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This is a perfect spring dessert. Thank you to Chef Kasra for summiting it.

Bio

After initially attending college with the intention of becoming an attorney, I began baking bread at home on the weekends. By my senior year, I was spending more time sourcing ingredients and equipment for bread baking than I spent in class. To further engage my interest in baking, I decided to attend the California School of Culinary Arts, where I found plated desserts to be another area of interest. While still in school, a mutual friend introduced me to Adam Horton, the Executive Chef at Saddle Peak Lodge in Malibu Canyon. That introduction lead to not only a friendship, but a working relationship that lasted nearly three years, as I served as his Pastry Chef at both Saddle Peak Lodge and later at Raphael Restaurant in Studio City. In February of this year, I began work as the Pastry Chef of Patina Restaurant located in the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Downtown Los Angeles.

Recipe

Sorbet Base:

420 grams Sugar
7 grams Cremodan Sorbet Stabilizer
390 grams Water
180 grams Atomized Glucose

Combine the stabilizer with 100 grams of the sugar, and set aside. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a pot and heat to 40 degrees Celsius while whisking, then slowly pour add the stabilizer mix to the pot while continuing to whisk until the mixture is 85 degrees Celsius. Chill the mixture over an ice bath.

Raspberry Sorbet:

1000 grams Raspberry puree
535 grams Sorbet Base
225 grams Water

Combine ingredients until homogenous. Portion in pacojet canisters and freeze for 24 hours to -4f. Pacotize 2 hours before needed. Reserve in freezer.

Lemon Curd:

300 grams lemon juice
4.5 grams agar
Pinch salt and malic acid
300 grams sugar
300 grams whole eggs
388 grams butter, cut in roughly 50 grams pieces

Whisk eggs and sugar together, set aside. Bring juice, agar, salt, and malic acid to a boil. Temper boiling mixture into egg mixture. Return the tempered mixture to the pot, and bring to a boil while constantly stirring. Pour thickened mixture into a blender. Turn blender on, and increase the speed just so that a vortex forms, and add the butter one piece at a time until it is all emulsified in the curd. Pass lemon curd through a chinois onto an acetate lined plastic tray. Chill until set.

Raspberry Mousse:

475 grams Raspberry puree
125 grams sugar
100 grams water
5.6 grams agar
Pinch salt
160 grams cream

Combine all ingredients except cream in a pot, and bring to a boil. Pour into a hotel pan, and chill until set. Blend gel until smooth, pass through a chinois, and stir cream into smooth raspberry puree. Pour mixture into a whipped cream canister, and charge twice with nitrous chargers, shaking after each charge.

Lemon Meringue:

300 grams cold lemon juice
200 grams cold water
8.3 grams Methylcellulose F50
200 grams sugar
Pinch salt
Pinch citric acid

In blender, combine juice and water, and turn on until a vortex forms. Sprinkle the methylcellulose into the vortex and gradually increase blender speed up to the highest speed. Blend on high for 30 seconds. Pour mixture into mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients. Whip on high speed until stiff peak form. Spread half of the mixture on a acetate lined dehydrator tray, and dehydrate at least 6 hours. Reserve remaining mixture.

To plate:

Whip remaining lemon meringue to stiff peaks. Break dehydrated lemon meringue into random sized pieces. Cut lemon curd into desired shape, and place on plate. Shake cream charger well. Arrange raspberry mousse, soft and dehydrated lemon meringue, and raspberry sorbet on plate as you like. Garnish with fresh and freeze dried raspberries and micro greens.

Papaya Lemongrass Sorbet

This week the weather was beautiful and I was craving a “peppy” sorbet. Although I never tire of traditional flavors I look forward to trying a new flavor. Papaya Lemongrass Sorbet. I had been wonder for a while how hard of a textured item the Pacojet would puree in a sorbet, lemongrass? I started with diced papaya, stuck a piece of lemongrass straight up in the middle with a little ginger. Then cover with simple syrup. The result was amazing. A punch of bright tropical flavor. The Pacojet did its magic on the lemongrass and the papaya made a great creamy texture. I would be hard press to find someone who did not think it was an ice cream.

 2 cups fresh papaya, peeled, deseeded, diced
1 inch piece ginger, minced
2-inch piece lemongrass
1-cup water
1/3-cup sugar
2 tablespoons honey 

Fill beaker with papaya, ginger, and lemongrass. Boil water, sugar, and honey to dissolve sugar. Pour water mixture over fruit. Freeze for 24 hours to -4f. Pacotize and serve.

FRANCIS ANG

EXECUTIVE PASTRY CHEF

Currently the executive pastry chef at the acclaimed Fifth Floor restaurant, Francis Ang originally joined the team on the savory side as a line cook.  When executive chef David Bazirgan recognized Ang’s passion for desserts, Bazirgan worked closely with Ang to hone in on his pastry skills and quickly promoted him to pastry chef.

 Ang was recently named Food & Wine magazine’s West Coast “People’s Best Pastry Chef” as well as one of Zagat’s “30 Under 30” in San Francisco.

 Finding inspiration from his travels throughout Asia, Ang creates desserts such as rum baba with pineapple three ways, kaffir leaf-coconut sorbet, basil seeds; and a chocolate mousse bombe with orange cream, hazelnut crunch, mandarins, and hazelnut ice cream.

 Prior to joining the Fifth Floor, Ang was working at the acclaimed Gary Danko restaurant in San Francisco, where he was lucky enough to train under Gary Danko himself, learning about pastries and desserts—making ice creams, sorbets, mousses, soufflés, etc.

Ang grew up in the Philippines and still remembers the delicious dishes his dad and grandmother use to cook when he was growing up.  He moved to San Francisco when he was 19, where he enrolled in the City College of San Francisco’s culinary program.   An internship at the Copenhagen Bakery in Burlingame was an early indicator that Ang was meant to be working as a pastry chef.

When not at work, Ang finds himself eating at other local San Francisco restaurants, reading cookbooks, or traveling. 

Corn Cremeux
6 oz. corn milk (juiced corn)
3 ½ oz. sugar
13 oz. heavy cream
2 ½ oz. toasted corn tea (available in Asian markets)
6 egg yolks
2 sheets gelatin

 Place gelatin in ice water and let soak until bloomed and soft (about 10 min). Heat cream, corn milk and corn tea. Steep for 30 minutes and strain into bowl. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a stand mixer until well incorporated and pale yellow. Remove gelatin from ice water. Bring the cream mixture to a boil and remove from heat. In the same pot, add the gelatin to the cream mixture, combine well. Slowly drizzle contents into the mixer. Pour the entire mixture into a small pot and cook on low heat, while stirring simultaneously. Cook to 180⁰F. Pour into individual molds and chill before serving.

 Corn Ice Cream

Yield: 1 quart
18 oz. heavy cream
9 oz. milk
6 oz. sugar
3 ½ oz. chunk of Parmesan cheese (the cheese rinds are better)
7 egg yolks

Take half of the heavy cream, and mix it in a saucepot with the milk, parmesan rinds and half of the sugar. Bring to a boil and cover for 10 minutes. Whisk egg yolks and combine with the remaining sugar in another pot. Drizzle the hot liquid mixture into the egg and sugar mixture while whisking quickly so that the eggs do not cook. This is called tempering. Using a thermometer cook the custard on low heat while simultaneously scraping with a spatula on the bottom of the pot. The mixture should reach 180 degrees Fahrenheit. When it does, turn off the heat and steep for 10 minutes. Strain the custard through a sieve into the remaining cream. Chill and Freeze in a Pacojet container for 24 hours to -4f. Pacojetize the next day.

Suggested serving: Scoop ice cream in a bowl, spoon blueberry jam and sprinkle granola.

Mustard Ice cream is the popular frozen savory item. Two of our favorite chefs have it on there menus. Maya Erickson of AQ in San Francisco was just nominated for Food and Wines Best New Pastry Chef. Nick Sullivan is Chef de Cuisine at 610 Magnolia, Edward Lee’s, from Bravo Top Chef, Restaurant in Kentucky.

 Both Mustard Ice creams would pair well with wild game, pates or try with a sweet strawberry dessert.

Mustard Ice Cream By Maya Erickson of AQ
2 each Eggs
3 each Egg Yolks
200g Heavy Cream
1175g Whole Milk
125g Sugar
150g Glucose
75g Trimoline
7g Dijon Powder
225g Smooth Dijon
20g Tumeric Powder
30g Ice Cream/Sorbet Stabilizer 

Scald the Milk and Cream Mixture. Add the sugars to the egg mixture, add the dijon(smooth and powdered) to the mixture. Whisk in the stabilizer to the egg mixture. Temper the milk mixture into the egg mixture and cook until thickened. Chill down the mixture and freeze in a pacojet beaker for 24 hours to -4. Pacotize the next day when you are ready to serve.

"Mustard Ice Cream" By Nick Sullivan of 610 Magnolia
2L                        Whole Milk
665g                    Heavy Cream
380g                    Sugar
300g                    Glucose
64g                      Trimoline
180g                    Non-fat Milk Powder
6g                        Ice Cream Stabilizer
300g                    Whole Eggs
1T                        Mustard Powder
250g                    Dijon Mustard
TT                        Salt

Combine all ingredients except eggs in a medium sized pot. Bring up to a boil and slowly temper in your eggs. Cook until thickened. Strain, pour into Pacojet beakers and freeze for 24 hours to -4. Pacotize when ready to serve.

Ever been in an ice cream shop and can’t decide between ice cream and sorbet? Go for sherbet. It’s the best combination of both. It has that nice fruit flavor of a sorbet but has a little bit of dairy to give that rich creaminess. Here are a few of our favorite.

Chocolate Kumquat Sherbet
½ cup kumquats
2 cups sour cream
½ cup sugar
½ cup dark coco powder
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
½ teaspoon vanilla

Cut kumquats in half and remove seeds. Place kumquats in pot and cover with cold water. Bring to boil and strain. Repeat boiling an d draining two more times. Place kumquats in Pacojet beaker. In a pot combine sour cream, sugar, coco powder, chocolate, and vanilla. Heat till chocolate is melted. Place mixture on top of kumquats in beaker. Freeze for 24 hours to -4f. Pacotize.

Orange Vanilla Sherbet
¾ cup sherbet
1 ½ tablespoon orange zest
Pinch salt
2 cups orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
8 ounces cream cheese
Combine all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Boil till sugar is dissolved. Place mixture in beaker. Freeze for 24 hours to -4f. Pacotize.

Citrus is always the highlight of winter. It is fresh, vibrant and can wake us up from the winter blues. Here are a few sorbets using citrus in it’s prime season.

Triple Citrus Sorbet

2 cups lemon juice
1 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup lemoncello
1 cup sugar 

Bring all ingredients to a boil. Pour in Pacojet beaker and freezer for 24 hours to -4f. Pacotize and enjoy.

Grapefruit Thyme

3 cups grapefruit juice
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
¾ cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt 

Bring all ingredients to a boil. Pour in Pacojet beaker and freezer for 24 hours to -4f. Pacotize and enjoy.

Ugly Fruit Tropical Sorbet

3 cups ugly fruit juice
½ cup diced pineapple
1 teaspoon grated ginger
½ teaspoon minced lemongrass
¾ cup sugar 

Bring all ingredients to a boil. Pour in Pacojet beaker and freezer for 24 hours to -4f. Pacotize and enjoy.

Minneola and Mint Sorbet

3 cups Minneola juice
1 teaspoon fresh mint
1 cup sugar
¼ cup vodka 

Bring all ingredients to a boil. Pour in Pacojet beaker and freezer for 24 hours to -4f. Pacotize and enjoy.

We are always curious as to what every ones favorite flavor of ice cream is. Chocolate always comes to mind but vanilla and pistachio may be tied for second. Pistachio is that unique comfort flavor. I wanted to make a pistachio ice cream that was pure pistachio flavor. Sure you can add extract or a pistachio paste to get that punch of flavor but some how they leave an after taste. I tried making a pistachio stock with the cream and milk. I ground the nuts first to get more surface area and decrease the time needed to get the flavor out of the nuts. Here is what I think is a near perfect pistachio ice cream.

Pistachio Ice cream
2 cups cream
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
10 yolks
1 cup pistachios
pinch salt

 Toast pistachios. Place in Pacojet beaker and Pacotize three times, releasing air valve after each cycle. Pistachios should almost be a powder. Place cream, milk, salt, pistachios and vanilla in a sauce pot. Simmer for 3 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to steep for 1 hour. Strain mixture with a fine mess strainer. Bring mixture back to a simmer. Temper in egg yolks. Pour mixture in to beaker. Freeze for 24 hours to -4F. Pacotize. Stir in more whole pistachios for a crunchier texture.

With such a warm winter I haven’t stopped thinking about ice cream (not that we every really do). But now that it is getting chilly I am starting to think of that hearty rich winter food. Perfect time of the year to make a pate to snack on. The pacojet’s coupe set is the perfect tool for helping with this. The two- cutter blade purees the duck breast to an almost smooth texture for a delightful country pate. Try the four- cutter blade on foie gras to make a smooth creamy torchon. 

Duck Pate
4 duck breast, skin and fat removed and reserved
2 duck hearts and livers
1 red onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup diced apricots
¼ cup dried Bing cherries
¼ cup toasted pistachios
1 tablespoon dried tarragon
Salt and pepper
Bacon 

Place duck skin and fat, fat side down in sauté pan. Place on low heat and render fat. Remove skin. Sauté red onions and garlic in fat till tender. Place duck meat, onions, and fat in a pacojet beaker. Chill till fat is cold. Using the two-cutter blade pacotize once. Fold in dried fruit, pistachios, tarragon, and salt and pepper. Line a terrine mold with bacon. Place duck mixture in terrine mold and cover with bacon. Tightly cover mold with foil. Place terrine mold in a water bath. Bake at 325f till pate reaches 158f in center. Remove from oven. Place a weight on top of terrine, such as a soup can. Allow to cool. Refrigerate for 12 hours, remove pate from mold. Remove bacon, slice and serve.

Foie Gras Torchon
1 whole grade A or B foie gras lobe
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
¼ cup apple liquor, calvados or other
Salt
Milk

 Cover lobe of foie gras with milk and refrigerate for 24 hours. Remove lobe from milk. Remove any visible veins from lobe. Place lobe into a pacojet beaker with vanilla, liquor, and salt, use two if needed. Using four cutter blade Pacotize. Place foie gras on to a long piece of plastic wrap. Roll into a log about two inches wide. Refrigerate for 24 hours. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and have an ice bath ready. Place torchon into boiling water, still in plastic wrap, for 90 seconds. Remove and place in ice bath. Allow torchon to cool. Refrigerate for 12 hours, slice and serve.

Coconut is such a versatile flavor. When I worked in Restaurants I would always have a few beakers of coconut ice cream base frozen in the back of the freezer. Because of its neutral, rich, fatty flavor it lends itself to many applications. One scoop makes a great pre dessert, Zest lime zest on top of the beaker before spinning for a great intermezzo. We could not decide between these two desserts last week. Let us know which flavors you like best.

We tried a few new things in these desserts last week. The whipped coconut comes out lite and bubbly. The effect holds for about 5 minutes and could be done over and over again on the same beaker during service.

The whipped chocolate tiles came out of inspiration to try aerated chocolate with the whipping disk instead of a whip cream charger. The effect is not the same but a whole new texture. When the tiles are broken they are brittle, crisp, but have a fantastic velvety texture from the extra air in the chocolate.

Coconut, Peanut Butter, Lime, Rice

Coconut Ice Cream

2 quarts coconut milk
5 tablespoons cornstarch
8 ounces cream cheese
¼ teaspoon salt
4 cups heavy cream
3 cups sugar
½ cup corn syrup 

Mix cornstarch with a small amount of cream. Add all other ingredients to pot. Bring to a boil. Add cornstarch. Whisk to smooth out cream cheese. Continue to boil, stirring for 4 minutes. This allows the dairy to thicken and the extra moisture to evaporate.

Fill beakers to indentation with ice cream base. Freeze beakers overnight. Pacotize once releasing the air valve when blade has reached the bottom. Serve immediately for a soft ice cream or freeze for one hour for a firmer texture.

 Marshmallow Fluff

6 tablespoons water
1 1/4 cups light corn syrup
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
4 large egg whites
Pinch salt
Pinch cream of tartar

Beat egg white, cream of tarter, and salt to stiff peaks. Heat water, sugar, and corn syrup to 245f. With mixer on medium speed gradually add sugar to egg white. Continue beating for 3 minutes. 

Lime Fluff
1 cup marshmallow fluff
1 tablespoon lime zest
¼ teaspoon sea salt 

Fold all ingredients together.

 Peanut Butter Fluff
1 cup marshmallow fluff
½ cup natural peanut butter
 
Fold all ingredients together

Rice Crisp
3 cups rice crispies
1 cup coconut, toasted
1 cup peanut butter
2 cups marshmallow fluff 

Mix all ingredients together. Place in molds and freeze till service. Remove from freezer and let defrost for 5 minutes before serving.

Crisp Meringue
3 egg whites
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lime zest 

Preheat oven to 300f. Place all ingredients in Pacojet beaker. Using the whipping disk pacotize three times, releasing air after each cycle. Place on sheet pan with non stick line, spread evenly. Place sheet tray in oven and turn oven off. Check after 6 hours, should be crisp and slightly brown to white. Let sit at room temp for half hour. Break into shards. Keeps in airtight container for 5 days.

Lime Gel
450 grams lime juice
50 grams sugar
5 grams agar agar 

Whisk all ingredients together in a sauce pan. Bring to boil and boil for 2 minutes. Pour into Pacojet beaker. Chill in refrigerator till set. Using four cutter blade pacotize twice, releasing air after each cycle.

Whipped Coconut Milk
2 cups coconut milk
½ cup powdered sugar 

Place ingredients in Pacojet beaker. Using whipping disk pacotize 3 time, releasing air after each cycle.

Peanut Brittle
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1 cup peanuts
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon baking soda 

In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, over medium heat, bring to a boil sugar, corn syrup, salt, and water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in peanuts. Set candy thermometer in place, and continue cooking. Stir frequently until temperature reaches 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), or until a small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water separates into hard and brittle threads. Remove from heat; immediately stir in butter and baking soda; pour at once onto lined sheet pan. With 2 forks, lift and pull peanut mixture into rectangle about 14x12 inches; cool. Snap candy into pieces.

Coconut, Chocolate, Mint

Coconut Ice Cream
2 quarts coconut milk
5 tablespoons cornstarch
8 ounces cream cheese
¼ teaspoon salt
4 cups heavy cream
3 cups sugar
½ cup corn syrup 

Mix cornstarch with a small amount of cream. Add all other ingredients to pot. Bring to a boil. Add cornstarch. Whisk to smooth out cream cheese. Continue to boil, stirring for 4 minutes. This allows the dairy to thicken and the extra moisture to evaporate.

Fill beakers to indentation with ice cream base. Freeze beakers overnight. Pacotize once releasing the air valve when blade has reached the bottom. Serve immediately for a soft ice cream or freeze for one hour for a firmer texture.

Whipped Chocolate Tiles
2 pounds melted semi sweet chocolate 

Place chocolate in Pacojet beaker. Using whipping disk pacotize 3 time, releasing air after each cycle. Pour onto sheet pan, immediately freeze. After chocolate is harden break into shards. Store at room temperature.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cakes
3 eggs
2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups olive oil
1 ¼ cup buttermilk
¼ cup crème de menthe
2 ½ cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips. 

Whisk all ingredients till smooth. Bake at 350 degrees till set.

Coconut Mint Foam
2 cups coconut milk
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon menthol crystals
1 tablespoon soy Lecithin 

Heat all ingredients till sugar and menthol crystals are dissolved. Place mixture in Pacojet beaker with lecithin. Using whipping disk pacotize 3 time, releasing air after each cycle.

Cookie Crumbs
1 cup flour
¼ cup coco powder
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter
½ cup sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla

 Cream butter and sugar together. Add in egg and vanilla. Mix in all dry ingredients. Roll dough out on parchment to ¼ inch. Place on sheet pan and bake for 12 minutes. Allow to cool and break into small pieces.

 Chocolate Sauce
1 cup water
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup cream
1/4 cups coco powder 
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons corn syrup 

Add all ingredients to a sauce pan. Bring to boil and whisk. Boil for 6 minutes, whisk occasionally.

Smoked Ice cream

Over the last year desserts with a smoke flavor have become popular. I wanted to make a plan vanilla smoke ice cream and find the best way to impart a smoke flavor. From there you could add all types of flavors. I made my simple vanilla base (recipe at bottom) and tried several ways to impart smoke flavor.

Smoking the milk and cream

I cold smoke the milk and cream in a small electric smoker for two hours. I then made my base as usual and froze in beaker. When the base was spun it had a light smoke flavor and very pleasant after taste. 

Smoked the finished base

I prepared the vanilla base then chilled down to 40 degrees. I then cold smoked the base for two hours in an electric smoker. This had a stronger flavor and a hint of the wood flavor than smoking the cream and milk prior to preparing the base. The smoked flavor stayed on the pallet longer. I think this would be fantastic with a roasted pear dessert. Or smoke an alcohol flavored base.

Smoked the base using the smoking gun

I prepared the vanilla base and chilled to 40 degrees. I then added smoke to the beaker using the smoking gun from Poly Science and placed the lid on immediately. I then chilled in the refrigerator for 4 hours before freezing. This had the lightest smoke flavor out of the three natural smoked methods but still were present. I do not think the flavor would hold up on a plated dessert but would be nice in a single ice cream flavor or a savory intermezzo.

Liquid smoke

I generally do not like artificial flavoring agents and stir away from them but I realize not everyone has a smoker. I added 1/8 teaspoon of liquid smoke to the base.The flavor was smoky but the wood flavor was a little strong. I may try cutting back to just a few drops. I have to say this was my least favorite flavored method but not bad. In a pinch it would work.

Toasted Wood

I made my vanilla base. I took a piece of untreated wood and toasted it, not burned, with a blow torch, a cream brulee torch would work. Lolly pop sticks or wood skewers would work also. Then placed the wood in the beaker with bas and let sit for 8 hours before freezing. This was by far my favorite flavor. It was smoky, nutty, and had a great woodsy flavor. You can control the amount of smoke flavor by toasting more or less. Customize the wood used for different flavors also. I am going to try pear bourbon with cedar wood this week.

 Vanilla base

3 cups milk
1 cup cream
8 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla paste
pinch of salt