Whip it Good

Yesterday, I learned how 'whip it' from Francois Payard, one of the world's best pastry chefs. After already being full from another wonderful day of school, I still easily managed to eat 2 desserts made by Mr. Payard himself, I mean I could never say no to Francois! 

He began by making a dessert comprised of chocolate rice krispies, topped with chocolate mousse, and finished with chocolate filo dough, caramel sauce, and nuts. Can I just shout YUM to the world.

This recipe was where I learned one of Payard's secret techniques (oh-la-la)--when combining cream and melted chocolate, whip the cream well before adding to the melted chocolate pot in order to prevent the cream from boiling over. This allows the cream to incorporate smoothly into the chocolate, and prevents the cream from going crazy!

And, as most people would think...one dessert was just not enough, we had to surrender our taste buds and try a second! Next, Mr. Payard made a palate-cleansing sweet inspired by a pina colada. It was served in a shot glass with a warm mango sauce on the bottom, and a spiked whipped cream on top. I was shocked by how savory the dish was, the acidity of the fruit was perfect for cleansing the palate after a rich meal. This little pina colada transported me to the beach for all of 5 minutes before entering the 20 degree NYC afternoon breeze, hello winter.

So if you get the chance, either pick up a Payard cookbook or visit his store yourself--your sweet tooth will thank you.