This recipe by Natasha Capper, CEPC, Executive Pastry Chef of Piedmont Driving Club, is the ultimate soldier in her dessert portfolio’s army.
Born out of necessity, the Belgian Chocolate Masterpiece by Natasha Capper, CEPC, Executive Pastry Chef, Piedmont Driving Club (PDC) in Atlanta, Ga., is the ultimate soldier in her dessert portfolio’s army.
“It serves a ton of purposes,” she says. “About two years ago, we reworked our banquet menu and needed to develop a dish that was universally pleasing.”
Banquets at Piedmont Driving Club average upwards of 300 guests, with hosts who often choose just one dessert for their menus. “When you have to pick the same dish for that many guests, you go either chocolate or vanilla,” Capper says.
The Belgian Chocolate Masterpiece starts with a timbale made from layers of bittersweet chocolate mousse, chocolate brownie and chocolate cake, and then glazed in chocolate. It’s plated with raspberry sauce, a white chocolate Chantilly cream and a chocolate cigarette.
“The presentation is really impressive and always leaves hosts feeling very proud of the club,” says Capper, who has been with PDC for 21 years. “To plate, we set up a production line where the first person is responsible for the chocolate gel and comb. The next person drops the timbale. The next person adds the chocolate crumb, and the last person adds the raspberry sauce and quenelle. The plates are then held in the cooler until service.”
The result is a dessert that is both practical and immensely productive.