We began our seventh and penultimate module today. This module focuses entirely on desserts, so we dove straight into creating two different desserts.
Working in pairs, each team received two recipes: one raspberry-based and one chocolate-based. We were free to follow the recipes as written or to experiment and combine elements from both. The only requirement was that, by the end of the day, each pair present a finished plated dessert.
Getting to work…
The raspberry recipe included a crémeux, a bavarois, and a sponge, while the chocolate dessert called for a crémeux, a mousse, and a sponge. It was my first time making a crémeux. Crémeux, French for “creamy,” lives up to its name: it produces a rich, silky texture. For the raspberry crémeux we brought raspberry purée and sugar to a boil, then tempered in egg yolks and additional sugar. Gelatin and cold butter were whisked in, and the mixture was poured into molds and frozen. The chocolate crémeux followed the same method but used milk and cream instead of fruit purée, and cream cheese and chopped chocolate in place of butter.
The raspberry dessert used a “miserable” sponge—an airy cake that combines almond meal with meringue—while the chocolate dessert featured a chocolate sponge studded with almond pieces. Both batters were spread thinly on separate baking trays so we could cut shapes once baked. The raspberry bavarois and the chocolate mousse were straightforward and familiar; we had prepared them previously, so they came together quickly.
Once all components were ready, we assembled them in molds. We decided to insert the chocolate crémeux into the raspberry bavarois and the raspberry crémeux into the chocolate mousse, using two different molds for the builds.
Despite careful preparation, things did not go smoothly for my partner and me. Several problems arose during assembly: the molded pieces didn’t release cleanly and many elements weren’t frozen solid enough to unmold successfully. As a result, we ended up with several imperfect desserts that couldn’t be plated as intended.
At the last minute my partner suggested a simple salvage: layer the elements into three tiers—raspberry, whipped cream, and chocolate. We used a raspberry crémeux that had unmolded well as the base, plated the layers, and the final presentation looked excellent.
The dessert not only looked great but tasted wonderful too. The crémeux was a standout: soft, creamy, and melting on the tongue. It’s a technique I’m eager to make again.
We took the remaining desserts home. I didn’t manage to photograph them all, but fortunately we only had to present the one plated dessert.