Desserts are a fusion of science and artistry
As a food writer, I’ve had the immense joy (and let’s be honest, expanding waistline) of dining in restaurants that boast menus spanning nearly every corner of the globe. While I haven’t physically globe-trotted to taste them all, my taste buds have certainly done the rounds.
And without a doubt, the crowning glory of any meal is always the dessert. Since moving to Cork, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting some truly gifted pastry chefs, and one thing is clear—they are artists in every sense of the word.
Recently, I attended an award ceremony at Johnston Estate, where the dinner was exquisite, but it was the dessert that truly stole my heart. Inspired by the humble Jaffa cake, it featured a luscious orange chocolate mousse alongside an orange-infused honeycomb that was nothing short of divine. Normally, I can take or leave honeycomb, but in this case, I would have gladly taken a bucketful home.
As is my habit when encountering a spectacular dish, I immediately set out to recreate it at home. My vision? A chocolate dome filled with rich chocolate mousse and an orange jelly centre, all resting atop a delicate sponge base.
Simple enough, I thought—after all, I’d tackled similar desserts before. The challenge, however, lay in the orange jelly. The classic Jaffa cake packs a punch of citrus, whereas my version, while texturally perfect, lacked the intensity of flavour I was aiming for.
Pro tip: the secret to a good jelly is balancing the gelatine—too much and you’re one wobble away from making a bouncy ball.
So, back to the drawing board I went! But as I refined my recipe, I couldn’t help but marvel at the extraordinary skill of pastry chefs who not only dream up such creations but execute them flawlessly.
Of course, by the time a dessert makes it onto a restaurant menu, it has been tested, tweaked, and perfected to an art form, but the amount of knowledge required—about texture, flavour, and presentation—is astounding.
While I was fairly pleased with the look of my dessert, the jelly still needs work. Round two awaits!
At a recent meet-up with my friend Kate—an incredible chef in her own right—she introduced me to the work of Reynold Poernomo, an Australian MasterChef finalist and bona fide dessert genius.
His book ‘The Dessert Game’ immediately caught my attention, and I’ve been on a mission to hunt down a copy ever since. Divided into three sections based on skill level, it breaks down each recipe into components, making even the most complex dishes approachable. Just flipping through the pages, I already had a shortlist of four desserts I was itching to make.
What I admire most about chefs like Poernomo is their seamless fusion of science and artistry. Desserts aren’t just about sugar; they’re a delicate balance of temperature, texture, and contrast. The best ones linger on your palate, offering a moment of pure bliss.
And let’s be honest—when you’re indulging in something so masterfully crafted, calories cease to exist (at least, that’s what I tell myself). Desserts like these aren’t just food; they’re experiences. They nourish the soul, if not the waistline. Life is far too short to deny yourself a spoonful of something truly extraordinary.