The Sweet Touch (continued)
This year, toss tradition aside and try one of these deliciously different holiday desserts, courtesy of America’s best pastry chefs
Photo: Ellen SilvermanJehangir Mehta's oven-roasted lemon apples play hot against cold, the honeyglazed fruit partnered with a scoop of Cognac ice cream. "I like these flavors because I grew up with them," says Mehta, a Mumbai native whose parents treated their son's colds with a toddy of Cognac, hot water and honey. Chefowner of the new Graffiti Food & Wine Bar in Manhattan, Mehta scents his apples with aromatic cinnamon and ginger.
Michelle Bernstein, chef of Michy's in Miami, spruces up the modest crepe with a dressy chocolate-chestnut filling and warm chocolate sauce. A Muscat-poached pear provides a cool contrast. In balmy Miami, a city not exactly known for roasting over open fires, Bernstein says, "it's a great way to introduce the fun of the chestnut."
Speaking of fun, pass the doughnuts. Mindy Segal's whimsical ending draws inspiration from Hanukkah customs, which give symbolic meaning to foods fried in oil. Segal's brioche doughnuts paired with honeyed caramel corn may become the new must-have for Hanukkah. They're "kitschy and cute," says the chef, who serves them at Hot Chocolate, her two-year-old Chicago café.
At Macrina Bakery & Café in Seattle, known for its rustic Italian bent, pastry chef Leslie Mackie lightens the traditional Sicilian cassata, a decadent sponge cake. Banishing most of the candied fruit that gives the original its off-the-charts sweetness, Mackie brushes layers of orange-scented cake with orange syrup, covers them with lush ricotta cream and drapes a thin coat of ganache over all. The classic's flavors remain largely intact; Mackie merely turns down the volume. "A slim piece can be very refreshing," she says.
For those ready to refresh their own holiday traditions, these alluring desserts provide some tantalizing options. Whether lightened-up or lavish, they promise to make this year's celebration memorable.
Click here to view the chefs and their recipes.
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