dessert

Francois Payard's Black Truffle Chocolate Tart for New Years' Eve

Celebrate New Years' Eve with Francois Payard's decadent black truffle chocolate tart

World-renowned French pastry chef Francois Payard is creating a truly decadent dessert for all chocolate lovers wanting to celebrate New Years' Eve in style.

For New Year's Eve Payard is offering for the first time a Black Truffle Chocolate Tart. Ingredients include real black truffles (currently retailing for $2.60 per gram), a sable Breton shell that is sprinkled with dry girolle mushroom powder. The tart is topped off with a layer of 70% Guanaja Dark Chocolate Ganache that is mixed with fresh black truffle shavings drizzled with a bit of black truffle oil, pieces of hazelnut nougatine and a hint of fleur de sel. While it may sounds unusual, word has it that the tart is absolutely "incredible" according to the select few who were treated to an advance tasting.

Payard describes the tart as "very rich, with a strong truffle flavor and aroma, but also with a deep, intense chocolate flavor so that the earthiness of the truffles complement the slight native acidity of the chocolate without overpowering the finished result."

The Black Truffle Chocolate Tart serves eight people and is a limited edition of only 25, so place your order as soon as possible. It will be available for purchase for $85 at the new Francois Payard Bakery at 116 West Houston Street between Sullivan & Thompson. Orders may be placed online or by phone by calling 212.995.0888, ext. 131.

Tags: awards-main, black truffle, chocolate, dessert, Desserts, Francois Payard, Francois Payard Bakery, luxist-awards, New Years Eve, Payard, tart, truffle

The Sacher Torte

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

The Sacher Torte is a legendary Viennese treasure. This delicious chocolate treat, served at the Hotel Sacher, has been enjoyed, imitated and even served as the subject of much debate.

The Sachertorte is comprised of layers of chocolate cake and apricot jam encased in a rich dark chocolate icing and served with whipped cream. I wasn't going to bother with such a simple confection, but a friend in Vienna told me that it had blown her expectations away and so, one night after a ballet at the State Opera and some sausage from the famed sausage stand nearby, I made my way across the street to the Hotel Sacher to try it.

Oh my god.

Though the Sachertorte is normally served as a slice of cake, you can get a mini version -- I recommend this as it can't be good for you, but I have to say, I probably could have eaten not only a slice, but the entire cake. There is something magical about the flavor. I don't know what to tell you, other than that it is somehow transcendentally greater than the sum of its parts.

Gallery: The Original Sacher Torte - and a Peek Inside Demel

Tags: austria, chocolate, Demel, dessert, hotel sacher, HotelSacher, sacher, sacher torte, SacherTorte, vienna

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Pricey 'Crack Pie' Sweeping the Nation

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Have you tasted Crack Pie? If you live in NYC and haven't tried it yet you're fast becoming a minority as this simple but apparently addictive little baked good is taking over NYC (and seems to have eyes for the rest of the country too). Available at Momofuku Bakery and Milk Bar in Manhattan, its humble appearance and simple ingredients are deceiving as it carries a whopping price tag of $44 per pie. And no, there's no actual crack in there jacking up the cost. The pie has an oatmeal cookie crust base with a filling that includes egg yolks, sugar, butter and heavy cream. Some have likened it to the Southern favorite, chess pie.

But people are more than willing to pay for this sweet treat. Crack Pie has grown so popular, in part due to recent celebrity endorsements (Anderson Cooper went crazy over it on Regis & Kelly and Martha Stewart featured the bakery and recipe on her show), that the bakery has begun selling the pies online and shipping them via Fed Ex.

So no more excuses for an Iowan like me, I know what I'm putting on the top of my b-day wish list this year!

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Tags: baked goods, BakedGoods, bakery, crack pie, CrackPie, dessert, desserts, nyc, pie, pies, sweets

Ritz-Carlton Returns to Classic Desserts

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels

In this age where chefs can create magic with desserts (such as the stunning chocolate sculpture below), a company which serves as home to some of the world's finest chefs and confectioners, the Ritz-Carlton is going back to basics.

The new Ritz-Carlton Redefined Classic Dessert menus will feature the kinds of desserts we all crave, including:

Bread & Butter Pudding
Carrot Cake
Creme Brulee
Double Fudge Chocolate Cake
Fresh Fruit Tart
Ice Cream Sundae
Key Lime Pie
Molten Chocolate Cake
New York Cheesecake
Plum Tart
Strawberry Shortcake (above)
Tarte Tatin
Tiramisu

"It's about comfort food," said George McNeill, Vice President, Culinary and Corporate Chef, with whom we caught up at a launch event in the Ritz-Carlton Suite of the NYC Central Park South hotel. The company's return to classics answers society's yearning for simpler times. The truth is, dessert has gotten a little complicated. "We just want to make the best cheesecake," said McNeill. He added that 50 percent of the dessert menus will still be up to chefs' discretion. "They're artists. We don't want to stifle them."

Chocolate Sculpture by Sebastien Thieffine

Chocolate Sculpture by Sebastien Thieffine

They are indeed artists, as exemplified by this chocolate sculpture which was handmade by Sebastien Thieffine, Executive Pastry Chef from the Naples, Florida Ritz-Carlton. We spoke briefly with Thieffine, who has a charming French accent, about the piece.

Luxist: How on Earth did you create this?

Sebastien Thieffine: Well, we wanted a "chef display," so I incorporated copper pans, cocoa beans ...

L: But those copper pans are chocolate, right?

ST: They are chocolate, and I applied a copper powder on them.

L: Are they still edible?

ST: They are. Would you like to try it?

L: Yes.

Thieffine then handed us a wooden spoon which appeared to be dipped in chocolate. We shyly tasted the chocolate, and he said "No, you have to crack it." We bit down and found the spoon was not wooden at all, but entirely comprised of delicious, bitter chocolate. A pleasant surprise!

ST: You just ate a spatula.

L: That's delicious! How did you come up with this design?

ST: I always try to have three sections, so I have the base, the center, and the top -- very light. You don't want to have heaviness everywhere. I incorporated cocoa pans, an old jam maker, the flowers. You can look at it from both sides.

L: Did you study sculpture or art history?

ST: No.

L: So, this is just something you can do?

ST: There have been a lot of tries. A lot of breaking.

The Ritz-Carlton Redefined Classic Desserts arrived at domestic properties on January 22, 2010, along with a selection of warm winter and cool champagne cocktails. In addition to savoring the delicious fare, guests will also now have the option to take home a book of the recipes for all of the above dessert dishes; the same recipes as those used in the Ritz-Carlton kitchens, merely fleshed out to make cooking easier for chefs of all levels. Have a look at exclusive photos of some of our favorites below:

Gallery: Ritz-Carlton Redefined Classic Desserts

Tags: awards-main, dessert, George McNeill, GeorgeMcneill, hotel, ritz-carlton, Sebastien Thieffine, SebastienThieffine, sweets-main, winter-travel-main

Harrods Makes Whoopie (Pies)

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Coming soon to Harrods' already divine line-up of fine dining delicacies will be the Whoopie Pie. Whoopies are little cake-like cookie sandwiches filled with buttercream that started in New England and have now spread to the famous European food hall. Their skilled pastry chefs have crafted four flavors of Whoopie, all featuring fluffy cake "pillows" filled with delectable vanilla buttercream and topped with darling (and beautiful) edible designs.

There's Gingerbread (spices, vanilla, and chocolate w/polka dots), Pistachio (pistachio, green fondant icing, and edible glitter), the Classic (chocolate, vanilla, and sparkles), and Red Velvet (chocolate, peanut butter cream, and little candy hearts).

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Tags: cake, cakes, dessert, desserts, dining, harrods, sweets, whoopie, whoopie pie, whoopie pies, WhoopiePie, WhoopiePies

How to Sweeten Up Without Sugar

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Trying to cut back on sugar but love sweets? Although the only real solution is to wean yourself off sweets altogether (at least to a degree) there are other ways to quiet your sweet tooth without going the refined sugar route. Here are a few ideas, many of which are great for baking.

Honey Made up of a combination of fructose, glucose, maltose, and sucrose, honey is as much as 50% sweeter than sugar and has a distinctive flavor that can vary depending on location, time of year, and the bees diet. Honey also offers some nutritional benefits in the form of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other nutrients.

Maple Syrup Real maple syrup (not the 'maple-flavored' syrups) contains magnesium and zinc and comes from sugar maple trees. It's boiled down to the desired thickness and is usually about 60% sweeter than traditional table sugar.

Agave Nectar A fructose syrup that's slightly thinner than honey and originates from the Agave plant in Mexico, it's 25-30% sweeter than white sugar and has a mild flavor along with some nutrient properties (mostly minerals). It also has a lower glycemic index than sugar so is often favored by diabetics.

Molasses A byproduct of the sugar refining process, molasses is dark and heavy and has a very strong flavor. It is sweet (made up of fructose, glucose, and sucrose) but slightly less so than sugar itself. Molasses is high in iron and calcium and also contains several B-vitamins.

Raw Sugar If you must have sugar then go for raw sugar, or sugar that has not been refined and still maintains its nutritional value. Tastes very much like brown sugar (essentially it is, although even less processed).

Stevia Made from the leaf of the stevia plant, stevia sweetener is 200-300 times more potent than sugar and is usually found in liquid and powder form. Stevia leaves (although not always the end product) contain many nutrients like iron, calcium, and zinc.

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Tags: agave nectar, AgaveNectar, baking, cooking, dessert, desserts, dining, honey, main-pedia, molasses, stevia, sugar, sweets-pedia

The Most Impressive Desserts

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Looking to impress your guests with a dessert to die for? Or maybe you'd like to bring something amazing and memorable to a holiday party? Whatever the occasion whenever desserts are present they invariably draw the eye and wet the appetite, and they have the uncanny ability to impress despite (sometimes) being deceptively simple.

Some desserts, however, have a reputation and an edge when it comes to their ability to impress guests. All truly impressive desserts have at least two things in common: they have a beautiful presentation and of course taste wonderful as well. If you're looking to make a statement and don't know where to start consider serving one of these:

Mousse Originating in France, mousse is a rich and creamy dessert that presents well in individual portions and can be made ahead of time.

Trifles Available in every version from chocolate to fruit to red-white-and-blue, the trifle gets its glamour from the gorgeous and colorful layers that go from pleasing the eyes to pleasing the palette.

Cheesecake First created in ancient Greece and always a fan favorite, a great cheesecake is not something many are able to make for themselves at home so it becomes all the more fantastic to have it served up at a party. It's also extremely versatile and can be left plain and classy, or dressed up with fresh fruit, chocolate shavings, or anything else your heart desires.

Crème Brûlée Literally translating in French as "burnt cream," creme brulee is another delectable dessert that is not easily recreated in the average kitchen. Simple, rich, and elegant, it's sure to impress.

Chocolate Cake A standard, classic dessert that is loved wherever it goes. The trick to a truly impressive chocolate cake is in the recipe: find one you love and stick with it.

Tags: baking, cooking, dessert, desserts, luxist-awards, main-pedia, sweets-pedia

Seattle Luxury Chocolate Salon

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Events

Deliciousness comes to Seattle on July 13th in the form of the Seattle Luxury Chocolate Salon. The show takes place at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center, 2211 Alaskan Way, Pier 66 from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. The show will include a variety of chocolatiers and confectioners include Amano Artisan Chocolate, Kekau Chocolatier, Cocoa Chai Chocolates, Petit Noirs, Guittard Chocolate, Theo Chocolate,Alma Chocolate, Lula's Chocolates, Dilettante Chocolates, Posh Chocolat and more. The event will also include chocolate demos by local talent. The salon will also hold the Luxury Chocolate Salon Awards and members of the tasting panel include Seattle food and city journalists Molly Wizenberg (Orangette, Bon Appetit), Eric Scigliano (Seattle Metropolitan Magazine), Viv (Seattle Bon Vivant), Ritzy Ryciak (Conscious Choice Magazine) and Dana Cree (TastingMenu.com, Pastry Chef - Veil Restaurant). Tickets are $20 for adults at the door or $17.50 in advance.

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Tags: chocolate, dessert, food, seattle, tastings

Chocolate Pencils

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Years ago I used to have a nasty habit of chewing on my pens and pencils, and although I've since broken that habit I know I can expect a serious relapse if I ever own a set of these chocolate pencils by Nendo. The pencils come in a set that includes a variety of different cocoa blends so you'll have the perfect flavor (and color) to top whatever it is you're garnishing, plus a pencil sharpener for easy and perfectly shaped shavings every time. Sounds like a perfect gift for the chef or hostess that already seems to have everything!

Gallery: Chocolate Pencils

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Tags: chocolate, chocolate pencil, chocolate pencils, ChocolatePencil, ChocolatePencils, dessert, desserts, dining, pencil, pencils

Top 5 Dessert Stops in NYC

by Laura Malesich (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Chocolate is an easy sell for most lovers but dashing out to a local spot for a little decadence could add that bit of spontaneity and sweetness to your evening. New York Magazine has their top five chosen and the list already has me salivating -- remember, it doesn't have to be Valentine's Day to go out for a treat but its a good place to start the habit. Here are the top five dessert stops in New York City...if you're in the Big Apple for the holiday don't miss these.

Falai -- 68 Clinton St.: Known for chef Iacopo Falai's dark, rum-soaked baba cake
Café Sabarsky -- 1048 Fifth Ave: Bringing old world coffee together with Viennese tortes and strudels
Dessert Truck -- University Pl: Outside an NYU dorm, get a little chocolate-bread pudding and stroll through campus.
ChikaLicious -- 203 E. 10th St: A dessert-only stop, the sorbet floating in sparkling wine sounds divine (see picture above)
Chocolate Room -- 86 Fifth Ave: Anything chocolate you can think of...beer, tea, cake -- you name it!

Gallery: Top 5 Dessert Stops in NYC

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Tags: cafe-sabarsky, ChikaLicious, Chocolate-Room, dessert, dessert-truck, falai, new-york-city, nyc

A Good Reason Not to Order the World's Most Expensive Dessert

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

New York eatery Serendipity 3 has done its best to stay in the news with opulent desserts, but the PR folks are definitely not going to like the publicity they are getting today. The store, which we mentioned just last week for its creation of the $25,000 Frozen Haute Chocolate, the world's most expensive dessert, was closed Wednesday night after failing its second inspection in just a month. The findings are a bit stomach-turning; an inspector found a live mouse and mouse droppings, flies and more than 100 live cockroaches.

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Tags: dessert, expensive dessert, haute chocolate, HauteChocolate, health inspection, new york, serendipity 3, Serendipity3

$130,000 Platinum Cake

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Earlier this month I thought the Apple Crate Cake was pricey at $185, but that suddenly seems like chump change when compared to this Platinum Cake designed by a Japanese pastry chef worth $130,000. It's a white cake draped in platinum necklaces, pins, pendants, and even edible platinum foils. The creator's name is Nobue Ikara, and the cake has been dedicated to several famous Japanese women (including actress Rinko Kikuchi) in an effort to encourage more women to wear platinum jewelry.

So is it doin' it for ya? Have a hankering for a platinum necklace?

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Tags: cake, cakes, dessert, desserts, expire-images:2008-9-13, jewellry, jewelry, platinum, sweet, sweets, white

Dean & DeLuca Apple Crate Cake

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Nothing says fall like warm cake and a crate full of apples, and this is both treats wrapped into one. This Apple Crate Cake, created especially for Dean & Deluca, features carefully crafted marzipan apples nestled into a bed of white chocolate "straw," all sitting in a "crate" of chocolate cake. And it's not only decorate but every bit is edible, although it must be hard to take the first slice and ruin the illusion! Perfect for fall entertaining, the cake measures 6"x5.5" and usually ships within 48 hours, $185.

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Tags: cake, chocolate, dean and deluca, DeanAndDeluca, dessert, edible, food, marzipan, sweet, sweets

The World's Most Expensive Dessert

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

If you've got both expensive taste and a sweet tooth then you may want to add at a least a few, if not all, of the world's most expensive desserts to your wish list of things to try. The list topper (and therefore THE most expensive dessert in the world) is The Fortress Aquamarine from Wine3 at The Fortress in Galle, Sri Lanka. The focus of the sweet treat is an 80-carat aquamarine gem resting on a specially shaped sliver of fine chocolate representative of the company's logo. It's a gorgeous looking dessert, but not many have any idea if it tastes equally as good since priced at $14,500 the restaurant has yet to sell their first one.

Via The 9

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Tags: brulee, chocolate, creme brulee, CremeBrulee, dessert, desserts, fortress, most expensive, MostExpensive, sundae, sweet, sweets, top 10, top ten, Top10, TopTen

Grand Opulance Sundae at Serendipity in NYC

by Sandy Maple (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

At Serendipity in New York City, you can rub shoulders with celebrities while enjoying gourmet burgers, chicken and fish. If you still have room for dessert, try the Grand Opulence Sundae. At $1,000, it is considered the most expensive ice cream treat in the world.

How to make this extravagant dessert? Start with 5 scoops of premium vanilla ice cream made from Tahitian Vanilla beans and Madagascar Vanilla and cover them in 23k edible gold leaf. Drizzle the whole affair with the world's most expensive chocolate, Amedei Porceleana and chunks of rare Chuao Chocolate. Then suffuse the sundae with Parisian candied fruit, gold dragets, truffles and Marzipan Cherries. Place a tiny bowl of Grand Passion Caviar on top and serve in a baccarat Harcourt crystal goblet with an 18k gold spoon. For the finishing touch, add a gilded sugar flower by Ron Ben-Israel. There you have it. If you want it, Serendipity requests 48 hours notice to prepare one just for you.

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Tags: chuao chocolate, ChuaoChocolate, dessert, dining, grand passion caviar, GrandPassionCaviar, ice cream, ice cream sundae, IceCream, IceCreamSundae, new york dining, NewYorkDining, ron ben-israel, RonBen-israel, serendipity, world's most expensive ice cream, World'sMostExpensiveIceCream

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