3 minute read
LUXE DESSERTS
from National Culinary Review (September/October 2024)
by National Culinary Review (an American Culinary Federation publication)
Balancing sweet with savory and high-end ingredients elevates modern pastries
By ACF Chef Robert Wemischner
More is more in the dessert world these days as pastry chefs and consumers alike seek to make up for lost time from the pandemic. ACF Pastry Chef Rebecca Freeman, CEPC , is one such chef who enjoys indulging by incorporating higher-end ingredients like foie gras and truffles in her desserts.
“I enjoy the latitude of experimenting when creating weekly dessert menus, and it is here where I can incorporate some unexpected luxurious touches into the sweet kitchen,” says Chef Freeman, executive pastry chef at The Club at Las Campanas in Santa Fe, N.M., and the 2023 ACF Pastry Chef of the Year. “I like desserts that are less sweet and in fact try to avoid really sugary foods. The savory and sweet sides of the menu at the country club reflect similar styles on the plate.”
Chef Freeman credits Chef Greg Mosko, her instructor in 2011 at Kendall College, for teaching her how to incorporate more savory and luxe ingredients into desserts. She recalls a memorable chocolate cake served with coriander anglaise and crispy fried cilantro leaves.
Sourcing from Hudson Valley Foie Gras for one luxe dessert creation, “I aerate the foie gras into a mousse-like texture, and then serve it with bruleed figs, roasted white chocolate and blood orange gelee,” Chef Freeman says.
She has also infused truffles into truffles — she’s known for her chocolate truffle dessert featuring a black truffle-infused chocolate mousse, coffee caramel, cookie crumbs and a hazelnut brittle. “I airbrush the mousse to give it a velvety texture with a chocolate and cocoa butter mixture. It’s a trompe l’oeil piece meant to resemble a black truffle recently unearthed,” Chef Freeman says, garnishing the dish with paper-thin edible gold leaves.
As consumers seek out indulgence and elegance when they go out, consider these luxe add-ons to create statement pieces — ones that can also sell for more.
Click here for the recipe for Chef Freeman's Black Truffle-Infused Chocolate Mousse with Chocolate Sucrée, Coffee Caramel, Hazelnut Brittle and Foie Gras Ice Cream.
Click here for more stories in the Sept/Oct 2024 issue of National Culinary Review, published by the American Culinary Federation.
