CACAO NOEL BEST CONFECTION
Passion Fruit Bonbon

Tim Brown
Pastry Chef
Wheatleigh Hotel
Hawthorne Road
Lenox, MA 01240
(413) 637-0610
www.wheatleigh.com

About Tim Brown
South African native Tim Brown developed his curiosity for the culinary profession while serving in the military. His hard work and wholehearted attitude awarded him the opportunity to prepare the finest South African cuisine for President Nelson Mandela and other heads of state.

Upon completion of his two years in the army, Tim was accepted by the Hospitality & Industrial Training Board (HITB) to further his education in the culinary arts. Three years later he graduated as one of the top in his class and was personally praised for his dedication by Bill Gallagher, President and Founder of the South African Chefs Association.

Although Tim’s apprenticeship at Zevenwacht Winery was educational and challenging, he grew more appreciation for fine dining when he was offered a position as junior chef de partie at Restaurant Au Jardin in Cape Town, rated Top 10 best in South Africa. Working under French trained Chef Christophe de Hosse, Tim’s infatuation for quality cuisine became more apparent. He also became more curious about what the culinary arts had to offer in other parts of the world.
 

In 1999, Tim left South Africa and went to England with the objective to gain international experience. During this time he was able to work as a chef on P&O Ferries, as well as gain exposure to traditional British delicacies. Eighteen months later Tim embarked on another career journey, junior sous chef for the opening of The Emerson Inn & Spa, a small luxury hotel in the United States of America.

Tim’s initial exposure to the pastry department was purely accidental. However, the more time he spent in pastry, the bigger his new found passion grew for the complex and fascinating world of deserts and pastries. As assistant pastry chef, Tim was able to attend courses at the CIA in New York.

In February 2002, Tim was given the opportunity to learn and work under publicly acclaimed pastry chef, Shirl Gard at Wheatleigh Hotel. Here he was further exposed to European-style pastries, quality house made truffles, and signature deserts. One year later Tim was promoted to pastry chef.

Tim continues to develop his own repertoire through creativity and further educational programs, including attending the Valrhona School of Chocolate in France.

RECIPE
Passion Fruit Bonbon

6 ounces of passion fruit puree
1/2 ounce of invert sugar
1/2 ounce of glucose
2 1/2 ounce of unsalted butter, softened until creamy
18 ounces of white chocolate, chopped
1 ounce of Grand Marnier
2 pounds of tempered dark chocolate

Melt white chocolate completely. Bring passion fruit puree, invert sugar, and glucose to a boil. Make a good, strong ganache with the hot liquid and chocolate and allow to cool to 90°F. Add butter and Grand Marnier and, using a hand blender, emulsify mixture without incorporating any air. Pour ganache into a prepared frame and allow to crystallize for 24 hours. Cut ganache into desired shapes. Allow to further crystallize for 12 hours. Enrobe in tempered chocolate. Decorate to taste.

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