Chefs frequently turn to grandma's dessert recipes to showcase exciting and indulgent new flavors. Coconut, Guinness, sour cream, guandbana, thyme, ginger, chipotle, bourbon and miso are just some of the ingredients now appearing in classic dessert formats. Reinventing recognizable desserts from the past, such as whoopie pies, cupcakes, bread pudding and apple pie, using foreign flavors, mixes nostalgia with adventure. Recently, chefs have been changing the original desserts and flavoring them with different, exotic flavors. The whoopie pie, for example, can be made many ways; from the original chocolate and cream filling to butterscotch toffee or red velvet with cream cheese. These changes give consumers updated flavors in a recognizable way.

Loving Latin FlavorsBringing Home the Bacon (Dessert)The bacon revolution shows up in the dessert scene in bacon ice cream, bacon dark chocolate bars and even bacon Bananas Foster. The salty, umami notes of bacon give desserts a unique burst of savory flavor that satisfies both sweet and salty palates. Olive oil in desserts has been popular, as well. Cakes baked with different olive oils offer unique flavors and moist texture. The spring desserts section of Bon Appetit online features an olive oil couscous cake made with creme fraiche and date syrup. These three savory ingredients (olive oil, couscous and creme fraiche) combine with the sweet date syrup to make a delicious and interesting dessert profile. Savory herbs and spices are also making their way into desserts. White pepper creme brulee pairs well with basil and thyme. Basil, with its clean, fresh flavor, can be used in lemon custard parfaits with basil tuile cups, and thyme also goes well with fruit, such as thyme-roasted pears.Deconstructing the Traditional© 2010 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.Coconut, a flavor found in established desserts, like macaroons and coconut cream pie, is now being utilized in coconut rice pudding with crispy coconut shavings, coconut flans and fruit parfaits with coconut sponge cake. The spice cardamom is used at Hot Chocolate in their Banana Brioche Bread Pudding, banana sherbet, malted liquid butterscotch, cardamom cream and a banana cake canolli. Spices from around the world are great flavors to incorporate into desserts, as well as specific fruits and staple ingredients of other nations.In celebration of the launch of online ordering, Tart is offering 15% off all orders placed online. The promotion is available for the months of June and July, 2010 using the code grandopening at checkout.(1) Requires an internet connection to the printer. Feature works with any internet-and e-mail capable device. Print times may vary. For details, www.hp.com/go/ePrintCenter.www.PreparedFoods.com--Type "dessert trends" in the search field for a plethora of articles on the latest trends in dessertsExecutive Pastry Chef Kristen Massad opened Tart Bakery in Dallas in 2004, after honing her skills at the French Culinary Institute in New York. The award-winning bakery combines Massad’s sophisticated talents and desire to make the freshest-tasting desserts with style. Tart is known for its made-from-scratch desserts including Whoopie Pies, cupcakes, cookies, cake balls, tartlets, cake, brownies and more. Tart also serves gluten-free and vegan desserts. For more information or to place an order visit TartBakeryDallas.com. Follow Tart on Twitter or join its fan page on Facebook.Everyone who has a photo taken with Santa Claus will receive a free chocolate or pumpkin whoopie pie from popular New York City mobile bakery truck, Sweetery.In addition to the items available for purchase in store and online, Tart Bakery offers a wide selection of gourmet desserts, birthday cakes, wedding cakes and appetizers for custom order. Tart also has unique gifts and provides consulting services for planning weddings, parties and corporate events.Another important classic dessert is, of course, chocolate. A dessert connoisseur's favorite, chocolate has been paired with different fruit flavors for as long as one can think, but now chocolate is paired with every kind of flavor. One example is the chipotle Mexican chocolate bar, which combines the spicy zing of peppers with dark chocolate. Other important flavors that have recently been coupled with chocolate include cardamom, Earl Grey tea, red pepper flakes, orange zest and cinnamon. Remember the drink, Ovaltine? Blackbird in Chicago is making a milk chocolate ganache containing Ovaltine, sesame and banana bread ice cream.Liquor has long been used in many dessert applications and is increasingly seen in the sweet and savory profiles of today's dessert menus, as chefs experiment with beer, liquor and wine to create bold and inviting applications. Beer is a common baking ingredient, because the carbonation affects texture. Stouts and other heavy, dark beers with hints of coffee flavors have found their way into ice cream floats, while sour beers are being coupled with tangy fruit to create exciting new gelato flavors. Bread pudding has virtually been reinvented using Guinness. Another amazing creation is house-baked brioche, using Guinness and Valrhona milk chocolate with Jameson caramel sauce. At Sona in Los Angeles, pastry chefs are making chocolate beignets using oatmeal stout and honey ice cream atop a beer waffle. Tecate cake is light, fluffy and moist, because of the carbonated Mexican beer that is used. Sweet and savory combinations in desserts tantalize the palate and keep the taste buds satisfied.The addition of online ordering accompanies a re-design of the bakery’s Web site including the launch of a new blog that features photos, a cake of the week and seasonal specials. The online shopping site has a user-friendly layout with color photos and detailed descriptions.HP ePrint is an innovative technology that allows users to print from any email-capable device including mobile phones. (1) Simply send photos or documents to an HP ePrint printer and pick up the pages later. No software setup is required.To round out its selection, Tart recently added appetizers to its menu. Tart’s appetizers include affordable bite-size quiches, crostini, tea sandwiches, dips and spreads, each from $2.50 to $4.50 per person. The bakery also introduced hors d’oeuvres for $4.50 per person, including:

Chef Katie Nicholas does work for Charlie Baggs Inc. He operates an international product development company from Lincoln Park, Chicago. For more information, visit www.charlie baggsinc.com.

Author: Charlie Baggs, Katie Nicholas