OPPOSITE PAGE : SARAH KING PHOTOGRAPHY ; THIS PAGE , CLOCKWISE , FROM TOP : COURTESY OF SURF & SAND RESORT ; COURTESY OF MONTAGE LAGUNA BEACH ; COURTESY OF OLIVER ’ S OSTERIA
Clockwise , from above : apple tatin at Splashes Restaurant ; pear mille-feuille at The Loft ; Tiramisu a Modo Mio at Oliver ’ s Osteria
MODERN EUROPEAN CLASSICS As you savor a scoop of the Tiramisu A Modo Mio from Oliver ’ s Osteria , the flavors of the milk chocolate fingerling cookies , mascarpone cream , espresso and dark chocolate flakes blend together in a sweet harmony that is heavenly . The sweetness of the cream offsets the bitterness of the espresso , and the sponge cake melts in your mouth . It is an Italian masterpiece .
Oliver ’ s Osteria owner and Executive Chef Erik De Marchi , who was born and raised in Imola , Italy , uses a recipe that is different from most tiramisu . Instead of using basic ladyfingers , he makes his own cookie in house using a simple process , then assembles the ingredients to make a light , rich and flavorful dessert . This signature dessert is offered year-round ; it ’ s served on a rectangular ceramic plate and dusted with chocolate .
“ I love tiramisu , always have , but wanted to make my own unique version ,” De Marchi says . “ The flavors are very traditional , but I created something a bit more special , since we make the cookies … in-house for this dessert . I think anything chocolate and coffee work well together , but it ’ s how it ’ s prepared and plated that make the difference .”
For a classic French pastry with a modern twist , try the pear mille-feuille at The Loft at Montage Laguna Beach . The name means “ a thousand sheets ” since it is typically made with layers of puff pastry ( it is also known as a napoleon ). Executive Pastry Chef Lee Smith of Montage Laguna Beach makes a version that is a bit deconstructed . Ingredients include puff pastry that is used as a base and then filled with pears in various preparations , along with yuzu and lemon grass creams , finished with a house-made brown sugar-pear ice cream . The components are made separately and then assembled to order to ensure the pastry is crisp and all the elements are fresh and vibrant . Notably , Chinese five spice seasoning is incorporated into the pear puree , which is turned into a gel and piped onto the dessert .
“ The inspiration was searching for a way to present pears in their best light by using a modern take on a classic dessert , while infusing some more unusual but complementing flavors ,” Smith says .
“ Pear is not a strong flavor , so we try to concentrate the essence in a variety of ways , such as compressing them with an ‘ eau de vie poire ’—[ a clear pear brandy ]— to strengthen the flavor ; pureeing and lightly setting them into a gel ; poaching with a little vanilla ; and of course adding fresh pears of different varieties . The supporting flavors , such as the acidic yuzu and herbal lemon grass , further complement and support the pear .”
Another fruit option is the apple tatin with caramel chocolate mousse and cookie butter crunch , served with bourbon-vanilla bean gelato at Splashes Restaurant inside Surf & Sand Resort . It ’ s a play on the classic apple tarte tatin . To prepare , Honeycrisp apples are cooked with caramel and cream until tender , then gelatin is added and the mixture is cast into a cylinder mold and frozen . Next , a vanilla sponge cake is made and a caramel chocolate mousse is created from Cacao Barry caramelized white chocolate .
To assemble , the sponge cake and mousse are layered together and cut into a bar , then the apple gelatin is added on top before the whole thing is covered with a glaze and placed on a speculoos cookie , which is a mix of rice cereal and feuilletine ( tiny pieces of dried crepes ), chocolate , speculoos cookie butter and cocoa butter . It ’ s plated with the scoop of gelato and rib cage chocolate decor from a Valrhona Almond Inspiration couverture , which has a higher percentage of cocoa butter than chocolate for baking or eating .
And , if you love breakfast for dessert , don ’ t miss out on the authentic Belgian waffles at Brussels Bistro , sprinkled with powdered sugar with the option of adding a scoop of ice cream . Or walk by the streetside pastry case at C ’ est La Vie and you ’ ll find a variety of colorful pastries and desserts that you will be
LAGUNA BEACH MAGAZINE 45