The Supreme eG Pastry and Baking Challenge (Round 11)

[swissmiss]

Still thinking about the part of the challenge that says that this dessert should evoke the spirit of Sinterklaas. The Sinterklaas fest is all about little (not necessarily expensive) gifts and surprises. I am wondering how to incorporate that into the dessert. I was thinking of wrapping something in puff pastry.. but how to make it look like an actual parcel/gift?

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Klary, look at the Varietal thread. There's a photo of one of Jordan Kahn's desserts, which is a white chocolate box. That could create the "gift/surprise" look you want.

[chefpeon]

Have fun Klary! Rooting for you!

Abra and I just used some of the Speculaas spices you sent her in a Christmas

Spritz cookie we baked for our cookie box extravaganza yesterday......

[K8memphis]

Phyllo dough is user friendly and you could gather it up like a beggar's purse and tie it with a strand of cooked sugar. Easy peasy. Or just lay some phyllo dough over the bottom of an upturned muffin pan to make little cups or stuff like that. But puff pastry would be easy too. Use concentric cookie cutters and make some 'boxes' in the usual way then form a lid from the rejects.

Ok, I can't find a link to how to make bouchees--you know how to do that??

Other ideas for ribbon--marzipan, or real ribbon even.

Edited December 16, 2006 by K8memphis (log)

[Chufi]

I've made something today that I'm really proud of. I'm not going to tell you all what it is... just wait and see!

I have some other things to finish tomorrow and then assemble. I've had so much fun and this has been a completely new way for me to think about dessert. For me, dessert is usually a big beautiful cake, that will get some oh's and ah's when I bring it to the table, before it's destroyed by cutting into it. I don't think I've thought about, let alone made, a plated dessert in my life! So this has been a very educational week for me.

Stay tuned for final results tomorrow...

[Shaya]

Bravo, Chufi, I'm so excited to see what you've done.

[K8memphis]

Love the tease of the surprise factor!!! More, More!

[Chufi]

well, you know, that is very much the spirit of Sinterklaas.. not really knowing what's going to happen.. I love that this way I'm able to celebrate Sinterklaas even 2 weeks after the actual holiday

There's going to be something from Spain, because Sinterklaas arrives from Spain every year in November.

Something from Turkey (or at least Turkish-inspired) because that's where the original St Nicolaas came from.

Speculaasspices used in a way no Dutch person ever thought of.

And because Sinterklaas is about indulging in really bad and tacky sweets, there's going to be white chocolate.

Edited December 16, 2006 by Chufi (log)

[Chufi]

I'm done! And tired. And on a sugar high from sampling my own creations

I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. As I suspected form the beginning, my talent lies more in combining flavors, than in attractively plating them. I think the final plate is a bit too fussy, and not as elegant looking as I'd hoped for. But considering this is the first time I've attempted something like this, I think it's not too bad!

Thanks to miladyinsanity, I overcame my frear of membrillo, and made some. It's fantastic. No photoshopping.. this really does look like this. Oh and it tastes good too..

So, the story behind this dessert. The challenge was, (in Kerry's words) So this week I challenge Chufi to make a dessert that evokes the spirit of Sinterklaas, uses speculaas spices and includes a seasonal fruit or vegetable

The idea of trifle stuck with me from the beginning, the other part evolved as I was thinking about flavors, combinations and the meaning of this holiday. I also wanted to use the speculaas spices in an unusual way. For the trifle, I made a simple sponge cake, with the addition of the spicemix:

The other ingredients for the trifle are a white chocolate custard, Dutch 'stoofperen' - a kind of pear that you can't eat raw, and that turns a dark red when cooked for a couple of hours -, whipped cream. The sponge was soaked with a mixture of the pear poaching liquid and a Spanish muscat wine. Pistachios on top for a bit of color contrast.

I then made some speculaas cookies like this, and used them as the base for a rich parfait. I thought of this because of the speculaas icecream you can buy in the Netherlands this time of year, I wanted to make that but without an icecreammaker, I made the parfait instead. I froze it in a narrow plastic cup and then sliced in into rounds.

Clementines are seasonal right now, and they are very much a part of Sinterklaas. Along with small gifts, children often get clementines in their shoe (the equivalent of the Christmasstocking). The clementines were marinated overnight in a caramelsyrup flavored with orangeflowerwater and cardamom. Not really a Turkish recipe, but flavors that remind me of Turkey anyway - the represent the birthplace of St Nicolaas.

I made an almond paste and flavored it with orangezest and some of the clementine syrup. Wrapped this in filo (thanks K8memphis for that suggestion!) to represent the little gifts and parcels that we get for Sinterklaas. They are also a twist on this traditional Sinterklaas pastry: almond paste wrapped in puff pastry.

The membrillo was cut into little dice, to represent both the jewels that decorate Sinterklaas' robe, and the 'strooigoed' - small pieces of candy that Sinterklaas' helpers carry around in bags to give to the children.

Well, that's a LOT of words to describe a plate of sweets. How does it taste?

The trifle is fantastic and i think that one is going to be on my Christmas menu! The white chocolate custard is divine, and works really well with the lightly spiced alcohol soaked cake and the richly sweet pears.

The parfait is wonderful but very rich. It works really well with the tangy clementines though and I think that would make an excellent dessert just as it is.

The membrillo is rich and sweet and sort of ties all the other flavors together. The little filo parcels are a welcome change in texture, with all that creamy softness of the other items.

Oh and the slice of parfait with the clementine on top was supposed to just lie on the plate, but it was hot in my kitchen and the parfait started to melt, hence the little saucer.

[Chufi]

Thank you Kerry for challenging me, this has been a great learning experience, and a lot of fun, and I now have a fridge full of sweet goodies!

And thanks everybody for thinking with me and cheering me on! I could not have spent an entire day making dessert, if it wasn't for you as my audience

I will announce the next challenge in a couple of hours.

[MelissaH]

Klary,

I tip my cap to your excellence, and your beautiful explanations. I just wish I were close enough to maybe taste some, since we don't get poaching pears here.

MelissaH

[Kerry Beal]

That looks fantastic. What a great interpretation of the challenge. For someone who had never done a plated dessert before I'd say you aced it.

Can't wait for the recipes. The trifle looks spectacular, love the combination of flavours. Can't wait to try it.

[alanamoana]

Klary! what a beautiful dessert. i'm so impressed with what you did with this challenge. maybe it will make you want to make more plated desserts in the future?!

all of the different textures, temperatures, flavors on the plate, but all tied together with a unified theme. that is exactly what a plated dessert should be. you're a natural!

congratulations on a job well done. now go walk off that sugar high!!!

[Pam R]

As most of you who follow some of my posts on eGullet may know, I am definitely NOT in the same baking category as the other challengees in this Baking Challenge!

Hmm. I'd disagree. Your dessert is gorgeous - well done!

[JeanneCake]

WOW!

Well done. Beautifully described and photographed - congratulations!

[K8memphis]

Wow, knocked it out of the ball park! Yes I agree with Pam it's beautifully plated. All the different shapes & textures harmonize so well. MMM yes only wish I too was close enough to taste!

Congratulations on a job so well done.

(And I'm happy to have provided a use-able idea )

[Chufi]

Thanks everybody for the kind words!

we just ate the last of the trifle and this is soooo good. I can't believe I made that up We both agreed that it needed a higher ratio of cake to cream though. But possibly that has something to to with the fact that it was in narrow glasses.

Recipes will be in RG sometime tomorrow I hope. Oh and if anyone wants to try baking with the speculaas spices, and doesn't feel like making their own, pm me and I'm happy to send some to you. Spreading the speculaas-love around the globe, you know

[Pontormo]

Klary, brava!!! The individual desserts complementing one another on that plate are stunning, and I agree, seem like wonderful things to revive on their own. I love the little ruby cubes, dusted and plain, that bring everything together. Another reason to buy more quince!!!

[Swisskaese]

Klary,

That looks beautiful. I would love to try the parfait. I love speculaas.

[Pan]

I just want to say that, because I'm not a baker or pastry-maker, I don't participate in these threads much, but I always look at the challenges and the results, and I've been so impressed with them! Congratulations, Chufi, what a beautiful-looking and -sounding dessert!

[Abra]

Beautiful, Klary! I'm looking forward to the recipes, since I have quite a bit of speculaas spice mix left, and would love to make something new with it.

I'm fascinated by the brilliant orange color of your membrillo, since when I make it it always comes out ruby red. I wonder if our quinces are a bit different from yours.

[dejaq]

Klary, for someone who has never done anything like this before, you hit high marks. Nicely photographed and terrific presentation.

these flavors are some of my faves as well this time of year.

keep up the great work!

Michael

[Domestic Goddess]

Klary - please add my congratulations to the bunch. What a wonderful dessert and such classy presentation. I bet a lot of us here would just wanna hop on a plane and visit you, just to sample your gorgeous dessert.

[Chufi]

The recipes are, sort of, in Recipe Gullet. I say sort of because I realize that I wasn't taking notes or measuring anything, also I made different amounts of everything . But I have no doubt that experienced bakers will be able to make sense of my scatty directions, if not please pm me.

The new Challenge is up and running! see here what tammylc is up to!

[tammylc]

Great job, Klary! You're going to be a hard act to follow, but I'll do my best!

[miladyinsanity]

I am very very very hungry after looking at the pics!

Somebody's gotta invent the technology that allows me to reach through the screen and take a bite!