in the kitchen x pumpkin macarons

When pumpkin is paired with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, it is so representative of Fall. Everyone can have their pumpkin spice latte, I'll take pumpkin spice macarons any day. These are filled with a white chocolate buttercream, pumpkin puree, and fall spices. I find nothing more therapeutic than filling macarons. I love pairing macarons with their perfect-sized partner, and piping dollops of filling before gently smooching their top shell together to form a sandwich. Pairing and filling macarons was one of the first things I learned to do in a professional kitchen. As a young intern at Bouchon Bakery, my responsibilities were severely limited as this was my first kitchen. But every afternoon, the entire pastry team came together to finish last minute duties which included sandwiching macarons for the next day. The trick is to finding the perfect-sized partner is that macarons piped next to each other tend to be close to the right size. I was taught to lay one face up and the partner faced down in a row. When all the macarons are paired, pipe dollops of filling with one squeeze, to ensure the filling is smooth when sandwiched together. After, just smooth the top macaron gently to make a perfect macaron sandwich. With large batches, which normally happen in a kitchen, it is much easier to separate each step and complete it before moving on to the next one. 

in the kitchen x apples

Apples are invading the farmer's market. I favor sweet apples, so I picked up mutsu, ambrosia and these gorgeous gala apples. This was an impromptu dessert based on the apples I picked up. I love the crispy edges of cake, hence the edge piece. It is an apple poppy seed cake with a layer of creme fraiche on the bottom. It is topped with a canelle of whipped cream, apple chips, canadice grapes, topped with fresh lavender. Nothing fancy, just good apples (ambrosia and and red gala apples), and simple garnishes.

in the kitchen x chocolate, chestnut, and butternut squash

I feel like you've reached a certain level as a chef when you start to improve on your dishes from the year before. Last fall, I perfected this butternut squash sorbet (3 months of tweaks!) to be paired with chocolate. This year, I perfected the chocolate components. The second fall dessert to go on the menu is chocolate chiboust, chocolate sauce, chocolate ganache, caramelized cocoa nib crumble, spice cake (with a hint of cocoa), butternut squash sorbet, and bruleed chestnuts. The chocolate chiboust, sauce, ganache, and cocoa nib crumble are my typical foundation for a plated chocolate dessert. The chestnuts are packed in vanilla syrup and so they are very tender and sweet. I like to drain them and pat them dry before sprinkling sugar and torching them for a caramelized crunch. This spice cake is delicate, airy and soft, a nice texture to go along with the bruleed chestnuts and rich chocolate flavor. The star is the butternut squash sorbet. It is decadent with a good blend of fall spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and cardamom. I have to really credit the PacoJet for its texture, as it really helps  aerate and create such a smooth flavor without dairy and added ingredients. 

in the kitchen x pumpkin please

Naturally, the first fall dessert to debut on the menu has to include pumpkin! Pictured are pumpkin white chocolate ganache, pumpkin seed oil semifreddo, caramelized pumpkin seeds, splatters of pumpkin seed oil, fraises de bois (while they are still available at the market!), and sunflower sprouts. The acidity of the strawberries add a nice contrast to the richness of the ganache and semifreddo. Most people use pumpkin puree exclusively in a dessert, and while there's nothing wrong with that, I wanted to do something different. Lucky for me, working for a German pastry chef introduced me to the wonders that is pumpkin seed oil. The pumpkin seed oil is delicious, rich and nutty, with the flavors further enhanced by vanilla in a semifreddo. Sunflower sprouts usually show up in salads, but I just adore them in a dessert. They are so delicious, crunchy, and nutty. It adds an interesting vegetal element to the dessert, with the nuttiness from the sprouts echoing the pumpkin seed oil.

in the kitchen x pastry chefs can't escape cupcakes

Yes, cupcakes are a part of my life. It's not something I like to admit. It seems when everyone finds out I am a pastry chef, one of the first comments is, "Oh, so you make cupcakes?." An innocent question, but one that I find irritating. I would never call myself a chef if all I did was make cupcakes. That all encompassing title means that you should know and be able to execute so much more. As a pastry chef in charge of a restaurant menu, cafe menu, and catering, I need to know ice creams, breads, cakes, and pastries in all its forms and intricacies. This on top of management, basic food knowledge, setting a good example, and working in a kitchen setting. I love a good cupcake, but I would never want anyone to think that all I do is bake cupcakes all day. Yet, a good cupcake hits the spot, and a perfectly executed cake and frosting ratio says more about a pastry chef than a resume ever could. Pictured are red velvet cupcakes, white chocolate and cream cheese frosting, topped with meringue and hollyhocks.