Raw Dessert - Chocolate Cherry Tart

Composition of a well balanced plated dessert

A few points to consider:

As per the very first thing many chefs mention is ‘keep it simple’ which is quite true, let me elaborate through a practical example I dealt with. Being a trainee in a kitchen at the emperors palace kitchen is really hard work and in order to impress you have to show you can manage the work so this is what happened under the mentor ship of a pastry chef I was given 100 plated desserts to make for a evening function which of course I could handle. I decided to make a warm custard dessert with a layered jelly and fruit volcanoes which at the time was brilliant and the chef agreed.

Just before serving I plated the desserts and began adding the warm custard to the desserts, at which time the chef could not control himself from laughing, at the time I could not understand why until I viewed my plates and realized that the warm custard was melting the jelly and the plates were looking awful.

Some of the absolute best choices are just about any kind of fruit. Strawberries, bananas, blueberries and apples are some of the most filling fruit. Mix the fruit with a cup of low-fat yogurt for added calcium and acidophiles.

Combine flour, oats, almonds, nutmeg, and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it forms coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the crumbs over the top of the fruit mixture. Bake until the topping is light brown, about 25 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes.

NOTE: This recipe can easily be used by diabetics by substituting Splenda for the sugar in the berry mixture (this substitution will go unnoticed in this type of recipe) and replacing the brown sugar in the topping with 2 firmly packed tablespoons of Splenda brown sugar blend.

STRAWBERRIES AND ICE CREAM COOKIE CUPS

1/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted
3 tbsps sugar
1 egg white

2 tbsps flour
1 tbsp butter, melted
1 pint French vanilla ice cream

1 pint fresh strawberries, washed and hulled

1/3 cup seedless strawberry preserves

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a baking sheet.

Height and size Always a classic when sitting in a nice restaurant and your dessert is being placed on the table and it has fallen over, I always use to believe that it was the waiters negligence that tipped the dessert over until I became a chef, now I blame incompetent chefs who compile magnificent desserts but do not evaluate its practicality.

1. Keep desserts at a realistic height, at a height where it may stand without having to feel like you balancing a pin on your finger.
2. and if you looking to give it super height use a steady base such as fruit, or piped chocolate.
3. and of course do not allow your dessert to be so big it takes up the entire plate, ensure proper portioning.

Drop 2 mounds of batter (1/4 of the batter each) 3-inches apart on the greased baking sheet. Spread each mound into a 4 1/2-inch circle. Bake 7 minutes or until brown around the edges. Remove from the pan with a metal spatula. Drape each over one of the glasses. Allow the baking sheet to cool, then repeat the entire process.

Using a small scoop, drop 12 balls of ice cream onto a baking sheet with sides that has been lined with waxed paper. Place the sheet in the freezer.

Into a small bowl, slice the strawberries. Stir in the strawberry preserves. Puree 3/4 cup of the mixture in a food processor until smooth.

To assemble and serve: Divide the puree by fourths onto 4 dessert plates. Place a cookie cup in the center of each plate. Fill each cup with 3 of the ice cream balls and top with remaining sliced berries.