Tart Bourdaloue

April 26, 2010

Certain desserts stand the test of time and one of those classics is la tart bourdaloue.  It has remained one of my favorites, both to make and to eat. Through the years I have made several versions and I particularly like to make the tart with the addition of ginger-pear marmalade or a black current […]

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Lime Marshmallows

April 19, 2010

When I am on holiday in Belgium or France, I am always enticed by artisan made marshmallows. The slight chewy exterior with the airy and soft interior, combined with the melt in the mouth quality makes them completely irresistible to me.  In my opinion they must be the most addictive product made by a pastry […]

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Coconut Panna Cotta

April 12, 2010

One of my favorite flavor combinations is green tea with coconut. What I have learned is that green tea can very quickly taste grassy and somewhat herbal. To avoid this unwanted result, I prefer to use Matcha powder over steeping green tea leaves. Matcha gives a fresher flavor without the herbal undertones and provides a […]

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Chocolate pot de creme

April 5, 2010

One of the desserts I would always look out to was my mom’s chocolate pot de crèmes. The silky smooth chocolate cream she would make was one of my all time favorites. Till this day, I still vividly remember the dishes she used. My mother was always a bit avant- garde in her selection of […]

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Raspberry Flavored Chocolate

March 29, 2010

The flavor of milk chocolate has always tasted a little blah to me. It always seems too sweet and the chocolate essence is simply lacking. I will even say that most milk chocolate taste old fashioned to me, not current for today’s consumer at all. Even though some of the chocolate manufacturers have bumped their […]

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Allumettes

March 26, 2010

I love buttery flakes of perfectly baked puff pastry which melt in the mouth. Pure butter puff pastry can be amazing. Who does not like an accurately baked, pure butter apple turnover with a slight tart apple filling? It is just perfection. Or a caramelized palmier with hints of cardamom?  Allumettes [al-yoo-MEHTS] are another one […]

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Temper or Pre-Crystallize Chocolate Using Cocoa Butter

March 22, 2010

Oftentimes I am asked which is your favorite method of tempering or pre- crystallizing chocolate couverture. My answer is always the same: The cocoa butter method. Using cocoa butter to temper or pre- crystallize chocolate couverture is fast, hygienic and provides a finished result with high fluidity. Three factors which are very important. If you […]

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Choux Paste

March 15, 2010

Making choux paste or Pate a choux is not particularly difficult, but it can be frustrating if you end up with big cracks on the surface of the éclairs or other products. I have spent a lot of time on researching and perfecting choux paste and I hope that this article will help, if you […]

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Mascarpone Cream Berry Tart

March 8, 2010

At times you need desserts which please nearly everyone. When professional pastry chefs make dessert for hundreds of people or a baking enthusiast makes dessert for a party of 10, a dessert is needed which appeals to everyone. Desserts made with mascarpone cream belong in this class. Nearly everyone likes the sophisticated flavor of mascarpone […]

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Black Currant Danish

March 1, 2010

Black currant Danish If I had to name the five most delicious fruit flavors on earth, black currant would without a doubt, be on my list. It’s hard to imagine a flavor more majestic than black currant or cassis. Its mouth watering sweet –tart flavor with hints of violet and its royal color make it […]

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