Plugrá Partners with Acclaimed Pastry-Chef Instructor to Teach the Art of Plated Desserts
Plugrá® European-Style Butter hosted Della Gossett, chef instructor at The French Pastry School at City Colleges of Chicago and former executive pastry chef of Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago, for a culinary demonstration at the American Culinary Federation (ACF) National Convention, Aug. 2-5 in Anaheim, Calif. During “Trade Secrets for Exquisite Plated Desserts,” the renowned pastry chef explored how to create innovative menu-enhancing desserts, drawing inspiration from fresh seasonal ingredients, classic recipes, and contemporary influences.
With a standing-room-only audience of chefs, educators and students, Gossett shared how a simple, traditional peach tart with brown butter and pecans can be transformed into a sophisticated plated dessert of seasonal peaches with brown butter ice cream and thyme. “The secret is in the basic elements of the tart—the peaches and the brown butter and pâte à foncer, or pie dough, made with Plugrá European-Style Butter,” she says. “Using those same elements, but with an inspired twist, the result is an inventive new dessert that is impactful both on the plate and on the tongue.”
The idea for Gossett’s second dish originated from reading about a warm, nourishing tea beverage made in Tibet of black tea and butter. Her creation—Himalayan black tea cream with butter emulsion and smoked almonds—is unique and flavorful, perfect for an on-trend “small bite.” “With the right dessert, just a taste is enough to satisfy,” she says.
Gossett offers a final piece of advice: “It is essential to remember that only the highest-quality ingredients produce the finest desserts … Butter with lower moisture and higher butterfat preserves the integrity of a dessert during the baking or cooking process, giving it a delicious taste and texture.”
To continue inspiring chefs in the art of plated desserts, Plugrá offers the following recipe for Gossett’s classic peach tart. Learn more about Gossett and The French Pastry School at www.frenchpastryschool.com.
A SIMPLE TART: SEASONAL PEACH TART WITH BROWN BUTTER AND PECANS
350 Deck Oven at 176°C/350°F, vent open, for approximately 45 minutes
PÂTE À FONCER (TART DOUGH)
Makes 2 x tarts (160mm ring)
INGREDIENTS
Water 40 g
Sucrose 12 g
Sea Salt 4 g
Plugrá European-Style Butter 150 g
Fresh Egg Yolks 8 g
King Arthur Flour Pastry Flour 200 g
METHOD
• Combine the water, sucrose, and sea salt.
• Cream the butter with paddle until soft.
• Add the egg yolk and mix to incorporate.
• Add approx. 25% of the flour and water mixture to the butter and egg mixture.
• Add the remaining flour. Do not over mix.
• Wrap the dough and refrigerate it overnight.
BROWN BUTTER FILLING
Fills 2 x 160mm tarts
INGREDIENTS
Fresh Whole Eggs 84 g
Sucrose 116 g
Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean, scraped ½
King Arthur Flour Pastry Flour 32 g
Plugrá European-Style Butter, beurre noisette 84 g
METHOD
• Make brown butter. Cook the butter until the milk solids are brown and aromatic. Set aside.
• Whip the eggs, vanilla seeds and sucrose until light in color.
• Gradually add flour to the egg and sucrose mixture.
• Drizzle in brown butter. Mix well.
• For easier piping, use the filling right away, or refrigerate for use the next day.
Other Ingredients: Fresh peaches and pecans as needed