Single-origin chocolate is made from beans cultivated from one region or even one farm. Chocolate companies often blend Criollo with Forastero and Trinitario beans to produce high-quality chocolate and, eventually, desserts. There is no standard or rule regarding what types of chocolates are best used in specific kinds of desserts. Part of the artistic and creative freedom enjoyed by pastry chefs comes with choosing chocolate from different types of beans that pair well with the other flavors in the dessert.
At Galaxy, we favor Schokinag and Callebaut chocolates for our desserts. The Schokinag extra-bittersweet chocolate in our whiskey-accented sabayon Chocolate Ribbon Mousse Cake and our orange-flavored Grand Sequoia Mousse Cake gives these particular cakes a focused, intense, distinctively dark-chocolate flavor. Mousses and cakes can contain anywhere from 20% to 50% chocolate. This flavor intensity is balanced by the mousse-based texture, resulting in a rich, but light, dessert. The relationship between flavor and texture is one that I am constantly thinking about.
Prevailing trends
Several exciting developments are currently occurring in chocolate desserts trends. The first is adapting desserts to specific geographic regions. Deciding what flavors to pair with different chocolates is not a science, but rather an art. It is all about creativity and experimentation. For example, in New Orleans, a molten chocolate lava cake might be crafted with either a spicier, Mexican-style chocolate, or spiced with red pepper. Regional flairs and customizations can also be expressed in plating techniques. In Asian restaurants, green tea ice cream often accompanies the lava cake, while in classic American restaurants you’ll see either vanilla ice cream, crème anglaise or fresh seasonal berries.
The second trend is a move toward mini-desserts, or dessert samplers, where, consumers can sample variety and also feel indulged, without excessive calories. Two years ago, I noticed shot-glass-style desserts were becoming a trend in France. I returned inspired to use my expertise in mousse production and manufacturing to develop a line of mousse cups, dubbed Duos. They are comprised of two complementary mousse flavors, such as bittersweet and coffee chocolate mousse, or raspberry and lemon.
I am currently working on creating different flavors of French macarons. Though a staple in Europe, French macarons—typically almond-accented cookies sandwiching a filling, like ganache—are relatively new to Americans, and the texture, both crunchy and chewy, combined with the range of flavors we are currently manufacturing, speaks to many of the current chocolate dessert trends.
Another trend is the combination of savory and sweet flavors in the same dessert, such as chocolate and spicy chiles. Macarons are adaptable to savory-sweet combinations. For example, a spicy apricot chutney should go well with a chocolate macaron.
I recently was in France and had a perfect dark-chocolate-ganache candy with just the right quantity of sea salt as a decorative touch. The flavors complemented one another perfectly.