Chevy Chase Club is planning an “old meets new” theme for its seasonal pastry menu this holiday season.
There’s a new Executive Pastry Chef at Chevy Chase (Md.) Club, and she has big plans for the upcoming holiday season. Elena Clement, CEPC, AAC, will add signature touches to retro desserts for the club’s more than 2,500 members, with updated versions of classic sweets like peanut brittle, snickerdoodles and even Yule logs.
“When you build a holiday dessert menu, you have to think about the kinds of foods our mothers and grandmothers used to make,” Clement says. “Those desserts are a big part of the season for many of our members.
“But we don’t want to just recreate old-school recipes,” she continues. “We want to take them a step further.”
Clement plans to experiment with flavor combinations or techniques while staying true to the original dishes. For example, instead of making a traditional peanut brittle, she will feature a Rosemary Pecan Brittle made with a smooth, buttery Tuscan extra-virgin olive oil and infused with fragrant rosemary.
“The rosemary olive oil and sea salt offer a savory balance to this sweet brittle,” she notes.
In addition to preparing for the holidays, Clement—who previously worked as an instructor at Johnson & Wales University in Denver while also consulting—has spent the past ten months transforming Chevy Chase’s pastry operation to make more in-house items than ever before. Currently, she and her team make approximately 95% of the club’s pastry items from scratch.
“We’re not currently capable of producing bread, croissants and Danish for banquets, so those are purchased,” she says. “Our recipe book continues to grow, as we determine which recipes we really like and want to use.”
With each new dish, and especially during the holidays, Clement maintains her focus on simplicity and flavor. “There’s an expectation with nostalgic desserts,” she says. “While some members may be ready for an inspired take on a Yule log, it still has to remind them of a Yule log, or it will come across as too forced.”
Ultimately, Clement says, holiday dessert menus should balance contemporary touches with familiar flavors. “Start by changing one element—a crust, a topping, the presentation,” she suggests. “Then build from there.”
Planning ahead, especially for any specialty ingredients needed for old-school sweets, must be top of mind as well, she advises. “If you plan to purchase any retro candy for a show piece or even as an element or garnish for a dish, you need to order it by October—otherwise it might not be available,” she says,
And even clubs that don’t have pastry chefs can still offer plenty of modern takes on classic holiday desserts, Clement assures. “There are many recipes that are doable without a dedicated pastry shop,” she says. “It’s a matter of being creative and willing to try something new.”
