, veteran Belgian chocolate maker
Meurisse chased its own Olympic glory. The chocolatier
created 30 chocolate bars that they specially curated for
the members of Belgium’s Olympic team. It was a logical
connection for Meurisse, a family-owned business that
started crafting chocolate in 1845. Meurisse won its own
medals at the Exposition Internationale d’Anvers and
at the World Expo in Brussels more than a century ago,
ironically around the time when the modern Olympics
kicked into gear in Athens in 1896. Belgium won ten
medals, including three golds, at the Paris Games,
perhaps because its athletes were sweetly fueled.

Crumbs each entry, Mims unveils

the cookie’s culinary and
cultural relevance, whether
Self-confessed cookie obsessive and it is traditionally enjoyed
food writer Ben Mims has just released during religious festivals
Crumbs: Cookies and Sweets from Around and celebrations or simply
the World (Phaidon, 2024; $49.95), a offers a work break pick-me-
sprawling exploration of cookies, biscuits and up. Mims also chronicles critical
sweet treats from nearly 100 countries. This moments throughout history, such
vast collection gathers 300 authentic cookie as the evolution of gingerbread, the culinary
recipes, including gingerbreads, thumbprint impact of colonialism and immigration, the
cookies, bars, wafers, shortbreads, tea significance of “wedding” cookies, and how
cakes, cookie sandwiches and everything in the region once known as Persia
between. Carefully curated, researched serves as the “birthplace of
and tested by Mims, Crumbs cookies.” Whether it be honey-
provides an accessible and soaked delicacies from Greece and
compelling glimpse into Turkey; Northern European spiced
the cultural, historical and gingerbreads; South American
culinary status of the cookie cookies made with guava;
across time and place. The southeast Asian cookies with
book unfolds geographically, tapioca and coconut; or cardamom
with chapters dedicated to a cookies from Somalia, this enticing
distinct geographical region collection celebrates the unique
or set of countries that share characteristics of each region’s
a similar culinary heritage, specialities and ingredients through
such as The Levant & Arabian its 13 chapters and is bound to
Peninsula, The Mediterranean, become an invaluable resource for
and Sub-Saharan Africa. With amateurs as well as pros.

82 Pastry Arts
Meat Baking, Southern Style
Pies In her new book, Baking in
the American South (Harper
Celebrate, 2024; $44.99),
With Meat Pies: An Emerging American cookbook author and fifth-
Craft (Norton, 2024; $39.99), a new generation Southerner Anne
compendium for savory pies and their Byrn shares 200 quintessentially
accompaniments, chef Brian Polcyn Southern recipes – and their
and co-author Michael Ruhlman untold stories – from seasoned
continue their pursuit of elevating the bakers of the region. The recipes
art of charcuterie. Meat Pies offers a come from 14 states, from
collection of recipes, advice and step- department stores, cafeterias,
by-step visuals for home cooks and tea rooms, boarding houses,
professionals eager to expand their churches, synagogues, home
knowledge of meat-and-vegetable kitchens and even the White
concoctions topped, enclosed or House. And while outsiders
wrapped in dough. Dividing their text may hold a romanticized vision of the South filled
into sections defined by crust―the with white-columned mansions, she says that’s not
contemporary pot pie, the hand-raised often the case. Much of the South has been poor.
pie (individual pies), rolled-raised Byrn begins the book with iron-skillet cornbread
pies, double-crusted pies, turnovers, because it feeds people, and how a family bakes
vol-au-vents — Polcyn and Ruhlman cornbread is sacred in the South. From there, she
encourage readers to master each bakes buttermilk biscuits, quick breads and griddle
dough and even cakes, yeast breads and rolls, and then pound cakes,
invent their own. layer cakes, cookies, puddings and pies. There
Within each are recipes from nationally famous cooks such
category of pie as Kentucky author Duncan Hines, who created
are rediscovered his own cake mix and sold it, along with his
favorites, such name, to Proctor & Gamble; lesser-known but
as a chicken pot important cooks such as Atholene Peyton, a
pie with a biscuit Louisville Black home economist ahead of her
crust, as well time; and locally acclaimed bakers such as Pat
as new spins Lodge, who was famous for her simple spoon
on classics, rolls. We discover why bananas became a staple
including of Kentucky cooking, how the South transformed
seafood pies, British pie into peach cobbler, and why soft white
a sheet-pan winter wheat, brought to the New World by the
pie, portable Jesuits, was known as “wafer wheat’’ and would
handheld pies and a showstopping become the building block of the South’s flaky
vegetable pie with a braided crust. biscuits. Illustrated with more than 150 photos taken
Informed by Polcyn’s decades of by Georgia photographer Rinne Allen, the book tells
award-winning cooking and teaching, stories about the land and the harvest, when there
and brought to life by Ruhlman’s was plenty and when there was not. They work in a
engaging prose, Meat Pies presents a modern kitchen and will help you understand what
comprehensive and exciting guide to a makes Southern baking extraordinarily delicious—and
burgeoning American craft. special—no matter where you call home.

Pastry Arts 83
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.

84 Pastry Arts
 Nacho Aguirre and
Susana Mijares
Chef Owners, Délice
Chocolatier & Patisserie,
San Antonio, TX
@delice_sanantonio

Creating chocolate bonbons involves a

delicate balance of flavor and texture, which
are crucial for achieving a delightful culinary
experience. Here’s why balance in these
elements is so important:
1. Flavor Harmony: Whether it’s a ganache,
caramel or fruit filling, the chocolate
should enhance, not overshadow, the
flavors within.
2. Textural Contrast: Contrast adds interest
and satisfaction to the eating experience,
4. Less is More: When deciding on a
creating a multi-dimensional sensation
particular chocolate bonbon filling, you
that is both pleasing to the palate and
need to be aware that too many flavors
engaging to the senses. It is important
and texture combinations may confuse the
to be cautious about having too much
palate.
texture, as it is quite important to respect
the chocolate as the star of your creation. 5. Craftsmanship and Artistry: Achieving
the perfect balance of flavor and
3. Inspiration of Flavors: When we create
texture requires skill and attention to
our fillings, we usually think of something
detail. It showcases the artisan’s ability
that inspires us, either a place, a memory
to harmonize different elements into
or seasonal flavors - something unique that
a cohesive and pleasurable product,
truly represents our craft and what we are
elevating chocolate bonbons from a simple
as chocolatiers.
confection to a work of culinary art.

Pastry Arts 85
 JULIANA HASSLER
Founder, Creative Director
& Head Chocolatier,
Billy&Bugga Artsy Chocolates
@chocolatesbillybugga

Creating vibrant, colorful chocolates is truly an art, and it all

starts with a meticulously controlled environment. I always
work in a cool, dry space where the temperature stays
between 18-0°C and I keep the humidity below 50%. This is
crucial because high humidity can cause chocolate to bloom
and make colors fade or streak, ruining the visual impact.
To maintain those bright, consistent hues that make
pralines pop, I focus on precise tempering and always
use fat-soluble cocoa butter colorants. After I make
the chocolates, I store them in an airtight container
in a cool, dry place to preserve their vivid colors
and glossy finish. By carefully controlling your
workspace, you can ensure that your colorful
creations remain stunning, professional and a
true reflection of your artistry.

86 Pastry Arts
 PAM JONES
Cake Artist & Owner,
Lemon Tree Cakes
@lemontreecakesuk

As a cake artist, I love coming up with

different textures and techniques. In recent
years, cake makers have used textured
fondant more frequently to enhance their
creations.
I would like to share my way of creating
texture on fondant. I like to take some white
fondant and roll it out a bit. I then take a
blow torch and torch the surface of the
fondant. Be careful not to burn the fondant
as you are doing this. Torch the surface of the
entire fondant evenly and let it sit at room
temperature for about five minutes or so till it
dries out a bit. You can dust a little cornstarch/
corn flour on the surface of the fondant.
Once the fondant is dry to the touch and not
too hot (be careful when doing this so as not
to burn your fingers), you can start rolling it
out. As you begin to do this, you will notice a
texture effect on the fondant. This also works
really well when you pre-color the fondant or
mix together fondant with different colors.
The effects are so striking, and it’s a real time
saver when you have multiple tiers or larger
cakes to cover. You can create as much or as
little texture as you like with this technique by
controlling the time it takes to blow torch the
fondant.

Photo by Pam Jones

Pastry Arts 87
 A tip I’ve found invaluable in making a
successful sourdough starter is treating it like
the actual bread dough. Most recipes call for
equal parts water and flour for the starter, but
bread dough typically has 100 grams of flour
to 60 grams of water. Using this same ratio
Hendrik for your starter helps train the microbes to
Kleinwaechter thrive in the final environment, yielding a more
robust starter.
Author, The Sourdough
With each feeding, your starter grows
Framework stronger, becoming more adept at fermenting
@the_bread_code flour. Over time, it develops its own distinct
flavor profile—some starters produce tangy
or vinegary flavors, while others lean toward
fruity or even dairy-like notes. That’s the
Creating a starter can seem daunting, but the wonder of sourdough: no two batches are
beauty is that it can be cultivated from almost ever the same.
anything—plants, fruits, or simply flour and
water. Photo by Hendrik Kleinwaechter

88 Pastry Arts
 Georgia Macon
Executive Pastry Chef,
Prentice Hospitality Group
@peachcoloredglasses

Stop making puff pastry and start making

rough puff instead.
I was introduced to ‘rough puff’ about
a decade ago and have used it in place of
puff pastry ever since. In addition to being a
huge time saver, it is also a widely adaptable
formula with a ton of versatility for dishes
both savory and sweet. The recipe is three bookend fold and one single fold. Then you
parts flour, two parts cold cubed European are ready to go!
butter and one part cold salted water. Either We currently use a lightly sweetened
by hand, with a pair of butter knives, or using a version of this dough, utilizing cocoa powder
stand mixer and paddle attachment, break the and spelt flour in our dry ingredients to create
butter down until the largest piece remaining a base for the praline pie. On the savory side,
is about the size of a nickel. we use the dough for the base of a tomato
Then stream in the cold galette, where we use cornmeal and cheddar
water and mix until inclusions. Then we use buttermilk in lieu
barely combined. of water. So long as you maintain the 3:2:1
Firmly pack all of foundation and the lamination, you can really
this into a tray make this into whatever you want it to be.
and let it chill
completely.
Once it Photo headshot by Brandon Pullen,
is cold, Tomato Galette by Prentice Hospitality,
complete one Pie by Georgia Macon

Pastry Arts 89
Profile

CLASS
WITHOUT
CLASSIFICATION

Don’t Look for Labels

(or White Sugar) in René Frank’s
Transcendent Confections.
Just Enjoy the Sweetness.
By Brian Cazeneuve

90 Pastry Arts
O
n the walk from the unkempt metro stop of
Hermannplatz in the Berlin neighborhood of Neukolln
to the barely visible storefront sign of Coda restaurant
on Friedelstraße, one passes two musings spray-
painted in English. Both are telling. “No War, Only
Garlic,” one implores. Another that abuts an abandoned
storefront and a kebab shop proclaims: “No Unauthorized Readings Here,”
as if Herman Hesse were holding a volume of Steppenwolf in one hand
and a cooking apron in the other. The vibe of Neukolln is more Bohemia
than Bavaria, a place where conformity was denied an entry visa and it
is okay to look at life sideways. It may not seem like the right home for
the world’s best pastry chef, but when you meet René Frank, so honored
by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants as the planet’s premier pastry
practitioner in 2022, you see the fit between place and person.

Pastry Arts 91
 Why do we
need to have
categories for
everything?

Since 2016, Frank has been the mastermind Before Coda, no restaurant was so
behind Coda, the world’s first restaurant relentless at tearing the capes off the savory
classified as a dessert bar to earn one Michelin crusaders to reveal their sugary underbellies,
star and later a second. Yet to hear Frank all without actually using refined white sugar,
describe his conception while overseeing additives or chemicals. Instead, Frank coaxes
a 15-course tasting menu, each plate more the natural sweetness that others often ignore
astonishing than the next, Coda isn’t so in vegetables, grains and even some fruits,
much misclassified as it is lacking appropriate Extractions here, fermentations there, and
classification altogether. It is, after all, dessert suddenly courses with savory names and
for dinner or dinner for dessert, depending visages morph into confections as though the
on your sightlines. “There is no category kitchen staff has bought Halloween outfits for
for Coda,” Frank asserts. “Coda is a non- the food.
conforming restaurant and we do non-binary Frank actually offers a strategy for eating
desserts. Berlin is a city about freedom, about his creations. “Some people are traumatized by
equality, about diversity. Everybody can do what their parents force them to eat,” he says,
what they want to do. Berlin is not a city “so if you can be open and you don’t have fear,
about labels the way Munich is. So why do we you can come here and be super relaxed. Some
need a label for Coda? Why do we need to people are very nervous if they cannot put into
have categories for everything? Do we need a category what it is. It is not a typical Michelin
to sit at a table and say this is a soup, but starred place with white tablecloth. It’s not a
that’s a puree? No, just have fun.” place for a business dinner.”

92 Pastry Arts
 In a sense, Frank’s very career started with care, the feeling that you are eating the best
his parents . . . and without them. “My parents tempura, it changed my understanding of
divorced when I was eight,” he says. “I was umami. Coda could not exist without my six
a bit of a trouble maker with some not good months in Japan.”
ideas. I struggled with a lot of things. My Frank studied further at the Centre de
father said you need to learn the piano. When Formation Alain Ducasse in Paris and the
the teacher arrived, I hid behind the sofa branches of the Culinary Institute of America
because I didn’t want to learn it. As a kid I was in New York and Napa.
on my own. I played by myself, so I dreamed He spent six years as pastry chef at La Vie
about having things the way I wanted them.” in Germany’s Osnabruck, winning his first of
Frank’s search took time to succeed. It four designations as Patissier of the year from
was his grandmother who had given him Gault & Millau in 2013, but it was his respect
ample attention, and she was a talented cook, for umami and disdain for conformity drove
inviting René into the kitchen. When it came Frank to a perilous venture in 2016.
time to pick an apprenticeship at 16 — two- “I had a great job at La Vie, but I just had
thirds in the kitchen lab and one-third in the a feeling I wanted to change something,” he
classroom — he chose the one that reminded says. “I had no plans to get a Michelin star
him of her. He began winning competitions or two. I was tired of these Michelin-starred
with broader reaches: local, national, regional restaurants. I wanted to make something
and eventually international, including the casual, but special. In Germany, we say
world championship of vocational skills sometimes you have the pink glasses. You’re
in Helsinki in 2005. Frank earned time in in love. You don’t think about anything else.
kitchens of Michelin starred restaurants in People thought, oh, they will close in six
Spain, Switzerland and France. months. But I was so passionate about it. My
He reveled in the concept of umami, dream was always to open a restaurant and
the impossible-to-define assault on the 52 then to combine it with my passion for pastry.
peptides and taste receptors that turn broths I had the glasses.”
and sauces into ethereal elevations.
In 2008, he spent six months in Japan,
working at a pair of restaurants with three
Michelin stars: Nihonryari RyuGin in Tokyo
and Kikunoi in Kyoto and the stints would
shape his creative philosophy. “Here in
Germany, they throw everything in a box and
somebody makes a jam out of it,” he says. “In
Japan at a high-end restaurant you can get
a simple slice of melon, but it can be a great
slice of melon because of the care they show
it, how they know how to bring the best
flavor out of that melon. It takes an advanced
knowledge about umami to know when and
how to show each ingredient at its best. You
don’t need a hundred elements. They had
sushi restaurants with two Michelin stars,
even tempura restaurants. They put food in
a fryer and have two Michelin stars. But the

Pastry Arts 93
 With his business partner Oliver Bischoff, to the new store; Frank wanted the keys to
Frank first needed to find a location. “I knew people’s thoughts.
there was not one single person who wanted Some said Coda didn’t look like much.
us to open a dessert bar,” he remembers. “If Customers had to ring a doorbell and wait
you Googled dessert bar, what came up? A for a response behind the shaded door. The
chocolate bar. Nobody knew what a dessert inside was dark with closed curtains, 24
bar was. We wanted to serve dessert, but we seats divided among a bar and small tables,
also wanted to serve drinks, so everything and lights focused only on the food. “Coda
was open. We wanted to find a place that was is nothing you’re used to,” says Frank. “You
developing. We could not be in the center of ring the bell and it makes you a little insecure.
Berlin where if you don’t do well from the first You don’t see us inside. I can see the guests
day, you have to close after two months.” outside. It’s uncomfortable. Then you come in
Instead, they picked Neukolln, a nook that and it’s a different world.”
doesn’t wear makeup or comb its hair. It is Frank preferred to spend money on cooking
unrefined and unbounded by expectation. equipment rather than design features. The
Frank and Bischoff opened Coda in a pair opened without investors. Over the years,
converted bakery. They chose the name to they changed formats several times, leaving
acknowledge the end of a meal, as a coda guests to order individual courses, then five
ends a piece of music, though their offerings courses, then seven. Then came a tasting
would ultimately comprise the whole meal. menu at 6 p.m. followed by a period with a la
Most new restaurant owners took the keys carte options.

Photo by Chris Abatzis

94 Pastry Arts
 At first, Frank helped mix drinks, while
Bischoff acted as server and dishwasher.
To this day, Bischoff does carpentry while
Frank handles plumbing, electrical work
and alarm systems. “Yes, it was a risk,”
Frank admits, “but there are many other
ways you can lose your money that have
no passion.”
The coda of Coda was edgy. Frank
unshackled the natural sweetness that There are many
others ignored in fruits, grains and
vegetables. “We wanted a place with a other ways you can
different approach, a unique thought
infrastructure,” he says. In its early years, lose your money that
Coda featured tomato and chickpea;
beetroot and tofu; and parsley root with have no passion.
pistachio and black garlic. Frank had also
dabbled with red shiso and chocolate,
and with banana and miso. To the closed-
minded, the dishes sound destined to fail
. . . until they succeeded.

Pastry Arts 95
 Coda became the first dessert restaurant Michelin stars.”
to earn one Michelin star and later a second Coda makes its own sauces and ferments
in February, 2020. Then Covid struck, shoving both rice to make sake and oats to make
Coda and other restaurants into the deep congee. The amazake from Japan’s traditional
freezer. When Frank’s restaurant re-emerged, sweet rice drink has become a staple for
the dining and entertainment landscapes had Coda’s sauces. Against the kitchen’s back wall
changed. “The night scene was different,” he is a machine that makes chocolate from nibs
says. “People didn’t go out so much to clubs. and unrefined sugars, performing multiple
They stopped staying out so late. We had functions over three-day intervals while
been doing two seatings. I mean, in New York industrial chocolate makers would employ
restaurants, you can have three seatings. But machines to divide responsibilities and
we settled on one with 15 servings. Coda minimize time. Coda even made its own tofu
is not a part of people’s evenings; it is the before farming that process to a local artisan
full experience. But it has to live up to two who specializes in it.

96 Pastry Arts
 What Frank’s fresh a vanilla pop dipped in
ingredients provide a smoky, freezing vat
in taste, they lack in of nitrogen with frozen
shelf life. “In a pastry Jerusalem artichoke and
shop, you see food pecan ganache, then rolled
with your eyes and in D’Aquitaine Oscietra
maybe you eat it the next Caviar. It is a brain-blast just
day, so it needs sugar and to look at it. Sips of alcohol or
fat and stabilizers,” he says. alcohol-free drink accompany most
“We don’t need sugar as a stabilizer. courses. Somehow, guests leave sated,
We need things that are sweet, a reduction but unstuffed, and clearheaded enough to
of fruits and juices, for example. Beetroot reflect in awe. In lesser hands, the culinary
and root vegetables have a lot of sweetness. theater would be experimental and even
Even parsley root has some starch inside, tiring; in Frank’s, it is extraordinary.
and you can ferment the starch, so you have “It’s true, I get inspired by art,” he says,
more sweetness. Try parsley root ice cream. “but more by people. I’m not an extroverted
Sometimes we have a dessert made from just person. I don’t express myself through my
the sweetness of carrots. Also, sweet potato clothes, but when I see people who do, I’m
has a lot of sweetness. We use grape juice as a inspired. Some make art on themselves, like
basic ingredient. We have a clear Chardonnay with hair or tattoos. If I hear people who talk
grape juice. For us it’s like a basic chicken differently, this is also fascinating to me. I’m
stock or a vegetable stock. We use honey, not blessed with so much talent that I can
maple syrup.” represent this in myself, just in my work.”
Highlights of one particular meal began René Frank’s work is part aesthetics and
with a beetroot gummy bear and built part physics; part awe and part wonder; part
from there: eggplant with pecan and maple memory and part fantasy; part savory and part
balsamic finished with licorice salt; a gooey dessert. All that’s missing from the recipe is
raclette-filled waffle served with dehydrated definition.
kimchi and yogurt; grilled apple with oat
shallot, hazelnut cookie crumble and sultanas;
and the signature dish, the caviar popsicle, Photos by Claudia Goedke

Pastry Arts 97
Trends

Ubiquitous
Ube
The Yam is Emerging as
a Purple People Pleaser
By Caroline Mays

Photo by Caroline Mays

98 Pastry Arts
 U
the state with the largest Filipino population.
Hawaii comes in second place with 270,000
be is the Filipino-American residents. Ube’s popularity
Southeast has grown because Filipino-American pastry
chefs and business owners want to share their
Asian yam that
heritage with the world.
is taking the Though sometimes confused with taro by
U.S. pastry those unfamiliar with it, ube is also presented
world by storm—tropical as a purple food – but it is the truer purple
food. Raw taro is much lighter, closer to a very
storm, that is. light lilac, or white with purple flecks in it. Raw
In the Philippines, ube is ube, however, is truly a deep purple color.
Adrienne-Joy Jataas, chef and owner of UBAE
beloved for its sweet, nutty, in Honolulu, HI, says that the color is what
sometimes vanilla-like flavor. makes people curious to try it.
Others have likened it to Fresh, raw ube is, unfortunately, very
difficult to obtain in the lower 48 states. Many
pistachio. According to The dessert shops bake with frozen ube, pureed
Philippine Times, The yam’s ube, powdered ube, or ube extract.
starchy texture is “conducive Ube is baked into many dishes, both sweet
and savory, in the Philippines. But two of the
to absorbing various most ubiquitous ube desserts are halaya and
[flavours], such as the halo-halo.
richness of cream or the Halaya, or jam, is made
with mashed ube,
woodiness of coconut.” milks, and sugar. It is
mixed, boiled, and
simmered into a
thick paste. Halaya
can be eaten as
Both Forbes and The New York a dessert on its
Times listed ube as the flavor own, or added to
of the year in 2023, though other dishes such
Filipinos have been eating ube as cookies, cakes and
for millennia. According to the The rolls.
Philippine Times, “Archaeological findings Halo-halo is the
. . . have unearthed ube remains dating back Photo by Filipino version of a
to 11,000 BC.” Caroline Mays layered, shaved-ice
Communications firms, af&co and dessert made of shaved
Carbonate, released an Annual Hospitality ice, evaporated milk, and toppings. Halo-halo,
Trends Report in 2023 that listed ube first which means “mix-mix” in Tagalog, is often
among its trends to watch. topped with ube halaya, ube ice cream, flan,
Ube desserts have already been relatively coconut, fruit or other sweetened tubers or
easy to find in California for several years, legumes, such as taro, kidney or garbanzo
thanks to the Filipino diaspora. With 1.6 beans. Halo-halo can be served in a bowl or in
million Filipino-Americans, California is, by far, a tall glass as a parfait.

Pastry Arts 99
 are covered in powdered sugar.
At Café 86, a California family business-
turned-franchise with 15 locations and
counting, ube is the star of the menu.
Ube desserts include truffles, ube leche
flan cupcakes, ube butter bars, ube tres
leches, halo-halo bread pudding, ube crack
cheesecake, ube pop tarts, ube ice cream and
milkshakes.
Flan, coconut, milk and cream are flavors
that are often mixed with ube. Café 86’s ube
leche flan cupcakes are moist and flavorful.
While the textures provide a satisfying
contrast, the milky-caramel flavor of the flan
complements the subtle ube-flavored cupcake.
Meanwhile, the ube pop tarts combine ube
with macapuno coconut. Café 86’s ube pop
tarts feature halaya and coconut baked into a
buttery pastry. The ube tres leches mixes all
Courtesy of Adrienne-Joy Jatas three together: the tres leches cake is made of
an ube sponge cake soaked in coconut milk,
and evaporated and condensed ube milk then
In the U.S., chefs are baking cupcakes, topped with whipped halaya and crunchy
cream puffs, cheesecakes and mochi hybrids meringue.
with ube. At UBAE, which stands for Ube
Café 86 founder Ginger Dimapasok told
Before All Else, baking with ube was a natural
PBS Local, “I don’t want to look at [ube] as a
choice for Jataas, who grew up seeing her
trend. I hope that it stays and people will learn
grandmother bake with ube in Hawaii.
to love it and embrace it.”
UBAE serves up brightly-colored 8”
Many of ube-centric dessert shops
cheesecakes, ube tarts, ube crinkle cookies,
are family-owned businesses catering to
ube soft serve, ube delight cake, 8” flanbae
chiffon cake, ube rolls and ube mamon. their families and friends’ cravings, while
also tempting the tastebuds of the larger
The most popular desserts are the
community.
cheesecakes and cookies, which were
Jataas’s debut dishes. Jataas described the 8” “We introduced this vibrant purple dessert
cheesecakes as being “pretty rich,” “velvety” and we hope that it opens doors for people to
and paired with a “golden brown and graham be more willing to try other Filipino desserts or
cracker crust.” For a bite-sized cheesecake Filipino food,” Jataas says.
on-the-go, Jataas also makes mini-cheesecake For the curious, Jataas suggests looking
tarts, which includes the same cheesecake into trying pandan, a leafy plant with a nutty,
filling, but replaces the graham cracker crust vanilla-like flavor that is similar to ube. In fact,
with a “buttery shortbread-type crust.” Jataas makes a soft-serve ice cream swirl of
Jataas says that customers “have described the two flavors—ube and pandan. “We’re super
our cookies as being cake-like, or brownie- grateful,” Jataas says, “that we get to share the
like.” She says that her cookies are “soft on the magic of [ube] with our community.”
inside,” have a “light crust on the outside” and Let the purple yam rain down.

100 Pastry Arts

Lamination

Understanding
the Lamination Layer
Calculation Process
By Jimmy Griffin

Photo by Johanna Le Pape

102 Pastry Arts

 W
hen we make pastry, we “lock-in” the butter
between dough layers, sheet it and fold it.
This creates multiple layers, our topic of
discussion in this article. The outer layers are
dough; the internal ones are butter. When
we stack the pastry, we overlay alternating layers of dough and
butter. In this case, we can see a three-fold creates nine layers —
3 X 3 layers — but we have two dough touching points (-2) and
when compressed in the next sheeting process, the two layers of
dough merge to form a single layer as illustrated in the diagram
on the left.

3-Lock-in Sheeting 3-fold or simple fold

Photo by Guittard

Pastry Arts 103

The Universal Numbering System • 5-fold: you have four dough-touching
These are assumptions for the tables in the points
following pages. The lock-in is dough on the
outside, and the butter is the dough on the Consequently, we need to subtract the
inside. Dough layers will always number twice total dough touching points from the overall
the butter layers + 1 layer, in folded pastry. calculation or the multiplication used in the
When using The Universal Numbering system lamination system and represented in the
of layer calculation, we consider that dough tables.
touching points exist, where the outer layer of
dough is folded onto another layer of dough
in the pleating or folding of the pastry. When Counting the Fat Layers
the pastry is sheeted, the two dough layers Counting the fat layers is customary practice
merge into one layer and become a single in many European bakery schools and culinary
layer of dough. To see this in action, simply schools. Following the lock-in, the pastry
take a strip of croissant dough, fold it onto will have one layer of fat if we are using the
itself and compress it between your finger and French method and two layers of fat if we
thumb. The two layers will merge, and no layer use the English Method. All subsequent folds
is formed. calculate the increasing number of layers built
up during the lamination process. The table
below represents how to count the fat layers
To summarise Universal Lamination:
only. In the case of a 3-4-3, the fat layers add
• 3-fold: you have two dough-touching up to 12 (with 13 layers of dough). Assume
points one layer of butter in a 3-fold and two layers
• 4-fold: you have three dough-touching of butter in a 5-fold. Multiply lock-in fat layers
points by the first and following folds.

104 Pastry Arts

Simple Multiplication System many more folds, the measure of layering
Suppose, using the Simple Multiplication errors goes off the scale. I have included many
System, which continually multiplies the popular lamination methods for the pastry-
number of layers from the lock-in (3 or 5) by making systems mentioned to demonstrate
the type of fold (3 or 4). The alleged layer the differences among the systems, and the
count grows exponentially and is not a true large discrepancies between the various
reflection of the actual layers formed in methods. It is important to recognise that
the pastry. When summarising all previous the Universal Numbering System and the
tables, you see in the table below, that in Total Fat Layer calculation methods are the
the presented tables for various lamination only accurate ways of precisely calculating
sequences, there are significant differences the correct and relevant layers created in
among the various layer counting systems. lamination
Since you have to calculate many layers in
making puff pastry, it’s easy to exacerbate the
errors inherent to the process. The outcome
will be the same irrespective of how you count
the layers. However, I think it is important to
understand layer formation and exact layer
count, as layer quantities determine the crumb
structure and the visible external layers of the
pastry. You can predict and design the internal
structure and the external appearance by
deciding on the lamination sequence you use
before pastry production.
When you apply these notation systems of
layer calculation to puff pastry, which requires

Pastry Arts 105

All methods analysed in the above table

106 Pastry Arts

Inverse Pastry Layers When the external layers are folded on top
People often ask about inverse pastry. of one another in the lamination process, they
Do the layers work the same as they merge as the pastry is sheeted, forming one layer
do in normal pastry when counting the of butter. So the calculations of subtracting Butter
layers? The answer is simple, once you Touching Points or BTPs in inverse pastry are the
understand how layers are formed, same as those we make for DTP. The diagram
merged and calculated. The universal above illustrates a 5-lock-in, with two layers of
numbering system applies just the same dough and three layers of butter in the pastry
to the production of inverse pastry. block.
Instead of having dough touching points
on the external layers, you have butter
layers or Butter Touching Points (BTP).
Jimmy Griffin is a 6th generation baker and lecturer
at TU Dublin, Ireland, with a Master’s in Food
Product Development and Culinary Innovation.
He teaches globally, including in Germany, the UK
and Japan, and is a renowned international bakery
judge. A competitive baker, Griffin won bronze at
the 1997 Coupe D’ Europe de la Boulangerie and
coached the Irish bakery team. He is also a licensed
pilot, judo blackbelt instructor and author of six
acclaimed books, including “The Art of Lamination”
and “Panettone – The King of Bread.” He was recently
named a global ambassador for Anchor Butter and
taught in Japan to more than 4400 students.

Pastry Arts 107

Cottage Life

Expanding The Cottage Bakery

Writing A
Cookbook
By Deanna Martinez-Bey

108 Pastry Arts

 F
or cottage bakers,
crafting a cookbook
is a strategic way
to boost sales and
expand your brand. Sharing
your unique recipes and
baking secrets can connect
you with a broader audience
and turn your passion into
a thriving business. Here
are some tips and tricks to
help you on your journey to
becoming a published author
and successful cottage bakery 3. Make certain each recipe is well-tested
entrepreneur. and perfected to ensure consistent results
for your audience.

Write Engaging and Clear Instructions

Discover Your Unique Voice and Niche
Your recipes should be easy to follow, even
The first step in writing a cookbook is to for novice bakers. Write clear, step-by-step
define your unique voice and niche. What instructions and include helpful tips and
sets your cottage bakery apart from others? tricks. Remember, you’re not just sharing a
It could be your use of local ingredients, your list of ingredients and steps; you’re guiding
focus on gluten-free or vegan baking, or someone through the process. Use friendly
your specialty in traditional family recipes. and engaging language, as if you were talking
Identify what makes your bakery special and to a friend in your kitchen. This personal
let that be the theme of your cookbook. This touch will make your cookbook more
will make your book stand out and attract a enjoyable and accessible.
specific audience who shares your interests
and values.
Include Beautiful Photography
Organize Your Recipes People eat with their eyes first, and a
cookbook is no exception. Invest in high-
Before you start writing: quality photography to showcase your
1. Gather all your recipes and organize them. baked goods. Beautiful, mouth-watering
2. Consider grouping them into categories images will entice readers and inspire them
such as breakfast treats, desserts, breads to try your recipes. If you’re not confident
and seasonal favorites. This will structure in your photography skills, consider hiring a
your cookbook and make it easier for professional photographer specializing in food
readers to navigate. photography.

Pastry Arts 109

Share Your Story Editing: Catching Errors and Typos
Even the best writers make mistakes. An
Your readers will be curious about the editor will catch typos, grammatical errors
person behind the recipes. Include a and other mistakes that can detract from the
section about your journey as a cottage professionalism of your cookbook. A clean,
baker, your inspiration and the story behind error-free text makes a much better impression
your bakery. Sharing personal anecdotes
on readers.
and the history of your favorite recipes
can create a deeper connection with your Self-Publish or Find a Publisher
readers and make your cookbook more Once your manuscript is complete, you have
memorable. two main options: self-publishing or finding
a publisher. Self-publishing gives you more
Design with Care control over the process and potentially higher
profits, but requires more upfront investments,
The design of your cookbook should such as editing, cover design and layout. A
reflect your bakery’s brand and style. publisher can provide more resources and a
Choose a clean, easy-to-read and visually more comprehensive distribution network,
appealing layout. Use fonts and colors but may offer less control and lower royalties.
that complement your bakery’s aesthetic. Either way, you will need to learn about
Pay attention to details such as margins, marketing your book. If readers do not know
spacing and the book’s overall flow to about it, they can’t buy it! Research both
ensure a pleasant reading experience. options to decide which is best for you.

110 Pastry Arts

Self-Publishing Promote Your Cookbook
Publishing your cookbook through Kindle Writing the cookbook is just the beginning.
Direct Publishing (KDP) is a straightforward To increase sales, you need to promote your
and effective way to reach a global audience. book effectively. Use social media platforms,
Start by formatting your manuscript according your bakery’s website and email newsletters
to KDP’s guidelines (Word doc.), ensuring to reach your audience. Consider hosting
your recipes and images are clear and well- book signings, baking classes or special events
organized. Create an eye-catching cover that in order to create buzz around your book.
reflects the essence of your cookbook. Collaborate with local bookstores, cafes,
podcasters and food bloggers to expand your
Next, set up a KDP account, upload
reach.
your manuscript and cover, and complete
the necessary details, including the book
description, keywords and pricing. KDP offers Engage with Your Audience
eBook and print version options. With KDP,
you retain control over your work and earn After your cookbook is published, continue
royalties from every sale. KDP offers the to engage with your audience. Encourage
option to utilize your ISBN directly from them readers to share their experiences and photos
of your recipes on social media. Respond to
at no charge, as opposed to paying hundreds
their comments and questions to build a loyal
of dollars elsewhere.
community around your brand. Continuous
engagement will keep your cookbook
relevant and drive ongoing sales. Add a direct
purchase link to every social media post you
make. Potential readers will not take the time
to hunt down your book!
Writing a cookbook is a labor of love that
can significantly benefit your cottage bakery.
Sharing your unique recipes and story can
attract new customers, strengthen your brand
and take your business to new heights.

Deanna Martinez-Bey is a cottage baker, baking

class instructor, content creator and multi-genre
author. With 18 published books under her
belt and a certified cottage bakery, everything
she does revolves around food and writing in
one way, shape or form. Visit her Etsy shop for
recipes and printables: https://www.etsy.com/
shop/DeannasRecipeBox

Pastry Arts 111

Profile

Yoonjung Oh
Young And Upcoming Pastry Chef
By Tish Boyle

112 Pastry Arts

Y
oonjung
Oh is a
young and
upcoming
pastry chef with
experience working
at two-star Michelin
restaurants such as Jônt
and Bresca, among others. First of all, where are you from and
Born and raised in South how did you first get into pastry?
Korea, she emigrated to I was born in Korea and came to America 12
years ago. I’ve always had a passion for pastry
the U.S. 12 years ago and as a hobby in Korea, and I just love visiting
completed her education cake shops and watching videos of beautiful
cakes. My parents suggested I visit America
at the Culinary Institute of because my brother was living in New York.
America. She has gained The experience living in a different country
gave me the chance to start anew, drawing
experience working something from a blank page. That’s when I
at several fine-dining discovered the Culinary Institute of America
in New York, and was captivated by their
restaurants starting at curriculum. That’s how my journey into pastry
Aquavit, and she currently began. The more I learned in school, the
deeper my interest and passion grew.
works as Executive
Pastry Chef at Hive What was your first job you got after
Hospitality. She believes that program and how did you get it?
I started working at Aquavit in New York as
that communication and an intern during school, and returned after
respect are important graduating to learn more about cooking and
baking. It was my first job in fine dining, so
skills to have in the everything was new and challenging. I was
kitchen when working also learning about different cultures because
all the chefs were Swedish. It was a great
with international chefs. chance for me to learn about balancing savory
ingredients in pastry, which they love using. It
was a valuable lesson to create desserts that
blend sweet and savory flavors.

Pastry Arts 113

What a great opportunity to work where I could share Korean culture by using
at Aquavit as a first job out of CIA. unique Korean ingredients unfamiliar to
What would be an example of a Americans. One example was the walnut cake
which is a popular Korean winter street snack.
dessert at Aquavit (a two-star Michelin
Sharing my culture through dessert was a very
Restaurant) that had savory flavors in fun experience for me.
it?
It was a long time ago, but I recall using
You kept getting hired at Michelin star
Sunchoke, fermentation and pickling methods
with fennel and rye.
restaurants, as they do not simply take
anybody – how did you deal with the
pressure in the kitchen to maintain
Tell us about your next job at Jungsik. those very high standards?
It was also a two-star Michelin
restaurant. What were some of the Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t,
but I tried to stay positive every day and do
desserts that you put on the Jungsik
my best. I don’t think about tomorrow or next
menu? week. I keep telling myself I am not here to be
I spent six years at Jungsik, starting as a pastry unhappy or overly stressed; I am here to be
cook and eventually becoming the Executive happy and learn. I simply try to remind myself
Pastry Chef. It was a rewarding experience so that I can enjoy it.

114 Pastry Arts

You are currently the Executive
Pastry Chef for Hive Hospitality,
where you oversee the pastry
programs at both Jônt and Bresca.
Tell me about the cuisine at each
restaurant, both savory and
desserts?
Hive Hospitality owns Jônt and Bresca
in DC, and Maass and Ômo in Florida. I
travel to Florida whenever we change the
dessert menu, which is seasonal. It’s more
often than four times a year. Sometimes it works,
sometimes it doesn’t,
Tell us about the cuisine at each
restaurant and what some of the but I tried to stay
most popular menu items are.
Jônt’s main dessert contains grilled ice positive every day
cream with chocolate crumble, and
inside the charcoal shape is grilled and do my best.
cream, chocolate caramel, pecan praline,
chocolate cake, all dipped in chocolate.
Jônt is French with a Japanese influence,
but I try to use Korean ingredients.

Pastry Arts 115

 Skills can be taught,
but attitude and a
willingness to learn
are paramount.

You probably have tasting menus at

each of these restaurants. What are
some of the desserts you have on the
tasting menu? At Jônt for example, do
you have flights of desserts?
We are currently serving a peach progression,
which is a peach tart, peach cookie, and peach
entremets with sorbet. We are also serving
the charcoal dessert and a box with seven
different mignardises.

Are you doing a flight of desserts for a

tasting menu at Bresca?
What about Bresca, and do you work Bresca has an a la carte menu during the week
with Ryan Ratino there? He won the and a tasting menu on weekends. Bresca
offers a popcorn, milkweed and strawberry
Michelin Guide’s Young Chef Award in
vanilla cloud cake, with entremets with uber
2023. sorbet. We also do a chocolate tree with
Bresca is American but has French influence. It coffee ice cream.
is in the same building as Jônt so we share the
kitchen. Bresca also uses many Japanese and
What are your favorite ingredients to
Asian ingredients. I met Ryan two years ago at
an event and we became friends. That’s why I work with and how do you use them?
moved to D.C. and started this job. We work It depends on the season and what I am
as friends and I am learning a lot from him. I craving. I like to use roasted soybean powder.
am inspired by his passion and leadership, and I love the burnt, grilled smell and the flavor, so
his respect for me as a pastry chef. I use that a lot in my desserts.

116 Pastry Arts

What is the most important thing you planned, but we are not here to be unhappy
do that makes you good at your job? and overly stressed every day. Try to show
Is it simply your talent or is it your attitude and willingness and follow your
organization or how you relate to and passion. That will change your pastry career.
train your staff?
Communication, respect and willingness to How do you escape from being sucked
learn from other people, even from other into your job 24/7?
departments such as savory and front of I try not to think of work, except at the
house. There is always something to learn entrance of the restaurant. As an Executive
from everyone. Pastry Chef my job is to think about work at
home and on my day off, but if I don’t have to,
Can you give us some kitchen tips, I don’t think or talk about work with friends.
either specific or general, something I love swimming and do it daily. I walk a lot
and go to the movies. Being a coffee lover I
that will improve your life in the
explore many coffee shops.
kitchen, what are yours?
Skills can be taught, but attitude and
a willingness to learn are paramount. What was your most important skill or
Maintaining a positive attitude and showing asset when you first started as a pastry
gratitude for each day can transform your chef, and what is your most important
experience in the kitchen. I know every day skill today?
cannot be perfect and sometimes your day I usually follow the directions exactly, even
will be full of mistakes and nothing will go as down to one gram when scaling something.
People think one gram is not a big deal, and
choose to use three grams instead. I follow
the directions exactly, and when I don’t, it
feels weird.

What is your favorite Korean

dessert, and do you ever put your
own version on the menu?
I love the walnut cake, but I wouldn’t
say it’s my favorite. My favorite
Korean dessert would not work
at Jônt or Bresca, but would suit
a casual restaurant. It’s called a
croffle which is a combination
between a croissant and a waffle.
They bake croissant batter in a
waffle machine and serve it with
ice cream and shaved brown
cheese. I had it at a coffee shop in
Korea last year and it was so good
that I had it twice a week.

Pastry Arts 117

Promotions

PROMO
PLANNER
Utilize this calendar of upcoming national
and international holidays to craft unique
promotional activities and special menu
offerings. The planner is designed for
pastry and baking professionals looking
to capitalize on popular celebrations and
niche food days.

118 Pastry Arts

 NOVEMBER

November 4 November 15 November 22

National National Spicy National

Candy Day Hermit Cookie Cranberry
Day Relish Day
November 5
National November 17
November 26
Doughnut National
Day National Cake
Homemade Day
Bread Day
November 7
National November 20
Bittersweet National
Chocolate Peanut Butter
with Almonds Fudge Day
Day
November 21
November 10 National
National Gingerbread
Vanilla Cookie Day Inka Travel Cakes by Chef Karim
Bourgi from Issue 23
Cupcake Day

November 11 November 27

National National
Sundae Day Bavarian Cream
Pie Day
November 13
National November 30
Indian Pudding Berner Lebkuchen: National
The Original Gingerbread
Day by Nick Malgieri from Issue 2 Mousse Day
Pastry Arts 119
 DECEMBER

December 1 December 9 December 19

National Pie Day National National
Pastry Day Oatmeal
December 4
Muffin Day
National
December 15
Cookie Day
National December 22
Cupcake Day National
December 5
Date Nut
National Bread Day
Sacher Torte
Day
December 25

December 7
National
Pumpkin Pie Day
National
Cotton Candy
Day December 26

Chocolate by Ghirardelli
National Candy
December 8
from Issue 8 Cane Day
National December 16
Brownie Day National December 27
Chocolate- National
covered Fruitcake Day
Anything Day
December 28
December 19 National
Plant-Based Chocolate Avocado
Brownies + Matcha by Anne
National Hard Chocolate
Lanute from Issue 10 Candy Day Candy Day
120 Pastry Arts
 JANUARY

January 15
National
Strawberry Ice
Cream Day

January 15
National
Bagel Day
Chocolate Cream Puffs by TCHO from Issue 5

January 2 January 6 January 19

National Cream National National
Puff Day Shortbread Popcorn Day
Day
January 3
January 20
National
Chocolate January 10 National
Covered National Buttercrunch
Cherry Day Bittersweet Day
Chocolate Day

January 12
National
Marzipan Day

January 13
Ghirardelli Chocolate Cherry
Cake by Jimmy MacMillan
National Poire en Deux by Chef Richard
from Issue 18 Gluten-Free Day Hawke from Issue 9

Pastry Arts 121

 JANUARY

January 21 January 28
National National
Granola Blueberry
Bar Day Pancake Day

January 22 Chocolate Chess Board January 29

by Sean Dwyer from Issue 14
National National Corn
Blonde January 25 Chip Day
Brownie Day National
Chocolate Cake January 30
January 23 Day National
National Croissant Day
January 26
Pie Day
National Matcha Croissant
by Vincent Attali
Peanut from Issue 8
Brittle Day

Peanut Butter and Jelly

by Jean-François from
Issue 6

Banana Cream Pie

by Toni Roberts from Issue 5

January 24
National January 31
Peanut National Hot
Butter Day Chocolate Day
122 Pastry Arts
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Fruit Forward

FRUIT INTELLIGENCE:

FIG By Michael Laiskonis

Culinary Director, Boiron Americas

124 Pastry Arts Sponsored by Les vergers Boiron

 A
content reaching 20° Brix. These legendary
fruits were granted Appellation d’Origine
Controlée (AOC) status in 2006, and further
s the long recognized as a product worthy of Appellation
hot days of d’Origine Protégée (AOP) in 2015. Working
summer yield with a 100-year old family farm in Solliës-
Pont north of the coastal city of Toulon,
to cooler
is a prime example of the many producer
autumn vibes, partnerships Boiron has maintained with fruit
there is one fresh fruit in growers over several decades.
particular that manages to The fig harvest in Solliës begins in mid-
August and continues into November;
bridge the seasonality gap multiple passes through the orchards and
– fig. At home alongside strict selection criteria allow fruits to mature
bright warm weather flavors fully and sweeten throughout the long
season. The careful handling of these precious
like berries and stone fruits,
fruits at Boiron’s facility near Valence (a three-
this versatile ingredient is hour drive north of Solliës-Pont) preserves
equally up to pairing with the purple color of the fruit, and the resulting
the bold, spicy flavors of fall. purée exhibits a strong aromatic profile with
complex fruit and nut notes and a desirable
sugar-acid balance. The thick texture and
subtle ‘crunch’ of the achenes offer the
perception of freshly crushed figs.
Botanically speaking, the fig is a type of fruit Figs pair well with a wide array of
known as a syconium. Within its purple-brown complementary flavors: honey, chestnut,
skin, each pear-shaped fruit conceals a rose- cinnamon, pear, raspberry, mint, almond and
colored flesh containing a multitude of florets caramel to name just a few. Their sweet,
that develop into achenes – or, technically, earthy profile makes them perfect foils for tart
thousands of potential fruits within a single citrus and tangy dairy products such as yogurt
‘fruit’ – resulting in the unique textural and goat cheese. Applications in desserts
‘crunch’ we experience when enjoying figs. include sorbet and ice cream, ganache
Evidence suggests the fig was among the very and confections, and versatile creams and
first fruit trees to be domesticated, dating compotes.
back over 10,000 years to the very beginnings Among my favorite fig-inspired recipes are
of organized agriculture. From ancient times the Fig-Apricot Pâte de Fruit I pair with Petit
through to the modern era, the cultivation Basque in a sweet-and-savory composed
of figs is most associated with the hot, sunny cheese course; a Fig Compote offering a twist
Mediterranean basin – from Southern Europe to classic Basque Tart; and a rich Fig Jam
to the Middle East and North Africa. offering a fruity counterpoint to a hazelnut
Among the most highly praised fig varieties praline chocolate bar.
is the Violette de Solliës, sourced by Les For more recipe inspiration and technical
vergers Boiron from the Provence region of information about Les vergers Boiron’s
southeastern France. The plump, purple figs Purple Fig purée, visit: www.my-vb.com and
of the Gapeau River valley are known for follow along as we explore our origins and
subtle red fruit notes and a high natural sugar applications at @les_vergers_boiron_americas.

Pastry Arts 125

 FIG
BASQUE
TART
By Michael Laiskonis,
Culinary Director, Boiron Americas

126 Pastry Arts

 I
have long been enamored by the flaky texture and sense of
‘surprise’ offered by the classic Basque Tart. The traditional tart
of vanilla cream encased in pastry is given added complexity
with a fig-raspberry compote and further dressed up with
vanilla gelato, raspberry coulis, and crushed pistachio.
Yield: 2 each 18 cm large-format tarts; alternatively, 8 each 7.5 cm
small-format tarts

Vanilla Gelato Vanilla Cream

• 600 g whole milk • 500 g whole milk
• 175 g heavy cream, 36% fat • 1 piece vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 1 piece vanilla bean, split and scraped • 125 g sucrose
• 45 g nonfat dry milk powder • 42 g corn starch
• 140 g sucrose • 1 g salt
• 20 g dextrose • 80 g egg yolks
• 20 g invert sugar • 10 g unsalted butter
• 2 g ice cream stabilizer
Total weight: approximately 750 g
Total weight: 1000 g
1. Place the milk and vanilla bean into a
1. Place the milk, cream, and vanilla in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Combine
saucepan. Whisk in dry milk to rehydrate the sucrose, cornstarch and salt; gradually
and add the sucrose, dextrose, invert whisk into the egg yolks.
sugar and stabilizer. Bring just to a boil. 2. Carefully temper half of the hot milk into
2. Remove from heat, discard vanilla bean, the yolks, whisking continuously. Return
and homogenize with an immersion the mixture to the saucepan and whisk
blender. Chill in an ice-water bath. Allow continuously on medium heat until it
the mix to mature at least 12 hours. comes to a boil. Remove from heat and
3. Process in batch freezer; extract the mix whisk in the butter.
at 23°F (-5˚C). Alternatively, transfer to 3. Strain and transfer to a shallow container
PacoJet canisters and freeze; process as and cover with plastic film. Chill and store
needed. Continue to harden the gelato at under refrigeration.
0˚F (-18˚C) as necessary.

Pastry Arts 127

 Fig Compote Basque Tart Dough
• 300 g Les vergers Boiron Fig purée • 135 g unsalted butter, softened
• 100 g Les vergers Boiron Raspberry • 100 g sucrose
purée • 2.5 g salt
• 60 g sucrose • 70 g almond flour
• 4 g pectin NH • 50 g egg yolks
• 1 g citric acid • 150 g all-purpose flour
• 2.5 g baking powder
Total weight: 465 g • Egg wash, as needed

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the Total weight: approximately 500 g

purées and heat to 104°F (40°C).
2. Combine the sucrose and pectin and 1. Combine the butter, sucrose and salt in the
whisk into the purée. Bring to a boil, bowl of a stand mixer; cream the mixture
stirring continually. with the paddle attachment. Add the almond
3. Remove from heat and stir in the citric flour, and then slowly add the egg yolks one
acid. Chill. at a time until incorporated. Scrape down
4. Transfer to a small bowl, cover the bowl between each addition. Add the
with plastic film and cool to room flour and baking powder and mix until just
temperature. Mix to pipe-able combined.
consistency. 2. Chill the mixture and let it rest a minimum
of one hour. Roll the dough with a liberal
amount of flour to a thickness of 3 mm; cut
two discs with a diameter of 22 cm and line
18 cm rings prepared with pan spray. Reserve
chilled. Cut two additional discs measuring 18
cm and reserve chilled.
3. Pipe the Vanilla Cream into the lined shell,
approximately two-thirds full, and freeze
to set. Remove from the freezer and fill the
remainder of the tart with the fig jam. Top
with the smaller disc of dough and seal with
egg wash. Freeze for a minimum of two hours,
well wrapped.
4. Invert the tart and brush with the egg wash,
score a cross-hatch pattern with a paring
knife, and cut a vent hole into the top of each
tart; bake at 320°F (160°C) in a convection
oven with a low fan setting until golden
brown, approximately 25-30 minutes.
5. Allow to cool slightly before removing the tart
ring. Hold at room temperature for service.

128 Pastry Arts

 Raspberry Coulis Assembly
• 200 g Les vergers Boiron Raspberry • confectioner’s sugar
purée • pistachios, chopped
• 25 g invert sugar • fresh figs
• Vanilla Gelato
Total weight: 225 g • Raspberry coulis

1. Combine the raspberry purée and 1. Once tarts are cooled, finish the
invert sugar in a small saucepan and tarts with the confectioner’s sugar,
gently heat. Maintain a simmer for 5 pistachios and fresh figs. Finish with
minutes. Vanilla Gelato and Raspberry Coulis.
2. Remove from heat and chill.

Pastry Arts 129

FIG-
HAZELNUT
BAR
By Michael Laiskonis
Culinary Director, Boiron Americas

130 Pastry Arts

 T
he natural sugar content of fig provides a perfect
pairing with the deep caramel and roasted notes of
hazelnut praline. The use of isomalt in the fig jam
reduces the overall sweetness while still providing
low water activity and increased shelf life.

Yield: approximately 20 pieces

5. Transfer to a small bowl, cover with plastic

Fig Jam film and cool to room temperature. Mix to
pipeable consistency and deposit into pre-
• 65 g Les vergers Boiron Fig purée cast bar molds.
• 35 g Les vergers Boiron Apricot purée
• 15 g sucrose (1) Hazelnut Praline
• 1.5 g yellow pectin
• 45 g sucrose (2) • 20 g cocoa butter, melted
• 45 g isomalt • 20 g milk chocolate, melted
• 30 g glucose syrup • 165 g hazelnut praline paste
• 1.5 g citric acid
Yield: approximately 200 g

Total weight: 238 g

1. Add the melted cocoa butter and
chocolate to the praline paste. Heat the
1. In a small saucepan, combine the purées whole mixture to 113°F (45°C).
and heat to 104°F (40°C). 2. Pour the praline mixture onto a marble,
2. Combine the first measurement of sucrose working briefly with an offset spatula to
(1) and the pectin and whisk into the purée. cool to 86°F (30°C).
Bring to a boil, stirring continually. 3. Deposit into bar molds over the Fig Jam
3. Add the remaining sucrose (2), isomalt and and allow to crystallize.
glucose. Resume a boil. 4. Seal the bonbon molds and allow them to
4. Remove from heat and stir in the citric acid. crystallize fully before unmolding.

Pastry Arts 131

 ‘PETIT
BASQUE’
By Michael Laiskonis
Culinary Director, Boiron Americas

132 Pastry Arts

 A
s I’ll admit that even as a pastry chef, sometimes the last
thing I’m looking for in a ‘last course’ is something sweet.
While I think it’s important to always save room for dessert,
I’m often swayed by the alternative of a composed cheese
course. At the very least, I may even squeeze the cheese in
before dessert!
From a creative perspective, a composed cheese plate allows an
exciting opportunity to straddle the line that separates sweet from savory.
The cheese is the star of the show, of course, but the accompaniments we
choose can play an important role as supporting actors. I often try to start
with a palette of basic tastes – sweet, salty, bitter, acid – as inspiration
and follow that with spice or heat; the balance of these elements will, of
course, be determined by the flavors offered by the cheese itself.
To demonstrate this approach, we could start with a favorite of mine,
Petit Basque. Produced in the French Pyrenees, it’s a semi-firm sheep’s
milk cheese that is nutty, earthy, and occasionally accompanied by just a
hint of ‘funkiness.’ As I start to explore the range of supporting flavors at
my disposal, I really need to look no further than the region the cheese
hails from – the vibrant Basque country that incorporates parts of France
and Spain.

Yield: approximately 12 composed cheese plates

1. Place the purées into a large, heavy

Fig-Apricot Pâte de Fruit saucepan and heat to 104°F (40°C).
2. Combine the first measurement of sucrose
• 200 g Les vergers Boiron Fig purée (1) and the pectin and whisk into the
• 50 g Les vergers Boiron Apricot purée purées. Bring to a boil over medium heat,
• 30 g sucrose (1) stirring continually.
• 4 g yellow pectin 3. Add the remaining sucrose (2) and glucose
in multiple additions; continue to cook to
• 210 g sucrose (2)
a final temperature of 223°F (106°C).
• 40 g glucose syrup
4. Remove from heat and stir in the citric
• 3.5 g citric acid acid.
5. Immediately pour into a plastic-lined 12
Total weight: 537.5 g cm square frame and allow to set.

Pastry Arts 133

 Marcona Almond Praline Assembly
• 56 g unsalted butter • Fig-Apricot Pâte de Fruit
• 85 g sucrose • Petit Basque
• 12 g glucose syrup • Marcona praline
• 12 g water • Marcona almonds, whole
• 40 g Marcona almonds (roasted and • Confit lemon peel
salted), ground • Peach Vinegar Gastrique
• Nasturtium leaf
Total weight: 205 g • Spanish pimentón

1. Melt the butter in a small heavy saucepan. 1. Cut a thin slice of the Fig-Apricot Pâte
Remove from heat and stir in the sucrose, de Fruit and place on the plate. Arrange
glucose syrup and water. Cook, stirring the sliced Petit Basque, broken Marcona
occasionally, until the mixture reaches praline, whole almonds and pieces of
300°F (150°C). lemon confit on and around the pâte de
2. Remove from heat, stir in the almonds, fruit.
and spread out onto a Silpat® lined half- 2. Finish with a few drops of the Peach
sheet pan or marble to cool and harden. Vinegar Gastrique, nasturtium leaf, and
pimentón.

Peach Vinegar Gastrique

• 125 g sucrose
• 25 g water
• 45 g peach vinegar
• 25 g Les vergers Boiron White
Peach purée

Total weight: 220 g

1. Combine the sucrose and

water to moisten in a small
saucepan. Cook to a very
light caramel color.
2. Remove from heat, and
slowly add the vinegar
and purée. Return to heat
and cook to dissolve any
hardened bits of sugar.
Continue to cook to 221°F
(105˚C). Allow to cool.

134 Pastry Arts

Profile

Revenge of the

PASTRY
NERD
Said M’Dahoma

136 Pastry Arts

 The Q&A

Did your passion for baking stem

solely from a desire to recreate
those Parisian desserts you
missed, or did you have some
prior baking experience?
I was born and raised in Paris, where
there are tons of pastry shops. When

C
I moved to Calgary, there weren’t
as many desserts available as the
algary, Alberta is a ones that I grew up with. That’s what
thriving, cosmopolitan motivated me to start baking ten years
ago. I just wanted to just bring a piece
city set against
of home with me.
the backdrop of
the breathtaking
You mentioned using your
Canadian Rockies. But one-time
scientific background to
Neuroscience-PhD student Saïd enhance your baking skills.
M’Dahoma thought Calgary was Could you elaborate on how
missing something - the French principles from neuroscience
pastries he had enjoyed as a kid. He have influenced your approach
taught himself to recreate favorites to pastry making?
such as fruit tarts and mousse When I was working in a laboratory,
cakes using a lab-honed methodical I was performing experiments that
approach. As he built his skills, he required me to weigh different
gained national attention for his ingredients to a precision of 0.1 grams
and be highly organized. Also, to get
work. Now, he shares his knowledge the best formula for your experiments,
and skills with a worldwide audience you have to change the formula one
of pastry enthusiasts interested not chemical compound at a time, the
just in recipes, but also the science same as when working on recipe
development, where you have to
behind successful pastries.
change one ingredient at a time to find
the best recipe possible.

Pastry Arts 137

Transitioning from academia to make beautiful desserts and are not interested
entrepreneurship in the culinary world in superficial content. What worked best for
can be daunting. What were some of me was sharing not only the recipe but also
the biggest challenges you faced, and explaining the reason why one step has to be
how did you overcome them? done in a certain way versus another. What
resonates a lot with my audience is when I
Some of the biggest challenges I faced explain why something fails and how to make
when I transitioned from academia to sure that it does not happen again.
entrepreneurship were, first of all, the sheer
amount of physical work that there is in the
culinary world. Long hours standing was not Being named Foodie of the Year in
something I was used to. It’s a very difficult, Western Canada and being invited as
very physical job. Another thing I had difficulty a judge for CBC Radio are impressive
understanding was how to generate revenue. achievements. How have these
Is it better to sell cakes or teach? You’re always
experiences influenced your career and
thinking about the best way to make money in
the most efficient way. personal growth?
For me, being featured in these magazines
As “The Pastry Nerd,” you’ve built a or presenting a recipe on TV is like a dream
come true. I have worked a lot over these last
substantial online following. What
ten years to reach a certain level of pastry
strategies have you found most
knowledge and technique, so it’s always
effective in engaging with your great to see your work being recognized and
audience and sharing your expertise? acknowledged. This gave me more confidence
Nowadays, more people want to learn how to that I should pursue this career change.

138 Pastry Arts

You have to change
one ingredient at
a time to find the
best recipe possible.

Pastry Arts 139

 In your opinion, what are some
common misconceptions people have
about French pastry, and how do you
address them through your teaching
and content?
A lot of people think that French pastry is very
complicated and unattainable. Yes, there are
difficult desserts, but also very easy ones. A
simple choux a la crème or even a clafoutis is
really good and not too difficult to make.

How do you approach innovation

while staying true to traditional French
techniques and items?
I love tradition, but I think that there is always
room for innovation in French pastry. I really
enjoy playing with textures and flavors. I
always try to reduce the amount of fat and
sugar in creams or season my desserts with
The French influence on your work is spices not often used in the world of pastry,
clear! Are you also able to incorporate like timut pepper, fennel seeds, etc.
your Comorian background into your
pastries, either in terms of techniques
or flavors?
Comoros is an archipelago close to
Madagascar. My family grows vanilla there,
but you can also find clove, nutmeg, lime leaf,
mango, lychee. I love to use these spices,
especially vanilla from my family, to season
my desserts and give them a special flavor
from home.

Can you tell us more about your I love tradition,

courses and what inspired you to
create them? but I think that there
I have several courses available where I teach
amateur bakers how to make more advanced
is always room
pastries such as croissants, mousse cakes or
tarts. The goal is to provide lifetime access
for innovation in
to courses that will help people master these
pastries from home. Students can watch the
French pastry.
videos and read the PDFs at their own pace
from wherever they are in the world.

140 Pastry Arts

What advice would you give to aspiring Outside of baking, you’re
pastry chefs who are considering a career passionate about fitness and
change or starting their own baking enjoy watching anime. How do
business? these interests contribute to your
The world of pastry can be very difficult, with long overall well-being and creativity
hours and not a lot of money. You really have to be in your culinary pursuits?
passionate to thrive in this world because working
in the field can be quite different from just making Boxing is a way for me to stay
pastries from home. I always recommend to start by physically and mentally healthy. I can
selling pastries at a pop-up, first to be able to see get out the stress while punching and
if you enjoy making pastries in bulk, but also to see interacting with friends there. I also
if there is a public who is interested in your baked love watching anime to relax at night.
goods. If you enjoy teaching, start by teaching your It’s when I am relaxed that most of my
friends how to make your favorite goods. pastry/business ideas come to mind.

Pastry Arts 141

 As someone who values a balanced Looking ahead, where do you see
life, how do you manage the yourself and The Pastry Nerd in
demands of running your business the next five years? Are there
while maintaining personal time any new ventures or goals you’re
and self-care? working towards?
It’s easy to get absorbed by work when In the next five years, I hope that I will
running a business, because there is be able to have a brick-and-mortar
always something to do. I try to have at location where I will be able to teach
least half a day a week when I don’t work amateur bakers how to make French
at all and have most of my nights free to pastry. I would also love to write a
decompress. I have had a burnout once, so cookbook.
self-care is a priority.

142 Pastry Arts

I hope to inspire
as many people Finally, what does success look like
to you in the realm of pastry arts,
as possible to and how do you hope to inspire
bake and enjoy others through your journey and
accomplishments?
pastries. For me, success is seeing my students make
beautiful desserts from home and hearing
about how they shared them with their friends
and family, who also enjoyed them. I hope to
inspire as many people as possible to bake and
enjoy pastries!

What inspired you to share your skills

with others and offer classes? Do you
find the online format a challenge
in terms of connecting with your
students?
I noticed that many recipes do not go into
enough detail. You have a series of tasks, but
never know the reason why you do them in
a certain order, or what to do if something
fails. I love to understand the recipe in-depth,
as it reduces the chances of failure. I created
the courses for the pastry nerds who really
want to dive deep into the world of pastry and
understand how it works.
The online format can definitely be a
challenge when connecting with my students.
To create a sense of community among my
students, I have a Facebook group where I
chat with them to help them with any problem
they might have.

Photos courtesy of Said M’Dahoma

Pastry Arts 143

Recipe

Chocolate
Raspberry
Indulgence
By Matthew Ratliff

144 Pastry Arts Sponsored by Ghirardelli Chocolate Company

 T
his dessert
Cocoa Sablé for
highlights the
the Tart Shell
classic combination
• 4 g salt
of raspberry and
• 820 g cake flour
chocolate. With • 50 g cornstarch
the deep and robust chocolate • 125 g Ghirardelli Majestic Premium Cocoa
flavor of Ghirardelli 100% Powder
• 270 g confectioners’ sugar
Cacao Unsweetened Chocolate
• 500 g butter, soft
Wafers, this chocolate tart • 150 g eggs
is a new level of indulgence. • Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Chocolate Chips,
Contrasted with bright and melted, as needed
tart Raspberry Compote
1. Sift all of the dry ingredients together,
and Raspberry Chantilly, the including the Majestic Premium Cocoa
richness in this dessert will Powder.
satisfy your greatest chocolate 2. Add the soft, room-temperature butter
and mix with a paddle until the butter is in
craving.
super-fine pieces.
Yield: 16 portions 3. Add the eggs and mix until the dough
almost comes together. Take the dough
out of the mixer and knead by hand until it
comes together.
4. Press the dough flat and plastic wrap it,
Chocolate Pebbles then refrigerate the dough overnight.
5. Take the dough out and sheet it down to
• 100 g Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Chocolate
2 mm (⅛ of an inch).
Chips
6. Using a 2 ½-inch tart ring, cut out a circle
• Maltodextrin, as needed (about ¾ cup)
with the ring and place it onto the baking
sheet.
1. Melt the chocolate, then stir in the 7. Cut a 1-inch-wide strip that is 8-inches
maltodextrin until the chocolate starts to long. Take the strip of dough and line the
get crumbly. tart ring, pressing down gently into the
2. While the chocolate still has some mass, bottom. Trim off excess from the top of
chill until set. the ring.
3. Place the chocolate in a Robot Coupe® 8. Bake the tart shells at 320°F (160°C) in a
and process until you reach the desired convection oven with medium fan speed
size. for about 10 minutes.
4. Sift out the dust with a fine sieve, and sift 9. Let the shells cool, and brush the inside
out large pieces, if wanted. with 60% Cacao Chocolate. Dip the rim of
5. Reserve in a cool place as you would the tart in the chocolate and dip into the
chocolate. Chocolate Pebbles.

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 8. Fold half of the chocolate into the yolk
Chocolate mousse mixture, add ⅓ of the cream, then add
the remaining chocolate. Last, add the
• 15 g Knox powdered gelatin remaining cream.
• 71 g water, divided. 9. Fold all together and pipe into molds. Here,
• 553 g Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Chocolate I used Silkomart® Stone Mold SF163.
Chips
• 1360 g cream Joconde
• 213 g yolks
• 298 g granulated sugar • 88 g almond Flour
• 88 g confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1. Combine the powdered gelatin and 71 g • 28 g cake flour
of the water (make sure that the water is • 7 g glucose
cold) and set aside to hydrate.
• 119 g whole eggs
2. Melt the chocolate and keep warm at
• 18 g melted butter
115°F (46°C).
• 28 g granulated sugar
3. Whip the cream to soft peaks and reserve.
• 77 g egg whites
4. Combine the sugar and the 128 g of water
and boil to 240°F (116°C) or bubble stage. 1. Combine the almond flour, confectioners’
5. When the sugar reaches the correct sugar and flour and mix well.
temperature, remove it from the heat 2. Add the glucose and whole eggs and whip
immediately and stream the sugar into for three minutes on high speed.
the yolks, while whipping on low speed.
After the sugar is all in, increase the speed 3. Heat the butter and keep it hot.
to medium and whip until warm, around 4. Add the sugar to the egg whites and whip
105°F (41°C). to soft peaks.
6. Melt gelatin mass and reserve hot, stirring 5. Temper the butter into the batter and then
as needed. fold in the meringue in by thirds.
7. Remove the yolks and sugar from the 6. Spread the batter onto a ½ sheet pan.
machine and temper in the melted gelatin 7. Bake at 375°F (191°C) in a convection
solution. oven for 5-7 minutes.

146 Pastry Arts

 sprinkle in the pectin sugar mix while
Vanilla Syrup whisking. Cook for 30 seconds at a boil.
4. Add the bloomed gelatin and lemon juice
• 200 g water and stir until the gelatin is fully melted.
• 120 g granulated sugar 5. Fill a 15 g mold ½-way up and add 1-2
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped fresh raspberries and cover if needed with
• 30 g light rum more raspberry compote.

1. Bring the water, sugar and vanilla seeds to Raspberry whipped cream
a simmer.
2. Let cool, and add the rum. • 3 g Knox powdered gelatin
• 15 g water, cold
Raspberry Compote • 200 g raspberry puree, reduced to 120 g
• 5 g lemon juice
• 1 g Knox powdered gelatin • 30 g granulated sugar
• 5 g water, cold • 8 g cocoa butter
• 200 g raspberry puree, divided • 250 g cream, whipped
• 3 g NH pectin
1. Mix gelatin powder with cold water.
• 40 g granulated sugar
2. Bring the raspberry puree to a boil and
• 4 g lemon juice reduce to 120 g. Add the lemon juice,
• Fresh raspberries, as needed sugar, cocoa butter and bloomed gelatin
solution, cool to 80°F (27°C) and add
1. Bloom the powdered gelatin in the water cream.
mixed with 10 g of the puree. 3. Let rest for 6 hours or overnight.
2. Mix the NH pectin with the sugar. 4. Whip in a mixer until stiff peaks form.
3. Bring the rest of the pure to a boil, 5. Pipe with a large rose or St. Honoré tip.

Pastry Arts 147

 6. Cool to 105°F (41°C); mix with an
immersion blender to remove air bubbles.
7. Pour over frozen mousse, swiping off
excess from the top as you are glazing.

Dark Chocolate Crémeux

• 100 g cream
• 15 g glucose
• 5 g vanilla paste
• 100 g milk
• 35 g granulated sugar
• 38 g yolks
• 65 g Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Chocolate
Chips
• 65 g Ghirardelli 100% Cacao
Unsweetened Chocolate Wafers
Chocolate Glaze
1. Heat the cream, glucose, vanilla paste,
• 19 g Knox powdered gelatin milk and sugar to a simmer.
• 231 g water, divided 2. Temper in the yolks and cook to 182°F
(83°C) over low-medium heat while
• 200 g granulated sugar
stirring the bottom of the pot.
• 140 g water
3. Immediately pour over the 60% Cacao
• 62 g cream Chocolate Chips and 100% Cacao
• 90 g glucose Unsweetened Chocolate Wafers.
• 55 g Ghirardelli Majestic Premium Cocoa 4. Emulsify with an immersion blender.
Powder 5. Portion into tart shells over the Joconde.
• 85 g Ghirardelli 100% Cacao
Unsweetened Chocolate Wafers

1. Mix the powdered gelatin into 91 g of the

water (make sure that the water is cold)
and allow it to bloom.
2. Bring the sugar, cream, glucose and the
remaining 140 g of water up to a simmer.
3. Whisk in Ghirardelli Majestic Premium
Cocoa Powder.
4. Mix in the bloomed gelatin.
5. Pour the warm mixture over the 100%
Cacao Unsweetened Chocolate Wafers
and emulsify with an immersion blender.

148 Pastry Arts

 a paintbrush to trace a circle around the
Raspberry Balsamic Sauce inside of the cutter.
2. Let the garnishes set up and peel off the
• 15 g granulated sugar paper.
• 7 g Ultra-Sperse® 3 cold starch
• 15 g high-quality balsamic vinegar Assembly
• 150 g raspberry puree
• 3 g lemon juice • Gold leaf
• 10 g glucose • Fresh raspberries

1. Mix sugar and starch together. 1. Cut out 2 ¼-inch circles from the Joconde
2. Mix balsamic, raspberry puree, lemon juice and soak the circles with Vanilla Syrup.
and glucose together. 2. Insert a round of cake into a chocolate-
3. Whisk in sugar and starch, and let set for lined tart shell.
ten minutes. 3. Fill the tart with the crémeux to just below
4. Mix with an immersion blender. the edge of the shell.
5. Reserve in a squeeze bottle. 4. Let the crémeux set up.
5. Place the glazed mousse on top of the
tart.
Chocolate garnish 6. Pipe the Raspberry Whipped Cream and
add the Chocolate Garnish and gold leaf.
• Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Chocolate Chips, 7. Using piping chocolate, pipe the desired
tempered decoration on your plate.
8. Pipe small bulbs of the Raspberry
1. Using tempered chocolate, comb a strip Whipped Cream onto the plate.
of chocolate over parchment paper. Place 9. Add the sauce and fresh raspberries to the
a 2-inch ring over the chocolate and use plate.

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Recipe

DARK
CHOCOLATE
BUDINO
By Nickey Boyd, Executive Pastry Chef,
Indigo Road Hospitality Group

150 Pastry Arts

T his dessert is inspired
by the perfect
pairing of chocolate
and caramel. Each
component on its
own is perfect,
but when paired
together, they create a perfect marriage
of rich, semi-bitter chocolate and sweet,
salty, creamy caramel.

Yield: 8 servings

Salted Caramel
• 800 g granulated sugar
• 230 g water
• 330 g butter
Chocolate Budino • 460 g heavy cream
• Salt, to taste
• 5 egg yolks, large
• Pinch of salt 1. In a medium saucepan, add the sugar and
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract water. Cook until the sugar caramelizes and
becomes amber-brown.
• 460 g heavy cream
2. Add the butter to the caramel and whisk
• 67 g granulated sugar until the butter is melted and incorporated.
• 2 tsp butter 3. Add the heavy cream and a heaping pinch
• 230 g dark chocolate, 58% of salt and whisk.
4. Set aside to cool.
1. Place the egg yolks, salt and vanilla in a
medium bowl and set aside.
2. In a small pan, heat the cream, sugar and Caramel Powder
butter.
3. Once the cream mixture is hot, temper it • 65 g tapioca maltodextrin
into the egg-yolk mixture. • 200 g prepared Caramel Sauce
4. Pour the mixture over the chocolate, and
let sit for five minutes or until melted. 1. In a food processor, combine the tapioca
5. Whisk until fully incorporated. Pour into maltodextrin and caramel. Pulse until the
desired mold or dish. mixture becomes a powder.

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 Candied Cocoa Nibs Assembly
• 230 g water • Cocoa Powder
• 200 g granulated sugar • Edible Flowers
• 236 g cocoa nibs
1. Dust half of an 8-inch round plate with
1. Bring the water, sugar and cocoa nibs to a cocoa powder.
boil. 2. Place one unmolded budino in the center of
2. Continue to boil until mixture reaches the plate.
245°F (118°C). 3. On half of the budino, place the caramel
3. Strain into a chinois. Dip the chinois powder, candied cocoa nibs and flowers
containing the cocoa nibs into a fryer alternately.
preheated to 350°F (177°C) and fry until
the nibs start rising to the top
(3-5 minutes).
4. Empty the chinois onto a sheet tray lined
with a silicone mat. Photos by Vicki Artorntamarat

152 Pastry Arts

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Recipe

Italian
Pistachio
Olive Oil Cake
By Erin Swanson, Executive Pastry Chef,
Grand Geneva Resort and Spa, Lake Geneva, WI

154 Pastry Arts

T his dessert was
created for
Brissago, our
Italian restaurant
at our Resort. I
wanted something
that would be seasonal for Fall/Winter
and that would be gluten-free. I like
to accommodate as many guests as
possible, so I have at least one gluten-
6. Microwave the butter to the point of
flowing.
free dessert on each menu.
7. Add the olive oil to the butter.
8. Slowly add the butter mixture to the eggs
Yield: 1 10-inch cake while mixing.
9. Add the pistachio extract.
10. Remove from the mixer and fold in the nut
flours until no dry spots are showing.
11. Pour the batter into a prepared 10-inch
Italian Pistachio Cake spring-form pan lined with paper.
12. Bake until set, about 45-60 minutes.
• 440 g pistachio flour
• 160 g almond flour
• 32 g cornstarch Double-Chocolate Ganache
• 1.5 g kosher salt
• 280 g chocolate, 66%
• 500 g granulated sugar
• 56 g milk chocolate
• 4 g orange zest
• 476 g heavy cream
• 12 whole eggs, room temperature
• 280 g unsalted butter, softened
1. Combine the chocolates in a bowl.
• 56 g extra virgin olive oil
2. Heat the heavy cream to a simmer.
• 5 g pistachio extract
3. Pour the hot cream over the chocolates.
4. Gently stir the ganache until combined,
1. Preheat oven to 300°F (149°C). being careful not to add air bubbles.
2. Whisk the pistachio flour, almond flour, 5. While the ganache is still warm, pour it
salt and cornstarch together. over the pistachio cake, just covering the
3. Rub the orange zest into the sugar. surface.
4. Whisk the eggs with a whip attachment on 6. Let set in cooler overnight before cutting.
a mixer. 7. Once the ganache has set, remove it from
5. Add the orange sugar to the eggs and the pan using a hot knife and cut into 16
whip to ribbon stage (7-10 minutes). pieces.

Pastry Arts 155

 6. Slowly add the cold butter while blending
Blood Orange Curd with a hand mixer.
• 300 g blood orange puree 7. Cool in an ice bath with plastic wrap on
the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
• 5 whole egg yolks
• 6 g orange zest
• 150 g granulated sugar Citrus White
• 60 g lemon juice Chocolate Ganache
• 2 g kosher salt
• 435 g heavy cream
• 100 g unsalted butter, cold
• 3 g lemon zest
1. Reduce the blood orange puree to 170 g. • 3 g orange zest
2. Combine the yolks, zest and sugar with a • 170 g white chocolate
whisk, stirring to ribbon stage.
3. Slowly add the hot, reduced blood-orange 1. Heat the heavy cream, lemon zest and
puree while whisking. orange zest in a saucepot almost to a boil.
4. Place the egg mixture, lemon juice and 2. Pour the hot cream through a chinois over
sugar in a saucepot on low heat. Whisk the white chocolate.
constantly until the curd reaches 180°F 3. Whisk together until all the chocolate is
(82°C). melted.
5. Remove from the heat and strain through 4. Chill in an ice bath until cold.
a chinois. 5. Refrigerate overnight.
6. Whip to medium peak.

156 Pastry Arts

 Assembly
• Slice of cake
• Chopped pistachios
Italian Hot Chocolate • Blood Orange Curd
• Citrus White Chocolate Ganache, whipped
• 300 g milk, divided to medium peak
• 15 g cocoa powder • Blood orange supremes
• 8 g cornstarch • Dehydrated blood orange slice
• 13 g confectioners’ sugar • Dark chocolate garnish
• 50 g chocolate, 66% • Italian Hot Chocolate served tableside

1. Heat 200 g of the milk in a saucepot. 1. Place a swoop of the Blood Orange Curd
2. Combine the remaining 100 g of milk with on the plate.
the cocoa, cornstarch and confectioners’ 2. Position the cake above the swoop.
sugar to form a slurry. 3. Sprinkle the chopped pistachios over the
3. Once the hot milk comes to a boil, whisk cake and on the curd.
in the slurry. 4. Place rosettes of Citrus Ganache randomly
4. Bring back to a boil and continue to cook on the plate.
for two minutes while stirring constantly. 5. Add the blood orange supremes.
5. Remove from the heat and whisk in the 6. Finish with the blood orange slice and
chocolate. chocolate garnish.
6. Strain through a chinois.
7. Serve warm on the side. Photos by Dillion Grandon

Pastry Arts 157

Recipe

Fall of
an Acorn
By Nitin Bali, Executive Sous Chef,
JW Marriott, Clearwater, FL

158 Pastry Arts

 I
• 159 g egg yolks
• 342 g Manjari chocolate
created this dessert
• 114 g granulated sugar
to welcome the fall
season. Before moving
1. Bloom the gelatin in ice-cold water.
to Florida, I spent some
2. Whip the cream to soft peaks and set
time working in Chicago,
aside.
where you welcome
3. Place the egg yolks in a stand mixer fitted
the fall season with a with the whisk attachment.
cold breeze, acorns and lots of maple 4. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and
leaves. As a nature lover, I became keep it ready.
fascinated by the colors of fall, so I 5. In a heavy saucepan, bring the sugar to the
used those images as an inspiration for single thread stage, then pour it into the
this warm-flavored dessert. . whipping yolks. Continue to whip on high
speed until it has doubled in volume. Add
Yield: 12 servings the melted chocolate and mix well. Add the
melted gelatin and combine. Remove the
bowl from the mixer stand and fold in the
whipped cream. Half fill egg-shaped molds
and place the inserts inside. Fill with more
mousse and freeze.
Gianduja Noisettes Insert
• 1 gelatin sheet
Jivara Chocolate Glaze
• 50 g heavy cream
• 15 g gelatin sheets
• 310 g praline paste
• 430 g granulated sugar
• 50 g Valrhona gianduja 34%
• 350 g heavy cream, warmed
• 175 g heavy cream, cold
• 40 g water
• 12 g cornstarch
1. Soak the gelatin in ice cold water.
• 60 g Valrhona Jivara milk chocolate 40%
2. Warm up the 50 g cream, then add the
bloomed gelatin and blend to dissolve.
3. Melt the praline paste and the gianduja 1. Bloom gelatin in ice-cold water.
in a double boiler. Add the warm mixture. 2. Cook sugar to make a dry caramel. Add the
Blend with an immersion blender, then warm cream and mix well. Combine the
stream in the cold cream while blending. water and cornstarch and add the slurry to
Pour into demi-sphere molds suitable for the cream mixture. Cook over low heat for
an insert. 3-5 minutes. Add the gelatin, whisking to
dissolve. Pour over the chocolate and mix
with an immersion blender (avoid adding
Valrohna Manjari Mousse air bubbles). Strain through a fine-mesh
sieve and refrigerate until ready to use.
• 8 gelatin sheets 3. Unmold egg-shaped mousses and glaze
• 870 g heavy cream with Jivara Chocolate Glaze. Allow to set.

Pastry Arts 159

 Milk Chocolate Ganache Assembly
• 200 g heavy cream, divided • Micro herbs
• 100 g Valrhona Jivara milk chocolate 40% • Edible micro flowers

1. In a saucepan, heat half of the cream, 1. Dip a pastry brush into the Caramel Sauce
then pour over the milk chocolate and mix and paint a round swirl on the serving
with an immersion blender. While mixing, plate. Place the glazed acorn in the center
stream in the remaining cold cream and of the sauce swirl. Top with an acorn cap.
mix well. Pipe three dots of the Milk Chocolate
2. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours before Ganache on the plate.
using. 2. Garnish with herbs and flowers and the
colored leaves.

Caramel Sauce
• 100 g granulated sugar
• 100 g heavy cream, warm
• 10 g unsalted butter

1. Make a dry caramel with the sugar. Add

the warm cream. Bring to a boil until any
hardened bits of sugar are dissolved. Strain
through a fine-mesh sieve and add the cold
butter; mix well.
2. Store until ready to use.

Chocolate Leaves
and Acorn Cap
• 500 g Valrhona Caraïbe chocolate 66%
• Colored chocolate spray

1. Temper the chocolate according to the

instructions on the Valrhona Caraïbe bag.
2. Spread the tempered chocolate over a
leaf template to make the leaves. Cast the
chocolate into a half sphere mold for the
caps. Allow to set.
3. Spray the leaves and caps with colored
chocolate spray.

160 Pastry Arts

Recipe

Rhubarb
and Vanilla
By Miranda Kohout, Pastry Chef
Conifer Restaurant

162 Pastry Arts

M y grandma grew rhubarb in her garden,
and I look forward to it each spring. Most
people only ever experience it in pie, and
that is a shame. Cooking the rhubarb sous
vide gives it the perfect texture – tender but not mushy – and allows you to
sweeten the rhubarb slightly and add other flavors if desired. You can also
color the syrup with a few drops of beet juice or grenadine if your rhubarb
isn’t already a pretty pink.

Yield: 10-15 servings, depending on mold size

Rhubarb Compote
• 7 g pectin
• 174 g sugar, divided
• 454 g chopped rhubarb
• 113 g water
• 142 g granulated sugar

1. Combine the pectin with 32 g of the sugar

and set aside.
2. In a large, shallow pot, bring the rhubarb,
water and remaining sugar to a boil.
3. Gradually whisk the pectin mixture into the
boiling rhubarb.
4. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture
thickens.
5. Transfer to a hotel pan and allow to cool
slowly.
6. Once the compote has reached room
temperature, pipe into insert molds.
7. Reserve the remaining compote for plating.

Pastry Arts 163

 Gluten-Free Streusel Vanilla Mousse
• 155 g butter, at 65°F (cool room temp) • 12.5 g gelatin sheets
• 130 g granulated sugar • 50 g cold water
• 200 g gluten-free flour blend* • 225 g milk
• 100 g almond flour • 50 g egg yolk
• 2 g salt • 50 g granulated sugar
• 20 g vanilla paste
1. Combine everything in a stand mixer • Salt, to taste
fitted with the paddle attachment and
mix at medium-low speed until it comes • 700 g heavy cream
together.
2. Spread the streusel onto a parchment- 1. Cut the gelatin into small pieces with
lined sheet tray and allow to rest, scissors and soak it in cold water, turning
uncovered in the refrigerator overnight occasionally if necessary to ensure the
or transfer to an airtight container and gelatine hydrates evenly.
freeze until needed. 2. In a small pot, combine the milk, egg yolk
3. Spread the raw streusel in an even layer and sugar and cook over medium heat until
on a parchment or silicone-lined sheet the mixture reaches 167-176°F (75-80°C).
tray. 3. Remove from the heat, and add the vanilla
4. Bake at 325°F (165°C), low fan, for 25-30 paste, salt and bloomed gelatin.
minutes, stirring every 8-10 minutes until 4. Transfer to a large bowl or hotel pan and
the streusel is golden-brown. cover with plastic wrap touching the
5. Cool completely. surface.
5. Refrigerate until chilled. Alternatively, you
may chill the mixture in an ice bath.
6. When the custard has chilled, whip the
cream to soft peaks.
7. Whisk the chilled custard to loosen it, then
whisk in about a quarter of the whipped
cream to smooth and lighten the custard.
Fold in the remaining whipped cream.
8. Fill molds ¾ of the way with the Vanilla
Mousse, insert the frozen Rhubarb
Compote, then fill to within ¼-inch of the
top with more mousse.
9. Gently sprinkle baked streusel over the
partially filled molds and press to level.
10. Transfer the filled molds to the freezer
until solid.
11. The unmolded mousses will need 1-3
hours to thaw in the cooler before plating.

164 Pastry Arts

 5. Set an immersion circulator to 142°F (61°C)
Sous Vide Rhubarb and cook the sealed bags of rhubarb for 30-
32 minutes.
• 200 g granulated sugar 6. Remove the bags from the water and shock
• 200 g water in an ice bath.
• 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and cut 7. Leave sealed until ready to use
into 1-inch pieces 8. Use within three days.
• 3 strips of orange peel, pith removed
• 1 sprig fresh tarragon
Assembly
• 1300 g chopped rhubarb
• Mint, basil, or tarragon cut chiffonade
1. Combine all ingredients and cook, stirring • Rhubarb Compote
until the sugar dissolves and the liquid
barely reaches a simmer. 1. Place a large spoonful of Rhubarb Compote
2. Cover and allow to rest for 20 minutes. in the center of a shallow bowl.
3. Chill the mixture until it reaches room 2. Top with a vanilla mousse.
temperature, or reserve in the refrigerator 3. Top the mousse with a generous amount of
until ready to use. drained sous vide rhubarb pieces.
4. For each small vacuum bag, add 4. Top the rhubarb pieces with your herb of
approximately ¾ cup of the chopped choice.
rhubarb and enough of the syrup to cover
it completely. Any orange peel or pieces of
vanilla bean may be left in. Photos by Miranda Kohout

Pastry Arts 165

Recipe

Peanuts and
Coffee Entremet
with Colombian Coffee Pearls
By Tristan Rousselot, Corporate Chef, Prova Gourmet

166 Pastry Arts

B ased on a precise study by our sensory analysts, I used food-pairing
data to determine that coffee has molecules in common with peanuts.
It’s a scientific match, and once you’ve worked out the balance of
sugars and intensities in each recipe, the combination works and gives
a unique feel to a creation combining flavors that are sometimes rarely
associated with each other.

Yield: 10 portions

• 40 g granulated sugar
PECAN SWEET PASTRY • 1 g fleur de sel
• 76 g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 22 g pecan powder 1. Roast the peanuts and almonds for 20
minutes at (320°F) 160°C in a convection
• 42 g potato starch
oven and then allow to cool.
• 145 g T55 flour
2. Make a brown caramel with the sugar, then
• 0.8 g fine salt pour over the nuts and fleur de sel.
• 72 g confectioners’ sugar 3. Cool, then blend the praline without
• 42 g whole eggs heating. Pipe 8 g of peanut praline into
20 ml 1.4-inch (3.5 cm) diameter by .6-
1. In a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment, inch (1.6 cm) high pomponette molds and
mix the butter with the dry ingredients freeze.
until it reaches a sandy texture.
2. Then add the whole eggs. Once the
mixture starts to clump together, stop
COLOMBIAN COFFEE CREAM
mixing to avoid kneading. If necessary,
finish mixing by hand with a light touch to • 138 g heavy cream, 35% fat
avoid developing the dough’s gluten. • 5 g glucose syrup
3. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 2.5 cm • 5 g invert sugar (Trimoline®)
between two sheets of parchment paper. • 1 g X58 pectin
Let it rest overnight in the refrigerator.
• 48 g blonde chocolate
4. Cut out fluted discs 5 cm in diameter. Bake
• 4 g Prova Gourmet Pure Colombian Coffee
for 20 minutes at (320°F) 160°C between
Extract, 100% Arabica
two Silpain® mats.

1. Heat the cream, glucose, invert sugar

PEANUT PRALINE and X58 pectin. Bring to a boil and pour
over the blonde chocolate and Columbian
• 50 g peanuts coffee extract. Blend, then pour 10 g over
• 10 g raw almonds the frozen peanut praline in the molds.

Pastry Arts 167

 Pain de Gênes COLOMBIAN COFFEE MOUSSE
• 322 g almond paste, 55% • 123 g heavy cream, 35% fat, divided
• 269 g whole eggs • 33 g pasteurized whole milk
• 59 g egg yolks • 13 g egg yolks
• 25 g Prova Gourmet Pure Colombian • 8 g gelatin mass (1 water:6 fish gelatin)
Coffee Extract, 100% Arabica • 18 g white chocolate, 28%
• 66 g T55 flour • 
6 g Prova Gourmet Pure Colombian Coffee
• 7 g potato starch Extract, 100% Arabica
• 52 g unsalted butter, melted
1. Heat 33 g of the cream and milk in a
1. In a food processor, blend the almond saucepan. Make a crème anglaise with the
paste while gradually adding the whole egg yolks. Incorporate the gelatin mass
eggs, egg yolks and coffee extract until and white chocolate, then the Colombian
smooth. coffee extract. Blend, then cool to (70°F)
2. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl with 21°C.
a whisk attachment and emulsify. Then add 2. Using a mixer with a whisk attachment,
the sifted flour and potato starch to the whip the remaining 90 g of cream. Gently
emulsified mixture. Finish by incorporating fold the whipped cream into the crème
the melted unsalted butter. anglaise.
3. Pour the mixture into a 15.8-inch x 23.6- 3. Pipe 15 g of mousse into 1.8-inch (4.5 cm)
inch (40 cm x 60 cm) frame. Bake at 338°F diameter by 1-inch (2.5 cm) high silicone
(170°C) for 20 minutes. molds. Press the frozen inserts into the
4. Cut out discs 1.4 inches (3.5 cm) in mousse and smooth the tops. Chill in
diameter and place them on top of the refrigerator for 1 hour, then freeze.
the Colombian Coffee Cream in the Unmold the frozen desserts.
pomponette molds. Then freeze and
unmold.
NEUTRAL COLOMBIAN
COFFEE GLAZE
• 243 g water (Evian)
• 15 g pure lemon juice
• 48 g glucose syrup DE40
• 174 g granulated sugar, divided
• 4 g X58 Pectin
• 15 g Prova Gourmet Pure Colombian
Coffee Extract, 100% Arabica

168 Pastry Arts

 1. Boil 77 g of the cream and pour it over the
blonde chocolate and gelatin mass, then
blend, adding the remaining
77 g of cream and the Colombian coffee
extract. Strain and let cool for at least one
night before use.
2. The next day, whip using a mixer with a
whisk attachment. Fill a piping bag fitted
with a plain #14 nozzle and pipe a ball
onto the desserts, then hollow out the ball
using a warmed Parisian spoon.

DECORATION
• 50 g peanuts
• 50 g Prova Gourmet Colombian
Coffee Pearls

1. Roast the peanuts for 20

minutes at (320°F) 160°C,
1. Heat water, lemon juice, and glucose with then cool and crush
126 grams of the sugar to (122°F) 50°C. them.
2. Add X58 pectin mixed with the remaining 2. Place coffee pearls
48 g of the sugar and blend using an in the center of
immersion blender, then heat to 185°F the dessert on
(85°C). Then add the Colombian coffee the hollowed-
extract, cover with cling film directly on the out coffee
surface, and let cool for 24 hours before whipped
use. ganache.
3. Warm the glaze before dipping the frozen
desserts into it. Sprinkle the edges with
roasted and crushed peanuts, then place
the desserts on the Pecan Sweet Pastry
Discs.

COLOMBIAN COFFEE
WHIPPED GANACHE
• 154 g heavy cream, 35% fat, divided
• 38 g blonde chocolate
• 5 g gelatin mass (1 water:6 fish gelatin)
• 
4 g Prova Gourmet Pure Colombian Coffee Photos by
Extract, 100% Arabica Jordi Foto

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Places

JEFFREY
CAGNES
Paris, France
www.jeffreycagnes.fr

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 JEFFREY CAGNES
Owner
Origins
I was 14 and pastry was an escape for me
from school. I knew it was a good job and it
grew on me. Just from eggs, flour and sugar
you can create something delicious and
something new. Soon, I was good enough to
start helping other boys. I’ve always liked to
be a mentor.

Company Mission
My main goal is to share passion with all
people around the world through pastries. I
am a bad vendor, because I give all the time
the pastries to people to try a sample. I want
my team to believe in their smiles, like they
feel it, because then we give that to the
customers.

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Signature Products that he was doing the best work of all the
new people. From that day, I thought okay, it
We have many pastries that people love, but
is possible to do everything with just one hand.
the one that is most important to me is the
You can have the nicest kitchen with shiny
Citron, the lemon tart. My mother likes this
equipment, but you will not succeed like that
cake. My family is very important for me.
man with one hand who has a passion and a
At every place I worked before I started my
feel for his work. One time, he was working
own shop, the first thing I did was change
so well, he was piping cream and I asked him
the recipe for the lemon tart to make it how
if he used his right hand or his left to pipe,
she likes it. The lemon tart is a tribute to my
forgetting that he only had one hand. He told
mother.
me, “I appreciate you, because you forget my
disability.” It’s possible to do good pastry with
Production Tip the eyes closed. The passion and the flair
Not physical production. Use your influences. matter more than the machines.
My family has many origins. My father was
from Casablanca. My father’s father is Sicilian, Secret of Success
Catholic. My father’s mother is Jewish. My Trust yourself, listen to your heart and make
mother’s father is German. Her mother is your motivation. Ever since I started making
French. In my family, there is Muslim, Jewish, pastry, I would say to myself, maybe Pierre
Catholic. It’s very important for my cakes. They Herme will surprise me to come taste my work,
are all the product of my origins: milk from so it has to be perfect. He’s a big personality in
here, honey from there, somewhere orange French pastry. He has 20 or 30 books. He has
blossom that I love. All that I learn in my life I a big aura. It’s good to have such a dream for
try to put into my pastries. motivation. Also use quality. In my croissants I
use honey, not sugar. I work with a beekeeper
Equipment ‘Must-Haves’ named Julian. His bees make hives all over
My hands. Ten years ago, I was a chef in a the world. Also, we use Lescure butter from
pastry shop and I was holding many interviews France. For me, this butter is like champagne.
for an apprenticeship. One man came in who Concentrate on quality. Don’t make pastries
had only one hand. My boss at the time tried for Instagram.
to tell me, “You can’t take that man because
he has just one hand. It will be an issue for Future Goals
you.” I said, “let me judge after I see him I dream to open in Casablanca for my father,
work.” After one hour, I saw that this man and also some day in the U.S.. As a boy, my
was so motivated, so fast and so thorough first book was from the U.S. with the large
photos, the big canyon, the tall buildings. I
taught master classes in Chicago, but I love
New York. So much energy. Manhattan is
magic. I wake up at 4 o’clock and I want to run
outside. There is not a limit for business there.
All is possible. But you cannot be too proud in
a new place. You have to adapt to what people
like. Maybe I make my croissants with donuts
and a pastrami sandwich.

Photos by Caroline Mays

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Places

FREDERIC
BLONDEEL Brussels, Belgium
www.frederic-blondeel.be

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FREDERIC location at the seaside and three shops in the
center, but I decided to sell them, because I
BLONDEEL could not manage all the shops and still ensure
the right process. I don’t like to be in the shop
Owner controlling everybody.

Company Mission
Origins
You have so many places you go where
I did cooking school, then military service and
something about the product is fake. Here it’s
I worked for my father also. When I was 20,
my mother said, “What do you want for your true. Some people say, “Oh, but of course you
birthday?” My parents were coffee roasters, don’t actually go to the plantation where the
but I wanted a small chocolate machine. beans come from.” I do. In every plantation, I
I made chocolates at home and I sold the know the sourcing from the origin. I know the
chocolates for her. I’ve been in the business people. I don’t fly, if I can help it. I travel by
30 years now and I was named the best motorbike, even from here down to Senegal.
chocolate maker in Belgium a few years ago. I want to touch people, touch product, touch
But most important for me are the customers culture. If I respect each person, each step of
who trust what they are getting. I had another the process, you will taste it in my chocolate.

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Signature Products everywhere, you have to be careful about
bacteria. This roaster allows you to roast well
Anything with hazelnuts. We get the best
at a low temperature -- even, smooth, no burn
from Piemonte. I am also very proud of
-- but it debacterializes very well. The roaster
our beans from Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire,
runs 14 hours, and I’m here at nighttime also.
Venezuela, now Vietnam and my favorite from
I’m here all the time. In October, November,
India. Our beans are very stable. Find the right
when we have the most business, I come here
person who works on beans. It’s not the tree
early in the morning, then I go home to sleep
that makes cacao; it’s the person making sure
for two or three hours and then I am here into
of the quality. Criollo? Trinitario? Forastero?
the evening. People think I’m crazy.
forget it. Just find the right person. We buy
directly from the plantation. Then the product
is good. We make coffee, of course. We make Secrets of Success
hot chocolate, ice cream, biscuits. But we are Follow your idea and never give up. For 15
known for our chocolates. We make spreads, years I was in the shit. Each time I had to put
dragees, vegan products. We use matcha my credit card, I changed the card. I didn’t
from Japan to make some chocolates. But my want to look at the bills. But I knew I had a
favorite chocolate? I make one for my oldest good product. For a time, I had no electricity
daughter with green cardamom. It’s very in the morning. My bookkeeper said to me,
special to me. “You have to stop,” so I said to my bookkeeper,
“Olivier, if I stop, what’s left over?” So I
Production Tip continued. I had a friend who worked at the
Make the most you can, but don’t lose quality. seaside, and he told me, “Tomorrow morning
Know what is the point where you can be sure you will find the solution.” Finally, some
of the quality and when you can’t. We have mornings, the solutions and results started
two conches doing 650 kilograms. We make coming.
1.3 tons a day. We make hazelnut spread
one ton per day. Then we make 450 kilos in Future Goals
small batches. For the industry, it’s nothing.
Barry Callebault in half an hour makes what I My kids. Maybe they’re going to take over. I
make in a whole year. It’s 800,000 tons a year. would like to do something extra out of this
I’m surprised that the quality is so high with company. I want to go to Piemonte. They
such big business, but for me, I want to touch have everything in Piemonte: the people, the
everything. I cannot be too much bigger. Or culture, the food, the sea, the mountains. They
else I need more eyes for my head. have everything there. My whole life I was
thinking of a restaurant. I will not die before
I have a restaurant. So maybe there. I
Equipment ‘Must-Haves’ almost came to New York; I had
This is my roasting system. talks, but it was too difficult. I
Fifteen years ago, we wanted to start in Geneva in
asked a big company to 1994, but I was too young.
make the oven. I grew In the right place, at the
up with roasting. I right time, it will happen.
went to Italy to get
really a great roaster,
Photos by
because usually with
Caroline Mays
beans coming from

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Places

DEFENCE
BAKERY Delhi, India
www.instagram.com/defencebakeryest1962

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GAURAV DHINGRA
AND TUSHAR
DHINGRA
DIRECTORS
and quality. Using time-honored recipes
Origins
passed down through generations, we ensure
Our grandparents founded Defence Bakery every loaf of bread and pastry reflects the
in 1962 in the city of New Delhi. They had rich flavors of our heritage. We prioritize
to relocate from Multan after the partition sourcing fresh, local ingredients whenever
of India in 1947, bringing with them their possible, enhancing taste while supporting
rich baking heritage. They started in a small our community. By embracing modern dietary
storefront, crafting delicious breads and preferences without compromising our
pastries from traditional family recipes, which core values, we cater to a diverse range of
quickly won the hearts of the local community. customers. This blend of tradition, quality, and
The name “Defence Bakery” embodies community focus truly sets us apart.
the essence of the community, reflecting
our dedication to serving our neighbors with
warmth and quality. Over the years, the
Signature Products
bakery thrived, maintaining its welcoming A few star products are:
atmosphere while adapting to the changing Sourdough Breads: Our artisanal sourdough
tastes of our customers. Two generations is crafted with patience and care, featuring
later, today, the two brothers proudly carry a tangy flavor and a chewy crust that our
on our family’s legacy. We blend modern customers love. We use an in-house starter
techniques with our beloved recipes, ensuring carefully fed by my brother, executive chef at
our commitment to quality and community DB.
remains strong. Whole Wheat Bread: Nutritious and hearty,
this bread is made from high-quality whole
wheat flour and is a favorite for its wholesome
Company Mission taste. The family recipe was developed by my
The mission of Defence Bakery is to craft father.
high-quality baked goods that bring joy and Truffle Cake: Rich and indulgent, our truffle
comfort to our community while honoring our cake is a decadent treat, perfect for special
rich heritage and cherished formulas. Our goal occasions and loved for its velvety texture.
is to extend this tradition to every discerning Honey Cookies: These sweet, chewy cookies
neighborhood in Delhi-NCR and across India. are infused with the natural goodness of
We invite all those who aspire to start their honey, making them a delightful snack. The
own Defence Bakery to join us in this mission. heritage recipe carried across generations is
Defence Bakery stands out for its a favorite of everyone who bites once into
unwavering commitment to authenticity them.

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Handcrafted Cookies: Each of our maintain consistency in quality across all
handcrafted cookies is made with love, products.
offering a variety of flavors that delight our 2. Time and Temperature: When it comes to
customers. our handcrafted cookies and celebration
Celebration Cakes: Perfect for birthdays cakes, timing really makes all the difference.
and special events, our celebration cakes are We don’t rush the process—whether it’s
customizable and feature delicious flavors that giving the dough enough time to chill or
bring joy to any occasion. letting the cakes cool completely before
RUSK: This heritage recipe is so popular decorating. This patience brings out the
that people buy our rusk for their relatives in best flavors and textures. We also make
different cities and countries. Our rusk travels sure everything is prepped and ready, from
to the U.K., U.S. and Europe. the ingredients to the workstations, so
we can focus on the craft without feeling
overwhelmed. It’s about staying organized
Equipment ‘Must-Haves’ and giving each item the care and attention
The humble baker’s spatula, in all its forms, it deserves, so our customers always get
is one of the most important tools in our the best of what we create.
kitchen. It might seem simple, but it These tips help us maintain
plays a huge role in making sure we the high standards our
get the most out of every batch. customers expect while
Whether we’re scraping down keeping production running
a mixing bowl or spreading smoothly.
frosting, spatulas help us
avoid waste and make the
most of our ingredients. From Future Goals
the flexible silicone spatula At Defence Bakery, we
for mixing to the offset spatula have exciting plans for the
for smoothing, each type has future! One of our primary
a purpose. It’s these small but goals is to expand into new
mighty tools that help us work markets by offering online
efficiently, keep costs down and ensure ordering and delivery services,
every product meets our high standards. In making our beloved products more accessible
our bakery, they’re truly indispensable. to a wider audience.
We’re also exploring the introduction of
new products, including specialty gluten-
Production Tip
free and vegan options to cater to diverse
Two essential production tips that are vital to dietary preferences. Additionally, we plan to
our operations at Defence Bakery: experiment with seasonal flavors and limited-
1. Batch Production Planning: To manage edition items to keep our offerings fresh and
our high volume of products, we carefully exciting for our loyal customers.
plan our batch production schedules. By Ultimately, our focus remains on
grouping similar items together, such as maintaining the quality and craftsmanship that
baking all our sourdough loaves at once, defines Defence Bakery while adapting to the
we streamline the process and reduce evolving needs of our community. We can’t
downtime. This not only maximizes our wait to share these new developments with
oven usage, but also ensures that we everyone.

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Places

CAFE
OBERWEIS Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
www.oberweis.lu/en_US/cafe

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JEFF OBERWEIS
Co-Director
Origins
Pit and Monique Oberweis opened the very
first Oberweis patisserie on the ground floor
of their flat at 86A, Avenue de la Faïencerie, in
Luxembourg. Pit developed recipes in a small
pastry workshop upstairs, while Monique
made deliveries on her Vespa. In 1970, they Equipment ‘Must-Haves’
relocated to the prestigious Grand-Rue in The true strength of our company comes not
Luxembourg City, expanding their sales area from the quantity of our equipment, but from
and adding a popular tearoom on the first the skills and expertise of our 350 employees.
floor. Over 60 years, we’ve delivered high-quality
creations, and we take pride in having many
long-term employees, which is an honor for
Company Mission us.
As a family-run, artisanal business, Oberweis
focuses on customer satisfaction and
promoting craftsmanship in Luxembourg and Production Tip
beyond. Since joining the Relais Desserts Anticipation is key to fulfilling customer
International organization in 1981, Oberweis needs. For major events (such as Easter,
has aimed to uphold the standards of haute- Mother’s Day, and Christmas), we create a
pâtisserie worldwide. The brand is renowned retro-planning schedule to develop themes
for its sweet and savory creations that blend for our creations and packaging. Mastery of
tradition with innovation. technical skills through repetition is essential
for our chefs to refine their craft.

Signature Products
We offer our customers a wide variety of Future Plans
products to delight both young and old Our next goal is to bring the third generation
gourmets. At Oberweis, everyone has their into the family business. Initially, the company
own favorite. If I had to name three signature operated with few staff and focused solely on
products, I’d say the Bouchée à la Reine, craft trades. Today, we have 350 employees
served in our restaurants, the Tarte au Citron and additional support services that are
and the Tarte Délice Chocolat. However, we crucial for our growth, although they also add
do not hesitate to refresh our range of sweet complexity to management. With the new
and savory creations as the seasons change, generation, we aim to continue satisfying our
allowing our customers to discover our new customers while addressing future challenges,
offerings and to showcase quality, seasonal including climate change’s impact on raw
ingredients.” materials and rising energy costs.”

Pastry Arts 187

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