YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A PASTRY CHEF TO MAKE IT INTO HELL’S KITCHEN, BUT YOU DO NEED TO KNOW YOUR DESSERTS. THE RECIPES IN THIS CHAPTER WILL GUIDE YOU THROUGH THE SWEETEST OF ENDEAVORS WITH A GOAL OF PROVIDING A SOLID FOUNDATION IN RESTAURANT-QUALITY DESSERT MAKING.
YOU’LL START OUT WITH THE FRENCH CLASSIC CRÈME BRÛLÈE (HERE) AND LEARN HOW TO MAKE PIE CRUST FROM SCRATCH TO USE IN RECIPES INCLUDING DRUNKEN APPLE PIE (HERE) AND PASSION FRUIT TART (HERE). YOU’LL MAKE A PURIST’S NEW YORK-STYLE CHEESECAKE (HERE), AND YOU’LL GET FAMILIAR WITH THE ART OF CAKE BAKING (NO CAKE MIX FOR THE HELL’S KITCHEN CROWD!) WITH A LIGHT, FLUFFY COCONUT LAYER CAKE (HERE), CLASSIC RED VELVET CAKE WITH A TWIST (HERE), AND TWO TYPES OF CELEBRATION-WORTHY MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKE (HERE and HERE). AND THERE ARE THREE VARIATIONS ON PANNA COTTA (here TO HERE) THAT WILL WOW YOUR GUESTS WITH THEIR SIMPLE ELEGANCE. FROZEN TREATS INCLUDING THE OFFBEAT WHITE PEPPER ICE CREAM (HERE), EARTHY CINNAMON ICE CREAM (HERE), TANGY BUTTERMILK SHERBET (HERE), AND TWO GRANITAS (HERE and HERE) COMPLETE THE RECIPES AS A CROWNING TOUCH.
AS WITH THE ENTRE ES, MANY OF THESE DESSERTS ARE MADE UP OF MORE THAN ONE COMPONENT AND CAN TAKE SOME QUALITY KITCHEN TIME TO PUT TOGETHER. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT IF TIME IS SHORT OR SIMPLICITY IS YOUR OBJECTIVE, IT’S EASY TO PICK AND CHOOSE. FOR EXAMPLE, CINNAMON ICE CREAM, CARAMELIZED APPLES, AND WALNUT SABLE (HERE) CAN BE MADE WITHOUT THE SABLE, AND THE CHOCOLATE MOLTEN CAKE WITH MALTED MILK ICE CREAM AND MARCONA ALMOND BRITTLE (HERE) WILL STILL BE A SHOWSTOPPER WITHOUT THE BRITTLE. (OR, CONVERSELY, YOU CAN SNACK ON THE SABLE OR BRITTLE SOLO.) ICE CREAM, AS ANY HUMAN KNOWS, IS PERFECT ON ITS OWN, AND A HIGH-QUALITY, STORE-BOUGHT VARIETY IS PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE TO SCOOP OVER YOUR CAKE, PIE, OR THE LIKE. IT’S DESSERT, AFTER ALL-WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE?