Debic Magazine fall - winter 2013

magazine AU T U M N - W I N T E R 2013

S Y R AC U S E

TRENDSET TER FOR PASTRY CHEFS

GEERT DECLERCQ OF INTEGRAL INTERIORS, ON THE DIVERSITY OF THE PASTRY AND BAKERY SECTOR BAKERY ARTO’S PIET DE VOS AND SUSAN DENKENS: ‘QUALITY WILL ALWAYS RISE TO THE TOP’!

BUTTERCREAMS: TIPS & TRICKS FOR SCRUMPTIOUS HOLIDAY DISHES

IN THIS ISSUE

4

14

Feature

16

The diversity of the pastry and bakery sector - Integral Interiors

p. 4 - 9 PUBLICATION DETAILS

Debic Collection Blondie

p. 10 - 11

Syracuse

p. 12

Florida Cake

p. 13

Sachertorte

p. 14 - 15

A fellow pastry baker in the spotlight Piet De Vos, Bakery Arto, Stekene, Belgium

p. 16 - 19

2

Editorial Board Tom van Meulebrouck, Bruno Van Vaerenbergh, Eva Lekens, Philip Derden, Arianne le Duc, Alessia Brambilla Recipes Piet De Vos, Bruno Van Vaerenbergh Photography Kasper van ’t Hoff, Photographer for Integral Interiors Design and production Dallas Antwerp

Techniques Buttercreams: tips & tricks for scrumptious holiday desserts

Published by FrieslandCampina Professional Grote Baan 34, B-3560 Lummen, Belgium.

Tel.: +32 (0) 13 310 310 info.lummen@frieslandcampina.com www.debic.com

p. 20 - 23

Copyright 2013 No part of this publication may be reproduced or copied without the prior permission of the publisher.

Left: Tom van Meulebrouck, Culinary Advisor, Debic Right: Bruno Van Vaerenbergh, Pastry Chef, Debic

A passion for pastry How do some people become fascinated by the world of hot ovens, rising dough and artful pastries with just the right combination of textures – crispy, soft, smooth and creamy?

There’s really no one answer – it’s different for every baker and pastry baker. One talented young pastry chef featured in this issue would stop each day to marvel at the sight of the window displays at his local bakery when he was just a schoolboy. Another caught the bug watching and assisting his dad at the worktop, while yet another discovered the joy of baking when helping his aunt make apple pie in her cosy kitchen. Each of these professionals developed his passion at a young age and has never lost it.

How they use this drive and how it leads them to open their own businesses and develop their individual tastes and styles varies widely. In fact, according to Geert Declercq of Integral Interiors, the Belgian retail design firm that helps bakeries and pastry shops reinvent themselves, diversity in the sector is greater than ever. All of them are looking for new ways to increase their competitive edge and entice their customers with exciting new products time and time again. And as you will discover in this issue, they’re looking beyond pastry and are expanding into other areas as well.

Creative, inventive, innovative These are just three words to describe Arto’s Piet De Vos, a young pastry chef and business owner who – much to his customers’ delight – never stops experimenting. His delicious Pecan Tartifa Cake (see page 18) will give you a little taste of his talent.

Creativity, invention and innovation are also the three keywords for this holiday issue. In the run-up to the time of year when you get to let your creativity run wild, we’re presenting you with several inspiring recipes, including the timeless classic Sachertorte and a more contemporary Brownie Cake (with a ‘blond’ twist, no less). We’re also giving a refresher course on buttercream, which you’ll no doubt need for your Halloween, Saint Nicholas, Christmas and New Year’s pastries, ranging from small petit fours to the sweet highlight for the Christmas dinner table.

If you happen to find yourself a little less inspired this year, don’t worry: simply visit our new blog, debicblog.com, for new tips and ideas. It’s well worth a look and is updated weekly with new posts, especially for you.

Happy Holidays!

The Debic team

3

INTEGRAL INTERIORS’ GEERT DECLERCQ

The diversity of the pastry and bakery sector

Lints, Antwerp (Belgium)

How are bakeries and pastry shops faring these days? Like many other sectors, the pastry sector continues to be affected by the economic crisis and by growing competition from supermarkets and chains. Faced with these challenges, many independent businesses are wondering what the future will bring. While some simply give up altogether and close up shop, others become even more driven to develop their brand and create their own unique style. The upside is that these trends have made the sector more dynamic and diverse than ever. We explored the current state of the pastry sector with a true insider: Geert Declercq, sales director of Integral Interiors, a retail design firm based in Eeklo, Belgium.

The company is commissioned by numerous independent bakeries and pastry shops across Belgium, France and the Netherlands each year to help them create their own look.

4

F E AT U R E

Gourdin, Peruwelz (Belgium)

How are bakers and pastry chefs doing these days? We’re seeing a clear trend of – mostly smaller – independent businesses closing down. There can be any number of reasons for that: there might not be anyone to take over the business, they might be put off by all the paperwork involved, or they may be tired of competing with supermarkets and chains or have trouble finding staff. At the same time, other businesses are growing and flourishing, expanding their product range and attracting customers from a wider geographic area. Although the methods may vary from business to business, the most successful shops have two things in common: creativity and a sense of enterprise.

Geert Declercq: “Some businesses are choosing to expand and upgrade their shops - that appears to be a general trend. They’re increasing their square footage and changing the layout of their shops to cater to different types of customers: both those in a hurry and those for whom shopping is a fun break from their daily routine. Many of them are also adding new sections. The traditional tea shop is making way for special, trendy counters and corners where customers can sample products and have a bite to eat. Some shops are also setting up their own chocolate workshops, where visitors can watch the chocolate being made onsite. All these features add a whole new dimension to shopping.”

C R E AT I V I T Y I S K E Y Most of the upgraded shops present their pastries and pralines as if they were jewellery or works of art. Even the cooling counters are elegant displays that wouldn’t look out of place at an art gallery. The possibilities really are infinite as long as you install the right lighting. Some of the trendier businesses are using a blend of minimalist white, sleek aluminium and glass, along with wood and warmer tones (ranging from golden brown to dark chocolate and black) to set off their colourful merchandise.

FOCUS ON THE TIME-HONOURED TRADITIONS OF THE ARTISAN

Lints, Antwerp (Belgium)

One thing that’s clear is that businesses are doing everything they can to stand out, since run-of-the-mill shops are more likely to fail and disappear from the scene. Bakeries are designing their shops and product ranges in a way that highlights their artisanal skills. They might move the oven from the workshop into the store, which is both visually appealing and makes the shop smell great. Some businesses have also installed flat-screen TVs so that customers can watch the bakers at work live on the screen. They’ll do just about anything to show the public that everything’s prepared fresh on the premises. This is a trend not just in Belgium but also in France and the Netherlands. It mirrors the openkitchen trend that has emerged at restaurants in recent years.

5

Demeyer, Knokke (Belgium)

Integral Interiors, based in Eeklo, Belgium, is renowned in the pastry and bakery sector, as well as in catering, butchers and delis. Established 25 years ago as a specialised supplier of custom-made furnishings for the food-service industry, the company has expanded into retail design over the past decade, including the installation of cooling counters.

Projects for independent bakeries and pastry shops currently account for a substantial portion of the company’s revenue. A team of experienced professionals provides turnkey concepts for everything imagineable: design, plan, implementation, in-house production, cooling systems and maintenance. For more information, please contact Integral by sending an e-mail to integral@integral-interiors.be or visit www.integral-interiors.be.

Braeckman, Wetteren (Belgium)

6

F E AT U R E

F R O M PA S T R Y C H E F T O M A N A G E R : THE CHANGING FACE OF THE PA S T R Y P R O F E S S I O N Geert Declercq: “Then there are also businesses that decide to open several branches. They’ll move their small workshop to a larger separate site, and then use the acquired extra space to supply maybe five to eight shops. By growing their business like that, bakeries and pastry shops can increase their profits.

Among these successful businesses, we’re also seeing that the role of the pastry baker itself is changing. Rather than spending all their time in the workshop (and usually at unsociable hours at that), they are evolving into shop managers who focus on innovation, personnel policy, their ‘brand image’, advertising, and so on. That’s a choice they make. It may not be for everyone, but there are many pastry bakers that are embracing their new role, and are finding that it pays off.”

Lints, Antwerp (Belgium)

The role of the pastry baker’s business partner and the shop assistants should also never be underestimated. “Definitely: they represent the business to the public, welcome the customers, give suggestions, make sure customers’ needs are met, and so on.

They’re often the people who end up making customers feel like

Depla, Bruges (Belgium)

Gourdin, Peruwelz (Belgium)

they’ve had the quality shopping experience they were promised, simply by being friendly and making sure to have a chat.”

ONE-STOP-SHOPPING Bakeries and pastry shops are also increasingly expanding their product ranges. Most businesses will look at what other local retailers are offering and then ‘fill in the gaps’, so to speak.

It’s all about making sure customers have as many reasons as possible to patronise their business. One-stop-shopping is a trend of the future.

Geert Declercq: “It can be as simple as a bakery that starts selling fresh lasagne once a week and then finds that it sells like hotcakes. There are also pastry shops that are selling premium coffee, either to go or to consume onsite. Coffeeto-go is an urban trend that’s also expanding to office environments, for example.

7

Braeckman, Wetteren (Belgium) Lints, Antwerpen (Belgium)

Demeyer, Knokke (Belgium)

Others are expanding their product ranges by adding cheese and cold meats, fruit and vegetables, a deli counter, a wine section, and other departments. Some even offer an in-shop postal service. Another decision they have to make is whether to hire shop assistants or introduce a selfservice counter. Although self-service has not really caught on at Belgian pastry shops so far, in the Netherlands these sections account for, on average, half of all sales. They are of particular convenience to busy shoppers. Consumers are also increasingly placing orders online.”

HIDDEN GEMS So what makes a business appealing? There are as many answers to that question as there are bakeries and pastry shops. Some shops may offer products of the highest quality, but for the longest time they do so only within a small catchment area; that is, catering to local residents only.

Geert Declercq: “These are often true professionals, businesses that remain a well-kept secret for years, known only by a select group of consumers in the know. Sometimes these types of

8

businesses will upgrade and/or expand their shop after many years, improve their exterior appearance and maybe start focusing more on marketing and advertising. For example, they might hand out gifts to customers to celebrate their reopening.

That usually leads to a boost in sales. For a company like Integral, it’s always good to see a business thrive like that, especially if we’ve played a role in their success by redesigning their interior.”

PUSHING THE LIMITS Businesses that are on the ball will go to considerable lengths to build their brand and enhance their profile, but they also tend to be open to sharing knowledge and even to collaborating with other shops. Provided there is sufficient geographic spread, competitors often end up working together, aware that they can achieve more together than alone.

Geert Declercq: “We’re seeing a growing number of associations of bakeries and pastry shops, often with dozens of members. They get together to exchange ideas, share recipes, and so forth. If one of them comes up with a successful recipe, the other shops might start selling

F E AT U R E

the same product under a different name, adding local ‘flavour’. Some bakers also prepare certain specialities for other shops, and vice versa. We’re also seeing the influence of modern communication technologies and social media.

Pastry bakers consult each other and share tips and exchange messages with each other right on the job, using their laptops, tablets or smartphones. Sometimes they’ll also use a community website. By communicating with their professional peers like that, they can solve whatever problem they’re having in no time.”

Another form of collaboration that’s becoming more popular is that between pastry bakers and restaurateurs.

“They’re also teaming up to develop and test new products, with either side then taking responsibility for the marketing.” In other words, pastry bakers and chefs are both committed to innovation operating under the motto ‘standing strong together’, and: pushing the limits.

It looks as if those ovens will be running for a while yet!

H O W D O Y O U G O A B O U T R E VA M P I N G Y O U R B U S I N E S S ?

• Find an experienced design firm with good references in the industry.

• Be sure to do some research before contacting them. How do you see your business developing in your region over the next decade, what kind of style appeals to you, which examples did you and your partner like best, and how much money are you willing to invest?

• Do your accountant and your banker support your plans?

• How do you see your role (and that of your partner) evolving over the next ten years?

• Use your meeting with the designer productively: you will only truly benefit from his/her creative talent if he/she is aware of your needs, preferences and plans.

• Like all businesses, your shop is unique. While there are a lot of examples available of bakery designs that can be useful as a reference point, we never take a cookie-cutter approach. and neither should you! You don’t want a generic look, do you? You should find a partner who listens to you and, if necessary, can refine the plans with you once they’ve been developed. We wish you good luck!

9

Blondie INGREDIENTS Recipe for 1 tray of 30 cm x 40 cm

Blond brownie biscuit with Method

Blond brownie biscuit 150 g white chocolate

BLOND BROWNIE BISCUIT

125 g Debic Butter Constant

Mix the white chocolate with the Debic Butter Constant until smooth (at a temperature of approx. 30°C). Whisk the eggs and sugar until smooth - do not use a mixer. Sieve the flour with the baking powder and whisk in the vanilla bean scrapings and chopped pecans. Bake at 170°C for 35 minutes.

150 g muscovado sugar 100 g eggs 1

vanilla bean

200 g flour 10

g baking powder

120 g pecans

GRAPEFRUIT MARMALADE Grapefruit marmalade 160 ml grapefruit juice + zest 125 g sugar

Cook the grapefruit juice and zest with 125 g sugar. Add the pieces of fresh grapefruit. Mix 100 g sugar with the pectin, add, and continue to boil for two minutes. Set aside.

500 g grapefruit pieces 100 g sugar

BUTTERCREAM AND PECAN CREAM

10 g pectin

Stir the milk, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla bean at 84°C (Anglaise) and allow to cool. Mix the Debic Butter Crème until smooth and beat through the cooled Anglaise mixture gradually. Divide the cream into two equal portions and mix one portion with the nut paste to make the pecan cream.

Buttercream and pecan cream 450 ml milk 400 g sugar 90 g egg yolks 1

vanilla bean

400 g Debic Butter Crème

D E C O R AT I O N

75

Mix the agar and sugar (don’t add any liquids). Bring the grapefruit juice to a boil, add the sugar/agar mixture, continue to boil, and set aside.

g pecan paste

Decoration 200 ml grapefruit juice 10 g sugar 2 g agar

10

DEBIC COLLECTION

grapefruit and pecan cream Preparation Brush the baked brownie biscuit with the grapefruit marmalade and allow to harden in the freezer. Spread the pecan cream on top and cover with a layer of biscuit. Store in the freezer. Place the tray on an embossed mat. Carefully spread the smooth buttercream on top and then push the frozen brownie inside. Press well.

Finish Carefully remove the cake from the pan and slice as required.

Decorate.

11

Syracuse Creamy caramel cake INGREDIENTS Recipe for 5 x 300 g and 8 x 100 g Cake 250 g cane sugar 100 g muscovado sugar 270 g Debic Butter Constant 70

g ground almonds

2

g coarse sea salt

350 g eggs 225 ml Debic Cream 35% 60

g cocoa powder

270 g flour 6

g baking powder

150 g dark chocolate (66% cocoa content)

Caramel

Method

210 g sugar 45 g glucose

CAKE

45 g Debic Butter Constant

Bring all ingredients to room temperature. Mix the sugar, Debic Butter Constant, sea salt and ground almonds until smooth. Mix the eggs with the Debic Cream 35% and add to the mixture gradually. Add the melted chocolate and mix well. Sieve the cocoa powder with the flour and baking powder and whisk into the mixture. Squirt into silicone moulds.

300 ml Debic Cream 35% 50 g sugar 10 g agar 8 g gelatine

Finish 200 g selection of candied fruit

Small cake: bake at 150°C for 20 minutes. Long cake: bake at 150°C for 35 minutes.

CARAMEL Colour the sugar until it’s a dark blond caramel. Deglaze with Debic Butter Constant and the lukewarm, liquid Debic Cream 35%. Continue to boil. Once this mixture has cooled, add the sugar-agar mixture. Cook, and mix in the soaked gelatine with a hand mixer.

Preparation Puncture a few holes in the cooled cake and use a nozzle to squirt in the smooth caramel.

Finish Generously decorate with candied fruit and chocolate.

12

DEBIC COLLECTION

Florida Cake Fruity almond cake Method CAKE Bring all ingredients to room temperature. First, mix the almond paste with the eggs until smooth. Next, beat with the sugar at medium speed for 8 minutes. Gradually mix in the melted Debic Butter Constant. Add the lemon juice.

Sieve the baking powder with the flour. While mixing, add the citrus zest. Squirt into small moulds and bake for 20 minutes at 155째C.

INGREDIENTS Recipe makes 18 75 g ser vings Cake 310 g almond paste 66% 310 g eggs 180 g cane sugar 230 g Debic Butter Constant 3

ribbons of lemon zest

LEMON ICING

1

ribbon of grapefruit zest

Stir the egg whites and powdered sugar until smooth and add the lemon juice and zest.

1

ribbon of orange zest

Preparation and finish

100 ml lemon juice

Brush the cake with lemon icing and decorate with candied citrus fruits.

Lemon icing

260 g flour 9

g baking powder

150 g powdered sugar 30

g egg whites

25

ml lemon juice

1

ribbon of lemon zest

Finish 100 g candied citrus fruits

13

Sachertorte

Tribute to an all-time classic

Sachertorte, the ultimate in traditional Viennese pastry, has lost none of its appeal over the years.

Created from chocolate biscuit, apricot jam and a thick layer of chocolate icing, this ‘landmark’ dessert (named after Vienna’s celebrated Sacher Hotel) keeps well, too. To this day, people continue to send the cakes in elegant wooden boxes to friends and loved ones all over the world. Surprise your customers with this piece of cultural history!

Method SACHER BISCUIT

APRICOT CREAM

Grind the almond paste in the blender. Slowly mix in the eggs and egg yolks. Beat the egg whites and sugar and add to the mixture. Sieve the flour with the cocoa powder and gently mix through the above mixture. Melt the Debic Butter Constant together with the chocolate and carefully spoon in this mixture. Spread onto a baking tray and bake at 180°C for around 10 - 12 minutes.

Heat the apricot purée with the thyme and bring to a boil with the sugar and the eggs. Add the soaked gelatine and allow to cool to +/- 35 - 40°C. Add the Debic Butter Constant and mix until you have a smooth paste. Pour into silicone moulds and place in the freezer. Spray with a thin layer of chocolate just before using.

14

DEBIC COLLECTION

2014 version INGREDIENTS Recipe for 1 tray of 30 cm x 40 cm Sacher biscuit 275 g almond paste (50%) 100 g egg yolks 75 g eggs 120 g egg whites 60 g sugar 60 g flour

C H O C O L AT E S W E E T S H O R T C R U S T PA S T R Y

25

g cocoa powder

50 g dark chocolate (77% cocoa content)

Mix the Debic Butter Croissant with the powdered sugar until smooth, then add the eggs. Mix the ground almonds with the sieved cocoa powder and the flour and briefly knead this mixture. Wrap up and allow to thicken overnight.

Roll out at 2,5 mm and bake at 160°C during 8 minutes.

50 g Debic Butter Constant

PA N - F R I E D A P R I C O T S

10

Heat the Debic Roast & Fry and fry the apricots in it, sprinkle with sugar and continue to cook until you have a compote-like consistency. Add the soaked gelatine and mix well. Spread out on the sacher biscuit and store in the refrigerator until the compote has thickened.

7

Apricot cream 200 g eggs 230 g sugar 200 g apricot purée sprigs thyme

g gelatine sheets

300 g Debic Butter Constant

Chocolate sweet shortcrust pastry 270 g Debic Butter Croissant 170 g powdered sugar

C H O C O L AT E C R E A M While stirring, heat the milk, Debic Cream 35%, sugar and egg yolks to 84°C (Anglaise) and pour on top of the chocolate. Add the soaked gelatine and mix carefully until you have a smooth cream. Pour onto the sacher biscuit together with the compote.

100 g eggs 60

g ground almonds

50

g cocoa powder

350 g flour

Pan-fried apricots 50 ml Debic Roast & Fry

Preparation

500 g apricots (frozen or tinned)

Cut the sacher biscuit in two and spread one layer with the apricot compote. Allow to thicken in the freezer. Spread the chocolate cream on top of the compote and cover with a second layer of sacher biscuit. Place in the freezer.

100 g sugar 8

g gelatine sheets

Chocolate cream 280 ml Debic Cream 35%

Finish

280 ml milk

Before covering the entremets, use a thin layer of non-melted icing to brush on top of the biscuit. Cover with the icing (*) and cut as required. Place on a baked layer of chocolate shortcrust pastry and decorate with the apricot cream.

35

g egg yolks

20 g sugar 120 g dark chocolate (55% cocoa content) 4

g gelatine sheets

(*) Icing recipes: see debicblog.com

15

BAKERY AR TO, STEKENE, BELGIUM

Piet De Vos and

“Quality will always rise Since the day Piet - now 28 - first tied on a baker’s apron, he never had any doubt about what he wanted to be when he grew up. After completing his training at the Ter Groene Poorte culinary academy (where he specialised in ice-cream making/demonstration in his optional extra year), Piet started thinking about opening his own business. “But you need the right partner for that, or you can forget it.” Then, one day, he was called in to help out a colleague who needed back-up.

Susan was working weekends there, and after several months they teamed up both personally and professionally, gaining practical experience at chocolate shop Lucas in Knokke, followed by stints in Bruges and Blankenberge. Having completed their training, it was now time for the real thing.

Almost every morning, a 10-year-old boy presses his nose against the window of the corner bakery, staring wide-eyed at the butter cakes. After a year, the baker beckons him in: “Why don’t you come in and have a look around?” He ends up helping out in the shop, finishing off cakes. Then he takes up baking at home, too. “You should have seen the state of the kitchen by the time I was done!” Now, eighteen years later, others come to peer at him through the window between the shop and his workshop, watching him in admiration.

This is where Piet De Vos gets creative while his wife, Susan, runs the store. The two of them clearly make an unbeatable team.

WA R M A N D W E L C O M I N G About three years ago - after an 18-month search - they found a shop they liked in the town of Stekene in East Flanders.

However, the bank was unwilling to back their business at first. Piet: “We were 25 years old and just starting out, so they did a very thorough background check. They turned us down three times until someone finally believed in us.” The couple redesigned the bakery together with retail design firm Bossuyt,

“I believe in making things from scratch.

‘Sourcing’ products is not my style, at least that’s how I feel right now.”

16

A F E L LOW PA S T R Y B A K E R I N T H E S P O T L I G H T

Susan Denkens

to the top!”

“Eighty per cent of our customers have no problem buying something they’ve never tried before.”

in a style that’s entirely their own. Susan: “The interior is modern and minimalistic, yet warm and homely at the same time. That’s the balance we were looking for. We wanted it to be a welcoming place that would attract people naturally.”

They decided to redo the shop’s layout as well. “Customers sometimes didn’t notice the patisserie because of its location in the shop, but now it’s the first thing they see when they walk in the door, so they’re tempted to pick up a little treat. The separate counter with Danish pastries also tends to draw people’s attention.” As part of the redesign, they also gradually expanded the workshop.

The young couple are still learning to run their shop as efficiently as possible so as to also have enough time for a personal life.

“Sometimes we manage to make time for our personal lives, sometimes it doesn’t quite balance out the way we’d ideally like”, Piet says, laughing. Whenever he gets a chance he likes to head out to the beach, as he’s an avid windsurfer and kite-surfer.

NEWCOMERS After pondering for three months, they also came up with a name for their shop: ‘Arto’. They liked the simple, two-syllable name. It’s the Basque word for ‘grain’ and also carries with it associations of creativity. Susan, whose friendly and outgoing nature makes her perfect for dealing with the public, was vital in helping them gain credibility when they arrived as newcomers on the scene. Meanwhile, it provided Piet with the creative outlet he was looking for.

“Of the two of us, I’m the impulsive one. I come up with new ideas every day and end up using many of them. Sometimes I forget to write down the recipes, though, which makes it difficult to replicate them the next time around (laughs). I believe in making everything from scratch. If you’re not going to make your own products, why bother at all? That’s how I feel, anyway. I’m sure you can make a nice profit by ‘sourcing’ products elsewhere, but that’s not my style at all. At least, that’s the way I feel about it now.”

A LWAY S I N N O VAT I N G Most of our customers are open to new things. Our bestselling products include the Délice cake (made with a mix of milk chocolate and dark chocolate) and fruit

tarts prepared with Brittany shortcrust pastry. “All made with real butter, naturally!” The homemade mellow cakes are also very popular with customers. He replaces one of the large cakes in the shop with a new, artfully crafted cake every three weeks, as well as regularly updating his range of Danish pastries. Other products include pecan cake, pistachio cake, chocolate biscuits, frangipane cake, pear cake, and raspberry cake with poppy seed – and that’s just a small selection of what’s on offer. “I’m all for creativity, but you also need to think about what sells. I’m still learning to consider things from that perspective every day.”

THE RIGHT ARCHITECTURE As soon as the subject turns to pastry making, Piet’s eyes light up. “To create a new cake that really works, you need a variety of textures: soft layers of biscuit or mousse contrasted with harder, crispy layers. That way, you can construct a beautiful design, while still keeping the volume nice and light.”

Piet read a lot about ingredients, and has become something of an expert on the subject. He tries to find the right ingredients for whatever he happens to be creating. His personal favourite is Debic Cream 35%. “It’s a nice, airy cream with a perfect stand. It also thickens very easily. It’s important to keep impressing your customers, both visually and in “My terms of taste. You can’t afford to make too many personal favourite mistakes – there’s simply too much competition is Debic Cream 35%. out there.”

‘It’s a nice, airy cream with a perfect stand.”

17

COURTESY OF PIE T DE VOS, BAKERY ARTO

Tartifa

Pecan pie with

Debic Butter Croissant is another one of Piet’s favourites.

“Even when you use it straight from the fridge, Debic butter enables great flexibility when you’re turning puff pastry dough.

And unlike with other brands, the dough doesn’t tear. Debic Butter Croissant gives the dough a nice, light, layered texture that’s perfect for Danish pastries!”

SPECIALS Piet finds inspiration anywhere and everywhere, but mostly in magazines and online. “I like to get a little radical sometimes.

When we were just starting out I made a bottle-green cake decorated with red dots, but I probably wouldn’t do that anymore now (laughs). Having said that, though, we’re surprised sometimes just how open-minded our customers are. I’d say around eighty per cent of them have no problem buying something they’ve never tried before. That’s a sign of trust, isn’t it?”

INGREDIENTS Recipe for 1 tray of 60 cm x 40 cm (ser ves approx. 60) Dacquoise biscuit (recipe for 3 60 x 40 cm baking trays) 500 g egg whites 300 g sugar 300 g ground hazelnuts (unmixed) 300 g powdered sugar 75 g flour

Pecan praliné 600 g pecans

Piet also likes to go a little ‘wild’ for special occasions. One of his favourite things is creating a selection of small pastries, biscuits and chocolates for holiday desserts. As might be expected, the holiday period is when he likes to go all out, outdoing himself with fun, creative new products.

600 g dark chocolate (56% cocoa content)

Milk chocolate mousse 150 g sugar 75 ml water 15

Piet: “I start coming up with ideas even before the summer break, and then I start developing them in September. Last year, for example, I created a giant Saint Nicolas figure, and I’ve also made chocolate mousse cannelloni. We post our holiday catalogue on our website after the 1st of November.

I don’t have time to constantly update the site, but I always snap pictures of new products with my mobile and then post them on our Facebook page right away.”

ml lime juice

150 g egg yolks 550 g milk chocolate (38% cocoa content) 900 ml Debic Cream 35% 3

ribbons of lime zest

Baileys Irish Cream 4 g gelatine 600 ml Debic Cream 35% 150 ml Baileys Irish Cream

HOW DOES HE VIEW THE FUTURE OF T H E PA S T R Y B U S I N E S S ?

Piet: “I think flavours will become quite flat 200 years from now (laughs). Seriously, though, I’m very optimistic. Provided, of course, that we continue to supply good products. Quality will always rise to the top! But I need my wife by my side to succeed in our business. She and I made this dream into a reality together, and now I can’t imagine doing this without her. We’re in this together for the long haul!”

Bakkerij Arto, Dorpsstraat 81, 9190 Stekene (Belgium) Tel. +32 (0)3/789.00.12 – www.bakkerijarto.be - Facebook

18

(whiskey and cream-based liqueur)

A F E L LOW PA S T R Y B A K E R I N T H E S P O T L I G H T

chocolate mousse, lime and Baileys Irish Cream Method

BAILEYS IRISH CREAM

DACQUOISE BISCUIT

Melt the soaked gelatine in the Baileys Irish Cream. Mix with the lightly beaten Debic Cream 35%. Use immediately.

Whip up the egg whites with the sugar. Mix the flour, ground hazelnuts and powdered sugar (don’t add any liquids) and stir in with the beaten egg whites. Spread on baking trays lined with parchment paper. You can sprinkle some crushed hazelnuts on top before baking (optional). Bake at 220°C for 7 minutes.

Preparation

PECAN PRALINÉ

Finish

Roast the pecans in the oven and grind into a paste.

Mix with the melted chocolate and spread on top of the hazelnut dacquoise.

Cut the cake into wedges as required and spray dollops of Baileys Irish Cream cream on top. Decorate to taste.

Use a baking tray 60 cm x 40 cm x 5 cm deep to make this cake. Place the dacquoise biscuit on the bottom and brush with the pecan praliné. Cover with a second layer of biscuit and pour the milk chocolate mousse on top. Finish with a third layer of biscuit and press well. Store in the freezer.

M I L K C H O C O L AT E M O U S S E Boil the sugar with the water to 121°C and pour on top of the beaten egg yolks. Melt the chocolate and mix with the beaten Debic Cream 35%, lime zest and egg-sugar mixture.

19

Buttercreams

the creamy essential for your holiday dishes What would pastry be without a good buttercream? Apart from adding flavour and texture, buttercreams also make it easy for all the parts of the pastry - including the dough, cake, biscuit or compote - to stick together. This makes them indispensable to pastry chefs when channelling their inner ‘architects’, allowing them to create complex, intricate structures that taste spectacular to boot. The butter or cream they use really helps them bring all the elements together. We believe no buttercream is worthy of the name without any of these vital elements!

20

TECHNIQUES

We always note a conspicuous rise in butter consumption in the pastry sector towards the end of the year. As the weather gets colder, the lighter fruit tarts make way for richer desserts, using ingredients such as creams, buttercreams and mousseline. These are recipes where the phrase ‘go easy on the butter’ simply does not apply.

Examples include stuffed macaroons (very popular right now), pralines, Opéra and Javanais pastries, Misérables (a Belgian-French pastry of vanilla buttercream and tender almond biscuit layers) and all styles of party and wedding cakes, many of them featuring highly sophisticated designs.

The bottom line: you wouldn’t be able to make any of these creations without good old-fashioned crème au beurre (buttercream).

In this section, we review different techniques to create a high-quality buttercream that’s nice and light. Each cream has its own distinct features, ranging from traditional and rich to light and simple. In other words: there’s something for everyone.

W H AT A R E B U T T E R C R E A M S ?

Buttercreams are emulsions of liquid and fats, mixed into a light, smooth substance. Debic butter has excellent emulsifying properties, without containing any of the added emulsifiers found in vegetable fats. Debic butter combined with your personal taste ensure perfect results every time.

OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUTTERCREAM Although every country has its own specific customs, the same methods tend to be used to prepare the buttercream.

This includes recipes using boiled sugar, Anglaises, and the addition of beaten egg whites or pastry cream. Recipes using icing sugar or syrup are particularly popular with chocolate and biscuit manufacturers, although this section focuses on pastry only.

21

T H E U LT I M AT E C L A S S I C : BUTTERCREAM WITH BOILED SUGAR OR DUCHESSE CREAM 1 kg sugar 75 g glucose 300 ml water 300 g eggs 50 g egg yolks 1 kg Debic Butter Crème Boil the sugar with the water and glucose to 121°C. Pour the boiling syrup on top of the beaten egg yolks and eggs. Beat at medium speed and allow to cool.

Add chunks of Debic Butter Crème and continue to mix at maximum speed until you have a smooth, firm buttercream.

BUTTERCREAM WITH CULINARY FOAM 250 ml water 800 g sugar 400 g egg whites 200 g sugar 1 vanilla bean 1 kg Debic Butter Crème Boil the water, sugar and vanilla bean to 121°C and gradually pour on top of the beaten egg whites and sugar. Continue to beat until the foam has cooled sufficiently (30°C max.). Beat the Debic Butter Crème until smooth and fluffy and carefully fold in the foam.

COMPOSITION BUTTERCREAM BASED ON AN ANGLAISE 1 l milk 850 g sugar 170 g egg yolks 2 vanilla beans 1 kg Debic Butter Crème Open the vanilla beans and heat them in the milk together with one half of the sugar. Add the other half of the sugar to the egg yolks. Stir together at 85°C, pass through a sieve and allow to cool. Mix the Debic Butter Crème until smooth and gradually pour the cooled Anglaise on top. Continue to beat the mixture at maximum speed until you have a smooth, firm buttercream.

22

TECHNIQUES

BUTTERCREAM W I T H PA S T R Y C R E A M ( C U S TA R D ) 1 kg Debic Butter Crème 800 g pastry cream Beat the Debic Butter Crème foamy and gradually mix in pastry cream. Continue to at maximum speed until you a smooth, firm buttercream.

until the beat have

BUTTERCREAM BASED ON DEBIC CRÈME ANGLAISE 1 kg Debic Butter Crème 650 ml Debic Crème Anglaise Bourbon 350 g syrup Bring all ingredients to room temperature. Mix the Debic Butter Crème until smooth and alternately whisk in the Debic Crème Anglaise Bourbon and syrup gradually until you have a smooth, firm buttercream.

D E B I C PA R FA I T B U T T E R C R E A M 1 kg Debic Butter Crème 100 g sugar 1 l Debic Parfait Beat the Debic Butter Crème with the sugar until smooth and beat until fluffy.

Gradually add the Debic Parfait. Continue to beat at maximum speed until you have a smooth, firm buttercream.

23

Discover the most convenient way of preparing delicious chocolate mousse.

New!

Ready to use chocolate mousse Superior quality without much preparation? It’s possible with the ‘ready to use’ Debic chocolate mousse. Made with real Belgian chocolate!

Packed in a handy 1-litre bottle, deliciously creamy and with a mild flavour.

As close to homemade as it gets.