When I was brainstorming ideas for this dish a couple of months ago, all I had in mind was that it should be something that reminds me of home. At the peak of summer, every Indian household enjoys chilled mangoes for dessert, with either yogurt, cream or ice cream. I wanted to evoke the same flavors while turning it into a beautiful pastry. This recipe is sufficient for two 6-inch pastry rings or one 12-inch pastry ring.  Yield: 10-12 servings Choux Batter 165 g water                    &n ..read more

Johnson & Wales University Mark Soliday had the blisters to show for his battle, roughly one blister for each segment of a 15-round championship fight. Was Soliday a paid pugilist? No, he was a pastry chef at the Ritz-Carlton in Tysons Corner, Va, where the kitchen was his arena. “I was bad at [making pulled sugar flowers],” he says. These days, the technical skills are indisputable for the Associate Instructor at Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, and co-owner of the Confectionary Designs bakery in nearby Kingston, RI. But the rigors of creating usable pulled flower ..read more

By Yevhenii Ivanets, KICA Brand Chef These charming petits tartes combine the crispness of shortcrust pastry with a soft pistachio financier, crowned with a delicate pistachio Chantilly cream dome. Each tart is sprinkled with crumbly pistachios, creating a harmonious blend of textures and the rich, nutty flavor of pistachios in every bite. Yield: 20 tartlets Gelatin Mass 3 g powdered gelatin (200-bloom)* 18 g cold water 1. Pour the powdered gelatin into a clean container and add the cold water. Gently stir with a spoon. Place the mixture in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to allow the gel ..read more

Martin Sorge is a baker, recipe developer, and food writer based in Chicago, IL. A tried-and-true Midwestern native from Fort Wayne, IN, Martin’s passion for baking dates back to his early childhood when he accidentally set a microwave on fire while attempting to make a “biscuit” out of a few simple ingredients. Despite that setback, Martin forged ahead with his love of food to become a self-trained home baker, educating himself on the variety of baking techniques through cookbooks, blogs, friends, learning from mistakes, and lots of eating. He started by baking simple breads and cookies befo ..read more

Here’s a modern version of an American classic. The sweetness of the caramel chocolate balances the acidity of the pineapple and lime perfectly. Yield: 24 servings Graham Cracker Zéphyr Caramel Crunch 158 g Cacao Barry Zéphyr Caramel 35% chocolate 91.5 g paillete feuilletine 16.5 g cocoa butter 66.6 g graham cracker crumbs 1.25 g salt 1. Melt the chocolate and cocoa butter to 122°F (50°C). 2. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Scoop 1 tablespoon per 3ʺ (75 mm) tart ring and freeze until needed. Zéphyr Caramel Cheesecake 560 g cream cheese 145 g granulated sugar 113 g sour cream 73 ..read more

Sponsored by  Although the word “vanilla” has been used to conjure up something plain, unadorned and even uninteresting, in actuality, it’s anything but. High quality vanilla mingles well with a whole host of flavors. Whether bolstering a dessert featuring fruit, chocolate, coffee or custard, vanilla plays a transformative role, adding its exotic and lingering notes wherever it is used.  And it’s no wonder. From vine to kitchen, vanilla takes a lengthy multistep journey to develop its complex and lingering flavor profile. From an unassuming long green bean-like pod to the flavor-pack ..read more

Within Chicago’s dynamic culinary scene, a cadre of emerging pastry artisans is redefining the boundaries of savory pastries through the meticulous craft of laminated dough. These young, skilled chefs, driven by passion and innovation, bring a fresh perspective to the traditional art of pastry-making. Their creations, exhibited in a few establishments, exemplify a sophisticated amalgamation of classical techniques and contemporary flavors. From ingeniously filled croissants to avant-garde interpretations of savory Danishes, these culinary visionaries shape a refined narrative that elevates Chi ..read more

This recipe combines the bold, bittersweet flavors of chocolate with a crunchy, nutty almond-pecan praline. Each piece is crowned with a luxurious peak of airy chocolate cream atop a chocolate disc, creating a visually stunning and elegant dessert. As a final touch, the chef adorns each choux with delicate gold leaf, an elegant finish. Yield: 25 (2.3ʺ/6 cm) choux Chocolate Craquelin 80 g unsalted butter 82%, room temperature 9 g granulated sugar 20 g dark chocolate 70% 76 g all-purpose flour 15 g almond powder 5 g cocoa powder 1. Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted w ..read more

Annabelle & Peixin Li, Owners Company Mission “Entremet,” is a nod to the French pastry art, embodying the pinnacle of dessert craftsmanship. Fusing “entremet” with Annabelle’s moniker, AnnTremet emerges—symbolizing the union of French artistry with her and her team’s unique flair. Signature Products Committed to uncompromising quality, AnnTremet’s creations boast meticulously curated seasonal ingredients and novel pairings such as purple yam, lychee, passion fruit, black sesame, chestnut, yuzu, mango etc. Our philosophy leans towards reduced sugar (50% less sugar compared to average Amer ..read more

“Drinking chocolate is one of the oldest chocolate categories, and yet is only now experiencing a resurgence of interest,” according to the International Chocolate Salon, sponsor of the annual juried Artisan Chocolate Awards. Paul Dincer, founder of boundary-pushing Koko Monk Chocolates in Vancouver, Canada, agrees: “Over the past decade the landscape of hot chocolate preferences has undergone a notable transformation. Enthusiasts”, he says, “now seek unique flavor profiles, experiment with different chocolate types, and move away from traditional confectionery perceptions.”  From the cur ..read more