MAY/JUNEl 2009

In the Kitchen

We have worked with amazing pastry chefs, bakers, and chocolatiers over the years and have collected a nice sheaf of recipes along the way. And to our way of thinking, recipes are meant to be shared. So we are opening the vault, as well as searching out some new recipes along the way, to bring you what's baking in some of the top pastry chefs' kitchens. For this month’s installment, we felt it was only proper to share the winning recipes from our annual Golden Scoop Awards. So here is the 411 on our awarded chefs and their creations.

Almond Board of California Best Dessert Menu, Toni Roberts
Toni Roberts graduated from The Culinary Institute of America in baking and pastry arts in 2005. She completed an internship at Farallon in San Francisco before heading to Boston, where she worked at Grill 23 Restaurant and Bar and Excelsior Cuisine and Cocktails. After exploring and experiencing endeavors in a variety of cities, Toni moved to Chicago to work at Custom House. She currently is the executive pastry chef at Marcus Samuelsson's C-House Fish and Chops, where she has garnered accolades, including a Jean Banchet Award for Culinary Excellence for Rising Star Pastry Chef in 2009.

Pistachio Brittle

Brittle:
1½ cup (375 g) pistachios
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (60 g) water
¼ cup (60 g) corn syrup
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda

1. Heat an oven to 350°F. 2. Spread out pistachios onto a baking sheet. Cook until golden and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside. 3. Bring sugar, water, and corn syrup to a boil in a heavy-bottom saucepan set over high heat. Cook until the sugar turns to caramel and is amber-colored. Remove from heat immediately. Stir in pistachios, butter, salt, and baking soda with a wooden spoon. Stir until the bubbles dissipate and the butter has melted. 4. Pour into a baking sheet lined with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper; spread out using the back of the wooden spoon or a lightly greased offset spatula. Wearing gloves, carefully stretch brittle out to desired thickness. Cool completely before breaking into pieces. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

E. Guittard Most Innovative Dessert, Ron Mendoza
Ron Mendoza graduated from the Southern California School of Culinary Arts and took his first job at Patina Restaurant in the garde manger station before moving over to pastry. He was on the opening team at Sona Restaurant, eventually taking over as pastry chef. He moved on to work at Ortolan in Los Angeles and then The French Laundry in Yountville, California. He is currently executive pastry chef at the 12-seat Aubergine restaurant, L’Auberge Carmel, and Cantinetta Luca, in Carmel by the Sea, California, along with the soon-to-be-opened Hotel Luca in Yountville. He was awarded Rising Star Pastry Chef by StarChefs in 2006.

Strawberries and Basil

Compressed Strawberries, Tres Leches Cake, Basil Ice Cream, Pistachio

Compressed strawberries:
8 to 10 Chandler strawberries
½ cup (100 g) simple syrup

Place whole strawberries and syrup in a vacuum bag, and compress on the highest setting. Remove from cryovac. Refrigerate 2 hours.

Strawberry gel:
2 cups (500 g) strawberry juice
1 vanilla bean, split and scrapped
¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (6 g) agar-agar

Place juice and vanilla in a bowl; let steep (about 30 minutes). Strain through fine chinois into a small saucepan. Add the sugar and agar-agar; bring to a boil. Pour into a hotel pan to cool. Place in a blender; blend until smooth. Place in a shallow pan, and vacuum in a cryovac machine on the highest setting to remove air. Place in squeeze bottle; reserve.

Tres leches cake:
1½ cup (350 g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons (10 g) baking powder
1/8 teaspoon (4 g) salt
8 large eggs, separated
tk cup (380 g) granulated sugar
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon (10 g) vanilla extract
½ cup (160 g) milk

1. Heat oven to 350°F. 2. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into a small bowl; reserve. 3. Whisk egg whites and sugar until to firm peaks. Add the yolks one by one, whisking after each addition. Add the juice and vanilla, and then add the dry ingredients and milk in alternating batches, stirring after each addition. 3. Pour batter into a greased baking pan, and bake until golden and cooked through. Remove for the oven. Let cool completely; reserve.

Tres leches cream:
1 14-ounce can evaporated milk
1 14-ounce can condensed milk
1 cup (320 g) heavy cream

1.Whisk milks and cream in a bowl; pour through fine-mesh chinois . 2. Cut the cake into 4-by-4-inch squares. Place in vacuum bag and cover halfway with milk mixture. Compress at medium setting. Remove from cryovac; reserve.

Basil ice cream:
3 2/3 cups (900 g) milk
7/8 cup (200 g) heavy cream
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
½ cup (60 g) powdered milk
1½ teaspoons (6 g) ice cream stabilizer
7/8 cup (200 g) basil puree

Bring milk and cream to a simmer in a saucepan. Stir in sugar, powdered milk, and stabilizer. Bring to a boil; add basil puree. Pour into a bowl set in ice-water bath. Cool completely. Place in the bowl of an ice cream maker, and process according to manufacturer's directions. Place ice cream in an airtight container. Reserve in freezer.

Pistachio Croquant:
½ cup (100 g) glucose
1 cup (200 g) fondant
¼ cup (50 g) Sicilian pistachios, ground
rehydrated basil seeds
fresh basil leaves

1. Heat oven to 350°F. 2. Heat glucose and fondant in a small saucepan until a candy thermometer reads 311°F, Immediately pour onto a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Cool completely. Grind in a coffee grinder. Add pistachios, and continue to grind to a powder. Sift over a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from oven; cool completely. Break into shards. 3. Halve and quarter some of the strawberries, and warm in strawberry syrup; reserve (keep warm). 4. Break tres leches cake into irregular pieces, and place 3 on each serving plate. Drizzle basil seeds around cake, and top with a quenelle of basil ice cream. Scatter 5 berries around each. Garnish with pistachio croquant and basil leaves. Squeeze 3 dollops of strawberry gel randomly on each plate.

Best Dessert Revival, Arnaud Chavigny
Raised in a small village between Paris and Le Mans, France, Arnaud entered culinary school at 16. He apprenticed at L’Hostellerie du Bois-Guibert in Bonneval and Frard Pâtisserie in Saint Georges sur Eure. He has earned both his Certificate d’Aptitude Professional de Cuisine (CAP) and his CAP Pâtisserie. Arnaud moved on to work at Mövenpick Hotel Geneva and then La Broche, a luxury brewery concept under the supervision of Philippe Berzane, also in Geneva. Arnaud came to New York City to work at Payard Patisserie & Bistro, where he worked for several years before joining Daniel in 2008. He is currently pastry sous chef under Dominique Ansel.

American Fraisier with Yuzu Sorbet

Madeleine biscuit:
4 (200 g) large eggs
1 1/8 cup (240 g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (5 g) lemon zest
1 cup (250 g) all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons (8 g) baking powder
¼ cup (50 g) milk
2 teaspoons (10 g) fresh lemon juice
7 tablespoons (100 g) unsalted butter, melted
½ cup (150) g lehua blossom honey

1. Heat oven to 350°F. 2. Place eggs, sugar, and lemon zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk until a ribbon is formed when lifting the whisk from the mixture. 3. Meanwhile, sift flour and baking powder into a small bowl; reserve.4. Add milk then flour mixture, juice, butter, and then honey, mixing gently after each addition. Let batter rest 20 to 30 minutes. 5. Pour into greased molds, and bake until golden and spongy, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool completely; reserve.

Cream cheese mousse:
2 (45 g) large egg yolks
3/8 cup (80 g) granulated sugar
6 (6 g) sheets silver gelatin, bloomed in cold water
½ cup (100 g) hot milk
8 ounces (227 g) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup (240 g) heavy cream (35 percent butterfat), beaten to medium peaks

1. Place egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Whisk until light and fluffy. Place over a pot of simmering water, and continue to whisk until a candy thermometer reads 250°F and a ribbon is formed when lifting the whisk from the mixture. Remove from heat; reserve. 2. Squeeze excesses water from gelatin, and whisk with milk in a small bowl until fully dissolved. Add cream cheese, and whisk until mixture is smooth. Add pâte à bombe, and cool mousse in an ice-water bath until a candy thermometer reads 95°F, about 30 minutes. Remove from ice water bath. Fold in whipped cream; reserve.

Strawberry jelly filling:
1 cup (200 g) strawberry puree
¼ cup (40 g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon (13 g) cornstarch
½ cup (50 g) fresh strawberries, cut into small dice

Heat three-fourths of the strawberry puree in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Meanwhile, combine sugar, cornstarch, and remaining strawberry puree in another saucepan. Cook, stirring, until sugar has dissolved and mixture has thickened. Strain through fine chinois into clean bowl. Add strawberries, and pour into individual molds. Freeze.

Yuzu sorbet:
1 cup (190 g) granulated sugar, plus more for strawberries
½ cup (92 g) glucose powder
1½ teaspoons (6 g) stabilizer
1½ cups (387 g) water
1 ounce (28 g) inverted sugar
1 1/3 cup (307 g) yuzu juice
fresh strawberries, trimmed and halved
fresh yuzu zest (for croutons)
strawberry puree (for serving)
candied yuzu zest (for serving)

1. Combine granulated sugar, glucose, and stabilizer in a bowl; reserve. 2. Heat water and inverted sugar in a saucepan until a candy thermometer reads 113 to 122°F. Add glucose mixture, and heat until a candy thermometer reads 185°F. Stir in juice. Place mixture in an ice-water bath; cool completely. Remove from bath; cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 8 hours. 3. Place in the bowl of an ice cream maker; process according to manufacturer's directions. Place sorbet in an airtight container. Reserve in freezer. 4. Heat oven to 250°F. 5. Steam strawberries with a little sugar over a saucepan of boiling water. Remove from heat; reserve. 6. Dice madeleine biscuits into 1/3-inch cubes. Roll in fresh yuzu zest. Place on a baking sheet, and bake until dried out. Remove form oven. Let cool; reserve. 7. Brush a comma shape of puree onto each plate; at the top of the comma, place a cylindrical mold, larger than jelly molds. Set a jelly inside, and place strawberries top side down and cut side out along bottom to make a row. Fill mold with mousse. Remove mold. Top mousse with remaining strawberries and croutons. Garnish with candied yuzu zest. Crumble remaining biscuit in space inside the curve of the puree. Top with a quenelle of sorbet just before serving.

Best Confection, Nathaniel Reid
Nathaniel’s training began in his mother's kitchen. (She's a wonderful cook.) From there, he worked in several restaurants before studying and training in Paris. Nathaniel worked at The Ritz-Carlton, the Mansion at MGM Grand, and Joël Robuchon before moving to Orange County, California, where he is currently executive pastry chef at The St. Regis Monarch Beach. In 2009, Nathaniel was a member of the bronze medal winning Team U.S.A. at the International Pâtisserie Grand Prix in Tokyo.

Teeccino

Molds:
colored cocoa butter, tempered
72 percent dark chocolate, tempered

1. Airbrush inside of chocolate molds with cocoa butter. 2. Backfiill molds with chocolate; reserve.

Salted pecan caramel:
½ ounce (15 g) 38 percent milk chocolate
4 tablespoons (50 g) heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/8 teaspoon (1 g) fleur de sel
6 tablespoons (80 g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons (30 g) glucose
1½ tablespoons (25 g) unsalted butter
1/3 (40 g) pecans, roasted and chopped

1. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl; reserve. 2. Bring cream, vanilla, and fleur de sel to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat; let stand 20 minutes; remove vanilla bean; discard. Reserve cream. 3. Meanwhile, pace sugar and glucose in another saucepan, and cook to make a caramel. Add butter, then gradually incorporate warm cream. 4. Pour caramel over reserved chocolate, and whisk until smooth; stir in pecans. Cool caramel until a candy thermometer reads 90°F. Place into a pastry bag set with round tip, and pipe into molds, filling them halfway; reserve.

Teeccino ganache:
7 tablespoons (95 g) heavy cream
1 teaspoon (6 g) Teeccino (herbal coffee)
1 teaspoon (8 g) trimoline
2 ounces (50 g) 38 percent milk chocolate
1½ ounces (40 g) 70 percent dark chocolate
3 teaspoons (12 g) unsalted butter

1. Bring cream and Teeccino to a boil. Remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes. 2. Rescale infusion to 7 tablespoons (95 grams), adding more cream if necessary. 3. Add trimoline, and return to a boil. 4. Meanwhile, place chocolate in the top of a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; heat, stirring frequently, until melted. Remove from heat; reserve. 5. Strain cream through fine chinois into melted chocolate; whisk until smooth. Discard solids. Cool caramel until a candy thermometer reads 95°F; whisk in butter. Place ganache in a pastry bag set with round tip, and pipe into molds, filling to the top. Let chocolate set 24 hours (until crystalized and hardened). Cap with remaining molding chocolate. Let chocolate set before unmolding.

Best Bakery Recipe, Tariq Hanna
Growing up in Nigeria, Tariq Hanna attended boarding school in England before moving to the United States, where he attended culinary school. Dabbling in pastries while looking for work, he discovered his talent and love for the art. Tariq has participated in several baking and pastry challenges on the Food Network and has been the recipient of several nominations, including Central Region Pastry Chef of the Year and Runner-Up National Pastry Chef of the Year in 2004 by the American Culinary Federation, Pastry Chef of the Year in 2007 by New Orleans Magazine, and Outstanding Pastry Chef by New Orleans CityBusiness in 2008 and 2009. In 2006, Tariq joined forces with New Orleans restaurateur Joel Dondis to create Sucré, an ultra-premium dessert boutique located in New Orleans.

Cherry Cheese Feuille de Brioche

Laminated Brioche:
8 oz (227 g) bread flour
1 cup (250 g) water
½ cup (125 g) granulated sugar
1½ tablespoons salt
¾ tablespoon instant yeast
12 large eggs
1 lb. unsalted butter
1 lb. unsalted butter, room temperature (for rolling in)

1. Placea third of the flour, the water, sugar, salt, and yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the bread hook. Mix on low 3 minutes. Add butter 2 tablepsoons at a time, and mix until fully incorporated. Add a third of the flour; mix until fully incorporated. Add the eggs, one at a time, with the motor running, and mix until fully incorporated. Add remaining 1/3 of flour, and mix at low speed 3 minutes, then at high speed 3 minutes. Turn out onto parchment paper, flatten, and wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. 2. Roll out dough until it is ¼-inch thick. Spread room temperature butter over two-thirds of dough. Fold 3 times. Refrigerate 1 hour. Repeat folding process 3 more times, refrigerating 30 minutes after each; reserve in refrigerator.

Cream cheese filling:
1 8-oz package cream cheese
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon zest

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl, and mix well. Place in pastry bag set with coupling; reserve in refrigerator.

Sour Morello cherry filling:
1 lb. IQF sour Morello cherries or other sour cherry
½ cup (125 g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon arrowroot
1 large egg
1 tablespoon water
apricot glaze or confectioner's sugar (for finishing)

1. Bring cherries, granulated sugar, vanilla, and juice to a simmer in a nonreactive saucepan set over medium, stirring occasionally. Cook, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Add water to arrowroot to make a slurry, and add to cherries; cook until thickened. Remove from heat. Let cool; reserve. 2. Roll out dough to 1/8-inch thick, and cut into 5-by-5-inch squares. Fold corners to center of dough, pipe cream cheese filling into center, and mound some cherries in the center. Whisk egg with water in a small bowl; brush dough with egg wash, using a pastry brush, and place pastries on baking sheets. Proof at 100°F and 95 percent humidity until layers are double in size, about 1 hour. 3. Heat an oven to 345°F. 4. Bake until golden, about 14 minutes, with 25 seconds steam. Remove from oven. Let cool. Brush with apricot glaze or sprinkle with confectioners' sugar to finish.