How To Make English Toffee

November 9, 2009

English Toffee Would you not agree that a lot of delicious foods are either expensive or difficult to make? Without a doubt English toffee is an exception to this rule. Neither time consuming or costly yet at the same time toffee is very luxurious. More often than not, when we visit friends I will bring […]

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How to temper chocolate

November 3, 2009

Picture of chocolate shavings How To Temper Chocolate Is it necessary to temper chocolate? A question I am frequently asked. The answer depends on what you are planning to do with the chocolate. For making items such as chocolate mousse, chocolate sorbet, chocolate cremeux and most fillings for chocolates or truffles tempering is absolutely not […]

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Invert Sugar

November 1, 2009

Invert sugar- Invert Syrup- Trimoline An advantage a professional pastry chef has is that certain key ingredients are readily available. One of these ingredients is invert sugar. Although invert sugar is close in chemical composition to honey, it is not found on most grocery store shelves. The good news is that homemade invert sugar is […]

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Pecan Pie, Corn Syrup Free

October 25, 2009

Pecan Pie, corn syrup free It was not until I arrived in America that I became familiar with pecan pies. In Belgium they simply are not known. Pecan pies have now become one of my favorite desserts and when I visit my family in Europe, it is one of the pies they always request I […]

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Cremeux

October 19, 2009

Citrus Cremeux Oftentimes I get asked what the stimulus was to create a certain type of dessert. Sometimes it is the season which inspires, I do love seasonal desserts, they fit right and I feel that they have an air of ceremony to them. It can also be a discovery of some sort. I remember […]

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Almond Tuiles

October 12, 2009

Almond Tuiles-Tuiles aux amandes There all types of tuiles but one which seems to be the most appreciated is the classic almond tuile. Crisp and light and delicately almond scented, equally fitting on an elegant silver petit four platter as in a simple basket. Almond tuiles are made by mixing the sliced almonds into the […]

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Nougatine

October 8, 2009

Nougatine slivers- Éclats Nougatine Some of the least complicated chocolates are indeed the best. Nougatine slivers dipped in premium chocolate fall in this category. They are a perfect accompaniment to espresso and are equally fantastic when chopped in pieces and added to gelato. It is always hard for me to decide, if I prefer the […]

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Chocolate Crème Brûlée

September 23, 2009

Chocolate Crème Brûlée One thing I know for sure, when a dessert consists of only a few ingredients, the quality of these, need to be very high. If they are not, the result will not live up to expectations. If you are making vanilla crème brûlée then the vanilla bean and the cream need to […]

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Panna Cotta with Pomegranate

September 16, 2009

Few desserts are as easy to prepare and crowd pleasing at the same time as panna cotta. Flavorings of all kind can be added to the main recipe to obtain a different essence. In addition to, or if liquor is not part of what you want to use, you can add and steep citrus zest, […]

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Cocoa Nib Tuiles

September 10, 2009

  Oftentimes I incorporate cocoa nib tuiles in a plated dessert or serve them with sorbets such as mango-passion fruit, raspberry or chocolate. They are also terrific when dipped in tempered chocolate for enhanced flavor complexity.  They work equally well with milk or dark chocolate. Coated in tempered milk chocolate, the cocoa nib temperament is […]

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