A Real Dessert

I don't usually like to write about things I make at work but I'm just tickled pink with my new dessert and it seems like everyone else is too. If you know me then you know that I'm not a huge fan of sweets, in fact I pretty much don't ever feel the desire to go out and buy a cookie or a piece of cake or any other baked goods. To me a dessert needs to have different elements, it needs to be sensual and sorry but cakes and cookies just don't turn me on.

So what different about this? Let's start with what's in it. The base is a jaconde which is essentially an almond sponge cake. The sponge cake is topped with dried black mission figs that I poached in wild flower honey, vanilla and water until the liquid was thick and syrupy. Next is the custard and I'm not talking about that powder stuff you get in a can, this one is the real deal made with eggs, egg yolk and milk. I added sheet gelatin to the custard once it cooled a bit so that it would set and hold it's shape but still be melt in your mouth creamy. The final layer is a crunchy sweet crumble made out of what most people consider a mistake... burnt white chocolate. Yup that's right all you need to do is throw your white chocolate chips on a cookie sheet and bake them for about 10 minutes until they're golden brown, run them through a food processor and voila!

There you have it 5 different elements, the soft spongy cake, the syrupy sweetness of the honey, the chewy figs, the creamy custard and the crunchy white chocolate crumble.

I'm bettin a cookie doesn't sound so good now does it ?