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

PASTRY ARTS ISSUE NO. 26 winter 2025

BANANA PUFF
B Y A d r i a n o Z u m b o

West Af rican Ingredients • Consistent Baking • Bite of Nostalgia

Warmth of a Frost • Ancient Grains • Color Theory in Dessert
Contents 54
Features

22

108

22
Karina Rivera
Sweets with Love

54
Håkan Mårtensson
Gifted Craftsman

108
Adriano Zumbo
The Sweet Assassin

Pastry Arts 3
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 16
Contents
TRENDS
4
A Bite of Nostalgia 4 76
124
New York Restaurants:
Adding Bakeries to
their Portfolios

COLUMNS 76 36
36
Flavor Inspiration:
Combos and 92
Fruit Intelligence: Technical Tips
Kumquat
86
44 New & Notable:
Cottage Life: Latest Products,
Consistent Baking Equipment and Books

48
Vanilla 101:
98
Expert Tips: Five
48
98
The King of Desserts Tips Five Experts

GENERAL 70
16
Ingredient Function:
Baking Soda and 118
Warmth of A Frost Baking Powder

32 92
Wedding Cake:
Building Upon Success
Plated Dessert:
A Spectrum of Options
62
62 104
West African Reclaiming Wheat with 66
Ingredients in Modern
and Innovative Pastry
Ancient Grains
124
118
66 Core Temperature
Promo Control in Fermented
Planner Laminated Pastry

Pastry Arts 5
 CRAFTING
EVERY LAYER.
cHOCOLATE - CREAMS - FILLINGS - DECORATIONS - inclusions - sprinkles -
CANDIED AND SEMI CANDIED FRUITS - FRUIT PUREES - GELATO - PASTRY MIXES.
A good food story is built on layers—inside, where quality and performance excel, and
outside, where artistry shines.
Through our diverse capabilities, premium ingredients, and innovative solutions,
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Contents
130 150
156166
148
162
140
Recipes 148
130 Paan by
Sumant Sharma
Pistachio Bonsai
by Pete Garzon 150
136
Heirloom Tomato
Makai Badam Halwa
by Sumant Sharma 168
Brioche by Russell
Goodman
156
Noor by
140 Dean Rodrigues
Vegan and Traditional
Macarons by Chef 162
Colette Christian and Banana Puff
Chef Gena Lora by Adriano Zumbo

Places
174 178
178
168
Dengo
Laurent Gerbaud
Chocolatier 182
174 182
Origin Breads Noble Bread

Pastry Arts 7
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EDITORIAL
DISCOVER OUR

PEARLS
Managing Editor
Brian Cazeneuve
Staff Writers
Meryle Evans
AnnMarie Mattila
Contributors
Crystal Bonnet, Deanna Martinez-Bey, Genevieve Meli,
Jaime Schick, Joseph Odoom, Michael Laiskonis,
A POP OF FLAVOR
Miranda Kohout, Robert Wemischner
Cover
Banana Puff
By Adriano Zumbo
Cover Photography
Phil Khoury

CREATIVE
Graphic Designer
Rusdi Saleh

BUSINESS
President
Shawn Wenner
VP Sales
Jeff Dryfoos

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EDITOR’S NOTE
Food should be more than just sustenance; it should be fun. And when that food is sweet,
such as the type of food you read about in Pastry Arts, it is all the more reason to sprinkle
a few smiles on top of those treats.
Several themes connect the chefs we’ve written about in this edition of the magazine.
Beyond their talents, they are people who leave behind a sense of joy with their work.
Karina Rivera, Adriano Zumbo and Håkan Mårtensson have other things in common,
too. All three had eyes on their careers at early ages and all three came from other lands,
bringing their flavors, cultures and culinary perspectives with them.
A native of Mexico, Rivera took a cruise with her family when she was 15, saw the
generous amounts of food on board and decided she wanted to work in a cruise kitchen
one day, so she did. Rivera later won the National Spring Baking Championship and these
days loves laughing with her customers and her students. Look through the photos in her
profile and you get a sense that Rivera is perpetually on auto-grin. Long hours on ships
and baking for royalty haven’t dampened her enthusiasm, even as she dreams up unlikely
flavor combinations for a tasty roster of macarons.
And if you fancy unlikely flavors of macarons, how about the pigs’-blood version that
Adriano Zumbo speaks about in our pages? Zumbo’s ascent to food-show star probably
began at the supermarket in his native Australia that his parents owned. He started his
baking apprenticeship at 15, and his favorite moments involve interacting with people,
especially during the contests he hosted on Netflix called Zumbo’s Just Desserts.
Mårtensson brings fantasy and wonder to chocolate not just with his award-winning
bon bons, but also with the sculptures of trolls, gnomes, dragons and creatures he brings
to life at food shows, theaters and his eponymous chocolate shop. Mårtensson grew up
in the Swedish village of Hanaskog and began a baking apprenticeship at 16. In 2009, he
moved to New York, where the population in his apartment building was greater than it
was in his hometown. Sandwiched around his move, he won world titles for sculpting
chocolate and making chocolate. Employees working in his shop in New York’s Hudson
Valley are tasked with learning as many customers by name as possible, which is getting
harder as the customer list keeps getting longer.
We hope this issue of Pastry Arts leaves our readers smiling, too.

Warm regards,

Brian Cazeneuve
Managing Editor

Pastry Arts 11
Trends

A Bite of
Nostalgia By AnnMarie Mattila

Noko Nashville Dole Whip Photo by Mick Jacob

12 Pastry Arts
I
n the seemingly
never-ending
struggle
to get
customers
to order dessert,
it often lands
squarely on
the shoulders of
the pastry team to
persuade a potential
purchaser with enticing Husk
Nashville Pineapple
menu choices. One Upside Down Cake
common and increasingly
popular tactic is updating Though comforting and nostalgic desserts
certainly made a comeback during the
vintage desserts. That pandemic, White doesn’t see the trend
sense of nostalgia and continuing because of that. Rather, she feels
their approachability is what makes them
familiarity can invite popular. “They’re classics for a reason. People
clients to indulge when love them,” White says. For instance, when
a customer sees key lime pie on a menu, it’s
they perhaps wouldn’t bound to elicit a response. They “kind of
otherwise. Anne White, have an idea of what they’re ordering and
expecting,” she adds.
culinary director of Indigo However, updating those classics with a
Road Hospitality Group, more modern flair will keep them from feeling
stale. The key is balancing the new and old.
gives us insight into how “As long as you keep the main components
her teams find success and the integral parts of the dish,” White
explains, “it will still be recognizable to the
in developing old school consumer, but then you can surprise them
desserts with a modern with new elements.” For example, at The
Vandiver in Clayton, Georgia, the Key Lime
twist. Mile-High Tart features a pretzel crunch and a
toasted vanilla meringue for a more modern,
yet approachable, take.

Pastry Arts 13
 grandmother used to make,” she explains.
Then she recipe tests portions to give them
more dimension. “A lot of the time, sugar
was the main focal point,” White says. So she
works to make the recipes more nuanced and
less sweet, and to incorporate local, seasonal
ingredients—an effort that all the restaurants
in the hospitality group make.
And while you’re not reinventing the wheel,
in some cases, that doesn’t mean you can’t get
creative. White’s most recent “fun little twist”
at several locations is soft serve ice cream.
At Noko in Nashville, Tennessee, you’ll find
their play on Dole Whip featuring pineapple
soft serve and lime zest. Other locations
feature flavors such as ube and soy caramel
Lowland Blueberry Hand Pie that are playful, yet sophisticated enough to
incorporate into a plated dessert.
Of course, there’s room to push the White suggests experimenting not only
boundaries of classics, too. Take the Baked with flavors but also with techniques and
Alaska at Oak Steakhouse in Raleigh, North textures that update the experience. Many
Carolina, for instance. It features a foie gras locations have hand pies and pineapple
mousse balanced by huckleberry gelee, white upside-down cakes on their menus, but they
chocolate ice cream, almond cake, and vanilla come with their own unique twists and local,
meringue. Meanwhile, at Marbled & Fin in seasonal ingredients. Overall, White says
Charleston, South Carolina, their Baked Alaska that her team’s goal is to build menus that
features key lime, raspberry, graham cracker are “meaningful, impactful, while leaning into
and a splash of Boomsma. The clientele a bit of the nostalgia.” So don’t be afraid to
and the rest of the menu are crucial to open those vintage cookbooks on your shelf,
understanding how far you can stray from the because what is old is new again if you find
original recipes. the right spin.
Balance also comes into play when deciding
how much nostalgia to incorporate into the The Vandiver Key Lime Pie
dessert menu. “It varies from region to region
and from brand to brand,” White notes. Most
of the restaurants in her group have one old-
school dessert with one twist at a time and
don’t lean entirely on the trend. She prefers
to balance the menu with one chocolate, one
creamy, one fruity, one cake and one allergy-
friendly option while letting the savory chefs
in each region drive the overall direction.
When approaching an update to an older
recipe, White prefers to build upon what she
knows. “I feel a lot of my recipes piggyback off
what my mother, grandmother and even great-
Photo by
14 Pastry Arts Molly Harris
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Raw Desserts

WARMTH OF
A FROST
Work with Raw Vegan Frosting Like A Pro
By Crystal Bonnet

16 Pastry Arts
 R
aw vegan
frostings
are a game- Common Ingredients
changer for for Raw Frostings
anyone who Base: Nuts, young coconut meat, fruit
Binder: Virgin coconut oil, cacao butter,
loves dessert but wants to coconut butter, sea moss
keep things healthy and Liquid: Plant milk, steeped teas, coffee, fruit
natural. Made from whole, juice
Sweeteners: Coconut nectar, agave, maple
unprocessed ingredients, syrup, xylitol, coconut sugar
these frostings offer a Flavors: Preferred flavor extracts (I
rich blend of flavors that recommend Medicine Flower flavor extracts—
they are alcohol-free and non-GMO) and
enhance your treats’ food-grade essential oils, spices, freeze-dried
taste and nutrition. These fruits or powders, cacao or carob, mesquite
powder, lucuma powder
ingredients pack a powerful
Colors: Superfood powders such as beet
punch, and when used powder, pink pitaya powder, matcha or
creatively in frostings, they moringa powder, butterfly pea flower powder,
blue spirulina, turmeric and freeze-dried fruit
can elevate your desserts to powders
a new level. Emulsifiers: Sunflower lecithin powder

Beyond flavor, raw vegan frostings are

nutrient-dense, often packed with healthy
fats that satisfy you without the heavy
aftermath of overly-processed sugars or
additives. They’re proof that indulgence
and nourishment can go hand in hand.
As you start to experiment with these
frostings, you’ll find that not only do they
taste amazing, but they also offer a world
of exciting textures and combinations to
explore.
Before we dive into raw vegan frosting
recipes, it’s essential to have a solid
understanding of working with raw vegan
frostings and their key ingredients. This
foundation will set you up for success when
making raw vegan frostings.

Pastry Arts 17
 it is not recommended. If you need to use a
white sugar alcohol, use xylitol instead.
Young Coconut Meat: Use only young
coconut meat, since mature coconut meat is
too tough and won’t blend smoothly. Young
coconuts sold in the store are white and have
a triangular-shaped top. Mature coconuts
are round, brown, fuzzy ones. Young coconut
meat varies in water volume, affecting your
frosting consistency; your frosting could be
thicker one time and runnier the next.

Tips When Making Raw Frostings

Blending: Use a high-speed blender to
achieve a smooth consistency.
Chill: Chill raw frostings so the binders
harden, firming them up for piping.
Consistency: Adjust consistency as required.
After you chill the frosting in the fridge for
up to 24 hours, if your frosting is not firm
enough, try these suggestions:
Ingredient Pro Tips • Leave it in the fridge for another 12
Nuts: Always soak nuts to soften them for hours. The longer you keep the frosting
blending. in the fridge; the firmer it gets.
Coconut Oil: Use melted virgin, unrefined • If it’s too soft, add it back into the
coconut oil. Refined coconut oil lacks the blender with some more liquid binder,
necessary binding properties. starting only with two tablespoons. You
Sunflower Lecithin Powder: Use as an must blend it to melt and blend it long
emulsifier, combining fats and liquids for enough for the binder to incorporate.
a creamier texture. When cacao butter is Then you’ll have to put it back in the
present in frosting, it’s imperative to use fridge to make it firm.
sunflower lecithin powder so the frosting • Transfer it to the freezer for 30 minutes
won’t result in a grainy texture. to 1 hour to make it firm.
Frozen Fruit: Use thawed fruit, never frozen. • If it’s too firm, let it soften at room
Depending on the recipe, you may need to temperature before use. Most frostings
strain the liquid that forms after thawing will have to soften at room temperature
frozen fruit. For some recipes, the liquid from before use.
the fruit replaces the liquid base, such as nut Cultured Frostings: With experience, I have
milk, to add flavor and color. noticed that when the base is cultured, the
Erythritol or Lakanto: Erythritol and Lakanto frosting firms much more than when it isn’t
— Lakanto is just a brand that mixes a primary cultured, using the same recipe. If you are
base of erythritol and monk fruit — can subbing the base with cultured cashews, use
crystallize when cooled, resulting in a grainy less binder or you will need to soften it longer
texture present in your frosting, which is why at room temperature.

18 Pastry Arts
 a minimum of 8 hours. Rinse the soaked
Working with Raw Frosting moss well in cool water and drain. Blend
Several factors affect the final result of your the sea moss and room-temperature
frosting, including the environment, fridge water until they form a paste.
temperature and ingredient ratios. It takes 2. Use immediately or store in a sealed
practice to know when your frosting is ready container in the fridge for up to 10 days.
for piping. It should be smooth enough to Or freeze the extra in ice cube trays. If it
pipe easily without grain, yet not too soft or is frozen, thaw before use.
firm.
If your frostings are not firm enough in
the fridge, try turning down the temperature COCONUT WHIPPED
so it’s cooler. The recommended fridge CREAM FROSTING
temperature is 38°F (3.3°C).

Yield: 3 cups
Storing Raw Frostings Equipment: High-speed blender
Most frostings will last up to one week in the
fridge in a sealed container, or they can be • 180 g coconut cream (homemade or
frozen for up to one month before the flavor store-bought)
and color start degrading. If the frostings are • 140 g raw cashews, soaked for 2 hours
frozen, thaw them in the fridge for 1-2 days. and rinsed
Working with raw frosting is different from • 110 g sea moss paste (recipe above)
working with traditional buttercream, but
• 98 g powdered xylitol
the more you work with it, the easier it gets.
Many bakers and pastry chefs have told me • 15 drops Medicine Flower® vanilla flavor
that raw frosting is much easier to work with extract or 1 tsp vanilla extract
than traditional buttercream, but you can be • 5 g sunflower lecithin powder
the judge of that. • 90 g coconut butter, softened
Here are some of my favorite raw vegan • 100 g virgin coconut oil. melted
frosting recipes to get you started. You can
use them to frost cakes or use them as a
1. Blend the first set of ingredients in a
garnish.
high-speed blender until smooth.
2. Add the coconut oil and coconut butter
SEA MOSS PASTE and blend again until incorporated. If the
mixture becomes grainy, keep blending
until it is smooth.
Yield: 1 ¼ cups to a little over 1 ½ cups paste
3. Pour the frosting into a shallow container
(depending on the brand of sea moss and how
and set it in the fridge to firm up for at
dry it is)
least 8 hours or overnight.
• 150 g filtered room-temperature water
• 15 g dried golden sea moss
Storage: Store in a sealed container in the
fridge for 5-7 days or freezer for up to 1
1. Rinse the dried sea moss well in cool month. If it is frozen, thaw it in the fridge
water to remove debris and salt. Soak in overnight before use.
a mason jar or bowl with lots of water for

Pastry Arts 19
 1. Blend the first set of ingredients in a
DOUBLE CHOCOLATE FROSTING high-speed blender until smooth.
2. With the blender running at low speed,
Yield: This will frost one 4-inch three-layer slowly add the coconut oil and blend
cake for only a few seconds until it is well
Equipment: High-speed blender incorporated.
3. Pour the frosting into a shallow container
• 210 g raw cashews, soaked for 2 hours and set it in the fridge to firm up for a
and rinsed minimum of 8 hours or overnight.
• 100 g coconut nectar or maple syrup
• 38 g water or espresso Depending on the climate in your kitchen, this
• 24 g cacao powder frosting may require time to soften at room
• 23 g cacao nibs temperature before piping.
• ¼ tsp espresso powder (to enhance the
chocolate flavor, optional) Storage: Store in a sealed container in the
• 12 drops Medicine Flower® vanilla flavor fridge for 5-7 days or freezer for up to 2
extract or 1 tsp vanilla extract months. If the frosting is frozen, thaw it in the
• 125 g virgin coconut oil, melted fridge overnight before use.

20 Pastry Arts
 3. Pour the frosting into a shallow container
RICH VANILLA CREAM FROSTING and set it in the fridge to firm for a
minimum of 8 hours or overnight.
Yield: Approximately 2 cups
Equipment: High-speed blender Depending on the climate in your kitchen, this
frosting may require time to soften at room
• 140 g raw cashews, soaked for 2 hours temperature before piping.
and rinsed
• 60 g almond or coconut milk Storage: Store in a sealed container in the
• 50 g light-amber agave fridge for 5-7 days or freezer for up to 1
month. If the frosting is frozen, thaw it in the
• 15 g lemon juice fridge overnight before use.
• 6 drops Medicine Flower® vanilla flavor
extract or ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 100 g virgin coconut oil, melted

1. Blend the first set of ingredients in a high-

speed blender until smooth.
2. While the blender is running at low speed,
slowly add the coconut oil and blend
for only a few seconds until it is well
incorporated.

Driven by the motto, “With

knowledge, anything is possible!”
Crystal Bonnet is a raw-food
chef, instructor and cookbook
author. She has dedicated
over 11 years to mastering
the art of raw cuisine and
desserts. Her journey includes
developing plant-based menus
for restaurants, catering health
retreats in Canada and Europe
and launching a raw chocolate
and dessert business. Now, she
empowers aspiring chefs worldwide
through her online culinary school,
Crystal Dawn Culinary.

Photos by Crystal Bonnet

Pastry Arts 21
Profile

SWEETS WITH
A SMILEKarina Rivera Teaches, Travels
and Bakes with Infectious Joy
22 Pastry Arts
 The Q&A

Were you interested in pastry when

you were growing up?
My first approach to pastry was watching
my mom baking pies -- cheese pies and also
chocolate. Every time she finished a cake or a
pie, she gave us the whisks of the hand mixer
with a little bit of frosting. Then one day I told

K
my mom, “I want to learn what you’re doing.”
I was eight when I got an Easy-Bake oven
for Christmas. When I realized what I could
arina Rivera’s do with a small plastic oven, I was thrilled.
glow lights up I remember the aroma of those vanilla and
chocolate little cakes and frosting them and
the kitchen. putting some sprinkles on. That gave me a lot
The Mexican- of joy.

born, Miami-based chef,

How did you make the decision to
teacher and consultant study culinary arts?
brings a sense of joy to When I was in high school, I was very
her work. From long hours interested in pursuing this as a career. But
some people told me it’s different doing it as
on cruise ships and hotels a hobby than doing it as a profession. So my
to baking for royalty and mom and my dad paid for a diploma for pastry
and culinary at a small school near my house.
victorious moments against When I did the pastry one, it felt like home. It
pastry royalty, Rivera keeps was hard work, but I never struggled as I did in
regular school. I did a six-month diploma and
frosting her desserts with then I did a one-year culinary arts program.
passion and love. Then I got a 90-percent scholarship to pursue
my four-year college degree at Anahuac in
Mexico City. It was a beautiful part of my life.

Pastry Arts 23
 another world. There were so many people
from so many nationalities -- people from
the Philippines, from India and from all over
Europe. It was amazing. I was doing 14-hour
shifts every day with no days off. I learned
a lot, not a lot about technique, but about
working in volume and playing fast.
But I was exhausted. My hands were a
mess, my feet were a mess and my back was
a mess. I lost so many pounds. I was tired.
When I got back, my parents said, “there’s no
way you’re going back.” But I told them, “If I
don’t go back, then, what do you expect me
to do here?” So I started applying for different
opportunities and that included an internship
here in Miami at the St. Regis Hotel.

What would you say is the thing you

learned the most while you were
there?
Definitely pastry. I learned precision and
details. I saw modern pastry, the chocolate
bonbons and beautifully-plated desserts. It
was a great learning experience.

You made desserts for the Royal family

in Qatar. What did you make?
Actually, the Qatar Royal family owned the St.
Regis. They liked the pastries and they wanted
to have them at one of their daughters’
You worked on cruise ships. What was weddings in Qatar. They brought me in eight
that experience like? days before the wedding. I was 27-years old.
When I got there, there were so many people
I had taken a cruise when I was 15, and I who had worked there for years and had so
remember thinking it was so cool. There was much experience and I was telling them what
so much food, with the carving stations and to do. I was so scared. I didn’t know if I could
big buffets. It actually was a goal for me since communicate with them. I didn’t want to be
the beginning. When I interviewed for a job, I an intruder because sometimes it can be really
was so nervous and excited at the same time. difficult letting someone in your kitchen who
When I got the offer letter, I was over the you don’t know. But everyone was so nice. I
moon. Of course, my parents were freaking had a full menu. We had tarts. We had plated
out because I was young and I was going to be desserts. We decorated everything, made the
working on a ship. My sister was living here buffets, the dessert tables. Everything was so
in Miami. She took me to the ship and it was beautiful.

24 Pastry Arts
You started to do contests. The first one was
the National Spring Baking Championship.
They contacted you through your Instagram,
correct?
I was eight
I started Instagram because it was something
everyone was doing, so I started taking pictures of my when I got an
desserts. Then one day someone contacted me from a
casting agency saying that there was this opportunity Easy-Bake oven
in New Orleans. In the first episode, I didn’t even
know what I was doing: Where’s my stuff? How does for Christmas.
the oven work? What ingredients are here? Where do I
find them? In 30 minutes, you also need to weigh the When I realized
ingredients, find where the ingredients are, bake and
cool down, decorate and plate. It was very challenging
because I was not comfortable in the kitchen yet. By
what I could
the third or fourth episode, I told myself to focus on
one detail or one texture that I had to get right. The
do with a small
rest was not going to be perfect. I learned how to
manage my time better. It was interesting because it
plastic oven, I was
was an American baking championship. I was used to
French techniques. I was not used to apple pie. thrilled.

Pastry Arts 25
You also faced Alex Guarnaschelli. to do. I had the option of doing either a
What was it like when you were romantic plated dessert or a kids’ dessert with
triumphant? carrots, corn or beets. I chose the romantic
dinner, and I used caramelized white chocolate
It was 2021. I was not the first choice; the and carrots. Then I made a macaron because
show contacted me a few days before. It was macarons always give me this romantic vibe.
in L.A. I didn’t know what to expect because
The tasting was blind. The judges didn’t
it was the first season. They explained
know if they were having the dessert
the concept. There were two rounds and
from Alex or from me. Once during the
the theme was chocolate. I won the first
competition, she stopped by and she took one
challenge, so I was able to decide what
of the macarons and she told me, ‘Oh, this
ingredients I wanted to use and what I wanted
is so good.’ Then she took another one and
this is something that I will take forever. Then
I thought: I don’t need to win. I already won.
When they told me I was the winner, I was in
shock. She was so nice about it. She told me
I deserved it. It’s always amazing to work on
any project with someone you admire — and
more if it’s a female chef.

Can you give me some examples of

how you incorporate some of your
Mexican heritage and culture into an
American dessert.
Every time I teach a class, I tell my students
to take advantage of that. It’s only something
that’s going to make your desserts richer.
We’re never going to think alike, because we
don’t have the same background and we don’t
know the same fruits. I went to Costa Rica to
teach a class about macarons. At the end, I
told them to make their own flavor of ganache
and they took out this cas that blew my mind
because I never heard about this food.
The love I put into my baking is something I
learned from my grandma and my mom. As far
as ingredients, we use vanilla and cacao daily
in pastry. I try to incorporate horchata into
different desserts, including macarons. The
beauty of Mexican desserts or Latin-American
desserts like tres leches or churros is that they
might not be eye-catching, but when you try
them, you feel the soul. You don’t need fancy
decorations; it’s all about the flavor and the
texture.

26 Pastry Arts
We decorated
everything, made
the buffets, the
dessert tables.
Everything was
so beautiful.

Pastry Arts 27
How did you get involved with pie, red velvet cake. I also make a caramel
macarons because you’re known for macchiato with the caramelized white
those? chocolate, a coffee extract and vanilla and a
caramel sauce.
A pastry cook in the Sands Hotel named
Summer taught me how to do them. And I
was so in love with such an intricate process. I You have a lot of Instagram followers.
started having fun because it was an amenity, What do you think it is about you that
so you didn’t have to follow any rules. I started people really like? Is it your techniques,
playing around with flavors. I felt that I had or your personality that shines
the kitchen for myself. It was not only making through?
me happy, but I also found out that I was good
at it. I don’t get tired of making the recipe That’s a good question. I would say a mix
again and again. of everything. People can identify with me
being an immigrant and then trying to pursue
What are some flavors you make that a profession in another country. I’m not only
sharing techniques or sharing desserts; I’m
would surprise people?
also sharing a little bit of my journey. I think
Hmm for macarons . . . horchata, key lime people get inspired by that. It’s authentic.

28 Pastry Arts
Where do you get your inspirations from?
I don’t look for them. Sometimes I’m in the park
walking my dog and with my wife and then I
have this moment when I think I want to do this.
Sometimes I’m talking with my mom. Sometimes When they
I’m in a restaurant, eating some delicious food.
It comes in different forms and different ways. told me I was
Sometimes when we try to push it so hard, it
doesn’t work and I forget what pastry is about.
the winner,
I find inspiration when I let it happen instead of
trying to stand out.
I was in shock.
When you teach classes, apart from the
actual instruction, how do you make the
classes fun?
For me, the kitchen needs to be a safe space. It’s
very important that people feel safe, comfortable
and happy. If you’re strict and harsh, then people
start getting stressed out. I try to have a relaxed
ambience and I say a joke here and there so people
relax and understand that I’m there of course to
teach them, but also to have a good time. That
helps you to connect with people so they know
you have dreams, fears and goals like them.

If you were talking to a young person

who wanted to choose a profession, what
would you tell them about being a pastry
chef?
First, follow your heart. If this is really what you
want to do, if you’re young and have a lot of
energy, an ability to stand in the kitchen for 12
hours, then take advantage of that because that’s
never coming back. If you want to pursue this as
a career, but you also want to enjoy life, there’s
going to be a point when you’ll have to make
a decision either to keep giving 100% to your
profession or start to set boundaries and limits
so you can also enjoy life. When you’re young,
work in different places and learn from different
chefs. When you have enough knowledge and
experience in your pocket, you can decide what
to do with it.

Pastry Arts 29
You founded Women Chefs 305. Tell all laid off. Because of my visa, I needed to
me about that. find another employer to change the visa
or I needed to start my green card process
Being a female chef in this industry is not because otherwise I would have to go back
easy. Here in Miami, we needed a community to Mexico. I was very fortunate because I got
of female chefs and professionals because my green card in six months. As soon as I got
we needed a mentorship. Most of the events it, I started my business. I started teaching
I attended catered to a community of male online classes, of course, because we were in
chefs who were always supporting one the pandemic. I was teaching how to make
another. People would invite me to events macarons two times a week.
and I never wanted to be the only female As the pandemic wore off, people started
chef. They would tell me they didn’t know any asking if I could do consulting for a restaurant
others, but there is a great group of talented or a bakery. Then a chef from Costa Rica
female chefs in Miami. I created this platform asked if I could teach an in-person class there,
in 2017 and I still want to grow this idea, so I started teaching in-person classes. Then
so the community has more events, more there was an executive chef
support, more resources, and so people can I used to know from the
find these talented female chefs. St. Regis who wanted
to start an amenity
What about the decision to program, so I made
start your own business? macarons for him.
What has that been like? Now my business
is a little bit of
It has been a roller coaster. everything.
When the pandemic happened,
I was working at a restaurant in Photos courtesy of
downtown Miami and we were Karina Rivera

30 Pastry Arts
 J A M S | S P R E A D S | G E L S | G L A Z E S | T O P P I N G S | C O M P O U N D S | PA S T E S

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Wedding Cake

BUILDING UPON
SUCCESS
How to Guarantee Continued Wedding-Cake Inquiries

By Jennifer Williamson

32 Pastry Arts
 S
So now what? How do you connect with
your colleagues for ongoing referrals?
o you just There are four methods to keep those
finished a referrals coming in year after year, decade
after decade.
busy wedding The first is to get on the preferred-vendor
weekend. That’s list at the venues where you love to work.
Couples truly value this list and most will
great. This resource it first. How do we do this? The
should bring you plenty of short answer is to be consistent, be on time,
be pleasant and easy to work with and get
new business. Your cakes to know the coordinators. When working a
were great, and you were wedding, make sure to introduce yourself to
the staff and coordinators and thank them
happy with your work. The when you are done. If there are industry
inquiries should be rolling in events hosted by the venue, ask how you can
help. I don’t suggest asking to be on a vendor
any minute, right? I wish it list, but after getting to know the venue and
were that easy. the coordinators, you can ask if they have
a vendor list. This will get the conversation
going and start a relationship.

One of the biggest challenges of the wedding-

cake industry is that we all need new business
every single time. I know, it’s frustrating for
all of us. Not only do we have to attract our
ideal clients, convince them to hire us, follow
through flawlessly, but then we have to do
it over and over, every single time, for every
single client. So how do you stay in the game
season after season, year after year?
The truth is, the source of most quality
new business comes from other wedding
professionals, not from former couples. Think
about it: you deliver the most stunning,
delectable wedding cake. Of course, your
couple loved it, as well as your stress-free
process, and your wonderful customer service.
Of course, they will tell all their friends, right?
Well, as much as your couples loved you and
your cake, their lives are moving on. They are
married now and totally over the wedding
planning. I know, it’s sad. It’s even getting
harder and harder to nudge clients to take
the time to write a review, even after a great
experience.

Pastry Arts 33
 The next method is to cultivate you share similar clients, and refer them to
relationships with seasoned planners, caterers, your clients. If they already have all their other
florists and photographers you admire and vendors, reinforce their choices. This gives
whose styles are similar to your own. These them more trust in their team.
professionals are the ones who are most
The third method is to make friends with
exposed to the wedding cake and will likely
your competitors. These are your friends. We
refer you. DJs and bands always eat the cake.
are all in the same game and can help each
They will remember you; trust me. I get 11 p.m
texts from my DJ and band member friends other more often than not. The best way to do
from events all the time, telling me, “This must this is to find someone you admire or who has
be your cake.” If you want to cultivate these a similar ideal client. Just pick up the phone,
relationships, I suggest joining industry-related give a call and ask if you can refer them when
referral and networking groups in your area. you are booked. Of course, they will say yes
In addition to networking at these events, and be happy to return the favor. Building
offer to bring cake samples to a special event good relationships with your competitors will
so that other vendors get to try your cake. pay off in the long run, too. Whom do you
Most important, don’t forget to refer other think another baker will recommend when
businesses. Seek out the vendors with whom they go out of business?

34 Pastry Arts
 The last thing to do is make sure you stay start making some friends. Start referring your
on top of your style and don’t let your looks favorite vendors, and make sure to ask your
get outdated. It’s great to have a particular clients how they find you. After you do this for
style that sets you apart, but you also want to a while, they will easily give you two or three
alter that style to stay current and in demand. sources. Lastly, be sure to thank the source of
You can do this by practicing new techniques the referral, and don’t take any job for granted.
and even attending workshops to learn a
new trick or two. Don’t forget to post these
looks on social media. Remember, it’s your
colleagues who continually see your work, and
you will be first on their mind when you post a Owner of her award-winning business, Jenny’s
gorgeous new cake. They will refer you to their Wedding Cakes, Jennifer Williamson has
clients who are seeing your work for the first become a leading figure in design inspiration
time. If you make a cake you love and post and a mentor to her peers. She is known for her
about it, make sure to tag anyone you know exquisite wedding-cake designs in the greater
from the same wedding. Boston area. She is now the founder of the
Building quality relationships with your “Wedding Cake Business Academy,” an online
colleagues and continuing to keep a great course helping other wedding-cake makers
reputation will get you long-lasting success achieve the same success.
that will carry you through any challenges the
industry may bring. I’ve seen it, and I’ve lived
to tell about it. So get out of the kitchen and Photos by Lauren Killian and Christian Pendergraft

Pastry Arts 35
Fruit Forward

FRUIT INTELLIGENCE:
KUMQUAT By Michael Laiskonis,
Culinary Director, Les vergers Boiron

36 Pastry Arts Sponsored by Les vergers Boiron

I
While lemons, limes and oranges are firmly
evergreen in their use, this peak season allows
f there is a silver specialty citrus its time to shine – from spicy
sudachi and floral bergamot to sweet blood
lining to the orange and zesty kalamansi – among many
other specimens, familiar and exotic. A favorite
cold and dark of mine, and a bit of an outlier among the citrus
winter months, family, is kumquat. While botanists may argue its
precise origin and taxonomic classification, for
perhaps it’s the pastry chefs its unique quality is the practice of
appearance of peak- consuming the whole fruit – both the sweet rind
and the tart juicy flesh within.
season citrus fruits to I am excited to introduce kumquat as the latest
brighten our kitchens addition to Les verger Boiron’s citrus fruit family -
a puree with a high aromatic intensity and complex
with flavors from balance of sweetness, acidity and bitterness, all
supported by a range of characteristic citrus notes.
sunnier domains. Its introduction as a puree – with visible specks of
rind – opens up a wealth of opportunity for use in
pastry applications.

Pastry Arts 37
 First cultivated in Asia, our kumquats can coconut. The bold flavor stands up to buttery
be traced to the sun-drenched region of caramel, fragrant vanilla, honey, subtle hints
Andalusia, not far from the Strait of Gibraltar of spice and chocolate - not to mention,
and the rugged wilderness of Los Alcornocales pistachio, hazelnut and chestnut.
Natural Park. It’s here in the mountainous In kumquat’s fresh form, its applications
region of southern Spain where Boiron in the pastry kitchen are often limited to
sources the Nagami kumquat. This small, candying and simple preserves, but kumquat
oval-shaped variety is grown on a family-run puree allows for convenience, control and
farm that specializes in the fruit. Such focus creativity in preparations from sorbet and
is a rarity in citrus agriculture and offers us mousse to cremeux and confections. A few
both high quality and consistent supply. Our of my favorite recipes include a kumquat and
producer partner practices certified organic mango-topped pistachio financier, kumquat
methods, which is an essential factor when pâte de fruit accented with pineapple, and
processing whole fruits such as kumquat. a sorbet pairing kumquat with Corsican
Hand-picked, fully mature kumquats offer clementine.
the most complex flavor profile; the harvest For more recipe inspiration and technical
season in Spain begins in February and lasts information on Les vergers Boiron’s Kumquat
through April. purée, visit: https://www.les-vergers-boiron.
Kumquat pairs well with a wide array of com and follow along as we explore all of
complimentary fruits: mango, pineapple, our flavors, origins, and applications at
strawberry, pear, blackcurrant, quince and @les_vergers_boiron_americas

38 Pastry Arts
 KUMQUAT
CLEMENTINE SORBET
By Michael Laiskonis,
Culinary Director, Les vergers Boiron

Because kumquat puree has a high solid Alternatively, transfer to PacoJet canisters
content, I like to introduce other fruits to help and freeze; process as needed.
balance the formulation and create a broader, 6. Continue to harden the sorbet at 0°F
more complex flavor profile. (-18°C) as necessary.
Yield: 1 liter sorbet

• 140 g granulated sugar, divided

• 3 g sorbet stabilizer
• 195 g water
• 45 g glucose powder
• 150 g Les vergers Boiron
PGI Corsican Clementine
purée
• 350 g Les vergers Boiron
Kumquat purée

1. Combine 20 g of the of sugar

with the stabilizer. Reserve.
2. In a saucepan, heat the water
to 120°F (50°C.) Whisk in the
stabilizer mixture, followed by
the remaining 120 g of sugar and
the glucose powder. Bring just to
a boil and remove from heat.
3. Chill and allow the syrup to mature
for at least 4 hours.
4. Combine the purées and syrup and
process in a batch freezer.
5. Extract the mix at 23°F (-5°C).

Pastry Arts 39
KUMQUAT PATE DE FRUIT
By Michael Laiskonis,
Culinary Director, Les vergers Boiron

When preparing pâte de fruit, I like to use • 300 g Les vergers Boiron Kumquat purée
a medium-set pectin. During the cooking • 100 g Les vergers Boiron Pineapple purée
process, the sugar and glucose must be added • 580 g granulated sugar
slowly to ensure the cooking temperature
does not fall below 85°C (185°F). This will • 9 g yellow pectin
prevent the pectin from setting prematurely • 80 g glucose syrup
and compromising the final texture. If desired, • 12 g citric acid solution
add 10 g of corresponding fruit liqueur at the
end of the cooking stage. 1. Place the purée into a large, heavy
Yield: 50 pieces pâte de fruit saucepan and heat to 104°F (40°C).
2. Combine 60 g of the sugar with the pectin
and whisk into the purée.
3. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring
continually.
4. Add the remaining 520 g of the sugar along
with the glucose in multiple additions.
5. Continue to cook to a final temperature of
223°F (106°C).
6. Remove from heat and stir in the citric
acid.
7. Immediately pour into prepared frames or
deposit into silicon molds and allow to cool
and set at room temperature.
8. To serve, toss the cut or unmolded candies
in citric sugar (below).

CITRIC SUGAR
• 100 g sugar
• 4g citric acid

1. Thoroughly combine the sugar and citric

acid. Store in a sealed container.

40 Pastry Arts
KUMQUAT
A fluid gel is a versatile component
that can be used in several ways, from
garnishing cakes and pastries to plated
desserts. The sweetness can be adjusted

PISTACHIO
to taste. For more acidity, replace a
portion of the liquid with lime, passion
fruit or similar acidic fruit.

Yield: 48 financiers

FINANCIER KUMQUAT-MANGO FLUID GEL

• 150 g Les vergers Boiron Kumquat
purée
By Michael Laiskonis, • 70 g Les vergers Boiron Mango purée
Culinary Director, • 100 g granulated sugar
Les vergers Boiron • 100 g water
• 4 g agar agar

Pastry Arts 41
1. Combine the purées and sugar and gently
warm to 95°F (35°C). Reserve. PISTACHIO FINANCIER
2. Combine the water and agar agar in a small
saucepan and bring to a boil over medium • 140 g unsalted butter
heat. • 45 g almond flour
3. Reduce the heat and hold a simmer for 30 • 45 g all-purpose flour
seconds. • 115 g confectioner’s sugar
4. Remove from heat and stir in the purée • 1 g salt
mixture. Allow to cool and set to a firm gel
• 125 g egg whites
at room temperature.
• 40 g pistachio paste
5. Break up the gel and place it into a
variable-speed blender. Process until
smooth. Transfer to a squeeze bottle. 1. In a small saucepan, gently cook the
butter until lightly browned, whisking
occasionally; reserve and keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, combine the almond flour,
all-purpose flour, confectioner’s sugar and
salt.
3. In a large mixing bowl, manually whip the
egg whites just until frothy.
4. Whisk in the almond flour mixture.
5. Slowly whisk in the warm brown butter,
followed by the pistachio paste, ensuring
complete emulsification.
6. Transfer the batter to a pastry bag, then
pipe it into sprayed silicon molds. Chill for
10 minutes.
7. Bake in a convection oven at 300°F
(150°C) for 10-12 minutes or until just
lightly browned.
8. Allow to cool.

ASSEMBLY
• Confectioner’s sugar
• Nasturtium leaves

1. Unmold the cooled financier and dust with

confectioner’s sugar. Deposit the fluid gel
onto each and top with a nasturtium leaf.

42 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 serviceclient@weiss.fr
Cottage Life

Consistent Baking:
Tips for Achieving
Perfect Batches
Every Time
By Deanna Martinez-Bey

44 Pastry Arts
 W
hether you’re • Take ingredients out of the fridge 30
whipping up minutes before starting. If you forget,
you can quickly bring eggs to room
cookies, cakes temperature by placing them in a bowl
or pastries, of warm -- not hot! -- water for about
five minutes and butter in the microwave
consistency is critical to for about 15 to 20 seconds. (Be sure not
creating flawless, delicious to melt the butter or it will affect the
bakes every single time. Even consistency of your baked goods).

the best recipes can fall flat

3. Preheat Your Oven
without a few tried-and-true
techniques. Here are some A preheated oven is crucial for consistent
baking. If your oven isn’t hot enough when
tips to help cottage bakers you place the batter in, it can affect how the
ensure every batch is as good dough rises, the texture of the bake and even
as the last. the cooking time.
• Always preheat: Set the oven at least 10-
15 minutes before starting.
• Use an oven thermometer: Many ovens
run hotter or colder than their settings. A
thermometer helps you stay on track.
1. Measure Ingredients Accurately
One of the most common mistakes in baking 4. Rotate Your Bakes
is mismeasuring ingredients. Baking is a
science, and slight variations in ingredient Even the best ovens have hot spots. To avoid
amounts can lead to significant differences in uneven baking—like cookies that are browned
texture, rise and flavor. Here’s how to nail it: on one side and pale on the other—rotate
your pans halfway through the baking time.
• Use a kitchen scale: Measuring by weight
is far more accurate than using cups or
tablespoons.
• Spoon and level: If you don’t have a scale,
spoon flour into your measuring cup and
level it off with a flat edge. This avoids
packing the flour, which can result in a
dense bake.

2. Keep Ingredients at Room

Temperature
Many baking recipes call for ingredients
like butter, eggs and milk to be at room
temperature. This ensures they blend more
smoothly and create a uniform texture. For
best results:

Pastry Arts 45
5. Don’t Overmix Your Batter smells amazing, but proper cooling is key to
your bake’s final texture and taste. Cakes and
While it’s tempting to keep mixing until your cookies continue to set and develop their
batter looks smooth and perfect, overmixing structure as they cool.
can cause baked goods to be tough or dry.
• Use a cooling rack: It allows air to circulate
Mixing too long activates the gluten in the
and prevents sogginess from trapped
flour, leading to a dense, chewy result.
steam. Cool the item completely before
frosting or decorating it to avoid melting.
6. Use High-Quality Ingredients
While budget baking is possible -- and fun! -- 8. Test for Doneness
sometimes it pays to invest in higher-quality
ingredients, especially staples like butter, Rather than relying solely on the timer, use
chocolate, and vanilla extract. The better the visual and physical cues to test when your
ingredients, the better the final product will baked goods are done. Each oven is different,
taste. so visual cues help avoid over- or under-
• Look for sales: High-quality ingredients baking.
often go on sale around holidays, making it • Cakes: Insert a toothpick into the center.
easier to stock up. If it comes out clean or with a few moist
crumbs, it’s done.
7. Allow Proper Cooling Time • Cookies: They should be golden on the
edges and just set in the center. (They’ll
It’s easy to get impatient when something firm up more as they cool.)

46 Pastry Arts
 1. Clean Tools Immediately After Use
Don’t let leftover batter or dough harden
on your tools. This makes them harder to
clean and can damage the surface over
time.
2. Use Non-Abrasive Cleaners
Avoid harsh scrubbing or abrasive cleaners
that can scratch non-stick coatings,
silicone or glass surfaces.
3. Store Pans and Tools Properly
Proper storage helps prevent damage and
keeps tools organized.
4. Keep Knives and Blades Sharp
Sharp tools make cutting, chopping and
slicing easier and safer.
5. Check for Wear and Tear
9. Keep Your Baking Equipment Clean Inspect your baking tools for signs of wear
and tear, especially non-stick pans, silicone
You may be wondering how keeping your mats and measuring spoons. Over time,
baking equipment clean can assist with coatings can wear off, or tools may warp.
consistent baking. Allow me to elaborate:
A. Accurate Measurements: Clean measuring Incorporating these tips into your baking
tools ensure you use the right ingredients routine will help you achieve consistent
without leftover residue affecting the results every time. From accurately measuring
proportions. ingredients to ensuring your equipment is in
B. Proper Mixing: Residue or grease from top condition, these minor adjustments can
previous batches can prevent ingredients make a big difference. Whether you’re making
from mixing properly, leading to cookies, cakes, or pastries, following these
inconsistent textures or rises in baked best practices will ensure your baked goods
goods. come out flawlessly, batch after batch. These
tips are especially valuable for cottage bakers
C. Flavor Control: Lingering flavors from past
running small, home-based businesses. They
recipes (e.g., spices, garlic, onions) can
will help you maintain professional-quality
transfer to your baked goods, altering their
results while keeping costs low and efficiency
taste.
high.
D. Precise Temperature Control: Clean
baking pans ensure even heat distribution,
which is crucial for uniform baking results,
Deanna Martinez-Bey is a cottage baker, baking
such as even browning or rising.
class instructor, content creator and multi-genre
E. Tips to Maintain Your Baking Equipment. author. With 18 published books under her
belt and a certified cottage bakery, everything
Properly maintaining your baking tools she does revolves around food and writing in
and equipment ensures they last longer and one way, shape or form. Visit her Etsy shop for
function at their best. Here are five simple recipes and printables: https://www.etsy.com/
tips to keep your baking gear in top condition. shop/DeannasRecipeBox

Pastry Arts 47
Vanilla 101

The King of
Desserts By Robert Wemischner

48 Pastry Arts Sponsored by Tahitian Gold Vanilla

 M
odest, confident, and indefatigable are just three
words that come to mind when characterizing
pastry chef Farid Azarang. With his brother Saeed
at Artelice Patisserie (currently two locations
with a third in the works) over the past seven years, he has
built a devoted audience for his stunningly beautiful French-
inspired pastries and viennoiserie. In demand for catering some
of Hollywood’s biggest events including sweets for the Grammy
awards, Azarang is always on the lookout for the next big thing.
Currently his love for Whole Vanilla Bean Paste is deliciously
present in a number of his cream-based desserts.

If you ask him to sum up his philosophy of At its base is a crunchy layer of pecan
dessert in a nutshell, he quickly answers: feuilletine and a nutted sponge cake. Inserts of
“I love to use all natural ingredients and caramel and chocolate crémeux are enveloped
accenting fruits, chocolate, cream, nuts and by a mousse infused with deep, complex
butter, I turn to Tahitian Gold vanilla in many vanilla notes that linger delicately on the
of its market forms.” His kouign-amann, coated palate. Smooth and rich, this dessert hits all of
with crackly vanilla sugar, and buttercream the appealing textural contrasts, fit for a king,
filled cakes highlight his artistry in crafting as its name implies.
desserts that deliver a pure and memorable
essence of vanilla’s flavor in every bite.
With a nod to both the United States and
France, Azarang fashions a symphony of
textures in his Pecan Royale. Drawing on that
most American of nuts, the pecan, a species of
nuts from a hickory tree native to the southern
United States, and featuring a Madagascar
Bourbon vanilla crémeux reflecting his French
training, Azarang appeals to palates on both
sides of the Pond. The dessert uses a custom-
made mold imported from France to lend a
regal appearance, embossed with the intricate
design of the Artelice logo.

Pastry Arts 49
 PECAN
ROYALE CAKE
By Farid Azarang,
Executive Pastry Chef, CEO, Artelice Patisserie

5050 Pastry
Pastry
Arts
Arts
 VANILLA MOUSSE
• 669 g heavy cream, divided
• 220 g white chocolate
• 5 g gelatin (bloomed in cold water)
• 
15 g Tahitian Gold Whole Vanilla Bean
Paste 3x, Madagascar

1. Whip 446 g of the heavy cream to soft

peaks and reserve in the refrigerator.
2. Heat the remaining 223 g of the heavy
cream in a saucepan until just simmering.
3. Pour the hot cream over the white
chocolate, then add the bloomed gelatin
and the vanilla bean paste. bloomed gelatin and vanilla beans.
4. Blend with a hand blender until smooth 6. Strain and cool to room temperature
and fully emulsified. before using.
5. Cool the mixture to 95°F (35°C), then
gently fold in the whipped cream. Use
immediately. PECAN SPONGE
• 4 large eggs (separated)
PECAN CRÉMEUX • 100 g granulated sugar, divided
• 80 g ground pecans
• 254 g heavy cream • 30 g all-purpose flour
• 52 g whole milk • 1 g salt
• 75 g pecan praline paste • 2 g Tahitian Gold Ground Vanilla Beans,
• 3 large egg yolks Madagascar
• 50 g granulated sugar
• 4 g gelatin (bloomed in cold water) 1. Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C).
• 3 g Tahitian Gold Ground Vanilla Beans, 2. Line a 12-inch x 16-inch pan (30 cm x 40
Madagascar cm) baking tray with parchment paper.
3. Whip the egg whites with half the sugar
1. Heat the cream, milk and praline paste in a until stiff peaks form.
saucepan until just simmering. 4. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks with
2. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks the remaining sugar until pale and fluffy.
and sugar until pale. 5. Fold the ground pecans, flour and salt into
3. Gradually pour the hot cream mixture into the yolk mixture.
the yolks, whisking constantly. 6. Gently fold in the meringue in thirds to
4. Return the mixture to the pan and cook avoid deflating.
over low heat, stirring, until it reaches 7. Spread the batter evenly on the prepared
180°F (82°C) and thickens slightly. tray and bake for 12-15 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat and stir in the 8. Cool before cutting to the desired shape.

Pastry Arts 51
 1. Heat the sugar and water in a saucepan
until it forms a deep amber caramel.
2. Stir in the toasted pecans until coated.
3. Spread onto parchment paper and cool
completely.
4. Grind into a paste for the crémeux or
crush into small pieces for garnishing.

ASSEMBLY
1. Prepare the Layers:
• Cut the pecan sponge into the desired
shape (e.g., circles or rectangles) to
match the mold size.
• Cut the pecan and milk chocolate
feuilletine to the same size as the
sponge.
2. Layering:
PECAN AND MILK • Place the first layer of pecan sponge at
CHOCOLATE FEUILLETINE the base of your mold.
• Pipe or spread a layer of pecan
• 100 g milk chocolate crémeux on top of the sponge.
• 50 g pecan praline paste • Add the feuilletine layer for crunch.
• 50 g feuilletine (or crushed cornflakes) • Pipe a thick layer of vanilla mousse on
top. Repeat layers if desired.
• 5 g Tahitian Gold Whole Vanilla Bean
Paste 3x, Madagascar 3. Chill:
• Freeze the assembled cake for at least
four to six hours to set.
1. Melt the milk chocolate over a double
boiler. 4. Finishing Touches:
2. Stir in the praline paste and feuilletine • Unmold the cake and glaze or spray
until well combined. with a velvet chocolate finish for a
professional look.
3. Spread the mixture thinly on parchment
paper and refrigerate until set. • Garnish with crushed pecan praline,
whole caramelized pecans or gold leaf
4. Cut to the same size as the sponge layers. for elegance.
5. Serve:
PECAN PRALINE • Let the cake sit at room temperature
for 20–30 minutes before serving to
• 100 g granulated sugar achieve the perfect texture.
• 50 g water
• 100 g pecans, toasted For more information about Tahitian Gold
• 5 g Tahitian Gold Whole Vanilla Bean Vanilla products, contact Noa Martin at
Paste 3x, Madagascar info@tahitiangoldco.com or 310 465 0856.

52 Pastry Arts
 March 21-23, 2025
Jacob Javits Center, NYC
Salon du Chocolat New York features interactive experiences,
delectable products, and expert presentations from cocoa
producers, chocolatiers, and pastry chefs. All in a curated,
immersive venue, there’s a little something for everyone!

Purchase Your Tickets Today!

Profile

HOW
SWEDE
Nordic Treasure Håkan
Mårtensson is a Craftsman
Gifted at Making Chocolate
IT IS
By Brian Cazeneuve
and Sculpting Chocolate

54 Pastry Arts
T
he town of Beacon
is a Norman
Rockwell special.
Tucked into New
York’s lush Hudson
Valley, 55 miles
north of Manhattan, it has easy
access to hiking, fishing, kayaking
on the Hudson River, strolling
on the waterfront, an arts scene,
farmers’ markets, cascading Fishkill
Falls, eye-catching Bannerman
Castle and a Main Street with
Tucked among the Victorian architecture in a
antique stores and coffee shops, slice of this 13,000-person postcard, stands
each more welcoming than the Håkan Mårtensson, the chocolatier, serpent
master and gracious host who breathes life
next. It’s a cozy place to unlock your
into the mythical beasts and winged serpents
doors, put your feet up, walk your using the sweetest of weaponry . . . chocolate.
dogs and raise your family. Just “It is the perfect canvas to create something
that tells a story and takes you somewhere
watch out for the fire-breathing else,” he says in his Norse-inflected patois that
dragons, pipe-smoking trolls and is transporting just by itself. Sure, customers
the skulls and gnomes menacing may be lured by the treasures under the glass
counter at the entrance: pastries, cardamom
you from every angle. buns, oat balls and bon bons by the barrelful,
with beguiling, unplaceable flavor profiles. But
when patrons are lucky, those who patiently
wait on line to enter HÅKAN Chocolatier
can also look through the glass partition to
the kitchen where Mårtensson might just
be sculpting a new creature. Why not have
fantasy brought to life and a coffee at the
same time?
Mårtensson’s award collection is a rarity,
even among great chocolatiers. He became
a world champion for his sculpting in 2006
and 2008, and for his bon bons in 2013 and
2014. With Mårtensson, there are style and
substance, form and function, trolls and
truffles, dragons and dragees. “I’m not sure if I
actually found chocolate,” he says humbly, “or
if chocolate found me.”

Pastry Arts 55
[Chocolate]
is the perfect
canvass
to create
something that
tells a story
and takes you
somewhere
else.

The generous serendipity began in the robust Swede who may as well be chopping
unlikely Swedish locale of Hanaskog, a bite- wood during his coffee break – give him a
sized hamlet of 1,200 people, 30 miles from beard and he would make a fine St. Nicholas
the original Ikea in Älmhult and 70 miles – yet customers soon discover a disarming
Northeast of Malmö, the country’s third- friendliness sprinkled with humor and cheer.
largest city. Blink, sneeze or chug some glogg So why the trolls and gnomes?
and you’re likely to skip right past it. Håkan’s Perhaps the mischief, depicted in his craft,
father, Ingvar, had been a butcher in a high- actually had its origins in the Mårtensson
end department store who valued customer kitchen. The boy was busy playing sports,
service. Håkan recalls Ingvar telling one toiling on swimming and soccer teams, while
patron, “Here, I was saving this for my family, his body craved fuel to feed his hours of
but I’m giving it to you because you really energy. “I was a sugar king,” he recalls. “I was
wanted it.” Hence was born a loyal customer working out so much, my metabolism was off
for life. By watching his dad, Håkan learned the charts. It didn’t matter what I ate. I had
not only the technicalities of a business, but two hours of training every day.” The most
also the whole of customer interaction. “He frequent targets, tucked into his mother’s
made these exact cuts,” Haken recalls. “They kitchen drawer, were balls of chocolate
were so precise. I didn’t know then that there wrapped in coconut. “I tried to sneak one
was a connection for me. But he also had a piece at a time, so nobody would notice,” he
way with people. That stayed with me.” recalls. “When it was all gone, what story
By sight, Mårtensson seems a classically could I tell?”

56 Pastry Arts
 In fact, story-telling and science were a 450-block of mass into a fairy tale. “I
always circulating in the boy’s blood next realized how to see a figure in 3D, not as a
to the sugar. He liked to draw and he liked flat surface,” he says. “I could look at the front
the composition of food. When Håkan was and understand what I was trying to do in the
14, a time for Swedes to further their book back.”
studies or choose a trade, he opted for The process entailed cutting a piece at
culinary school. For almost two years, his a time in a room set to between 65 and 70
mother drove him to a delivery bakery at 1:30 degrees, with humidity between 50 and 65
in the morning. He would work from 2:00 percent. To get the different parts to blend
a.m. to 7;00 a.m., go to school from 8 a.m. properly, he could use the heat of his fingers.
until four in the afternoon, jump into soccer Then he’d scrape, alternately carving and
training; then come home to eat and melt adding until the magic touch produced the
into his pillow from around 8 in the evening desired creature.
until 1 a.m. Despite the sleep-deprivation, he “The first thing I did was a dragon I saw
graduated No. 1 in his class from the School of in a magazine,” he recalls. “He was looking
Österäng in Kristianstad. down from a throne. The character was
Straight after graduation, Mårtensson not a bloodthirsty animal; he was meant
moved to Stockholm to work as a baker at NK to look intelligent, curious, wise. And the
(Nordiska Kompaniet), which was Sweden’s beauty of creating a creature like a dragon
leading pastry company at the time. NK’s is that nobody can say it’s wrong. It’s your
Executive Pastry Chef, Stefan Johnson- interpretation; it’s not a portrait.” Creations
Petersen, took Håkan under his wing and can take between an hour and several days
became his mentor. Mårtensson ran ten ovens to complete. “It isn’t in the head,” he explains;
at once, reveling in the responsibility, but his “it’s in the fingers.”
eyes were especially drawn to chocolate. “It
was so petit, so exact,” he recalls. “It was easy
to screw up. I wanted that challenge. When I
found chocolate, it changed my perspective
on what I wanted to do with my life.”
In particular, Mårtensson noticed his
mentor sculpting with chocolate, making
shapes into people, places and things, and
he was transfixed. “How do you do that?” he
asked impatiently. Johnson-Petersen knew
his pupil well enough to understand this as
a call to instruction, but Mårtensson needed
trial and error. “The first few times I made
something, Stefan crushed them and threw
them out,” Mårtensson recalls. It was brutally
direct, but also a test to see if the pupil was
willing to endure the failures that would
ultimately lead to success. The teacher needn’t
have worried.
Soon the self-described “average sketcher”
discovered a knack for seeing his new craft
in its necessary dimensions and transforming

Pastry Arts 57
 With Johnson-Petersen’s blessing, the
Swedish Culinary Team’s leader Krister Dahl
tapped the dragon master to be its youngest
member, at age 22, with an eye towards
the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg in
2006 and the Culinary Olympics in Erfurt,
Germany in 2008. Mårtensson wanted to
keep the nomination quiet. “If it didn’t go
well, I didn’t want my relatives to see me as a
fraud,” he says. But when the Swedish tabloid
Aftonbladet ran an article about the squad as
it made a Christmas ham months before the
major competitions, there was Mårtensson’s
unmistakable face in the center of the lead
photo. “Everybody called everybody,” he recalls.
“Friends, relatives, people I only kind of knew.”
Mårtensson couldn’t shake a dragon’s tail
without someone asking how the competition
prep was progressing.
And that progress was exacting. Loosely
translated from some ancient kitchen dialect,
surely Mårtensson’s name translates to “all-
nighter.” On the final night of prep before one
competition, Mårtensson stayed awake for 33
straight hours in the kitchen of the old castle
where the team trained and began to sense
the pressure. He recalls days when he couldn’t
start sculpting until his fingers stopped shaking.
Would he even be able to compete without
steady hands? “If it was just me, I would have
backed out, because I wasn’t enjoying it,” he
says. “But I was part of a team.”

When I found In Luxembourg, the team used the theme of

the extreme temperatures on a Celsius scale,
chocolate, depicting both ice and melting gold. Mårtensson
earned his first international gold for sculpting.
it changed In Erfurt, the team’s theme was the Swedish
pop group Abba. Hey, if The Winner Takes It All,
my perspective why not them? The genre tested Mårtensson’s
sensibilities. “I’m as far away from that kind of
on what I wanted music, that clothing, that style as possible,” he
says. He recalls scouting his hands the morning
to do with of the event and liking what he saw. “They were
solid,” he says. “So, okay, let’s go.” Somehow,
my life. Mårtensson channeled some distant inner
Dancing Queen and won gold again.

58 Pastry Arts
 “After that, I was done with competition,”
he says. “I needed a new challenge.” In
2009, he began a job as Executive Pastry
Chef with Swedish cafe Fika in New York
City, a complete U-Turn from Hanaskog. I realized how to
“In New York, there were 1,800 people in
the apartment complex where I was living,” see a figure in
he recalls. “There were more people in my
building than in my hometown.” 3D, not as a flat
Mårtensson fed off the energy and
opportunity. He sculpted live for audiences surface. I could look
at the Comic Con, the specialty emporium
Dean & Deluca, the Salon du Chocolat show at the front and
and for the opening night of a Willy Wonka
remake on Broadway. Even if you couldn’t
understand what I
see Mårtensson on a crowded show floor,
you could easily find him just by looking for
was trying to do in
the bottleneck expanding around a particular
stand or table and count the patrons clicking
the back.
away on their iPhones. “Once you start
sculpting, everything stops,” he says. “I’m not
usually aware of the size of the crowd until I
look up. Then, Holy crap.”

Pastry Arts 59
 In combined appearances at the Mårtensson was at a crossroads. Well
International Chocolate Awards in 2013 and before the pandemic hit, he had spoken fondly
2014, Mårtensson won six medals for his of Hudson Valley, which was less expensive
extraordinary bon bons – golds for Quinoa and more relaxed than the city he’d grown to
Hazelnut Gianduja; Salted Caramel; Cinnamon love. He left behind a home in the borough of
Tabasco; and Yuzu Licorice; and silvers for Queens that had cocoa beans on the wall and
Goat Cheese and for Key Lime Pie. a cacao tree in his bedroom that never quite
Mårtensson helped build the Fika brand in bore the bounty he had hoped. His family was
Japan, and by 2015, the business had grown also growing. Today Håkan and his wife, Laura,
from one store in New York to 18, but it also are parents to Maddox and Milo – as the
grew too fast. Fika’s eyes were bigger than chocolatier calls them aptly, “my M&Ms.” Once
its stomach. With financial and practical the fog started to lift from Covid, he opened
challenges mounting, Fika closed its last store HÅKAN Chocolatier in Beacon in May, 2021.
in 2019. It was an instant hit.
Apart from the prize-winning Quinoa
Hazelnut, there are Kalamansi Cardamom,
Sakura and Japanese Whiskey, Wolf Paw
(lingonberry caramel and vodka ganache),
smokey Laphroaig (scotch), Cognac Hazelnut
Marzipan, Norwegian goat cheese (Brunost),
and Dragon’s Breath (ganache infused with
yellow habanero hot sauce). No, these are
not your grandfather’s gooseberries. Belying
the whimsy of his creatures, Mårtensson
composes his bon bons with exacting
deduction. A cinnamon and tabasco bon bon
balances both cinnamon’s lingering flavor
and tabasco’s heat that doesn’t initially
activate in the mouth. It’s a tasty treat in a
time capsule.
He curates each shape and color with
what he sees as a complementary geometry
and color. “I’m always thinking how I can
pair this,” he says. “What’s the texture and
the sweetness? Should it be salty or sour? If
you’re picking five bon bons, it should be a
different experience with all five.” As part of a
collaboration, Dandelion Chocolate in the Bay
Area placed a pre-holiday order of 160,000
bon bons from Mårtensson’s shop last year.
With all the winning combinations, there
were also abandoned trials. “Ice cream with
liquid smoke and pop rocks,” he says, nearly
spitting the words out of his mouth. “That was
disgusting. I almost quit [experimenting] after
that one.”

60 Pastry Arts
 Mårtensson instructs his staff to learn
people’s names, as he does, and the smiles
are ubiquitous. A day in the shop may as well
be a reading of an old phone book. “I like the
customers,” he says. “You become friends, get Once you
to know families. I never had that in the city. I’m
interested in what people do.” And people are start sculpting,
learning more about the details and backstory
of what he does. A short film about his life everything stops.
entitled HÅKAN, A Documentary About Chocolate,
Creativity and Passion will debut at New York’s I’m not usually
Scandinavia House in February.
Though the daytime vibe at HÅKAN
aware of the size
Chocolatier radiates warmth, Mårtensson has
plans for a more mature aura in the evening.
of the crowd until
The place has a liquor license, and the back I look up. Then,
patio area is undeveloped for now. A speakeasy
may not be far off. In this corner of Beacon Holy crap.
lurks a standard of galactic invention, so listen
closely and you can hear some gnomes guarding
their treasures and whispering that a Viking is
planning even greater explorations. Photos by Charlie Bennet

Pastry Arts 61
Ingredients

West African
Ingredients in Modern
and Innovative Pastry
Unlocking the Rich Flavors of West Africa
By Joseph Odoom

62 Pastry Arts
Pastry Pantry Dawadawa
Just as the African continent is influencing Dawadawa is an aromatic seasoning,
many of the world’s trends in fashion, music made from locust beans and widely used
and other cultural genres, the food scene in preparing soups and stews across West
there is also on the rise, as people discover Africa. Its round spheres consist of individual
the distinctive tastes, textures and flavors seeds that add a certain umami to dishes.
that make the continent’s cuisine unique. While Hausas, who are located mostly in
Stretching from the arid Sahel in the north to southern Niger and northern Nigeria, refer to
the lush rainforests along the Atlantic coast, the seasoning as dawadawa, it is called iru by
West Africa, in particular, is a patchwork Yorubas, ogiri by Igbos and eware among the
of porous nations brought together by Edo people of Nigeria, who also sometimes
interrelated languages, cuisines, religions refer to it as iru, as well. Dawadawa lives on
and politics. Known for its rich, vibrant the Parkia biglobosa tree, which grows in a
food culture, West Africa utilizes versatile long belt from the Atlantic coast of Senegal
ingredients with complex flavors that offer through southern Sudan and into northern
a fresh twist to bakers seeking a taste of Uganda. The cake-like structure of the beans
something extraordinary. From nutty egusi after fermentation has a pungent smell when
seeds to umami-rich fermented locust beans, fresh, but the aroma subsides during the
West African ingredients can add a modern cooking process to deliver deep, savory flavor.
flair and also a cultural significance to a dish. When it comes to pastry, you can think of
Walk with me and let’s delve into some of dawadawa as being pungent like truffles or
the West African ingredients that can bring miso. It works surprisingly well with sweet
pizzazz to your pastry items. pastries. Flavors such as dark roasted coffee
are complete flavor bombs with dawadawa
and chocolate. Also consider a dawadawa
Egusi Seeds chocolate plantain cake.
Egusi is the name for many species of
cucurbits (melons, watermelons and gourds)
whose seeds can bring life to pastries. Also
known as agushi, egusi bara, gusi abara or
bitter apple, egusi is used primarily in
West Africa for its de-hulled seeds
that thicken soups as flour would.
Bearing similarities to almond
seeds, they make a great snack
if you eat them whole. With
their high oil content, they can
also make a great paste, like
peanut butter, though egusi
exhibits more pronounced and
nuttier flavor. It works equally well
as a praline filling for bonbons and a
great way to add crunch to baked items.
Its unique flavor profile also allows it to pair
perfectly well with caramel, dark chocolate
and coffee.

Pastry Arts 63
Palm Oil
The main source of palm oil is the elaris
guineensis tree or the palm-nut tree. It
is native to the countries of West and
Southwest Africa, including Angola, Gabon,
Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and others. The
palm fruit consists of a red pulp surrounding
the palm kernel that is crushed to produce
a liquid oil that tastes earthy, nutty, buttery
and sometimes sweet. The oil extracted from
the pulp is a staple in West African cooking
and has been for centuries. It has a distinctive
color that appears to be something between
red and deep orange. It is an excellent
substitute for butter and other oils and is both
vegan-friendly and vegetarian-friendly.

Prekese
Prekese is the spice’s name in the Twi
language of Ghana, but in the Igbo language
of Nigeria, it’s known as uhio. Other names
include aiden fruit or “soup perfume,” which
tells you exactly how people use it. The
moment you pick up a pod of prekese, you’ll
notice its strong scent, reminiscent of vanilla
and brown sugar with a hint of licorice.
Prekese adds fragrance and a mild sweetness
recent times, it has become a favorite in salads
to savory stews as well as drinks. It also lends
and stews. It is a great substitute for gluten-
itself well to desserts. Its natural sweetness
free flour. It is also very nutritious because of
can be enhanced by the addition of sugar,
two amino acids, cystine and methionine, that
especially in recipes that involve boiling liquid.
make it a favorite in bread among diabetics
A beautiful way to bring out its essence is
who are gluten-intolerant or have celiac
to torch it lightly, allowing the release of its
disease.
flavorful oils.

Fonio Joseph Odoom has always been connected

An ancient grain that has been around as to his Ghanaian roots. He is a culinary
long as man can remember, fonio is a type of ambassador for Afro-fusion cuisine, combining
millet that has a nutty flavor, a cross between traditional Ghanaian ingredients with modern
couscous and quinoa in both appearance and sophistication; stimulating taste buds while
texture. It has been cultivated in West Africa evoking a sense of nostalgia. He was the winner
for thousands of years. Traditionally, people of DSTV Honey’s first House of Chefs contest
eat it as a porridge or when it is ground into in 2021 and he is currently Head Chef at Momi
flour and used in making starchy dumplings. In restaurant in Amsterdam.

64 Pastry Arts
GROW
YOUR
FUTURE
WITH
ESCOFFIER
Professional
Culinary and
Pastry Arts
Online. Austin. Boulder

www.escoffier.edu
855-955-7555
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.

66 Pastry Arts
 FEBRUARY

February 1 February 10
National Baked National
Alaska Day Cream Cheese Banana bread with walnut
Brownie Day February 23
National
February 12
Banana
National Plum Bread Day
French crepes with chocolate
Pudding Day
spread and strawberries February 25
February 2 February 14 National
Crepe Day National Chocolate
Cream-Filled Covered Nut Day
February 3 Chocolates Day
National
Carrot Cake Day February 19
National
Pistachio baklava. Traditional
February 5 Chocolate Mediterranean cuisine delicacies
World Nutella Mint Day February 26
Day National
February 20
Pistachio Day
February 6 National
National Frozen Cherry Pie Day February 28
Yogurt Day National National
Muffin Day Chocolate
Souffle Day
February 21 Chocolate
souffle
National Sticky
Frozen yogurt in glasses Bun Day
Pastry Arts 67
 MARCH

March 1 March 11 March 21

National Fruit National National French
Compote Day Oatmeal Nut Bread Day
March 2 Waffles Day March 22
National March 13 National Bavarian
Banana Cream National Coconut Crepes Day
Pie Day Torte Day March 24
National Chocolate
March 4
Covered Raisin Day
National Pound
Cake Day

Chocolate cake with

coconut cream
Raisins and nuts covered with
chocolate
March 19
March 25
Marble pound cake
National
Chocolate International
March 6
Caramel Day Waffle Day
National White
March 26
Chocolate
Cheesecake Day National
Nougat Day
March 8
March 28
National Peanut Decadent Chocolate Caramel
National Black
Cluster Day Layer Cake with Drizzle
Chocolate Sauce Forest Cake Day
Brazilian pe
de muleque March 20 March 29
National National Lemon
Macaron Day Chiffon Cake Day
68 Pastry Arts
 APRIL

April 1 April 6 April 20

National National National
Sourdough Caramel Pineapple
Bread Day Popcorn Day Upside-Down
April 7
Cake Day
National Coffee April 23
Cake Day National Cherry
Cheesecake Day
Loaf of fresh sourdough bread

April 2
National Chocolate coffee cake decorated
fresh fruits
Peanut Butter
and Jelly Day April 9 Slice of cheesecake with
cherry sauce
National
April 3 Chinese Almond April 28

National Cookie Day National

Chocolate Blueberry
April 10
Mousse Day Pie Day
National
Cinnamon
Crescent Day
April 11

Homemade Dark Chocolate National Cheese Plate with piece of delicious

Mousse Fondue Day blueberry pie

April 5 April 14 April 30

National National National Oatmeal
Caramel Day Pecan Day Cookie Day
Pastry Arts 69
Ingredient Function

Chemical Leaveners
Baking Soda and
Baking Powder
By Miranda Kohout

70 Pastry Arts
W
hen we reach
Ad executives and influencers have
for baking given the terms “natural” and “chemical”
soda or baking so much weight that it is important
powder, it’s a to take a moment to divorce these
words from any morality they may have
casual move, not one imbued implied. “Chemical” does not mean bad
with reverence for the history or dangerous and “natural” does not
and chemical wonder contained mean good or safe. Everything around
us, including many natural things, have
in these seemingly simple chemical properties.
white powders, but their simple
appearance is deceptive. As we Purpose of Chemical Leaveners
have seen with other ingredients, Both baking soda and baking powder play
successful baking and pastry are several roles in baked goods and even in
confectionary, but their primary purpose
all about chemistry. While an egg is to add air to baked items and create
yolk or spoonful of cocoa powder a light, spongy texture. Historically, this
might not call to mind a science role was filled by pearlash (potassium
carbonate), hartshorn (ammonium
lab, baking powder and baking bicarbonate) or hours of whipping and
soda are added to recipes for their beating by hand, all of which have
drawbacks that range from mild to
chemical properties. In fact, the considerable. Yeast has also contributed
term “chemical leavener” is often its leavening power to items such as cakes,
applied to these two ingredients but it isn’t well-suited for the task, adding
air too slowly to leaven most items before
and distinguishes them from the their proteins and starches have set.
“natural leavener,” yeast.
Types of Chemical Leaveners
Baking Soda
The simpler of the two common chemical
leaveners, baking soda comprises a
bicarbonate and a carrier molecule. In
most cases, the carrier is sodium, a natural
fit for cooking. When baking soda is
combined with a liquid, the bicarbonate
dissolves and becomes available to react
with acids and generate CO2 – gassy
bubbles that, once trapped in a cake or
muffin’s structure, give us the light texture
and airy crumb sought in most versions of
these products.

Pastry Arts 71
Baking Powder results. Baking powders are called “double-
When a batter or dough contains little or acting” because the first acid “acts” once
no acid, baking powder, the more complex combined with the liquid in the recipe; then
leavener, provides both the acid and the base the second acid becomes available to react in
needed to create carbon dioxide bubbles. At the heat of the oven.
its simplest, baking powder can be made of Large industrial bakeries, with access to a
bicarbonate and an acid. This is why, if you wide range of different acids, will even blend
find yourself in a pinch, you can make an a proprietary baking powder tailored to their
ersatz baking powder from baking soda and recipes and equipment.
cream of tartar.
You might then wonder if a commercial Single-Acting Baking Powder
version of baking powder is truly necessary. A double-acting baking powder’s second,
Double-acting, commercial baking powder slower-acting acid is often aluminum-based.
contains at least two different acids in Some chefs prefer to avoid aluminum and will
addition to the bicarbonate. With its single opt for a non-aluminum baking powder. These
acid and quick reaction, our DIY baking baking powders are generally single-acting.
powder expands 75% of its leavening power In these products, the only carbon dioxide-
before the item enters the oven. Different producing reaction occurs when you add
acids have different reaction rates and react liquid. They will perform comparably well in
at different temperatures, so commercial everything except dryer doughs, such as those
manufacturers create specific blends of acids used to make scones or biscuits, in which their
to help bakers achieve the best possible leavening power falls short.

72 Pastry Arts
 cake or muffin, we can also consider cookies
How Chemical Leaveners to spot the other ways in which chemical
Lighten Baked Goods leaveners enhance baked goods. The amount
of leaveners in a cookie recipe is minimal, not
We’ve mentioned that baking powder and
enough to provide much aeration, so this is an
baking soda create chemical reactions
excellent place to study their other effects.
between bases and acids that then generate
carbon-dioxide bubbles, thereby aerating and When baking soda interacts with acidic
lightening our baked goods. It is crucial to note ingredients, the ingredients are neutralized
that leaveners do not create new air bubbles in as a result of the reaction, changing the
a batter; rather, they enlarge the bubbles that dough’s overall pH from acidic to alkaline.
Alkaline doughs brown faster and have a
already exist. Without pre-existing bubbles
weaker gluten structure. The quintessential
created by methods such as whipping or
cookie is crumbly, not tough, and has a
creaming to trap carbon dioxide, they would
tempting, golden-brown color. While baking
simply rise to the surface and dissipate as they
does not create cookie perfection on its
do in a soft drink.
own, its presence in a dough offers welcome
enhancements.
Other Functions of You can also see the browning effect of
baking soda in caramel or honeycomb candy.
Chemical Leaveners These mixtures will darken considerably with
While we can easily observe the aerating the addition of baking soda once the initial
effects of baking soda and baking powder in a volcano-like chemical reaction has ceased.

Pastry Arts 73
 Baking soda reacts immediately upon
contact with liquid. Most cookie doughs Tips for Use and Troubleshooting
are dry, relative to something such as cake • While it’s true that both baking soda and
batter, and no reaction will occur in a cookie baking powder can expire, improper recipe
dough until the batter has melted. An alkaline formulation, poor mixing or insufficient
environment slows protein coagulation, so a aeration are the more likely culprits when
cookie dough containing baking soda will have baked goods don’t rise.
some time to spread in the oven before the • In a well-formulated recipe in which
eggs in the dough are set. leavening is the goal, there will be a
You don’t often use baking powder in balance between the amount of baking
cookie dough, but it can play a role. Unlike soda and acid contained in the recipe.
baking soda, baking powder contains the acid Too much baking soda results in a soapy
needed for a chemical reaction, so it will not taste. Too little baking soda in a recipe
impact the dough’s pH. The cookies will get a can leave some acid behind. Unlike the
little aeration, and acid ingredients will remain soapiness that results from too much
to impact the final product. Acidic doughs will baking soda, the acidic tang from yogurt
spread less than alkaline ones and brown less or buttermilk can be a welcome flavor.
easily. For example, two grams of baking soda
Bakers will observe a rise in cookies will neutralize 240 grams of buttermilk,
containing baking powder, but only up to a but you can get great flavor from adding
point. Too much baking powder will increase just one gram of baking soda for every
the size of the existing air bubbles to the 240 grams of buttermilk, with extra acid
extent that they become unstable and pop, adding protein coagulation and improving
creating a dense and craggy cookie. the baked good’s color.

74 Pastry Arts
• Different ingredients have different acidity this is often attributed to poor mixing
levels, so the buttermilk example above methods, it’s more likely that the baking
is by no means one-size-fits-all. The pH soda or baking powder wasn’t evenly
of coffee ranges from 4.4 to 4.8, and distributed among the dry ingredients.
regular milk has a nearly neutral pH (6.7 Simply whisking the dry ingredients in a
to 6.9). When a recipe isn’t performing as stand mixer is the most effective way to
expected and baking soda is the suspected ensure an even distribution.
culprit, the overall pH of the recipe should • In self-rising flour, leaveners are
be the chef’s first concern. distributed perfectly, and the particular
• A good rule of thumb is to use no more combination of leaveners is carefully
than five to six grams of baking powder or formulated for the low protein level of
one gram of baking soda for 125 grams of the flour and the typical make-up of the
flour, though this will vary depending on recipes for which the items are used.
the acidity of other ingredients. While many chefs may create an ad-hoc,
• Pay special attention to cocoa powder. self-rising flour when a recipe calls for it,
“Natural” cocoa powder is acidic, while the commercial version can offer superior
“Dutched” cocao powder has been results.
alkalized. Baking soda can neutralize all or
part of the acid from non-alkalized cocoa,
causing unexpected results if the recipe Trivia
calls for Dutched cocoa. While you might imagine baking soda being
• Uneven distribution of chemical leaveners synthesized in a lab, almost all sodium
can result in large, irregular air pockets bicarbonate comes from mines in Wyoming in
intermixed with dense portions. While the form of Trona ore.

Pastry Arts 75
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.

76 Pastry Arts
 Fruit Baskets
By Camilla
Jesholt Buffatti
Pastry Chef
@dolcemente_milla

Flavor Profile
The main flavors of the dessert are lemon,
blueberries and blackberries. I use the lemon
to flavor the white chocolate mousse. The
almond sablée, blueberry coulis, fresh berries
and verbena gel offer an exquisite balance
of goodness and refinement. (Mold by
Silikomart® Professional)

Technical Tip
Before spraying the frozen desserts with
cocoa butter, I dip them in a 3:1 mixture of
chocolate and cocoa butter. This creates a
shell that will ensure the structural integrity of
the shape upon defrosting.

Photos by Camilla Jesholt Buffatti

Pastry Arts 77
 Flavor Profile
This dessert offers a refreshing sweet/sour
grapefruit and pomelo flavor with a touch
of bitterness. The flavor is enriched by the
piney scent of cardamom and made more
harmonious with the addition of coconut.

Technical Tip

Crepuscule
To create the ideal drape, you must make sure
the amount of agar used and the thickness
of the veil are balanced. You must pour the
three types of agar liquid in a layered fashion
By Jesse Cheng to deliver a clear pattern, and they should all
have the same consistency to prevent the
Freelance Pastry Chef, pattern from peeling off when bent.
Pastry Designer
@patissiercheng Photos by Jesse Cheng

78 Pastry Arts
 Flavor Profile
The main flavor of this dessert is black truffle,
which can be scary and intimidating. However,
if done correctly, the dessert can be fun
and memorable. To balance the umami and
earthiness of the velvety truffle mousse, we
add a legere milk ganache and caramelized
chocolate crémeux to the center of the
dessert. For additional texture, we add a thin
feuilletine base to the bottom of the truffle.

Truffle Technical Tip

Don’t skip tempering the chocolate before
By Mitzi Reyes mixing it with the feuilletine; tempering
the chocolate helps keep the feuilletine as
Executive Pastry Chef, crunchy as possible.
Curtis Stone Group
@mitfher Headshot photo by Andrea D’Agosto
Dessert photos by Casey Robinson

Pastry Arts 79
 Apple, Caramel and
Tonka Bean Edible
Christmas Baubles
By Myriam Minne
Foodblogger, Hap & Tap
@hap_en_tap

Flavor Profile
The Apple, Caramel and Tonka Bean
Edible Christmas Baubles offer a
delightful balance of flavors. The crisp
tartness of the apple complements the
rich, buttery sweetness of caramel, while
the tonka bean adds a warm, vanilla-like
depth with hints of almond and spice.
Together, they create a festive, aromatic
treat with a cozy and indulgent flavor
profile perfect for the holiday season.

Technical Tip
When incorporating tonka bean into
the mousse, use it sparingly. Grate
only a small amount of the tonka bean
directly into the mousse to release its
subtle, aromatic flavor. Tonka beans
have a rich, complex profile with hints
of vanilla, almond and spice, which can
easily overpower the other ingredients
if you use too much. By adding just a
pinch, you enhance the dessert’s overall
balance without masking the apple
and caramel components. Be mindful
to mix the mousse evenly after grating
to ensure the tonka bean flavor is well
distributed.

Photo by Myriam Minne

80 Pastry Arts
 Fromage
By Shannah Primiano
Executive Pastry Chef, Coquette
Restaurant, Bonhomme Hospitality Group
@shannahprimiano

Flavor Profile
The main flavor of this
dessert comes from
Brie and Truffle Ice
Cream, which has a
savory presence with
notes of nuttiness and
mushrooms. The density
and flavor of the ice
cream are balanced with
the light sweetness of
the Black Currant Sorbet,
imitating a cheese plate.
The dessert is finished with
a veil infused with shiso and
rose and garnished with Orange
Blossom Honey Caviar to round
out the dessert with earthy floral
juxtaposition.

Technical Tip
Lightly toast the milk powder used in the ice
cream base to help bring the flavor of the
brie cheese to the forefront. Freeze the brie
rinds to shave over the top of the dessert
to bring out the overall presence of cheese
flavor.

Photo by Lasalle Smith

Pastry Arts 81
 Flavor Profile
This dessert features layers of kiwi and feijoa mousse,
kiwi and feijoa coulis, orange crémeux, coconut crunch
and a dacquoise base. These fruits create a layered flavor
experience. The tanginess of the kiwi and orange balances
the sweet and floral notes of the feijoa, while the orange
enhances the natural acidity of the other fruits, creating a

Citrus harmonious, fresh and vibrant combination. The coconut

crunch provides a delightful crispness that contrasts with

Symphony
the mousse. Finally, dacquoise ties the entire dessert
together with a light, nutty foundation.

Technical Tip
By Tamuna
One advanced technical tip for making the feijoa and
Nadiradze kiwi coulis is to use Iota carrageenan instead of the
more commonly used pectin NH. Iota carrageenan is
Pastry Chef particularly effective with acidic fruits like kiwi and feijoa,
@tamuna.nadir as it maintains a stable gel structure even at lower pH
levels. It produces a smoother and more delicate texture
that enhances the natural juiciness of these fruits without
making the coulis too firm. This texture also complements
the naturally fibrous and juicy qualities of feijoa and kiwi.
This choice allows for a clean cut and maintains a more
tender mouthfeel. Additionally, Iota carrageenan creates
a cleaner gel, which helps to preserve the vibrant colors
of the fruits, making the coulis not only more refined in
texture, but also visually striking.

Photos by Lika Chakvetadze

82 Pastry Arts
 Flavor Profile
I’ve captured the essence of cappuccino
in a layered dessert: a smooth caramel
cremeux sits as the base. Resting on top is
a brown butter sable with a hint of salt. A
coffee-infused whipped ganache made with
Chocolaterie de l’Opéra Diapason® 33% White
Chocolate is piped on top and finished with a
thin coffee crisp

Cappuccino Technical Tip

To extract the maximum flavor from the coffee
beans while minimizing bitterness, I’ve opted
By Fabio Bardi for a sous vide cold infusion. This results in
a lighter-colored cream that is packed with
Co-Founder and Executive flavor.
Pastry Chef, Tozzo.hk
@fabiobardi84 Photos by Nicholas Wong

Pastry Arts 83
 Flavor Profile
Chè Đậu Đen is a classic Vietnamese sweet
soup made with black bean and coconut
cream. I reimagine it as a silky black bean
mousse, molded into a donut shape and filled
with a peanut miso praline center. I cover the
mousse with a black bean mirror glaze and
top it with hibiscus coconut champagne foam
and a tapioca crisp. This elevated dessert is a
showstopper.

Chè Đậu Đen Technical Tip

Use the black bean water to enhance the dark
By Trinh Nguyen color of mirror glaze. Steep the coconut cream
with hibiscus to give it a light pink hue before
Chef, Pastry Chef, putting it into an ISI container to create the
hibiscus coconut champagne foam. Cook,
Owner, Ramie dehydrate and fry the tapioca to create the
@ramieseattle tapioca crisp.

Photo by Andrew Valantine

84 Pastry Arts
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New & Notable

Cacao
Prices
As cacao prices continued to rise in 2024, eyes
shifted to the Ivory Coast (a.k.a. Cote d’Ivoire), a
country of 30 million people in Southwest Africa
that produces 45 percent of the world’s cacao
beans. The heavily-regulated industry generally
kept cacao prices steady through harvests both
weak and strong over the years. But after three
years of upheaval that had as much to do with El Nino arrived followed by speculation. Every
geopolitics as harvesting, the ripple effect of year there are good and bad crops, but the Ivory
rising prices stung producers, manufacturers and Coast always had stocks to deal with it. Then
consumers. Artisan chocolatiers have felt the they decide no, it’s too much. So, the pricing for
pinch, too, forced to raise prices accordingly or a long time was not correct. Today they have
make unpleasant cuts in quality. pressure to have a fair price. Everything goes up.
Brussels-based chocolatier Laurent Gerbaud
spoke to Pastry Arts about this topic as we were
interviewing him to include his eponymous store
Does this sort of pricing structure apply
in the Places section of this issue. In 2021, Gault to other products you work with as well?
& Millau chose Gerbaud as the best chocolatier It’s the same for example with hazelnuts. Turkey
in Brussels. is the biggest producer in the world. When
there is a big crisis in Turkey, the prices from the
nicest ones from Italy, including the ones from
Can you explain how the situation in the Italy that I use from Piemonte also go up. It’s the
Ivory Coast has affected you and your same everywhere. Because Turkey is producing
fellow chocolatiers, even those who 80 to 85 percent of the world stock. So if they
don’t source from the Ivory Coast? have a flu or disease or something, all the
All the other suppliers are using the situation in prices in the world go up. We’re really in a niche
the Ivory Coast to raise their prices to the same market, producing 12 tons per year, using the
level. The Ivory Coast is the main producer: 40 most expensive spices, nuts, candied fruit, yuzu.
to 50 percent of the market. It’s huge. We don’t
buy from them. They all put themselves on the You could have expanded your business,
same level. On one side, cocoa has never been
especially after you were named Best
paid at a fair price, at its right price. When I
started 30 years ago, for one ton of beans from
Chocolatier in Belgium. Can those
the Ivory Coast, it was $1,000. Nearly 30 years changes affect a tight profit margin such
later it was $1,500. I would have preferred the as yours?
index pricing to increase just a little bit every Sure, it’s a small family company. You don’t
year, so people can re-invest in their plantations, see this from the outside. We don’t have a
have a better living, better agriculture, school marketing company. We don’t have a board.
and so on, but it never happened. So, of course, I am the only owner. I have a small team. The
they never had that much money to re-invest in numbers for a small producer are hit hard by
the trees, even if they planted every year. Then such fluctuations. I am not alone.

86 Pastry Arts
 Food
Packaging
Labels
Last September, California became the first
state in the country to ban “sell-by” dates
on products. Assembly Bill 660, signed into
law by Governor Gavin Newsom, aims to
standardize packaging language and cut
unnecessary food waste. It will take effect on

Richard
July 1, 2026. Food manufacturers, processors
and retailers must include date labels that
give markets more leeway in keeping products

Hart Bread
on shelves and allows them to leave certain
purchasing decisions up to customers. The
new mandates will not apply to eggs, infant
Trained in the science of baking, London formula, beer and other malt beverages.
native Richard Hart was the baker at Critics of sell-by dates have noted that
Tartine and Noma before he opened up the classification has never been an accurate
his own bakery, Hart Bageri, which now barometer of product freshness and merely
has multiple locations in Copenhagen. exacerbates the growing amount of discarded
Throughout his career, Hart has pushed food in the United States, roughly 78 million
the boundaries of bread and pastries, tons per year, that ultimately makes its way
and has gained legions of fans both in into landfills. The new language consumers
Denmark and abroad. He is best known will see on products will instead indicate “best
for his signature sourdough bread, which if used by” (not as fresh, but acceptable to
often sells out quickly, and now he has a use) or “use by” and “freeze by” (you should
brand new book that unlocks the secrets not use the product if it is outdated). The
to making it. Richard Hart Bread: Intuitive notifications would guide people purchasing
Sourdough Baking (Clarkson Potter, 2024; items such as milk, butter, ice cream, flour,
$35) teaches readers – whether aspiring among other products.
or seasoned pros – the key techniques to While this is not a federal mandate,
craft everything from blistering sourdoughs California’s outsized influence on industry
and rich rye pan loaves to baguettes governance, has potential to impact decisions
and cinnamon buns. Through gorgeous made by other states about potential changes
photography, explanatory videos accessed to packaging language, which remains
on pages through QR codes, and thorough inconsistent and confusing on many levels.
descriptions of methods, you’ll have all the Use of the word “organic,” for instance, has a
tools you need to make great breads. Rich legal and certified definition, as determined
in stories and Hart’s boundless enthusiasm, by the USDA. But the term “gourmet” has no
this book will make you fall ever deeper in such regulation and can be a useful tool in the
love with bread. hands of a savvy marketer.

Pastry Arts 87
 Peach Melba
In 1893, renowned chef Auguste Escoffier Originally, Escoffier’s dessert was actually a
created a dessert for Australian soprano Nellie composition of vanilla ice cream topped with
Melba, who had performed around the world peaches and served in a silver bowl over an
for kings, queens, tsars and emperors. Melba ice sculpture of a swan, commemorating the
was singing in Wagner’s opera Lohengrin at swan-shaped boat featured in the opera. The
Covent Garden, and the Duke of Orleans chef called his dish Peche au Cygnet or Peach
honored her with a dinner party at the Savoy with a Swan.
Hotel where she was staying.

88 Pastry Arts
 It took the controversial Escoffier another
decade before he moved on to London’s Ritz
Carlton hotel, opening a restaurant there with
his partner Cezar Ritz, who had been general
manager at the restaurant in the Savoy. At the
Ritz, Escoffier added raspberry puree to the
top of the composition, removed the icy swan
from its base and renamed the creation Peach
Melba. The dessert was held in such historical
esteem that El Bulli served Peach Melba as its
final dish before it closed in 2012.
Today, the Peach Melba is still thriving
as part of the tea service at the same Savoy
Hotel where Escoffier introduced it more than
130 years ago. This version includes actual
raspberries, rather than puree. It remains
among the most famous desserts ever created
. . . and savored.

Photos by Caroline Mays

Pastry Arts 89
The World of Ice Cream
Wanderlust Creamery, the popular chain of
ice cream shops in Los Angeles, has released a
guide to making innovative ice cream flavors,
many of which use Asian ingredients. In
Wanderlust Creamery Presents the World of Ice
Cream (Harry N. Abrams, 2024; $29.99), author
Adrienne Borlongan, who is from a Filipino-
American family and has a degree in food
science, presents a variety of ice cream bases
to suit different flavoring ingredients, suggests
various stabilizer blends, and recommends
equipment such as a Brix refractometer. The
book features 80 deeply researched and
developed ice cream flavors that celebrate Lime with Strawberry; and Salted Plum and
flavors, ingredients and cultures from around Pineapple. Regarded as an industry trailblazer
the world. Some of the adventurous ice in creatively crafted, globally inspired ice cream
cream flavors include: Unfermented Ruby flavors, Wanderlust is known for first-of-its-
Chocolate; Orange Flower Baklava; Pastéis kind, viral and trendsetting ice cream creations,
de Nata (Portuguese egg tarts); Gula Melaka and this book embraces the same spirit of
Caramel; Labneh, Pomegranate and Rose; Basil culinary adventure.

Turkuaz
began creating vintage-style videos
on Instagram, garnering an audience
that grew rapidly with each personal

Kitchen
post she shared. In her first book,
Turkuaz Kitchen: Traditional and Modern
Dough Recipes for Sweet and Savory
Bakes (Ten Speed Press, 2024; $35),
Betül Tunç’s love affair with Tunç shares 85 recipes for sweet
baking began when she and savory doughs and the dishes
was just eight-years old in to make with them. With inspiration
Erzurum, a city nestled in from traditional Turkish recipes, as
northeastern Turkey that well as recipes Tunç discovered in her travels,
is known for its long and snowy Turkuaz Kitchen is a treasure trove of recipes,
winters. During the dark, frosty days, she including basic and enriched doughs (bagels,
found solace in making Turkish breads pita, croissants); quick breads and short
and desserts with her mother and sisters. doughs (scones, biscotti, biscuits); unleavened
Tunç’s enthusiasm for baking, especially doughs (pasta, noodles, dumplings); and
for creating sweet and savory doughs from Turkish doughs (phyllo, borek, lavash). With
scratch, followed her through her eventual warm, achievable and inspiring recipes for
move to the U.S. and the expansion of her cooks of all skill levels, Turkuaz Kitchen invites
family. While searching for a creative outlet readers into the kitchen to create their own
to share her cooking in her new home, she food memories with those they cherish most.

90 Pastry Arts
 The
Sourdough
Bible
Sourdough guru Elaine Boddy has a new
book out, and it’s her most comprehensive
guide to sourdough baking yet. The
Sourdough Bible (Page Street Publishing,
2024; $34.99) is an all-in-one handbook
on sourdough, written in Boddy’s
straightforward, accessible style and
featuring 75 recipes as well as tips about
how to maintain your sourdough on your
own schedule. She also includes her most

Hermé’s Take on in-depth master recipes yet, with step-

by-step photos for each one, along with
expanded FAQ and trouble-shooting

Vegan Pastry sections. Standout recipes include

Semolina and Pumpkin Loaf; Cheese and
Jalapeño Loaf; Einkorn Pumpernickel
Square Loaf; Honey-Enriched Jam-Filled
Since 1998, Pierre Hermé has been Babka; Whole-Grain and Chocolate Hot
revolutionizing the world of pâtisserie with his Cross Buns; and Blue Cheese and Fig Baby
famous macarons, cutting-edge techniques Focaccias. Whether you’re an amateur or
and unexpected textures and flavor pairings. a pro, you’ll appreciate
Most recently, Hermé has focused on putting Boddy’s signature “no-
his creative stamp on vegan desserts and fuss” approach
pastry, many of which are showcased in his to sourdough,
ground-breaking book, Pâtisserie Végétale. Now which will equip
the long-awaited English version of this book you with the
is available: Pierre Hermé Vegan Pastry (Grub confidence,
Street Cookery, 2024; $49.95). Here you’ll knowledge and
find his greatest classics revisited in vegan tools to keep
versions, along with recipes specially created your sourdough
for the book, such his Ispahan croissant, baking journey
Breton shortbread biscuits, steamed chocolate fun and
fondant, blackcurrant puddings, chocolate successful for
millefeuille and rose des sablés macarons. years to come.
With this book as a guide, pastry pros and
enthusiasts will no longer have to compromise
on the taste and texture of plant-based
desserts. Available wherever books are sold.

Pastry Arts 91
Plated Desserts

A SPECTRUM
OF OPTIONS
Color Theory in Dessert Design
By Jaime Schick

Photo by Jaime Schick

92 Pastry Arts
 C
olor is one of the main points of visual contrast on
a plate. It can be abundant, varied, tonal, minimal or
somewhere among those. To use color effectively,
you must have a base knowledge of color theory.
Keep in mind that while color is important and the
topic of this article, color should not be the driving force behind
adding something to the plate. Flavor should always be the
priority; color is just a bonus.

Color theory and the color wheel are useful

tools when creating a dessert, showpiece
or other edible work of art. According to
color professor Jill Morton, CEO of
Colorcom, using color theory creates
structure, order and balance. Color
is made up of three properties;
hue, value and intensity. Hue is
the name of the color (green);
value is the color’s shade
or its lightness or darkness
(dark forest green); and
intensity/saturation refers
to the pureness or strength
of the color.
When we apply color
theory to plating, there
are four main formulas that
we can follow. They can be
categorized as:
• using common hues
• choosing one hue in
differing values
• pairing complementary colors
• noting nature-inspired color
groupings (Morton, 2024). Image 1: Color Wheel

Pastry Arts 93
Image 2: Carrot Cake

Common hues are considered colors that and techniques. Additionally, this color
are side by side on the color wheel. You can scheme can also serve as inspiration for flavor
see an example of this color pairing in the pairings when ideas are lacking. Take green for
dessert above (image 2). This neo-classic example; we could create a dish using green
carrot cake focuses on the use of orange, apple, matcha, lime and pistachio.
red and purple throughout the dish. This
allows for a muted contrast while providing
visual interest through strategic component Image 3: Tart Tatin
placement and modern plating.
Plated desserts with one hue (color), but
differing values, are commonly referred to
as monochromatic. This plating style can
have a soft, pleasant and calming effect. We
demonstrate this in the tomato tart tatin
dessert that features values of red (image
3). Take note of how we use the values
deliberately to create interest, as well as the
use of shapes within the dessert, creating
dimension. The subtlety of monochromatic
plating allows us to highlight components

94 Pastry Arts
Photos by Jaime Schick
 Similarly, nature-inspired color palettes can follow the sauce through the dish, connecting
also be subtle. We can use two approaches the design visually. Plated desserts that are
when working with natural colors. First, we full of color usually feel playful and whimsical.
utilize the natural colors of the food. We Using too much color can feel chaotic and
feature natural colors in the dessert below make it hard to find a focal point. In this case,
(image 4). The bright green of the cucumber presenting on a larger plate that allows for
sorbet, alongside vibrant blood oranges and negative space would be beneficial. Using
clementines, highlights the natural color negative space puts more of the plateware
contrasts. The second approach focuses on into view. This allows the eye to rest and bring
color pairings we find in nature. While most the dessert into focus. We can create this
color combinations found in nature do fall effect by plating on one specific part of the
into one of the other color schemes, some do plate.
not. Figs, for instance, have a dark purple skin, If plating is an art, then plates are the
pinkish flesh and green leaves. Nature can also canvas. It is important to choose the correct
serve as flavor inspiration. Generally, items backdrop for your dessert. Therefore, you
that grow together in season or geographically can also apply color theory to plate choice.
work well in combination. When choosing a plate, consider the color and
Complementary colors, such as green finish of the plateware. Light plates allow you
and red, are opposite one another on the to showcase the food; darker plates tend to
color wheel. This color scheme creates create more mood and contrast. The finish,
instant impact and drama due to the drastic such as matte, shiny or textured, can also
color difference. We can use this to create affect the presentation.
focal points throughout the plate, creating
movement and motion. One way to apply
this in a plated dessert would be through the
use of sauces and sauce design. The eye will

Image 4: Cucumber Sorbet Photo by Mark Soliday

Pastry Arts 95
 The dessert on this page shows the same
dish plated on two different plates and
finishes. Notice the aesthetic of each dish and
how simply altering the color of the plate can Images 5&6: Chocolate Cake
make a dramatic difference.
Plating is a personal art form; we all have
our own style. There are no rules when it
comes to plating. Having general guidelines
and an understanding of how to apply color
theory to a dessert, can help get you started
on creating your next work of art.

Jaime Schick is an Associate Professor at

Johnson & Wales University in the International
Baking and Pastry Institute where she teaches
courses ranging from Foundations of Baking and
Pastry to Contemporary Plated Desserts. She
holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Baking and
Pastry Arts, as well as a Master’s of Education in
Teaching and Learning. Find her on Instagram at
@Vanillabeanchef.

Photos by Jaime Schick

96 Pastry Arts
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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.

98 Pastry Arts
 At Daisies, we serve a vegan butternut squash
brulee in which we replace the egg with the
cooked juice of the squash. What’s most
important about this is the freshness of the
squash. I tried this with commodity butternut
squash, and it didn’t work. Then I tried it with
squash from a trusted farmer, and it definitely
worked. So I juiced the squash in the juicer
and brought it to a boil. When it started to
thicken, I whisked it until smooth, cast it in
the dish I was using, and it set. It does not last
LEIGH OMILINSKY very long, so it’s an everyday kind of thing.
Executive Pastry Chef & It was interesting to me that the freshness
Partner, Daisies Chicago of the squash was the difference between a
successful dish and an unsuccessful one.
@daisieschicago
@leighomilinsky Dessert Photos by Alejandra Romo
Headshot Photo by Neil Burger

Pastry Arts 99
 Meringues are often used in confectionery
because they are versatile, cost-effective
and widely accepted. However, excessive
sweetness can sometimes be a drawback.
Nowadays, people prefer their desserts to be
a bit less sweet, as sugar is often associated
with negative health effects.
Renan Zacchi I like to address this issue by incorporating
Executive Pastry Chef, Trehalose in combination with the sugars in
the recipe. I typically replace between 5% and
Zacchi & Oliveira 20% of the sugar, depending on the level of
@chef_renan_zacchi sweetness I want for a specific application.
Trehalose has a sweetening power of about
45% relative to sucrose.
Trehalose can also significantly extend a
meringue’s shelf life. Its high hydration
capacity helps keep the meringue from
weeping.
Try it out and be amazed by the results.

Photos by Renan Zacchi

100 Pastry Arts

 Crafting a Perfect Custard-Based Mousse
Temperature control is crucial when making a
custard-based mousse. Heat your custard to
82-84°C (179-183°F) before pouring it over your
chocolate pistoles. Blend the mixture with an
immersion blender to achieve a smooth emulsion.
Allow the chocolate custard to cool to below 40°C
(104°F) before folding in the whipped cream.

SAID M’DAHOMA To ensure a light and airy texture, whip the cream
to soft peaks. Avoid overwhipping. Gradually and
Owner, Pastry Chef, gently fold the whipped cream into the custard,
incorporating it in small portions to retain as much
The Pastry Nerd air as possible. This careful process will give your
@thepastrynerd mousse the ideal texture and consistency.

Photo courtesy of Said M’Dahoma

Pastry Arts 101

 YOONJUNG OH
Corporate Pastry Chef,
Hive Hospitality
@yoooooooooonjung Always use a timer to avoid over-spinning, and
immediately transfer the processed ice cream
In fine dining, creating smooth, creamy ice to a deep freezer for at least 2 hours to lock in
cream is about more than just making the an optimal texture.
base; it’s about how you freeze and handle it. For easier scooping or quenelling, temper
Faster freezing creates smaller, smoother ice the ice cream in the fridge (not at room
crystals, so using a rapid-freeze machine is temperature) to avoid melting the sides,
ideal. If you’re working with a slower machine, and tap your spoon on a dry towel before
increase the fat content slightly and scooping to prevent water
avoid over-churning to prevent droplets from forming
an overly airy or icy texture. ice crystals.

Headshot Photo by Rey Lopez

102 Pastry Arts

 VICTOR DAGATAN
Pastry Chef,
3. Start Sculpting
Grande Lakes Orlando
a. Rough Shaping: Begin by shaping
@victordagatan your material into a rough outline of
your final sculpture. This step is about
Creating a sculpture, whether with chocolate
removing large, unnecessary pieces of
or ice, can be an enriching and creative
material.
endeavor. To approach this task in a
systematic and effective way, follow these b. Refining Shapes: Slowly refine the
steps: shapes, adding details and textures
as you progress. Working from larger
forms to smaller details is usually the
1. Conceptualize Your Idea most effective.
a. Inspiration: Find inspiration from your c. Frequent Evaluations: Continuously
surroundings, art books, history, nature step back and evaluate your work from
or online platforms such as Pinterest or different angles.
Instagram.
b. Concept Development: Sketch your Additional Tips
ideas. It doesn’t matter if you’re not
good at drawing. The aim is to visualize • Patience – Sculpture is a time-consuming
your concept. process. Be patient with yourself and the
material.
2. Plan Your Sculpture
• P
 ractice – Your skills will improve with
a. Scale and Proportions: Decide on the practice, so keep experimenting with
size of your sculpture and consider different techniques and tools.
practical aspects like weight and
balance. • S
 tudy – Learn from other sculptors.
Understanding their techniques and
b. Structural Integrity: Plan for any methods can inspire and inform your own
internal support, like armatures, if work.
needed, to ensure the sculpture will be
stable. Remember, the process of creating a sculpture
is as important as the final outcome. Enjoy the
c. Detailed Model or Maquette: Creating journey of bringing your vision to life.
a small model (maquette) of your
sculpture can be helpful for visualizing
the final piece. Photo courtesy of Grande Lakes Orlando

Pastry Arts 103

Sustainability

Reclaiming
Wheat with
Ancient GrainsBy Genevieve Meli

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 F
or thousands of years, humans survived by growing,
harvesting, milling and consuming wheat. For many
of those years, the grains were consumed minimally
processed, retaining the bran, germ and endosperm,
which house the health-promoting nutrients that
make wheat so valuable.

In the last few centuries, advances in farming,

milling and other technologies have altered
the way we consume grains, and in 1870, the
invention of the steel mill changed baking and
cooking with wheat completely. In an effort to
make this vital ingredient more accessible, people
process and refine wheat for a more shelf-stable
product that can be shipped and stored nearly
indefinitely. And while wheat flour and milled
cereals are relatively inexpensive and accessible,
did these advances really benefit the average
consumer?
Most of today’s baking, done professionally or
at home, uses modern wheat in the form of flour,
whether all-purpose, cake, pastry or self-rising.
But there are many other grains that have been
around for centuries and that lend themselves
well to baking. Ancient grains are grains that have
never been genetically modified or crossbred.
Some of these include sorghum, teff, quinoa and
amaranth. In addition, einkorn, emmer, Kamut
and spelt are all wheat grains and can be milled
and used in place of modern wheat flours. Some
lightly-processed grains can also be swapped for
other ingredients, like sorghum syrup in place of
corn syrup.

Pastry Arts 105

 With any whole grain or whole wheat flours,
recipes may require some adjustments to account
for higher proteins and changes in moisture
absorption, but with experimentation, these
changes are easy to anticipate. In my book, Baking
an Impact: Small Changes for More Sustainable
Baking (CIA Press), I use milled ancient grains Genevieve Meli is a certified master
and other products in much more than bread, baker, certified higher education
showcasing their versatility in the pastry kitchen professional, and associate professor of
and an ease of use for home bakers. Spelt pie Baking and Pastry Arts, at the Culinary
crusts, bulgur wheat truffles and sorghum soda Institute of America. Find more in her
floats are a few of my favorites, but with just a latest book, Baking an Impact
little effort, nearly every recipe can incorporate (CIA Press).
nutrient-dense and sustainable grains, if even in
just a small way. Let’s work together to make an Photos Courtesy of
impact! The Culinary Institute of America

106 Pastry Arts

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Profile

THE SWEET ASSASSIN

Born into the Candy World, Aussie Adriano Zumbo
Celebrates the Nostalgia and Originalities of Confections
By Oprah Davidson

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W
hile he’s been quite the star in his
homeland of Australia since the early
2000s, with a dozen shops across the
continent, Adriano Zumbo became
notable in the U.S. with the airing of his Netflix show “Zumbo
Just Desserts” in 2016. The bright and brilliant chef, known as
the “Sweet Assassin” shares the importance of having fun in
the kitchen, his take on creativity and his hope for the future
of baking and pastry. In a world bombarded with social media
highlights and “everythingisgreatism,” Zumbo’s transparency
about success and failure comes as a breath of fresh air.

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 The Q&A Did you have a mentor? What’s your
take on mentorship and do you feel it’s
necessary (to become a great chef)?
How has your childhood influenced Dean Gibson was my head chef at my second
your pastry career? job, third job, and through my apprenticeship,
and he really helped me just understand the
My childhood helped me heaps with my career vision for quality pastry.
choice of pastry. My parents owned a small As a creative inspiration when I was young,
supermarket, so I was always around food. it was Pierre Herme. He was in a league of his
My mom always used to cook lots of Italian own. Back in the day, he was just doing stuff
meals; she had a handful of desserts she that other people weren’t doing – the simplicity
would always make and they’d be my favorites of his work and the unique flavor combinations.
because I had a sweet tooth as a kid. I pretty I think having a mentor not only helps
much lived off of junk food: chocolate bars, you with your culinary skills, but also with
biscuits, chips, all different types of candies. your mental training. Sometimes it’s a very
I was the kid in the class who had the bag headstrong industry, right? And there are still
full of them because I had a supermarket. It people out there who might not say the right
was free. I left school at 15 and started an things to you at the right time.
apprenticeship. And here I am today. It was
It’s super important to have someone you can
a risk at the time. After six months of doing
go to, to dump all your problems or your issues
my first year of apprenticeship, I knew I really
or your thoughts or what you want to know,
loved it. I wasn’t focused at school. It made my
someone with the leadership skills to help you.
brain start ticking and thinking, how can I be
better? What can I do with this?
What would you say to anyone who
wants to be a public figure in this
industry?
My best advice would be don’t want to be
a public figure. Be yourself. You’re never
going to be the best. There are so many
different aspects of what we do. The only time
someone will crown you the best is if you win
a world championship or something. And even
then, to be in that category, a competition is
completely different to having a business or
being just a sole creative.
I remember someone used to tell me, ‘I’m
going to open this pastry shop. I need five million
or something. I’m going to open up this thousand-
square-meter kitchen with all this top equipment.’
He lasted a few months. It’s a big investment for a
few months. And it wasn’t his investment. It was
somebody else’s. It’s not about being the best or
having all that straight up; it’s just a long grind. Be
yourself and do what you love.

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Is there any part of being a chef you
enjoy the most?
I enjoy the creativity, coming up with ideas
and making them happen. The biggest thing I
probably love is the people I’ve met over the
years, from traveling around the world, from
having a business, from teaching.
Having a mentor
Were you always good at what you
do or did you have challenges to
not only helps you
overcome in the beginning of your with your culinary
career?
When I was younger, I did a lot of stuff. I just
skills, but also
put myself out there and I was just in the right
place at the right time.
with your mental
And here in Australia, when I was coming
through the ranks as the young apprentice,
training.
the industry was very small. Most great
Australian pastry chefs went overseas. It’s
obviously changed here in Australia over the and really opening their minds to go out and
last, I’d say, 15, 16 years. try stuff. For pastry and baking, it showed
It changed when those TV shows like how much time and effort goes into what we
MasterChef started to educate the people at do and what we make. It started to give more
home and everybody about cooking different opportunities for more small entrepreneurs to
flavors, different cuisines around the world, jump in and give it a go.

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You’re known for making desserts
using unusual flavor combinations. Is
there a dessert that you thought would
go over well, but didn’t? Are there any some crazy flavors. They’re not for everyone,
that you really loved, but the public but they’re just an experience. On those days,
didn’t receive well? you’ve created this deep-fried salt and pepper
squid macaron; or cheeseburger pork bun
We used to have – we call it Zumbaron day. We macaron; or toothpaste. The list goes on.
used to transform the shop into just macarons,
60 flavors of macarons. And we used to do People like it. People hate it. But it’s
experience, right? One definitely comes to
mind. It wasn’t on a macaron day. It was
actually a cake. And it came from medieval
Italian time. It was eggplant and chocolate. I
just couldn’t make it work. It just was weird. It
tasted awful.
I’ve done some wacky stuff at events. You
kind of have this free playing card when you
do an event. There will always be a funky
ingredient in there like caramelized onion with
chocolate and lemon. You make it work. When
people are eating it, they don’t really even
think about it until after.

You once made a “pig’s blood”

macaron. What was your thought
process on that, and how did it go with
your diners?
It’s so delicious. My parents are from Calabria
in the south of Italy. And down there, a lot
of places handle their own meats. They use
all the parts of the body and all the blood;
they make a chocolate pudding. It’s called
sanguinaccio and it’s a chocolate and pig’s-
blood pudding with a spice, usually like a
cinnamon or a clove.
The characteristics in blood are quite
minerally. So, it really has interesting flavor. It
coagulates. It gives that beautiful mouthfeel.
It kind of gives a natural creaminess without
obviously having any cream in it. It’s very salty
and it really hits nice with dark chocolate.
Funnily enough, everyone who tasted it just
loved it and would never have thought that
they were eating what they were eating.

112 Pastry Arts

 Don’t want to be
a public figure.
Be yourself. You’re never
going to be the best.

Pastry Arts 113

You’re no stranger to the world of for it. It’s a great opportunity that won’t be
competitions. What are your overall there forever.
thoughts on them? What would There are so many things that go into it for
you say to someone who wants to that moment of glory. And a lot of the time,
compete, but doesn’t feel ready you can come back empty-handed. You really
enough? have to be sure you want to do it. It’s a very
rewarding thing if you can succeed. It’s a great
I think if you’re not ready enough or good experience even if you don’t. But if you’re
enough, then the best thing to do is to not feeling like you’re competitive, do some
volunteer yourself into a team; or if it’s an smaller competitions that don’t cost you as
individual person competition, be someone’s much and don’t take up more time. Get the
assistant. Just say, ‘look, I don’t want anything feel for it.
for it. I want to like be here. I’ll hand you your
tools. I’ll clean up. I’ll melt your chocolate,
whatever you want me to do.’ And then get
What is your hope for the future of
a feel for it. Because you’re really going to pastry?
be going through the steps with them and
I really hope it can grow and become more
understanding what it’s going to take to
accessible. High costs make it very hard for a
compete.
pastry business to survive and grow. I think
They’re going to be grateful because they somewhere along the line something’s going
need help. Give them the time to focus on
to change. How far does creativity go? We’ve
what they need to focus on. And for someone
nearly made everything in pastry: fruits, metal
who’s in there for the experience, it’s priceless.
objects and animals. What’s next? Do we just
If you have the time and the money, then go
dump everything into a bowl?
Right now, there are a lot of custom molds
and stuff like that, but custom molds aren’t
friendly on the budget for a lot of people and
businesses. Then there’s a different aspect
of pastry than professional; there’s domestic
pastry, more home baking, which is huge as
well. People at home are able to do more
because of the accessibility to different
equipment and the push to want to do
something new.
So, I just hope it keeps growing. We’ll
always have those same nostalgics. Trends
come and go, but those core things that stick
around connect people to the comforting
flavors of the foods. The flavor is the most
important thing. When something tastes good,
you always remember it even if it doesn’t look
like a Picasso. I think sometimes we get lost
in what we see if we spend too much time
on social media. I think we all have a natural
instinct of creativity and what that is.

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Sometimes we get lost in what we
see if we spend too much time on
social media.

Pastry Arts 115

116 Pastry Arts
What’s your take on social media’s impact on The flavor is the
the food industry? Where do you see it going?
Look, it’s good and bad. Obviously, you have an outlet most important
to be able to show the world what you can do. And you
can do whatever you want. You can make extravagant thing. When
things, crazy things. You can make things look better
than they are because you don’t have to show them live.
something tastes
It gives you an outlet to present things in some beautiful
ways: videos, editing, graphics, captions, coming up
good, you always
with products, filming products. It’s a lot of work. It’s remember it even
nonstop. You’re working to make money. And you’re
also trying to be creative in your own space. Sometimes if it doesn’t look
you just need to sit there and do nothing and let those
ideas and insights come. But then you’re thinking in your like a Picasso.”
head while you’re sitting there, oh, no, I’ve got to post.

Who’s your biggest inspiration?

I love watching sporting documentaries. It’s a different
thing, but it’s the same mindset and dedication that you
have to be great. It’s the same as a quarterback or a top
basketball player. It’s that mindset where you have to
train and train and you have that confidence to lead a
team into battle and get them out of the deepest ends
when they need to.

What are your thoughts on pastry school?

Is it still advantageous or necessary?
Look, it’s not essential. I know some amazing
pastry people who just love it. It comes to them.
Sometimes people have that natural knack and
they just kind of go with it. Usually, those kinds
of people build quite a rustic, natural kind of
creativity. I think training is essential in some
senses, to get people skills and techniques and
teach them a little bit of discipline as well about
the industry and what to do. But I’ve seen both
succeed well. I think the formal training gives
you a little bit of an edge. Some chefs want
to understand that you’ve been trained and
you have a certificate, so that when you come
into that kitchen and I tell you to make a choux
pastry, that’s what you’re going to be doing.

Photos by Phil Khoury and Brett Stevens

Pastry Arts 117

Lamination

Core Temperature
Control in Fermented
Laminated Pastry By Jimmy Griffin

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 F
ermented, laminated pastry is made by
encapsulating a lamination butter component
with a fermented dough component in a process
called the “Lock-in.” Then, through a sequence of
reduction sheeting and folding, you create layers
of dough and butter to produce a light and flaky pastry from
which you can make croissants and other popular pastries.
A crucial part of good pastry making is controlling both the
dough’s temperature/fermentation and the butter’s temperature
throughout the makeup process until the pastry is proofing.

It is essential to prevent the pastry from

skinning and proofing throughout the
lamination stages, as uneven layers will
form in the pastry because of expansion,
and flakes of hard dough caused by
skinning will ruin the pastry. Once you
begin the process of laminating the
pastry, you should delay or stop all
fermentation by using various means of Shattered Butter Layers and dough
chilling, in which both the dough and
the butter components should remain
cool throughout the entire pastry-
making process. This should include
all rest periods. In cool conditions, you
can make the pastry entirely at once by
giving the pastry all its folds, one after
another, and then chilling the pastry for
an hour before final sheeting. In warmer
conditions, it may be necessary to chill
the pastry well in between folds, or the
butter may melt. Whether operating in
warm or cool climates, you should chill,
rather than freeze, the pastry at this
stage of the process. Layers dough butter

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 When you’re in the “Lock-in” stage, I In blast chillers and freezers, the sides
recommend a dough temperature of between and top of the pastry take longer to chill, as
2 – 3°C and a butter temperature of between they rely on the circulation of chilled air or
9 – 13°C. Butter performance varies from convection to cool them, which creates an
one brand to another. Still, it needs to be imbalance in the chilling process. Often, the
plasticized and flexible before use, so it will pastry’s bottom, corners and edges begin
flow within the dough component and create to freeze quicker than the rest and cause
a perfect butter ribbon inside the dough problems when processing.
when reduction rolled. Industrial refrigerators,
The freezing is not even throughout the
freezers, blast chillers and Cryopack® ice
pastry block, and the pastry has different
blankets are essential tools for good pastry
temperatures in different areas, such as the
production. Ice blankets contain pockets of
top, sides and, more important, in the core of
distilled water, are food-safe and freeze at or
the pastry. The pastry must be chilled quickly
slightly below 0°C. Many professional kitchens
and bakeries also have air-conditioned rooms and not frozen during the makeup process,
to control the environmental temperature as freezing damages water crystals in the
(16°C) for pastry consistency. Most home dough and both the water and fat crystals in
bakers do not have the luxury of such space the butter. If frozen, the dough portion of the
or equipment. Even though many culinary pastry will split and crack. The butter element
schools lack equipment such as blast chillers, will become hard and brittle and shatter into
it is a widespread practice to wrap the pastry pieces, giving a marbled aspect to the pastry
in a plastic sheet and chill it on a metal tray and destroying the layers created in the
in the freezer at -18°C. Covering the pastry makeup process. Pastry makers have often
in a thick plastic sheet is essential to prevent used two frozen metal trays to chill pastry
frostbite on the surface. Additionally, the quickly. The trays, placed like a sandwich on
plastic keeps the pastry from becoming wet the sheeted pastry top and bottom, quickly
and sticky when using the ice blankets or blast cool the pastry’s outside layers. However, the
chillers. When you chill the pastry this way, pastry rapidly takes all the coldness out of the
the bottom part in contact with the frozen trays, and they need to be chilled several times
tray will cool rapidly through touching or again to be effective at maintaining a low
conduction. temperature.

120 Pastry Arts

 A modern approach in the absence of blast
chillers is to use “Cryopack® Ice Blankets.”
These are available from the manufacturer
and also on Amazon and they are worth the
investment to serious pastry makers. For
home bakers or hobbyists, two packs of frozen
corn or peas work equally well as ice blankets
for small quantities of pastry, which is an
inexpensive option and yields excellent results;
https://youtu.be/-WZ9w0gPjyg. I first saw
the use of ice blankets in competitive pastry
processing in the mid-2000s during the Coupe
du Monde de la Boulangerie competitions in
Paris. Team USA’s viennoiserie candidate, Peter
Yuen, and the Asian viennoiserie candidates
made use of ice blankets. They are excellent
for rapidly chilling laminated pastry as the
pastry block is encapsulated top and bottom,
physically touching the ice blanket. As a result
of this direct contact between the pastry and
the ice blanket, a very efficient, uniform and
rapid chilling of the pastry block is possible.
In the “Core line” illustration at the end of
the page, we illustrate a folded block of pastry
(gold) with a book fold or a 4 fold wrapped in
an ice blanket (blue). The pastry touches the
ice blanket surfaces top and bottom, and this
direct contact chills the pastry down quickly.

Edited material from my book, The Art of Lamination II

Pastry Arts 121

 The thicker the pastry, the longer it takes the ice blanket/blast chiller needs to chill
to cool to the core. On the left side of the through 15 mm of pastry, top and bottom.
diagram, the pastry block is much thicker There is a danger that the pastry will begin
(30 mm) than the one on the right (15 mm). to proof in the core before the chilling of
The black line illustrates the core or center the ice blanket can influence it. The same
of the pastry block. The pastry chills from pastry block is sheeted down to 15 mm
the outside into the core; when wrapped in on the right side of the illustration. The ice
ice blankets, the pastry has the dual effect of blanket/blast chiller must only chill through
cooling by the ice blanket’s top and bottom. 7.5 mm of pastry thickness to reach the
Blast chillers achieve the same effect, but you core, so it cools twice as quickly. Therefore,
have to take care not to freeze the pastry. I always recommend sheeting folded pastry
The pastry’s thickness is important when after creating the final folds to between 12
chilling; the thinner it is, the more rapidly it mm and 15 mm before chilling it in the blast
will chill. In the Core Line diagram on the left, chiller or the ice blankets.

122 Pastry Arts

Understanding Core Temperature
in Proofing Pastry
As discussed in understanding the core
temperature in chilling pastry earlier, we
refer to the center of something as the core
or the middle. Any pastry that is coiled when
shaping, such as croissant, pain chocolate
and pain aux raisin, will have a spiral profile
with layers coiled on top of one another, a
core and an outside. The pastry is a poor
conductor of heat, so its exterior will rise to
the temperature of the proofer faster than
its core. When pastries, such as croissant
and pain au chocolat, have cores that are
far from their outsides, it exacerbates this
problem. The outside of the pastry in a
proofer will slowly begin to heat up. The heat
will take some time to permeate the pastry
to its core. Croissant pastry is generally
proofed at approximately 26°C to 28°C for
2 to 3 hours and 75 - 80% humidity. It is
inadvisable to proof croissant pastry at a
higher temperature unless you have special
types of butter with higher melting points.
The dough will ferment quicker, giving a more
bitter taste, and the butter may melt inside
the dough layers and turn to oil, destroying
the butter layers created during lamination.
One brand of butter sheets I have used in hot
equatorial countries is Anchor Butter. Anchor
produces a choice of two butter sheets with
different melting points of 34°C and 37°C,
Jimmy Griffin is a sixth-generation baker and
respectively.
lecturer at TU Dublin, Ireland, with a Master’s
As illustrated in the Core Pastry Diagram in Food Product Development and Culinary
of a proofing croissant, the outside surface Innovation. He teaches globally, including in
begins to heat up and proof first. It takes Germany, the UK and Japan, and is a renowned
some time for the proofer’s heat to get to the international bakery judge. A competitive baker,
pastry’s core and heat it. A honeycomb crumb Griffin won bronze at the 1997 Coupe D’ Europe
structure is a good indicator of a successfully de la Boulangerie and coached the Irish bakery
proofed pastry. A thick, gummy, non-aerated team. He is also a licensed pilot, judo blackbelt
core indicates insufficient proof time and instructor and author of six acclaimed books,
baking the pastry before the pastry core has including “The Art of Lamination” and “Panettone
opened and is fully proofed. It is the most – The King of Bread.” He was recently named a
common fault in baking laminated yeasted global ambassador for Anchor Butter and taught
pastry. in Japan to more than 4400 students.

Pastry Arts 123

Trends

New York Restaurants

are Adding Bakeries
to Their Portfolios
Creating New Roles and
Recognition for Pastry Chefs
By Meryle Evans

Photo by Emily Setelin (Bake it Nice)

124 Pastry Arts

 W
hile some acclaimed pastry virtuosos are
plunging into solo ventures, another recent
trend has emerged: restaurants establishing
bakeries of their own. They are offering
pastry chefs and bakers new roles and
recognition creating desserts for the dining room and expanding
their management skills running a retail operation. It’s happening
in other cities as well, but is particularly noticeable in New
York, where, since the pandemic, more than a dozen top-notch
restaurants are welcoming enthusiastic customers to their sibling
outlets and seeing lines out the door. Some are
on the premises; others are stand-alone
brick and mortar - across the street,
down the block or miles away. Many
double as all-day cafes serving
sandwiches, light fare and beverages;
others transform in the evening into
a wine bar or a chef’s counter.

Photo by Evan Sung (Frenchette Bakery)

“It’s really been amazing” says Michelle Palazzo’s responsibilities expanded to include
Palazzo, Director of Pastry Operations for the heading the bread and dessert programs
Frenchette group of New York restaurants, for the group’s new ventures, Le Rock in
reflecting on the post-Covid proliferation Rockefeller Center in 2022; Frenchette
of bakeries around the city. Frenchette was Café and Frenchette Bakery at the Whitney
among the first to take the leap. When Palazzo Museum in the Meatpacking District in 2023;
joined owner/chefs Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr and Le Veau d’Or in midtown in 2024.
to open the Tribeca bistro in 2018, star baker A large up-to-date kitchen at the Whitney
Roger Gural of nearby Arcade Bakery supplied bakery makes it possible to provide bread,
their bread. When Gural decided to retire two pastries and desserts for all their restaurants,
years later, Palazzo recalls, “it kind of made as well as for wholesale customers and
sense to take it over . . . during Covid, people other restaurants. With a staff of 25,
were wanting or needing bakeries; this was Palazzo, a graduate in pastry and restaurant
your source of human interaction.” management from the Institute of Culinary
As the bakery flourished, supplying the Education, juggles generating ideas for four
restaurant and serving the community, menus with managing the bakeries.

Pastry Arts 125

 Photo by Emily Setelin (Bake it Nice)

“It’s a lot easier at the Whitney,” Palazzo “One preps all the bread and desserts at the
says. “If I need 50 or 65 baguettes for a private bakery and transports them to the restaurant
event, or I want the puff pastry a certain way, (two doors away) where the team member
I can tell my head baker this is what I want. who handles the dinner service finishes
It’s very much a collaborative effort and it’s everything off.”
challenging for sure. Once or twice a week I Kavalis’ menus reflect a close collaboration
go to each location in the morning just to see with the partners; Blechman; originally from
that everyone feels supported and they have Israel, and well known for nearby Miss Ada;
all the resources they need; we all rely on each and Estevez, with a Mexican background,
other.” while Kavalis helmed a business during Covid
While the bakery at Frenchette was a selling sweets that paid homage to her Greek
serendipitous opportunity, Thea bakery was roots. “It was a highly anticipated opening.
always in the plans for Theodora, the 76- I don’t think we knew what to expect, but
seat Brooklyn restaurant that partners Tomer the community has really shown up,” she
Blechman and Gerardo Estevez opened last says. “We just kind of went into it, but we
February. They brought Christina Kavalis, knew what we wanted - classics, but with a
a Johnson & Wales graduate, on board to very special twist.” Kavalis sells loaf cakes,
develop the bakery program when, as Kavalis such as tahini and banana, and pistachio
recalls, “It was a bare bones space and I had and blueberry, by the slice. She also serves
to work out of the restaurant for months until a coffee concha, babkas — chocolate chili,
it was ready in August.” In the meantime, she cinnamon and walnut — and a twice-baked
helped design Theodora’s dessert program and croissant with shredded filo and Greek pastry
now handles both operations. “I have a very cream. “The challenge for me,” she concludes,
trustworthy team of two” Kavalis explains. “has been trying to keep up with the demand.”

126 Pastry Arts

 Several other community-focused Back in Manhattan, the Japanese bakery
restaurant bakeries made their debut in Postcard, adjacent to hand-roll bar Nami
Brooklyn last year. Redwood Hospitality’s Nori in the West Village, is offering a colorful
Laurel Bakery near the Brooklyn waterfront array of gluten-free breads and pastries.
is from the team that operates the borough’s Taki Sakaeda, one of the restaurant’s three
Place des Fetes, Café Mado and the soon to partners, all of whom met working at three-
be reopened Michelin-starred Oxalis with Michelin-starred Masa, does the baking:
veteran baker Craig Escalante turning out raspberry mochi doughnuts, miso shortbread,
artisan breads, classic French and Italian and sweet and savory sandos on bread that
pastries, sweet and savory, including an took six months of R & D to develop.
escargot in croissant dough brushed with
While many restaurants opt for stand-
ramps and Cantal cheese and rolled like a
alone bakeries; others choose an in-house
snail.
boutique, following in the footsteps of the
Pan Pan Vino Vino, an offspring of iconic Balthazar, which has been selling
restaurant Nura in Greenpoint, is a bakery by baked goods to customers since 1997, and
day and a wine bar at night. Channeling her Lafayette, renowned for its round croissant,
own and the area’s Polish roots, pastry chef the Supreme.
Samantha Short bakes loaves of caraway rye
and other Eastern European specialties, along Photo by Melissa Hom (Thea Bakery)
with items from other cultures like a guava
bun and sesame chocolate chip cookie. Near
the Barclay Center, Sofreh Café, across the
street from Nasim Alikhani’s Iranian restaurant
Sofreh, is perfumed with the aroma of
cardamom cake with rose and other Persian
sweets.

Photo by Emily Setelin (Bake it Nice)

Pastry Arts 127

 partner Mary Attea, named a Food & Wine’s
Best New Chef in 2024.
Mick was involved in the development of
Raf’s from the very beginning, collaborating
with Attea, to craft, as Food & Wine wrote, “a
menu that bounces between France and Italy
in a whirling decadence...” like a classic opera
cake fused with tiramisu and a Prosciutto and
Taleggio Croissant. Managing a staff of 14
with separate crews for each establishment,
Mick has no set routine for splitting her time.
“If I’m clocked in,” she says, “I’m available to
anyone who needs me. It’s a challenge, but
the rewards as a pastry chef and manager are
seeing my cooks blossom into talented chefs
and helping them see their own creations
come alive.”
Photo by Johhny Miller (Kent Hospitality)
Renata Ameni, executive pastry chef at
Kent Hospitality’s two Michelin-starred
A bakery was built into the concept at restaurants, Crown Shy and Saga in downtown
Greywind in Hudson Yards, a 2023 addition Manhattan, and the new Flatiron seafood
to Chef Dan Kluger’s roster of restaurants restaurant, Time and Tide, will soon add two
highlighting seasonal local ingredients. By day, bakeries to her responsibilities: Birdee, (for the
pastry chef Jake Novick-Finder lures shoppers name Ameni’s mother called her when she was
with an array of baked goods, grab-and-go little), a 3000-square-foot, stand-alone space
options and pre-packaged ingredients; in the in the newly renovated Domino sugar factory
evening the space transforms into a chef’s in Brooklyn, and Baby Birdee, tucked into
counter overlooking the kitchen. Time and Tide, both slated to open this spring.
For Camari Mick, executive pastry chef and Originally from Brazil, Ameni is a veteran
partner at Raf’s, a French-Italian bakery and of top-tier establishments from Manresa
casual restaurant in Noho that also opened in in Northern California to New York’s iconic
2023, including a bakery “was a no brainer” Eleven Madison Park, and one of eight chefs
because the previous tenants from an old- named a Fortune MPW (most powerful
time bakery had left behind all of their kitchen women) in 2023. “I’ve been working in
equipment. Mick, who holds the same title at restaurants a long time and wanted to focus
the Michelin-starred fine dining Musket Room a little bit more on the baking side,” she says,
a few blocks away, was profiled in the fall ‘22 “and I love making ice cream.” Ameni and
issue of Pastry Arts, tracing her career path James Kent, the group’s owner/chef who
from culinary school to work at prestigious passed away unexpectedly last year, made
restaurants and a stint selling donuts on plans to open a small bakery inside the new
Instagram during Covid. The donuts caught restaurant. However, when the developers at
the eye of Musket’s owners and landed her Domino reached out, the pair agreed to sign
a job and subsequently accolades for her on to a much larger project, with construction
desserts. A Beard Awards nominee, Mick was now underway and plans for ice cream in
also honored last year as one of Forbes 30 the summer, warm breads in winter, savory
Under 30, and along with executive chef and pastries, cakes, salads and sandwiches.

128 Pastry Arts

 Baby Birdee will have fewer options with Laura Cronin, in particular her approach to
only takeout, “but I’m trying to do some lamination, developed after months of trials.
interesting things,” Ameni notes, “like our On select Saturday mornings, fans line up
famous bread with an artichoke dip hours ahead outside Madison Square
or a lobster roll or a crab dip Park to purchase two of her
because it’s seafood focused.” Madison Squares, laminated
She envisions spending pastry with seasonal fillings,
most of her time at Birdee along with a beverage and
at the beginning saying, granola. For the grand
“I have a pretty solid finale of the 2024 season
team, so I don’t have to on November 2nd,
be at the restaurants the Cronin partnered with
entire time. They run the Dominique Ansel to offer
show.” a collaborative version of
Pastry chefs without Bake it Nice with a special
a bakery on the horizon limited edition that included
might want to note the wildly Photo by Melissa Hom Ansel’s plant-based Cronut
(Thea Bakery)
successful Eleven Madison filled with raspberry jam and
Park pop-up, Bake it Nice, now in hazelnut linzer cookie ganache, and
its second year. The idea is to showcase the a roasted chestnut and chocolate Madison
plant-based techniques and flavors developed Square. Of course, the line was long, and the
by the restaurant’s executive pastry chef pastries quickly sold out.

Photo by Evan Sung (Frenchette Bakery)

Pastry Arts 129

Recipe

PISTACHIO
BONSAI By Pete Garzon,
Owner & Pastry Chef, La Casita Restaurant

130 Pastry Arts

T
YUZU SORBET
• 140 g granulated sugar
• 60 g dextrose
his dessert
• 6 g stabilizer
brings together • 545 g water
rich pistachio • 100 g yuzu juice
mousse and • 100 g mandarin juice
• 20 g lemon juice
Asian-inspired
flavors, including 1. In a bowl, combine the sugar, dextrose and
yuzu and matcha, to mimic the stabilizer.
aesthetics of a bonsai tree. 2. Heat the water to 104°F (40°C) and slowly
whisk in the dry ingredients.
Each layer contributes unique 3. Heat the mixture to 185°F (85°C), then
textures and flavors, from the cool it to 39°F (4°C) and refrigerate for at
least 8 hours.
creamy pistachio mousse to the
4. Blend in the citrus juices and allow to rest
crunchy feuilletine base and for 30 minutes.
chocolate “bonsai” decoration. 5. Freeze in an ice cream machine, according
to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Yield: 12 servings
CRUNCHY LAYER
• 35 g dark chocolate, 54%
• 15 g unsalted butter, soft
GELATIN MASS • 125 g pistachio praline
• 40 g feuilletine
• 10 g powdered gelatin, 200 bloom
• 60 g cold water 1. Melt the chocolate to 95°F (35°C) and
combine with the softened butter using a
1. Sprinkle the powdered gelatin over the spatula.
cold water in a container and stir gently 2. Add the pistachio praline and mix until
with a whisk. smooth.
2. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes until the 3. Crush the feuilletine by hand to make
gelatin has bloomed. it finer, then fold it into the chocolate
3. Remove the gelatin mass from the mixture.
refrigerator and melt it completely. 4. Spread the mixture into molds and freeze
4. Return it to the refrigerator to set. until firm.

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 2. Strain the infused cream, reheat it and
PISTACHIO SPONGE incorporate the gelatin mass.
3. Pour the warm mixture over the cream
• 100 g pistachio flour
cheese and sugar, blending until smooth
• 80 g all-purpose flour with a hand blender.
• 40 g whole eggs 4. Add the yuzu and mandarin juices,
• 60 g egg yolks blending until fully incorporated.
• 65 g granulated sugar, divided Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to set.
• 90 g egg whites 5. Whip the set crémeux until light and
transfer to a piping bag.
1. Combine the pistachio flour and all- 6. Fill 1.2-inch (3 cm) round silicone molds
purpose flour in a bowl; set aside. with the crémeux, nearly to the top.
2. In a stand mixer, whisk the egg yolks, 7. Place the filled molds in the refrigerator for
whole eggs and 50 g of the sugar until the 10-15 minutes to stabilize, and then gently
mixture is thick and pale. insert the sponge circles into the crémeux
3. Separately, whip the egg whites with the and press lightly.
remaining 15 g of sugar until medium 8. Transfer the molds to the freezer until they
peaks form. are completely solid.
4. Gently fold the yolk mixture into the 9. Unmold the crémeux and reserve in the
whipped whites, followed by the pistachio- freezer.
flour mixture.
5. Spread the batter onto a baking tray and PISTACHIO MOUSSE
bake at 350°F (180°C) for 16 minutes.
Cool the batter to room temperature, then • 60 g whole milk
freeze it. • 385 g heavy cream, 35%, divided
6. Once the batter is frozen, cut 1.2-inch (3 • 25 g egg yolks
cm) rounds of the sponge and reserve in
• 45 g granulated sugar
the freezer until ready to use.
• 35 g gelatin mass
• 140 g pistachio praline
CREAM CHEESE AND
YUZU CRÉMEUX 1. Heat the milk and 60 g of the cream to a
gentle boil.
• 220 g heavy cream, 35% 2. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together,
• 2 g lemon zest (zest of 1/2 lemon) then pour in the hot liquid, stirring
• 35 g gelatin mass constantly.
• 150 g cream cheese 3. Cook to 180-183°F (82-84°C), then cool
slightly and add the gelatin mass.
• 80 g granulated sugar
4. Mix in the pistachio praline with a hand
• 20 g yuzu juice blender until the praline is smooth. Allow
• 15 g mandarin juice the mixture to cool further if necessary,
until it reaches room temperature.
1. Heat the cream to a simmer, then add the 5. Whip the remaining 325 g cream to soft peaks,
lemon zest. Allow to infuse for 30 minutes. then fold into the cooled praline mixture.

132 Pastry Arts

 1. Melt the chocolate to 113°F (45°C) and
transfer it to a piping bag.
2. Fill a bowl with ice water and begin piping
the chocolate onto the water to form tree
trunks.
3. Let the trunks set in the ice water for 1
hour.
4. Remove the “bonsai trees” from the water
and store them in a sealed container in the
freezer until needed.

COCOA STREUSEL
• 15 g dark cocoa powder
• 50 g pistachio flour
• 50 g all-purpose flour
• 50 g granulated sugar
• 50 g butter
• 40 g dark chocolate, 54%

1. Mix the cocoa powder, pistachio flour, all-

purpose flour and sugar in a bowl and set
aside.
2. Paddle the butter to soften it, then
add the dry ingredients and mix until a
homogenous dough forms.
MATCHA CHOCOLATE COATING 3. Break the dough into small pieces, place
them on a sheet tray and transfer to the
• 400 g white chocolate refrigerator for 15 minutes to set.
• 80 g grapeseed oil 4. Bake the streusel at 350°F (180°C) for 20
minutes, stirring it every 5 minutes to help
• 2 g matcha powder
break it up and ensure even cooking.
5. Allow the dough to cool to room
1. Melt the white chocolate, add the temperature, breaking up any large pieces
grapeseed oil, and stir until smooth. of streusel that remain.
2. Blend in the matcha powder for color. Use 6. Melt the dark chocolate to 113°F (45°C)
immediately at 95°F (35°C). and fold into the streusel using a spatula.
7. Spread on a sheet tray and set aside to
CHOCOLATE BONSAI TREE crystallize, transferring to the refrigerator if
necessary.
• 500 g dark chocolate, 54%
• Ice water with ice cubes

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 5. Freeze the mousse overnight until solid.
ASSEMBLY 6. Dip the frozen dessert into the Matcha
Chocolate Coating using a skewer.
• Raspberries, as needed 7. Place the coated dessert on a baking tray
• Gold leaf, as needed to crystallize.
8. Place the Crunchy Layer on a plate and
1. Pipe the Pistachio Mousse into the molds, position the dessert on top.
filling one-third of the way. 9. Add a Chocolate Bonsai tree and decorate
2. Press one frozen crémeux insert into the with gold leaf and a raspberry.
mousse with the sponge side facing up. 10. Garnish with the Cocoa Streusel and a
3. Press down lightly until the mousse comes quenelle of Yuzu Sorbet.
up around the sides and is flush with the
top of the sponge.
4. Pipe additional mousse over the sponge
so that it is level with the top of the mold.
Smooth with an offset spatula. Photos by Neil Richard Howe

134 Pastry Arts

 PETE GARZON
Owner & Pastry Chef,
La Casita Restaurant

brownies, pistachio pralines mixed with

chocolate, etc. I’m experimenting with
Early Influence combinations of fruit-based delights:
I decided to make our own desserts and raspberry tiramisu, orange-Grand Marnier
ice cream for my restaurant. We used to compote, mango panna cotta, orange blossom
purchase all of them, so I enrolled in pastry pudding, etc.
arts programs, subscribed to magazines and
took online courses and workshops with
Production Tip
the best academies and top pastry chefs. I
attended culinary conferences and seminars Buy ingredients, such as flour, sugar and
and developed a passion for sweets and chocolate in bulk in order to reduce costs.
creative expressions by networking with Use seasonal fruits and vegetables. Plan
peers and mentors to expand knowledge and production to minimize ingredient waste and
opportunities. plan production schedules to minimize labor
overtime.
Signature Style
Technical Tip
I am inspired by the elegance and
sophistication of French patisserie. This style Normally you shouldn’t mix water with
combines classic techniques with modern chocolate, but if you’re making crystallized
twists, clean lines and minimalist designs, chocolate crumbs, you can use this technique
emphasis on texture and visual contrast and to transform chocolate within ten seconds,
the balance of flavors (sweet, savory, tangy). leaving you with a crumbly and roasty
This style is perfect for those who appreciate crystallized chocolate. The ingredients are
elegance, precision and attention to detail. sugar, dark chocolate and water. Using a
saucepan, heat sugar and water to 275°F
(135°C) and then pour over dark chocolate
Inspiration for New Recipes melted to 104°F (40°C). Use a metal bowl,
Most of my inspirations come from personal because the plastic one will melt. Stir quickly
experiences and memories. I usually create with a whisk, and in about ten seconds, the
desserts inspired by personal travels, chocolate will transform into soil, which
architecture, sculpture or painting. I also use creates crumbs that work as a topping for
classic dessert books and specialized pastry plated desserts or coating truffles.
magazines. And I enjoy taking dessert-themed
cooking challenges.
Career Advice
Always learn from the best, stay current and
Current Flavor Favorites innovative, learn about ingredient science and
I am currently trying nutty and chocolatey flavor pairings, master fundamental pastry
flavors: hazelnut praline cakes, walnut techniques and practice, practice, practice.

Pastry Arts 135

Recipe

HEIRLOOM
TOMATO
BRIOCHE
By Russell Goodman, Executive Chef,
Elkstone Farm, Steamboat Springs, CO

136 Pastry Arts

O
TOMATO WATER
• 6 large heirloom tomatoes

1. Blend the tomatoes in a high-power blender

until smooth.
2. Strain the blended tomatoes through a
cheesecloth-lined chinois without pressing or
agitating. Reserve the tomato water and pulp
separately.

n our farm, BRIOCHE DOUGH

we highlight the flavors of the
vegetables we grow. During • 265 g tomato water
tomato season, we have an • 30 g egg yolks
abundance of tomatoes in • 75 g granulated sugar
various types. This brioche • 6 g active dry yeast
recipe subtly incorporates our • 565 g all-purpose flour
tomato harvest into bread • 12 g kosher salt
service, sharing the beauty of • 115 g unsalted butter, softened, room
this product with guests. temperature
• 2 large eggs, for egg wash
Yield: approximately • Tomato pulp (from Tomato Water step)
15 rolls (85 g each) • Maldon® salt, as needed
• 115 g unsalted butter, melted (for brushing
after baking)

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 1. Warm the tomato water to room
temperature.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk
together the tomato water, egg yolks 9. Make an egg wash by whisking
and sugar. together the eggs and about half of
3. Sprinkle the yeast over the mixture the reserved tomato pulp. Brush each
and let it bloom until foamy, about 5 roll lightly with the egg wash, ensuring
minutes. even coverage.
4. Add the flour all at once and mix on 10. Sprinkle each roll generously with
low speed with the dough hook until Maldon® salt.
the ingredients are combined and a 11. Allow the rolls to rise for 60-90
dough forms. minutes, or until soft and increased in
5. Add the salt and mix until size.
incorporated. 12. Bake rolls at 375°F (190°C) for 8
6. Increase the speed to medium and minutes in a convection oven; longer
add the softened butter gradually, in a conventional oven. They will be
waiting until each addition is fully golden brown and light for their size.
incorporated. The dough should be The internal temperature should reach
smooth, shiny and elastic. at least 190°F (88°C).
7. Allow the dough to rise until it has 13. Remove from the oven and
doubled in size. immediately brush with melted butter.
8. Portion the dough into 85 g pieces, roll Cool fully before serving or storing.
them into balls and place them on a
parchment-lined sheet pan. Photos by Russell Goodman

138 Pastry Arts

 RUSSELL GOODMAN
Executive Chef, Elkstone Farm,
Steamboat Springs, CO
depth to the palette of flavors we can express
using these products. Nevertheless, their
flavors will never be as pure and clear as they
Early Influence are the moment they are harvested.
My mother was a from-scratch cook with
strong French influences. I was impacted Production Tip
by her passion and excitement for baking, Consider the temperature of the ingredients
and read all of her cookbooks over and over you are using to make bread. If you start
throughout my childhood. with warm water, but add cold eggs and cold
butter, the final temperature of the dough will
Signature Style not be optimal. To ensure that your finished
My style in pastry is to let the ingredients product after mixing is the temperature
speak for themselves. Rather than using many at which you want it, give thought to the
flavoring agents or spices, I prefer to let the temperature of the ingredients you are adding
flavors of the central ingredients take center and let them temper properly before use.
stage. I tend not to over-sweeten desserts, but
rather seek balance among the ingredients in Technical Tip
a way that is harmonious in the final product. When making bread, let the dough tell
I also pay particular attention to provenance you when it is time to proceed to the next
and the manner in which the ingredients step. Respond to the signs and signals from
were grown and prepared, preferring minimal your product rather than the ticking of the
processing and organic farming techniques. clock. The ambient temperature will change
throughout the year, depending on your
Inspiration for New Recipes location, and the time required for each step
My inspiration for new recipes comes from may ebb and flow. Allow the dough to take
the farm. As ingredients make their way to the the time it needs to reach the correct state
kitchen from the field, I think about how to before proceeding rather than using the clock
express their flavors and textures with as few as the determinant of your pace.
intervening steps as possible, using classical
techniques from around the world. Career Advice
Listen to trusted sources such as the chefs
Current Flavor Favorites who are teaching you. Carefully consider their
I am most excited about the flavor of the critiques and store that information for future
berries we grow. From gooseberries to use. Additionally, save recipes that work.
currants to blueberries and raspberries, these Good recipes are the cornerstone of a pastry
fruits are special because they are never sold chef’s arsenal, alongside good techniques.
and are never included in our CSA shares, Start collecting them early and you will
but rather come directly to the kitchen for have a library from which to pull ideas and
use in our farm dinners. Through the use components that you can use creatively as you
of fermentation, for example, we often add create dishes.

Pastry Arts 139

Recipe

Macarons Two Ways -

Vegan and
Traditional
By Chef Colette Christian and Chef Gena Lora,
Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts

140 Pastry Arts

W
• 106 g aquafaba*, divided (well-chilled)
• 56 g water
• 139 g granulated sugar
• Pinch cream of tartar
e have long
• 2-3 drops food coloring
been inspired to
create a vegan • 2 g vanilla extract, optional
macaron. Escoffier
has a successful and 1. Combine the confectioners’ sugar,
comprehensive plant-based culinary almond flour and tapioca flour in the food
program. So we like to take traditional processor fitted with a metal blade.
and popular desserts and reimagine 2. Process for 15 seconds until the mixture is
them in vegan form. well combined and uniform in texture. Sift
if desired.
3. Transfer the dry ingredients to a medium
or large bowl.
Aquafaba is nothing short of miraculous as
4. Add 53 g of the aquafaba to the dry
a substitute for regular meringue. Aquafaba,
ingredients and mix until it is a thick paste.
which means “bean water” in Latin, is the
liquid strained off from a can of chickpeas. 5. Combine the remaining aquafaba with
It can be used as a vegan substitute for egg the cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand
whites. In testing, we found that the Italian mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
method of making the macaron batter offered 6. Whip the aquafaba to a light foam.
the most stability.

Aquafaba notes: Shake the can well before

using. When using canned garbanzo beans,
I haven’t reduced the liquid. Just mix well
before using. If using the liquid from garbanzo
beans you have cooked yourself, make sure
to reduce the liquid by 1/3 and then chill well
before using.

Vegan
Macarons
Aquafaba Macarons
Yields: 25 each, assembled

• 150 g confectioners’ sugar

• 150 g almond flour
• 6 g tapioca flour

Pastry Arts 141

7. Cook the water and sugar to 240°F
(116°C). Pour the sugar syrup into the Plant-based
whipping aquafaba at medium speed, Chocolate Ganache
increase the speed until the aquafaba gets
to soft peak, then add the food coloring • 100 g semisweet chocolate couverture
and the vanilla if using.
• 70 g coconut milk
8. Scrape down the bowl and continue to
• 12 g agave syrup
whip to medium peaks.
• 10 g vanilla extract
9. Fold in the dry ingredients in three
additions. Macaronage until the batter
flows down the sides like lava. 1. Chop the chocolate if required.
10. Place the batter in a piping bag fitted with 2. Heat the coconut milk to a scald and pour
a straight tip: 802, 804 or Wilton #12 over the chocolate.
11. Pipe onto a sheet tray lined with a Silpat® 3. After 3-4 minutes, gently stir to combine,
or parchment paper and let dry for 45-60 then add the agave and vanilla extract.
minutes. Use an immersion blender if the ganache
12. Bake at 300-310°F (149-154°C) for 14-15 starts to separate.
minutes. 4. Refrigerate briefly until pipeable.

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 Vegan White
Chocolate Ganache
Vegan white chocolate can be a little tricky,
and plant-based milk can act as a variable.
Watch overheating the vegan chocolate
and add the plant-based or coconut milk in
increments to get the desired consistency.

• 113 g vegan white chocolate

• 
15-20 g coconut or other plant-based milk

1. Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe

bowl.
2. Heat at medium power for 30 seconds and
stir. Repeat until it is melted and smooth.
3. Heat the plant-based milk in the
microwave for a few seconds.
4. Pour the plant-based milk over the
chocolate and stir until smooth.
5. Refrigerate with plastic wrap on the
surface until ready to use.

If the ganache hardens too much, let it sit at

room temperature for 10-15 minutes.

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 Traditional Macarons
Macarons Yield: 12-18 quarter-sized, assembled

Escoffier’s traditional French Macaron recipe • 200 g confectioners’ sugar

was developed using the French or common • 114 g almond meal, blanched
meringue method. The recipe can also be
• 114 g egg whites
halved for troubleshooting. Once you are
proficient with this technique, you can • 1 g cream of tartar
customize the shells by substituting half the • 100 g granulated sugar
amount of almond flour with half-ground • 2 g vanilla, optional
pistachios, hazelnuts or walnuts. • Food coloring, as needed

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1. Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C). and then down again to the bottom of the
2. Pulse the confectioners’ sugar and the bowl in one sweeping motion.
almond meal in a food processor until it is 11. Repeat two times, then check to see if the
uniformly fine in texture. batter moves down the side of the bowl
3. Sift the mixture three times to refine the by painting it once more up the side of
meal further. the bowl. The batter should slide slowly or
4. Whip the egg whites with the cream of “exhale” down the side of the bowl.
tartar until they appear foamy in texture 12. Using a piping bag fitted with a round
(before the soft-peak stage). tip, pipe the batter onto a silicone mat
5. Slowly add in the granulated sugar a little or parchment paper, with each shell
at a time, whipping on medium-high speed approximately the size of a quarter.
until soft peaks form. The meringue should 13. Let them dry until they form a skin (15-20
still be soft and shiny. minutes). The surface will dry and become
6. If desired, add food coloring and vanilla smooth in appearance.
extract to taste. 14. Sharply tap the sheet pan three to four
7. Continue to whip on medium speed until times on the counter to remove air
the meringue is at medium to stiff peaks. bubbles.
8. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl. 15. Bake for 11-13 minutes.
9. Fold in the almond meal and 16. Once done baking, slide the mat onto a
confectioners’ sugar in three additions. cooling rack and allow the macarons to
10. Macaronage: Using a spatula, “paint” or cool completely before attempting to
“smear” the batter up the side of the bowl remove them from the mat.

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 6. It will thicken to a pipeable consistency as
50/50 Chocolate Ganache it sits.
7. To whip ganache, place in a mixer fitted
• 125 g dark chocolate with the whisk attachment and whip on
• 125 g heavy cream medium-high speed until lighter in color
and fluffy in texture.
1. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
2. Bring the cream just to a boil in a small
saucepan.
Finishing Instructions
3. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and
1. Divide the macarons in half, leaving one
let it stand for 60-90 seconds.
half of the macarons facing up. Turn over
4. Whisk the chocolate and cream together,
the other halves so that the flat side is
starting in the center to begin emulsifying.
facing up.
Then work your way out, whisking
to combine completely. For the best 2. Pipe ganache on the bottom half.
emulsion, use an immersion blender. 3. Top the macarons, giving the top a short
5. Hold at room temperature with plastic twist to seal.
wrap on the surface until ready to use. 4. Chill for 20-25 minutes to set ganache.

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 Tips for working
with Aquafaba
1. Chill the aquafaba. It will whip up
much better if it is cold.
2. Shake the can before opening.
3. Add a little acid, such as a pinch of
cream of tartar, or wipe out the mixer
bowl with lemon juice before adding
the aquafaba.
4. Note that a 15 ounce can of garbanzo
beans yields 5-6 ounces of aquafaba.
5. While aquafaba is not going to be
a threat with regard to food-borne
illnesses like salmonella, it is a protein
and can go bad. Aquafaba must be
kept refrigerated before serving.
6. Aquafaba cannot be overwhipped and
can be re-whipped, unlike egg whites.

Pastry Arts 147

Recipe

Paan
(Digestive Spiced Chocolate)
By Sumant Sharma,
Executive Pastry Chef, Musaafer, Houston, TX

148 Pastry Arts

A classic post-meal
treat in India,
paan is known
for its digestive
benefits and
refreshing
qualities. In this dessert, Chef Sumant
Sharma infuses traditional ingredients
such as clove, cardamom, rose petal
compote and menthol into a chocolate
form, enhancing its healthful qualities.
This modern twist brings the cultural
1. Blend all ingredients to create a fine mix.
richness of paan into contemporary
pastry. 2. Store in an airtight container.

Yield: 10 pieces Paan-Infused

White Chocolate
• 200 g Barry Callebaut® white chocolate
Paan Spice Blend couverture (26.8%)
• 5 g edible charcoal
• 10 g dehydrated betel leaves
• 30 g cocoa butter
• 2 g fennel seeds
• 5 g Paan Spice Blend
• 2 g clove powder
• 2 g fennel powder
• 2 g cardamom seeds
• 1 g green fat-soluble color
• 20 g rose petal compote
• 5 g bee pollen powder
1. Melt the white chocolate and cocoa butter
• 1 g menthol powder over a double boiler.
• 4 g raspberry crisp (SOSA®) 2. Stir in the edible charcoal, Paan Spice
Blend, fennel powder and green color.
3. Blend the mixture with an immersion
blender until smooth.
4. Temper the chocolate to 84°F (29°C).
5. Pipe the tempered chocolate into the paan
molds. Sprinkle with Paan Spice Blend and
leave to set until crystallized.
6. Carefully unmold the chocolates and
brush each leaf with edible gold dust for
decoration.

Photos by Raydon Creative

Pastry Arts 149

Recipe

MAKAI
BADAM HALWA
Corn and Almond Pudding
By Sumant Sharma
Executive Pastry Chef, Musaafer, Houston, TX

150 Pastry Arts

T
FEUILLETINE CRUNCH
his recipe for Makai • 100 g Cacao Barry® Pailleté Feuilletine
Badam Halwa, or • 100 g Cacao Barry® Extra Bitter Guayaquil
Corn and Almond 64% Dark Chocolate
Pudding, is inspired
by traditional Indian 1. Melt the chocolate to 113°F (45°C), then
winter desserts. It fold in the feuilletine.
combines the warmth of almonds and 2. Roll the mixture between two sheets of
corn with a hint of lemon, along with parchment paper to a thickness of .08
layered elements such as pink guava inches (2 mm). Cut into 2-inch (5-cm)
cream and Texan black corn crémeux. diameter circles.
To finish, it is adorned with a golden 3. Allow to set.
almond praline flower..
4. Store the discs in an air-tight container
at room temperature in order to maintain
Yield: 20 servings their texture.

GUAVA CRÈME
MAKAI BADAM HALWA • 7 gelatin sheets, 200 bloom
• 100 g Ghirardelli® white chocolate
• 200 g whole almonds, peeled • 600 g Ponthier pink guava puree
• 300 g whole milk • 75 g super-fine granulated sugar
• 150 g clarified butter (ghee) • 250 g heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
• 50 g Nestlé® sweetened condensed milk
• 60 g super-fine granulated sugar 1. Hydrate the gelatin in cold water for 10
• 60 g Republica del Cacao® Ecuador White minutes. Squeeze out excess water and set
Chocolate 33% with Roasted Corn aside with the white chocolate.
• 10 threads of saffron 2. Boil the guava purée with the sugar,
stirring occasionally, then pour over the
white chocolate and gelatin. Emulsify with
1. Soak the almonds in the milk overnight. a hand blender until smooth. Fold in the
Strain the almonds then grind them into a whipped cream and set aside.
fine paste using a grinder.
2. In a thick-bottomed pan, heat the ghee,
then add the almond paste. Cook, stirring,
until it turns golden brown.
3. Add the condensed milk and sugar and
cook until combined. Stir in the corn
chocolate and saffron to finish.
4. Allow the mixture to cool to room
temperature, then store it in the
refrigerator or freezer.

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 • 213 g super-fine granulated sugar
COLD SET GUAVA PULP • 106 g water
• 213 g glucose
• 2.5 gelatin sheets, 200 bloom
• 142 g Nestlé® sweetened condensed milk
• 250 g Ponthier pink guava puree
• 110 g water
• 50 g super-fine granulated sugar
• 2 g yellow chocolate-soluble color powder
• 3 g AmeriColor® Super Black Soft Gel
1. Hydrate the gelatin in cold water for 10
Paste™
minutes, then set aside.
2. Boil the guava purée with the sugar, add
the gelatin and stir until dissolved. Pour 1. Hydrate the gelatin in cold water for 10
into a lined pan to a thickness of 1 cm. minutes, then set aside with the white
Freeze for 4 hours, then cut into 2-inch chocolate.
diameter circles. 2. In a saucepan, bring the sugar, water and
3. Reserve in the freezer until ready to use. glucose to a boil, reaching 221°F (105°C).
Pour the mixture over the white chocolate
and gelatin mixture, add the condensed
WHITE CHOCOLATE GLAZE milk and blend.
3. Divide the glaze in half, coloring one half of
• 22 g gold gelatin sheets, 200 bloom the glaze yellow and the other half black.
• 213 g Ghirardelli® white chocolate 4. Store in a plastic container.

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 1. Mix the almond paste and fondant, then
CORN MOUSSE roll to a thickness of .08 inches (2 mm).
Cut with a plunger cutter.
• 250 g whole milk 2. Dry in a dehydrator for 2 hours.
• 75 g super-fine granulated sugar
• 50 g popcorn, popped
GARNISH
• 4 gelatin sheets, 200 bloom
• 100 g Republica del Cacao® 33% white
• Mustard Greens
chocolate with toasted corn
• 250 g heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
ASSEMBLY
1. Boil the milk with the sugar, stirring
constantly. Add the popcorn and infuse it 1. Fill molds with Guava Crème and insert the
overnight in the refrigerator. Strain through Cold-Set Guava Pulp discs into the créme,
muslin cloth, then boil again. gently pushing them down to submerge
2. Hydrate the gelatin, add it to the corn them. Freeze overnight. Demold and glaze
chocolate, then pour the warm milk over with the yellow White Chocolate Glaze.
the mixture. Emulsify the mixture, then 2. Pour the Corn Mousse into semi-sphere
fold in the whipped cream. molds so they are ¾ full. Add a layer of
3. Pour into 1.5-inch semi-sphere molds and almond praline, level it and freeze. Demold
freeze. and glaze with the black White Chocolate
Glaze.
3. Warm 45 g of the halwa on a stovetop or
ALMOND PRALINE in a microwave and place it in the center
of the plate. Top with a Feuilletine Crunch
• 150 g super-fine granulated sugar disc, Guava Crème and Corn Mousse.
• 40 g water 4. Finish with an Almond Flower and mustard
• 400 g toasted whole almonds greens.
• 10 g butter
• 70 g canola oil Photos by Raydon Creative

1. Heat the sugar and water in a thick-

bottomed pan until golden brown. Pour
onto a silicone mat to cool until firm.
2. Grind the caramel with the
almonds, butter, and oil to a fine
paste.

ALMOND FLOWER
• 50 g almond paste
• 50 g fondant

Pastry Arts 153

 SUMANT SHARMA
Executive Pastry Chef,
Musaafer, Houston, TX

Current Flavor Favorites

I am currently exploring winter ingredients
with warming spices, creating a contrasting,
yet harmonious, flavor profile. One
Early Influence combination I’m particularly excited about
My passion for pastry developed during my is pink guava paired with almonds and a
hotel management studies, when I connected refreshing lime jelly. The fruity sweetness of
the science of pastry with my earlier schooling pink guava balances beautifully with the rich,
in biology. This combination was both relaxing nutty undertones of almond, while the lime
and exciting for me, which fueled my interest jelly adds a bright, citric note, enhancing the
in pastry and eventually turned it into a overall freshness. This combination creates
passion. Growing up in the Brij region of India, a multi-dimensional experience with warm,
known for its traditional sweet preparations, cozy flavors from the almond and spices,
also played a significant role in shaping my juxtaposed with the lively, refreshing elements
early experiences and influences. from the guava and lime. It’s a sophisticated
exploration of seasonal ingredients, blending
Signature Style warmth and brightness for the winter palate.
My style in pastry is ‘simple, yet unique’—I
focus on extensive research and development
to create dishes that are simple, yet presented
in a distinctive way, paying close attention to
taste, texture, aroma and flavors.

Inspiration for New Recipes

My research and development in various
cuisines serve as a key source of inspiration,
allowing me to combine different elements
and create new recipes. I conduct thorough
research on a dish or ingredient, exploring
its origin, topography, the region it comes
from, seasons, availability and how it pairs
with other ingredients. I focus on achieving
the right balance of taste, texture, aroma, and
flavors.
I also draw inspiration from medical
science, Ayurveda and the superfood industry,
which constantly motivate me to create
innovative and health-conscious recipes.

154 Pastry Arts

Production Tip hot, it will run off the pastry, leaving it with an
One key tip I’d share for pastry professionals uneven finish. If it’s too cold, it may thicken,
is the importance of mastering infusion creating a dull or uneven surface.
techniques. Infusion is crucial in developing When glazing, apply the glaze in one
innovative and well-balanced flavors. To smooth, confident motion. Start from the
achieve the desired flavor profile, I start center and move outward in a continuous
with the careful selection of ingredients and flow, ensuring complete coverage. Use a
understanding their characteristics. Pairing glazing rack to let the excess glaze drip off and
them thoughtfully and then executing the prevent pooling around the base of the pastry.
infusion process properly can elevate a dish.
Studying the nature of each ingredient—its Career Advice
flavor, texture and behavior—allows for a
deeper synergy of flavors in the final product. The best career advice I received is always
to ask ‘why’ and put in the hard work. Pastry
Additionally, fostering open communication
is not just about following a recipe; it’s a
and providing clear operational guidelines
form of art in which attention to detail, focus
in the kitchen are essential for efficient
and involvement are critical. Every step,
production. This not only improves workflow
from making a sponge to crafting a ganache,
but also saves time and money, leading to
matters, and precision in timing and technique
a more streamlined and productive work
is essential. By constantly analyzing why each
environment.
step is necessary and how it impacts the final
product, you gain a deeper understanding
Technical Tip of the process. This mindset has helped me
When making a pastry glaze, ensure your glaze improve my craft, from infusing flavors to
is at the ideal temperature (generally between balancing textures, making every creation
86-95°F/30-35°C) before applying it. If it’s too more thoughtful and intentional.

Pastry Arts 155

Recipe

Noor By Dean Rodrigues,

Executive Pastry Chef,
Academy of Pastry and Culinary Arts, India

156 Pastry Arts

 I ngredients such as sago, milk, rice and gulab jamun are popular in India
and have become essential elements of the culinary experience. As an
Indian pastry chef, I wanted to bring these ingredients to the forefront
and merge them with modern pastry techniques, elevating these
traditional flavors to a global level.
One unique ingredient I’ve incorporated into this pastry is nannari, also
known as Indian sarsaparilla. With its distinctive flavor profile, this indigenous herb is
traditionally used for making cooling beverages and aiding in digestion.
By using this ingredient, I aim to celebrate the rich flavors of Indian cuisine,
demonstrating their timeless adaptability in contemporary culinary applications.

Yield: 2 tarts

ALMOND SUGAR CRUST

• 100 g all-purpose flour
• 38 g whole wheat flour
• 17.5 g almond flour
• 2 g salt
• 8 g corn starch
• 77.5 g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
• 50 g confectioners’ sugar
• 20 g milk
• 20 g cocoa butter, melted (for brushing)

1. Combine the all-purpose, wheat and 6. Roll the dough out to a thickness of 2 mm
almond flours with the salt and cornstarch (1/16 inch).
in a large bowl. 7. Line fluted tart rings with the dough and
2. Rub the butter into these dry ingredients chill for 1 hour.
until the mixture resembles coarse sand. 8. Blind bake at 325°F (160°C) for 10 minutes
3. Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix until or until the tart shells are evenly browned.
fully combined. 9. Once the dough is baked, allow the
4. Gradually add the milk and mix until a tart shells to cool. Brush the insides
rough dough forms. with melted cocoa butter to maintain
5. Chill the dough until firm. crispness.

Pastry Arts 157

 of crème anglaise. It will have reduced
RICE AND SAGO KHEER by about 40% by the time it is done. The
process will take approximately 10-15
• 100 g rice, washed and soaked for 3 hours minutes on medium heat.
• 100 g sago pearls, washed and soaked for 4. Combine the cooked rice and sago and stir
3 hours in the milk mixture.
• 3-4 strands of saffron 5. Adjust the sweetness to taste.
• 2 g ground cardamom
• 30 g condensed milk NANNARI SYRUP
• 600 g whole milk
• 50 g heavy cream • 137 g granulated sugar
• 100 g water
1. Strain the soaked rice and sago. Boil each • 1 g ground cardamom
separately in fresh water until tender,
• 3-4 strands of saffron
then set aside. The rice and the sago have
different cooking times, so test them for • 5 g Nannari root
doneness before draining.
2. Add the saffron and cardamom powder to 1. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan
the cooked sago. and heat until the mixture begins to boil.
3. In a saucepan, combine the milk, 2. Cover the saucepan and allow the flavors
condensed milk and cream. Bring to a boil to infuse for at least 4 hours before
and simmer, stirring occasionally, until straining.
the mixture thickens to the consistency

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 1. Combine the nannari root and water in
GULAB JAMUN a saucepan and bring to a boil. Let the
mixture cool.
• 10 g yogurt 2. Using a melon baller, scoop the flesh from
• 30 g milk the musk melon.
• 8 g ghee (clarified butter) 3. Place the melon balls into the cooled
• 65 g non-fat milk powder nannari water and let them soak for at least
• 20 g all-purpose flour 1 hour.
• 15 g mawa (milk solids)
• 0.5 g salt ASSEMBLY
• 0.5 g baking soda
• Neutral glaze
1. In a bowl, mix the yogurt, milk, ghee and • Edible flowers
milk powder until a paste forms.
2. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix 1. Fill the tart shells with the rice and sago
until a smooth dough forms. kheer, leaving about 5% of the shell
3. Shape the dough into balls of 2 grams each unfilled.
and cover with a damp towel to prevent 2. Chill the tarts for 10 minutes to set.
drying out.
3. Remove the Gulab Jamuns and nannari
4. Heat enough ghee to fill a deep pot about melons from their soaking liquids. Place
halfway. When the temperature has them on a paper towel to absorb any
reached 140°C (284°F), fry the Gulab- excess liquid.
Jamun balls until golden brown.
4. Arrange the Gulab Jamuns and nannari
5. Upon removing them from the oil, melons on top of the tarts, alternating
immediately transfer the Gulab Jamuns them in a circular pattern, starting from the
into the nannari syrup to soak. outside and working toward the center.
6. Let the Gulab Jamuns rest in the syrup for 5. Brush the surface of the tart with neutral
at least 3 hours before serving. glaze for a glossy finish.
6. Garnish with edible flowers, such as
NANNARI MELONS Egyptian star flowers and cosmos petals.

• 5 g Nannari root Photos by Dean Rodrigues

• 200 g water
• 1 musk melon

Pastry Arts 159

 DEAN RODRIGUES
Executive Pastry Chef,
Academy of Pastry and
Culinary Arts, India

Early Influence
I was a very art-oriented kid interested in
music, sketching and just creating in general.
Being exposed to shows like MasterChef, I
was fascinated by the science of pastry and
desserts and the precision required to make
something so striking and tasty. I realized that
food - or pastry, to be more precise - was the
perfect medium for me to showcase my art to
the world and have a career that would feel
like a playground.

Signature Style
I describe my style as “adopt, adapt and
evolve.” One of my favorite quotes is Pablo
Picasso’s “Learn the rules like a pro so you
can break them like an artist.” I enjoy playing
around with originals and adding a little bit of
my own creativity to them. In this way, I feel it
gives the product a personality I relate to and
depicts my own artistry.

Inspiration for New Recipes

Inspiration comes in many forms: nature, pop
culture references, life experiences, friends,
family and sometimes even trends. It does
not come from any place specific. My usual
thought process behind new dishes is mainly
“What if this were pastry?” or “How would
people relate to this?” Most of the time,
though, it’s “What story can this tell?”

160 Pastry Arts

Current Flavor Favorites Technical Tip
My current favorites are Earl Grey and During my early days as a pastry chef, I struggled
fig. I enjoy the clash of these contrasting with piping on cakes. I would end up piping very
flavors and textures. My all-time favorite unintelligible words and thus tried to steer away
is any tropical flavor. from it. But my mentor back then noticed this
These flavor combinations are a result and had me practice piping for hours every day!
of personal preference while also thinking I piped all the alphabets in cursive and capitals
about what people would enjoy eating. repeatedly until I finally got good and now have
no problem with it.
As for a tip, repeatedly practicing and keeping
Production Tip in touch with your craft helps improve your
The key to operating a successful techniques, and it eventually turns into muscle
production line is pre-prep. Mis en place memory. For this, understanding your own
can make or break the flow of a kitchen. methods of learning comes in handy. Whether it’s
A chef’s tools are as important as the practicing in your free time or watching a video of
ingredients, and regular calibration of a technique on a loop, whatever works for you is
these ensures that the product quality what you use to your benefit.
remains consistent. Standardization of
recipes and having a clear plan for the
product helps maintain the quality and Career Advice
quantity of any product on any given Being a pastry chef requires a lot of patience;
day. This also helps make production keeping calm and being solution-oriented are
lines more streamlined and oriented good traits to have. Learning to accept failures
towards workspace profit and customer and detaching yourself from the product keeps
experience. you from being stuck in a loop and helps you
As a Chef, I feel like a kitchen runs best move forward. Also, finding a good mentor who
when the person running the kitchen is resonates with how you envision yourself is a great
operating at 80% energy. This not only catalyst to have. This also ensures you are among
keeps them from being burnt out, but it skilled people and have an environment where
also means that they will have the energy you can push yourself harder. Most of all, having
required to push through when there is an respect and discipline towards your craft plays a
emergency. big role in deciding the longevity of any career.

Pastry Arts 161

Recipe

Banana
Puff
By Adriano Zumbo

162 Pastry Arts

 CRAQUELIN SABLÉ
Yield: 380 g

• 120 g unsalted butter, room temperature

• 60 g granulated sugar
• 60 g brown sugar
• 140 g all-purpose flour

1. Combine the butter and sugars and beat

until lightened.
2. Add the flour and mix to form a dough.
3. Place the dough between two silicone
baking mats or sheets of baking paper and
roughly spread it out.
4. Chill in the refrigerator for one hour.
5. Roll out to 0.08 inches (2 mm) on a dough
sheeter or by hand. 3. Cook for an additional 30 seconds to 1
6. Place in the refrigerator. minute to strengthen the gluten, then
7. Once cool, cut discs using a 2.4-inch (6 transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand
cm) round cutter and return the craquelin mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
to the refrigerator. 4. Beat on medium speed until 60% of the
heat is released.
CHOUX PASTRY 5. Slowly add the whole eggs bit by bit until
you achieve a glossy paste that should just
fall off the beater when lifted.
Yield: 553 g 6. Fill a piping bag fitted with a 0.43-inch (11
mm) tip.
• 95 g water 7. Pipe 2.4-inch (6 cm) diameter rounds of
• 95 g milk the choux paste onto a baking tray with
• 95 g unsalted butter no paper. A heavy iron tray with no sides is
• 8 g invert sugar ideal.
• 4 g salt 8. Place a disc of the Craquelin Sablé on top
of each round and bake at 330°F (165°C)
• 108 g all-purpose flour in a convection oven or 375°F (190˚C) in a
• 148 g whole eggs deck oven.
9. Bake until puffed and golden. The choux
1. In a saucepan, place the water, milk, butter, pastry should feel hollow when lifted off
sugar and salt and bring to a boil. the tray.
2. Add the flour and stir constantly until the 10. Remove from oven, run a metal scraper
mixture thickens and pulls away from the underneath each choux bun to release it
sides. from the tray and set them aside to cool.

Pastry Arts 163

 SESAME PRALINE
Yield: 408 g

• 240 g sesame seeds, toasted

• 160 g granulated sugar
• 3 g sunflower lecithin
• 2 g Tahitian Gold® Ground Vanilla Beans
• 4 g sesame oil
• 3 g salt
• Grapeseed oil, as needed

1. Place all the ingredients except the

grapeseed oil into a Thermomix® or Robot
Coupe® and blend until a paste forms. 2. Place the caramel in a vacuum sealer bag
2. Add grapeseed oil to adjust the with the diced bananas and seal it.
consistency if the paste seems a little dry. 3. Keep the sealed bag in the fridge overnight
3. Pipe into 0.98-inch (2.5 cm) silicone half- or until ready to use.
sphere molds and freeze the paste until 4. Using a stick blender, blitz the banana and
solid. passionfruit purees with the Gelcrem until
4. Unmold and store in the freezer until ready the mixture thickens.
for assembly. 5. Fold the banana mixture from the bag into
the thickened puree mixture.

BANANA COMPOTE
SALTED BUTTER CARAMEL
Yield: 517 g
Yield: 668.5 g
• 200 g bananas, diced
• 20 g unsalted butter • 10 g Earl Grey tea
• 20 g malted milk powder • 0.5 each tonka bean
• 40 g granulated sugar • 40 g banana puree
• 12 g rum • 130 g heavy cream, 35% fat
• 4 g vanilla paste • 68 g water
• 2 g salt • 38 g glucose syrup
• 200 g banana puree • 175 g granulated sugar
• 12 g passionfruit puree (seedless) • 35 g Valrhona Caramélia 36% Chocolate
• 9 g Sosa Gelcrem Cold • 20 g gelatin mass, 5:1
• 115 g unsalted butter
1. Dry caramelize the sugar in a pan. Add the • 25 g hazelnut paste, 100%
butter, malted milk powder, rum, vanilla • 4 g sea salt
paste and salt. • 8 g vanilla paste

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1. Cold infuse the tea and tonka bean in the • 50 g banana puree
banana puree for 24 hours. • 8 g gelatin mass, 5:1
2. Strain before proceeding. • 40 g Valrhona Dulcey® 35% Blond
3. Heat the cream and banana puree in a Couverture
microwave or saucepan • 30 g milk chocolate, 40%
4. Place the water, glucose syrup and sugar • 2 g salt
in a saucepan and cook until dark amber in • 3 g vanilla paste
color.
5. Deglaze the caramelized sugar with the
cream mixture; continue cooking to 226˚F 1. Cold infuse the Earl Grey tea and the
(108˚C). tonka bean in the heavy cream for 24 – 48
hours.
6. Remove the caramel from the heat and let
the caramel cool slightly. 2. Strain and reweigh the cream to account
for the absorption of liquid.
7. Add the chocolate and gelatin mass and
stir to dissolve. 3. Heat the infused cream, licorice, malted
milk powder and banana puree to 158°F
8. Cool to 113°F (45˚C). (70˚C) in a saucepan.
9. Add the butter, hazelnut paste, sea salt 4. Add gelatin mass and stir to dissolve.
and vanilla paste.
5. Pour the mixture over the chocolates in
10. Using a stick blender, combine the a tall container and blend with a stick
ingredients until smooth and well- blender until emulsified.
emulsified.
6. Mix in the salt and vanilla.
11. Pour the mixture into a container, cover
with cling film and reserve until set. 7. Cover and store in the fridge overnight.

BANANA CARAMEL BANANA PASSION CRÈME

CHOCOLATE CHANTILLY Yield: 380 g

Yield: 573.5 g
• 70 g banana puree
• 20 b passionfruit puree
• 400 g heavy cream, 35% fat
• 6 g black licorice logs (candy)
• 5 g Earl Grey tea
• 76 granulated sugar
• 0.5 each tonka bean
• 8 g Sosa Gelcrem Hot
• 5 g black licorice logs (candy)
• 100 g whole eggs
• 30 g malted milk powder
• 100 g unsalted butter

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1. Place all the ingredients except the butter
into a saucepan and cook to 185°F (85°C). ZUMBARON BASE SHELLS
2. Cool to 113°F (45˚C) and blend in the
butter until well-emulsified and smooth. Yield: 938 g
3. Pipe into 0.98-inch (2.5 cm) silicone sphere
molds. • 225 g almond flour
• 2 g salt
YELLOW CHOCOLATE • 225 confectioners’ sugar
COATING • 190 g egg whites, divided
• 2 g cream of tartar
Yield: 605 g • 8 g Sosa Albuwhip
• 225 g granulated sugar
• 500 g white chocolate couverture • 75 g water
• 50 g coconut oil, deodorized • 6 g food coloring
• 50 g hazelnut paste, 100%
• 3 g yellow coloring, fat-soluble 1. Place the almond flour, salt and
confectioners’ sugar in a food processor
• 2 g salt
and process them to a fine powder.
2. Place the mixture into a large bowl.
1. Melt everything together.
3. Put 85 grams of the egg whites, the cream
2. Use at 95°F (35°C). of tartar and the Albuwhip in the bowl
of a stand mixer fitted with the whip
DARK attachment.
4. Cook the sugar and water in a small
CHOCOLATE DISCS saucepan over medium heat and bring to a
boil.
• 350 g Valrhona Manjari 66% Dark 5. Add the food coloring at this stage if using
Chocolate liquid coloring.
• Flaky sea salt, as needed 6. Continue cooking the sugar until it reaches
250°F (121°C).
1. Temper the dark chocolate 7. When you reach the desired temperature,
2. Spread onto guitar sheets 0.04 - 0.08-inch turn the electric mixer on to medium-
(1-2 mm) thick high speed and whisk the egg whites until
3. When the chocolate just begins to lightly frothy.
crystallize, cut it with a 2.75-inch (70 mm) 8. Slowly pour the hot sugar down the sides
round cutter. of the bowl.
4. Place a sheet of baking paper on top of the 9. Once all of the sugar syrup has been
chocolate, then flip the sheets over onto added, whisk until the meringue has
a baking tray so that the guitar sheet is on cooled to around 122°F (50°C) and set
top. aside.
5. Place another baking tray on top of the 10. Add the remaining 85 g of egg whites and
sheet of chocolate to weigh it down and the coloring (if using a powdered color) to
keep it from curling up as it contracts. the almond flour and confectioners’ sugar.

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11. Fold the Italian meringue into the almond 5. Press the Sesame Praline inserts into the
flour mixture. banana layer inside of the choux buns.
12. Continue to fold until the mixture begins 6. Pipe the Salted Butter Caramel inside the
to loosen. When the mixture falls slowly choux buns to cover the sesame inserts
off a spatula, it is the right texture. and fill to the top.
13. Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted 7. Chill to set.
with a 0.4-inch (11 mm) plain tip and pipe 8. Whip the Banana Caramel Chocolate
2-inch (5 cm) rounds of the batter onto a Chantilly until smooth and stable and
baking paper- or silicone mat-lined tray. transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a
Leave a 1.18-inch (3 cm) gap between French star tip.
each Zumbaron. 9. Pipe a dot of the chantilly on the top
14. Tap the tray slightly to rid the Zumbarons of the set caramel and top with a dark
of any excess air. chocolate disc, pushing down gently to
15. Preheat the oven to 338°F (170˚C). secure it.
16. Leave the Zumbarons at room temperature 10. Pipe an oversized spiral rosette on the top
until a skin forms on the surface. of the disc about two layers high.
17. Once a skin has formed, place the 11. Push the frozen Banana Passion Crème
Zumbarons in the oven, immediately lower insert into the top of the chantilly and pipe
the temperature to 302°F (150°C) and a small dab of the chantilly on top to seal
bake for 12 - 15 minutes. in the crème.
18. Once the Zumbarons are firm to the touch, 12. Place some toasted chopped hazelnuts
remove them from the oven and leave to abstractly on the sides of the chantilly
cool. rosette.
13. Place a Zumbaron shell on the top to finish.
14. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
ASSEMBLY
Photo courtesy of Phil Khoury
• Toasted sesame seeds
• Toasted hazelnuts

1. Cut a 1-inch (2.54 cm) hole in the flat side

(bottom) of each choux puff.
2. Dip the choux buns in the Yellow
Chocolate Coating, craquelin side down,
then lightly sprinkle the coated craquelin
side with some toasted sesame seeds.
3. Place the dipped choux puffs, dipped side
down, on a 3.9-inch x 3.9-inch (10x10cm)
square cake board. Use an additional small
amount of Yellow Chocolate Coating to
stick them to the cake board. You can
spray them with a little cold spray if you
need them to set quickly.
4. Pipe the Banana Compote into the holes
you cut in the flat side of the choux puffs,
filling the puffs about halfway.

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Places

DENGO
Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Paris, France
www.dengo.com/fr

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CHARLES ZNATY
CEO, Dengo, Europe

Origins socially responsible chocolate culture in which

every product tells the story of its origin. In
Dengo was founded in Brazil in 2017.
the way we practice fair trade, we pay a price
The founder, Guilherme Leal, a prominent
that is high enough to allow the farmers to
entrepreneur and visionary, was determined
take care of their farms, while helping them to
to create a brand that reflects Brazil’s
live and prosper from their daily productions.
biodiversity, while contributing to a
Our eco-responsible approach and our passion
sustainable future for the small farmers from
for artisanal production, truly make Dengo
the fragile “Costa Cacao,” an amazing part
distinctive.
of the Mata Atlantica (Atlantic Forest). Leal’s
idea was born out of a desire to create high-
quality chocolate while remaining committed
to environmental sustainability and social
responsibility. After my previous experience
as the head of Pierre Hermé Paris group,
meeting him was really inspiring. To me, the
“bean-to-bar” philosophy, ensuring the control
of every step of the production process,
from harvesting the cacao to producing the
finished chocolate product, is the future of
chocolate. This is why I decided to call it
“chocolat fermier” in France. The Paris stores,
in Montmartre and Saint Germain des Près,
quickly earned their reputation. This marks our
first international step, blending our Brazilian
roots with a global vision.

Company Mission
Dengo’s mission is to support the livelihoods
of small cocoa farmers and encourage
them (and train them) to produce high-
quality chocolate according to sustainable
agroforestry principles. What sets us apart
is our complete control over the entire
production process—from farm to bar—
ensuring not only the quality of the final
product, but also the sustainability of the
environment and the well-being of the
farmers and their families. By working directly
with smallholder farms, we aim to cultivate a

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 Production Tip
One of our production secrets lies in
maintaining the integrity of the cacao
bean throughout the process. By carefully
controlling the fermentation and roasting
stages, we ensure that the natural flavors
of the cocoa shine through without being
overpowered by additional ingredients.
Another essential practice is our meticulous
Signature Products hand-crafting technique for our Quebra-
Our signature products are crafted to highlight Quebra chocolate slabs, which allows us to
the unique flavors of Brazil. Customers love maintain quality and ensure each batch meets
our Quebra-Quebra, a line of large chocolate our high standards. The customer journey in
slabs that are broken into pieces upon request. our stores aims to deliver a unique memorable
These come in various tropical combinations experience, and if you look at the users’
like passion fruit, bananas or coconut and comments on Google, our Parisian shops are
Brazil nuts. Other favorites are our no-added- rated very high and we are proudly working
sugar line and our vegan-friendly options. We hard for that.
also offer a variety of products infused with
native Brazilian fruits, such as cupuaçu and
cajá, that capture the essence of the Amazon.
Future Goals
Our Mel de Cacau, a drink made from the pulp We are excited about the future of Dengo,
of the cacao fruit, is another standout, offering particularly our expansion into international
a refreshing and unique experience. Soon after markets. Following our successful launch
our launch in Paris, our “chocolat chaud” was in Paris, we aim to explore other key global
quoted among the very best in town. cities, introducing more people to our unique,
eco-friendly approach to chocolate. We’re
also working on expanding our product
Equipment ‘Must-Haves’ lines with more innovative and sustainable
As a matter of fact, our recipes are quite offerings, including new flavors featuring rare
simple with a limited amount of ingredients. A and indigenous Brazilian fruits. Additionally,
nicely grown cocoa bean, properly fermented we plan to enhance our vegan and low-sugar
and respectfully roasted, makes it all great. product ranges to meet the growing demand
We have achieved to blend the best of both for health-conscious and ethical products.
worlds: native culture of cocoa with the
refinement of western know-how. Photos courtesy of Dengo

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Places

ORIGIN
BREADS Madison, WI
www.originbreads.com

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KIRK SMOCK could use in South Africa when we went there.
Over those four years, I baked a ton. A seed
Owner had been planted.
Then we moved back to Madison where my
wife’s parents are. I talked to a guy who ran
a local stone mill, looked for shared-kitchen
Origins options. If I wanted to scratch that itch, that
My wife, Kathryn, and I were living in was the time. I got a Belgian Rofco oven. It
Guyana (where Kirk was a travel writer). I was a low investment. I wondered if I would
complained about not being able to find do it as a hobby when I had writer’s block.
bread. I dabbled with yeasted doughs and Then I gave up my part-time job. It was just
learned the love of taking flour and water me for 18 months. I mixed everything by hand,
and turning it into bread and sharing it with juggling fermentation, running out quickly,
people. Guyana provided that foundation. making deliveries.
From there we moved to New York City. We opened in October, 2016 with a corner
That’s when I bought local grains and space in a spare kitchen. I bought another
different flours in greenmarkets. Then I oven so I could do 24 loaves in an hour. I
started reading about sourdough and whole started doing farmers markets, then signed
grains. I was amazed by the different flavors a lease on a 1900-square-foot place. Three
you could get from fresher flours. Later, years in, I took out a loan, found a bigger
we moved to Mozambique (where Kathryn space, got a mixer, a bigger oven. We set up
worked in child health care) for four years. a four-deck in March, 2020. Once I got that
There, it’s very much a bread-based culture. oven, there was no turning back.
It’s a former Portuguese colony, so people
bought Portuguese rolls. We packed up our Company Mission
sourdough starter and found a stone mill we
Everything we do is a true sourdough,
naturally-leavened product. All our grains are
regionally grown. There are a lot of benefits
to sourdough and doing a long fermentation
to transform the flour, yeast and water into a
nutritious, healthy, flavorful bread. We don’t
use commercial yeast in the kitchen.
I wanted people to understand what
locally-sourced and naturally-leavened
means. What is spelt flour? What is rye flour?
Madison has enough bakeries selling white
bread and white-flour pastries. There’s clearly
a bigger market for that than what I’m doing,
but it wasn’t the business I wanted. If I was
going to open a bakery, I wanted to know the
farmers and their farming practices. And the
same with pastries and pizza. A lot of people
think pizza can’t have a good texture if you’re
using whole grains. We make a pizza dough
that wows people with flavor and texture for
our weekly pizza nights.

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Signature Products bought some solar panels. You can set the
individual decks. If we’re doing pastries in
For breads, we call it the sprye loaf. That’s
there, we can also do cookies and breads. The
made with spelt, rye and wheat flour. We
big oven is from Polin, an Italian company.
developed a way to put these three delicious
grains into a loaf of bread. It’s a lighter loaf
with higher hydration. On the weekends we do Production Tip
a spent green loaf. There is a certified organic As you’re starting out, it’s a long process
brewery in our building. Knowing how many that can easily control your life. With the
grains are left over from the brewing process, sourdough starters, you can go down the
I really wanted to figure out a bread that rabbit hole, being so precise with taking
incorporated those. You call it spent beer grain care of them and feeding them. That can be
bread, and people don’t like the word spent. difficult to fit into a production schedule if you
Beer led them to believe the bread would don’t have a bakery that’s running 18 to 24
taste like beer. So we put poppy seeds on the hours a day. We have a walk-in cooler that’s
outside of the loaf. There’s a bit of maple syrup kept in the 40s to 50s depending on the time
in there to offset the richness of the grains, so of the year for fermenting the breads. We also
we called it Miss Maple Poppy Stout Bread. change the feeding schedule with the starter
People started buying it. That’s marketing. so the overnight starter can go into the walk-
Our croissants are made with sourdough. in at 50 degrees, and it can sit in there for 15
They have whole grains, so they’re heavier hours and be at the right spot for mixing the
than what most people are used to. We do next day.
chocolate croissants and we make all our
own chocolate as well. We do a rotating nut
one. That changes from pecan to pistachio to
Future Plans
almond. We make the frangipane in house. We were recently approached to open a café,
Then we’ll do bagels and different danishes a second location. But we’re in a pretty good
with cheeses. place. We do a lot of wholesale to grocery
stores and restaurants. We do a couple of
farmers markets, including the large one that
Equipment ‘Must-Haves’ draws up to 20,000 people on Saturdays. We
I really love our four-deck electric oven. For want to build out the retail side of things.
me, a home baker for 12 years doing all the Hopefully this winter we’ll add sandwiches.
home-oven hacks, moving to the Rofco oven There’s still room for growth where we are. I
was a step up, but it was finicky. You had to have a family and it already consumes a lot of
rotate the breads. With gas, you can’t set my time.
individual decks. It’s all one temperature. Our
bakery is fueled by renewable energy, so we Photos by SV Heart Photography/Destination Madison

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Places

LAURENT GERBAUD
CHOCOLATIER Brussels, Belgium
www.chocolatsgerbaud.be

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 before they start, I have them taste a piece
of industrial chocolate from the store. Maybe
they don’t mind at the beginning, but then
they make their own really good chocolate.
They taste really good chocolate. Then I ask
them to taste the industrial chocolate at the
end, and they hate it. I want to give people
appreciation for great chocolate. I want them
to have fun. I want to build the community.
That’s the philosophy of the classes and the
shop.

Signature Products
The Gare aux Noisette (hazelnut praline with
roasted cashew nuts), is something really
distinctive. We are always sold out. People are
upset when it’s sold out. It’s really the idea of
addiction, simple taste, not much sweetness.
Then we have Pralines with nuts. People really
love nuts – the pistachio, pecan, the sesame.
There’s another one that’s super nice with
roasted buckwheat. The DNA is really spices,
fruit, nuts and dark chocolate.
LAURENT GERBAUD Now we produce ice cream ourselves with
Owner the same ingredients as the chocolate: cacao,
hazelnut, pistachio cream. It’s all the same as
the pralines. We use the same philosophy with
very little sugar. We work with a consultant to
Company Mission make the recipes. He has his computer with
Before the shop, I went to China, and the the software for ice-cream making, so we get
trip changed my taste for life. Their desserts the right balance. As with the chocolate we
had much less sugar. I lost the taste for are always looking for the right water balance.
sweets when I was there. It was really The more moisture, the better for the texture,
complicated when I came back. Even my the melting and so on, but shorter for the shelf
fellow chocolatiers were telling me there was life. For the ice cream, we watch for the fat,
not enough sugar in my recipes, but I just kept because the fat makes it stiffer, so you cannot
making this; same ingredients, same approach. scoop it. There is a limit where adding more
It was complicated and not so well received at pistachio, more chocolate, more hazelnut is
the beginning, and now it’s completely trendy. just adding food cost but not taste. It was
I was too much in advance at that time. interesting to work with this software. The
guy helped us to make the basic recipes for
the sorbet, the ice cream, the vegan ice cream,
Company Mission the ice cream with nuts, ice cream with citrus
I give classes each week. People make their and so on. We did a nice one with Mandarin
own chocolate bars with great chocolate and and bespoke chili. We did some with olive. We
fresh ingredients: fruits, nuts, ginger, yuzu. But have a black sesame that’s super good.

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Equipment Must-Haves content because of the mass production.
Also, most of the time, they work from August
The production chocolate machine. If you
to December and then they put people on
want an efficient production, you need a unemployment, so people here get paid
good enrobing machine, a good melter, a partly from the company and partly from the
good cutter. You cannot process properly government.
without that. This we buy from Italy. You have
to choose pretty quickly if you want to do
traditional enrobing or molding, because it’s Future Plans
not the same equipment. We do enrobing, so I asked my team before Covid if we could
we only have a little bit of mold for holidays. move the production to a larger location.
Molds are pretty expensive. You need The only place with an affordable rent
to store them and you need a was in the suburb of Brussels in
lot of them, so it’s quite a big an industrial area. The staff told
investment. If you work with me they would get depressed
molds, try to do one mold and quit within six months.
with one shape that you I cannot produce alone, so
can personalize with either one of the next steps is
some coloring or food to buy a place with bigger
or nuts. But I prefer the storage in downtown
coating, because it can do Brussels, with a small office
a super-thin layer. If you do that I could transform into
molding, you can go higher in a small apartment, so when I
terms of production, because stop working, I can have a pied
you can buy a one-shot machine. a terre in Brussels and go live in
The cost is $3,000 for the tool, the countryside.
then $15 for each mold, so up to $5,000 One project is to have a better range of
altogether for a mold. If you are targeting to seasonal products for things like Christmas,
make a bigger targeting production, you can Valentine, Easter. When I was an apprentice,
make molds. But make a choice that works for I didn’t like making Easter eggs. It was really
you. boring, so I avoided it for many years. But
people want it. We now have a very nice
Easter collection, a nice Advent calendar,
Production Tip something nice for St. Valentine. I also
Focus on your own personality, your own work with a friend who is an illustrator. She
taste, whatever it is. Don’t make something makes very nice boxes for Easter. We have
too complicated. Do good material, good something that doesn’t really exist in other
tempering and freshness. That’s it. You can do countries. It’s called St. Nicholas, the sixth of
good chocolate in mass production. But most December. As a kid you receive Mandarin,
of the large manufacturers, if they do large Candies, Speculoos, chocolate, and it has also
production, they have to change the recipe to become the corporate gift that you cannot
feed the machine. Because they are making avoid. We sell small bags between five and ten
so much, they have to freeze the chocolate, Euros. As a boss, if you do not offer anything
so they have to reduce the moisture, because at St. Nicholas, you’ve lost. Forget about your
the moisture expands. If you have too much, speech at Christmas.
the praline cracks, so they have to change
the recipes; the raw ingredients and the sugar Photos by Caroline Mays

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Places

NOBLE
BREAD Phoenix, AZ
www.instagram.com/noblebread

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JASON RADUCHA
Owner

Origins
I was working in IT and I had a love of baking.
I wondered if people loved baking as much
as I did. I grew up around family events that
revolved around food. I never went to culinary
school. I was trying to scratch an itch I didn’t
know I had. I used Kickstarter and I raised
$20,000 in 30 days. I was baking out of my
house, but somebody complained to the HOA
Signature Products
that they didn’t like the smell of bread. They
sent a cease-and-desist letter to the HOA. So I Our organic, naturally-leavened country bread
moved to my parents’ garage, but they weren’t takes 36 hours to produce. It put us on the
really set up for breadmaking. I finally found map. We bake a lot darker than everyone else.
a place I could rent, bought the building next Ours is crispy, with the sweetness, the lactic
door and got started. Then in 2014 I opened acid in it, the bitterness, the char. And I’d say
[Noble Bakery’s companion establishment] definitely our scones. People buy them by the
Noble Eatery, which was voted best new dozen. We also make a multigrain bread that
restaurant by Phoenix Magazine. We have a has eight seeds in it. It’s really good.
lot of sandwiches with Turkish pide dough.
Equipment ‘Must-Haves’
Company Mission I love a really good spoon, a really great
We try to keep a commitment to quality scale and also a ThermoWorks thermapen.
craftsmanship. We want to nourish the body You get an instant read. It’s very accurate
and nourish the community around us. We go whether you put it in water, starter or dough
to 12-15 farmers’ markets a week and get to for temperature. Literally from the start to
hand our bread to the customers. They come finishing, it’s great.
back and tell us how they used the bread:
family meals, gifts, gatherings. They tell us Future Plans
how our bread filled their baskets, and that’s a
great connection. We’ve grown out of our current space. We
have 200 people working with us [including
contract staff and full-time employees] Our
Production Tip goal is to find a new location, so we can par
Be consistent. Try to do the same thing every bake. Each day I pinch myself that I get to do
day. That’s the fun of baking. When you don’t what I do, to take the alchemy of flour, water
quite get it right, you have to ask, “What did I and yeast and make something special.
do?” But if it isn’t exactly right today, you have
tomorrow. Photos courtesy of Noble Bread

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