Honey Whipped Ganache

August 15, 2021.Reading time 4 minutes.

A whipped ganache is a filling similar to a ganache but with a lower chocolate to cream ratio. When whipped, it gets a nice velvety consistency that makes a good filling/topping for cakes, cupcakes, pastries, macarons, the list goes on. Specifically for macarons, using whipped ganache is better than buttercream in my opinion, because it creates a better moisture migration between the shells and the filling. This leaves you with a tastier macaron, but because it uses chocolate it has a slightly lower tolerance to heat.

Honey Madeleine Cake

August 14, 2021.Reading time 3 minutes.

Every supper club, I try to do something new by developing new ideas or testing out new techniques and recipes. I’ve been wanting to make a version of a St. Honore of my own by substituting a round choux at the base instead of the puff pastry that is typically used. The idea of a round hollow choux at the bottom of a pastry filled with any filling excites me, if done properly, it looks very neat and minimalistic. We had tested this prior to the pandemic with the kiddies, unfortunately I have lost my notes.

Making Your Own Cocoa Butter Colours

May 2, 2021.Reading time 4 minutes.

Here’s a quenelle mould with a blend of orange, yellow and green.

My motivation for making my own cocoa butter: I used to buy coloured cocoa butter, but in addition to the price of each colour, I’d often end up having to pay a cost associated with shipping and customs, increasing the average price per bottle. To bring down the price, I would end up getting a few more bottles, which I likely did not need in the first place. The other issue with buying coloured cocoa butter is that most companies offer the same range of colours, so if you want something different you’ll have to mix your own colours anyways…So why not just start with primary colours and mix small batches?

Madeleines

March 30, 2020.Reading time 3 minutes.

Madeleines are delicious little cakes, recognizable from their distinctive shell shape. Lots of flavour variations are possible, but I’m partial to the classic lemon version below. Though the recipe and preparation are simple enough, one distinguishing and sometimes elusive characteristic is the “baby bump”. I’ve found this harder to achieve in a conventional oven as compared to a convection oven. These cakes are best eaten while still warm out of the oven.

Mango Ducky with Coconut Bubbles

May 25, 2018.Reading time 3 minutes.

I first saw the play on soap and bubbles as a dessert by Andoni of Mugaritz. Inspired by this, for some time now I had been meaning to work on a rubber ducky and bubbles dessert. I finally got around to putting something together the other day. The resulting dish was nostalgic and playful — and it gave me the chance to try out a fun application of an aquarium air pump.

Smoothies & Sundaes

Category: Pastry