Summary

New Classic Desserts Andrew MacLauchlan Andrew MacLauchlan, Corporate Executive Pastry Chef for Mark Millers Coyote Cafe in Santa Fe and Las Vegas, and Red Sage in Washington D.C., (formerly the Executive Pastry Chef at Charlie Trotters) reinvents the art of classical dessert making in New Classic Desserts. Chef MacLauchlan believes that desserts not only complement a meal but are critical to ensuring the ultimate satisfaction of ones dinner guests. Whether the meal is a romantic dinner for two, a gathering of good friends, or a strictly business affair, New Classic Desserts will capture attention. These desserts are vibrant in flavor, individually crafted, and consist of several harmonious components displaying pleasant contrasts in temperature and texture. Each dessert may retain some reference to classical French and European pastries, such as an ice cream or custard with a warm fruit compote, or the idea of a napoleon whose cream and puff pastry layers have been replaced with oven-dried pineapple slices, juicy mango, luscious starfruit, and coconut-infused custard. Maintaining timeless flavor combinations enjoyed throughout the ages, these new classic desserts illustrate that using less butter, cream, and sugar challenges chefs to create desserts that are irresistible indulgences for health-conscious diners. The desserts evolve from classical pastry techniques, but focus on flavor and the artistry of composition. The recipes incorporate the working principles of restaurant kitchen line cooking, techniques of the french patissier, and general bakery procedure. The use of flavorful organic fruits and nuts when available and observation of fruits natural growing seasons contributes to the quality, flavor, and appeal of these visionary recipes. Organized seasonally with an emphasis on modern ingredients and techniques that will lead pastry chefs into the 21st century, New Classic Desserts introduces mouthwatering desserts such as: Lemon Tart with Blackberries and Peppered Blackberry Coulis Creme Brulee Napoleon with Green Tea Sauce and Peach Coulis Warm Date Pithiviers with Cardamom Ice Cream Mascarpone and Brown-Buttered Apple Cheesecake with Rum Raisin Sorbet Caramelized Apple and Chevre in Phyllo with Red WineBlack Pepper Sorbet Unlike other pastry cookbooks, New Classic Desserts breaks the rules of traditional dessert making with Chef MacLauchlans premise that desserts should be food that complement savory courses rather than just being sweet and pretty. The desserts in New Classic Desserts create harmonious endings to the dining experience: light and not overly sweet, allowing diners to linger over fresh sensations instead of feeling over-indulged. Stunning, bold, and resourceful, New Classic Desserts will inspire many new cooking adventures in both professional and epicurean kitchens. The vibrant photography of the desserts, and their graceful simplicity of flavor combinations, place New Classic Desserts in an artistic realm which will stir the imagination and spur the creativity of chefs everywhere.