Cookies are an endless source of inspiration and joy. Chef Lauren V. Haas knows this well, so she brings you two of her signature plant-based cookies: a decadent double chocolate cookie topped with a thin chocolate coin and a warm roasted peanut cookie. In her first recipe, cookies and praliné create a wonderful combination brimming with texture, richness, and warmth. Made with a luscious dark chocolate batter and dark chocolate hazelnut ganache, the nuttiness of the praliné is perfectly complemented by the gooey, chocolatey wonder of these plant-based cookies. In her second recipe, Chef Haas highlights peanuts by roasting them and then making a vegan chewy caramel sauce that adds a new dimension to this American classic.
Course Category: Guest Chefs
Mezcal Infused 70% Chocolate Bars
A pioneer of the “bean to bar” movement, Barcelona-based chef Olivier Fernández is always finding new techniques to rethink classic chocolate combinations. In this recipe, Fernández gives this 70% dark chocolate bar a pronounced smoky and rebellious mezcal aroma and flavor…by evaporating it! This is a wonderful, deep-flavored recipe with interesting notes that celebrate the unique cacaos that Fernández sources for his own shop as part of his constant research and love of chocolate
Cinnamon Rolls by Daniel Álvarez
Chef Daniel Álvarez’s layered brioche cinnamon rolls are a buttery, less dense take on the soft, cream-frosted American classic. The intricate layers of butter worked into Álvarez’s beloved brioche give the buns a richer yet tender texture. These cinnamony brioche rolls also have just the right amount of yeastiness to add even more contrast to their flavor. As always, Chef Álvarez finds a simple but perfectly executed way to leave us hooked on his baked goods.
Bean to Bar Chocolate Bars
Just when we start to think that there is little we can do to further expand the possibilities of a great chocolate bar, Olivier Fernández comes to the rescue.Fernández is one of the most knowledgeable bean-to-bar chocolatiers in Spain. His love for field research in cacao farms, his extensive technical knowledge, and his keen sense of flavor translate into perfectly-executed bars that respect the many nuances of cacao.
In this On-demand class, you will learn 3 recipes, starting with a (not-so) basic milk chocolate bar made with a slightly acidic cacao and a touch of salt: a great reminder that details can set great things in motion. This recipe opens the door to a crunchy coffee bar that enhances the milkiness of this much-loved type of chocolate. In addition to these two recipes, Fernández will show you his step-by-step method for making a unique 70% berry cacao chocolate, refined directly with strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry powder.From the importance of following a specific order of ingredients during refining and conching, to the details of aging and pre-crystallization, this is a knowledge-packed course for anyone who wants to keep gifting us with the pleasure of a great chocolate bar!
Sophisticated Chocolate Decoration | Flowers
Decorate any pastry with Frank Haasnoot’s chocolate flowers and it will undoubtedly stand out. The technique behind these pieces has been perfected to such an extent that it may even be difficult to distinguish these trompe l’oeil flowers from real, fresh ones. In this class, Chef Haasnoot will further demonstrate his meticulous mastery of chocolate and teach you all the steps to create stunning painted chocolate flowers: the perfect way to celebrate the arrival of spring with your own creations and decorations. This is chocolate perfection in full bloom!
Crunchy Jijona Turrón Chocolate Bar by Enric Monzonis
Enric Monzonis’s chocolate pieces are artful, precise, and inventive. But this Spanish Chef also enjoys going back to the roots of his country’s most soulful recipes. This recipe embodies the wonders of a great, nostalgic dessert: one that doesn’t rely on a crazy amount of ingredients, but rather, on the care we put into each step.
Lime and Caramel Molded Bonbons by Daisuke Yamanouchi
With this lime and caramel recipe we jump from Chef Yamanouchi’s enrobed bonbons, to the best of his molded pieces. These green sprayed semi-spheres are filled with a rich and aromatic lime and caramel ganache (with subtle hints of brown butter) which you can easily make your own by using your favorite type of honey.
In the recipe, you will also learn Yamanouchi’s unique paint seeding technique, as well as all his secrets for making sprayed shells that look impeccable and colorful -even when you want to make them with dark chocolate.
Black Sesame Praliné Enrobed Bonbons by Daisuke Yamanouchi
These unctuous and crunchy enrobed bonbons are yet another example of Yamanouchi’s simple, but always flavor-forward, recipes. The praliné in this recipe showcases a worderfully earthy ingredient that is highly valued in all kinds of Japanese sweets: black sesame. The praliné also plays with the added crunch and butteriness of almonds and pailleté feuilletine, while balancing the notes of caramel and milk chocolate. Rustic and yet delicate; these bonbons achieve a delicious interplay between seedy and sweet.
Finger Bueno Chocolate Bar
Chocolate “turrones” are the Spanish equivalent to decadently filled chocolate bars. Insofar, they offer endless options! Raúl Bernal brings you this phenomenal turrón, inspired by the Kinder Bueno bars of our childhood. A milk chocolate shell encloses a delicious feuilletine and hazelnut gianduja, and gets topped by a few simple ripples of dark chocolate: this sweet will never go out of style!
Basque Cheesecake by Enric Monzonis
Enric Monzonis’s chocolate pieces are artful, precise, and inventive. But this Spanish Chef also enjoys going back to the roots of his country’s most soulful recipes. So, in this recipe, Monzonis offers you his take on the famous Basque Cheesecake: that crust-less delicious version whose memorable burnt top has lured us all in. This recipe embodies the wonders of a great, nostalgic dessert: one that doesn’t rely on a crazy amount of ingredients, but rather, on the care we put into each step.