Petite desserts prove that good things do indeed come in small packages.
Tiny is still a big thing, at least when it comes to desserts. From donut walls to mini cupcakes, pastry kitchens have been busily transforming their menus to make room for more bite-sized sweets. While the pandemic may have fueled the craze for to-go desserts (packaged for easy transport), the precipitous drop-off in banquet business also prompted pastry chefs to rethink their offerings and concentrate on more travel-friendly creations. The result is a steady stream of petite desserts that make a tremendous statement all on their own.
Small But Mighty
For Pastry Chef Amelia Cottrell at Evansville (Ind.) Country Club, crafting a petite dessert does not mean compromising quality. “I think it makes the dining experience truly indulgent to eat something that looks whole rather than a portion of it,” she says. Ever since Cottrell started working at the club five months ago, she quickly made a name for herself as the first pastry chef to offer custom orders—a skill she has been perfecting with petite desserts.
When pondering what defines a mini pastry, Cottrell immediately thinks of petit fours, usually consumed in one to two bites. More recently, she has been able to experiment with her a la carte menu, adding a Neapolitan macaron flight (topped with a vanilla, chocolate and strawberry cookie), which has been well-received. Other additions include individual cobblers served in ramekins typically reserved for crème brulee and five-inch bourbon pecan pies.
On the banquet pastry side, Cottrell has noticed macarons becoming more popular over the last five years and she has also embraced the macaron tower movement. “I think [they] have the potential to be extremely elegant,” she says, adding that she does not shy away from any trends in particular. “If I’m feeling reluctant about someone’s vision, I just try my best to make it better than what I’ve personally seen.”
While presentation is important when it comes to dessert prep, Cottrell believes that adding pops of color is essential to creating visual appeal. Her go-to technique involves metallic edible paint that is reconstituted with clear alcohol and decorated on macarons and eclairs. “You can do a classic paint swipe, a Jackson Pollock splatter, a monogram for personalization…there are so many possibilities,” she says.
Mini Desserts as Menu Mainstay
Petite pastries have been part of Executive Pastry Chef Nguyet Nguyen’s repertoire for several years. While she has been heading up the bakery at the Philadelphia (Pa.) Country Club for the past three and one-half years, Nguyen previously served as the assistant pastry chef at the Houston (Texas) Country Club for seven years where petite desserts were a regular fixture at Sunday brunch. “Every week was a challenge to try new techniques, recipes, and/or ingredients,” she says, adding that her pastry team developed seven different mini offerings for each setup.
Given her consistent experience with this type of pastry, Nguyen does not look upon petite desserts as a passing fancy. “I don’t think of [it] as a trend that resulted from the pandemic; it’s been around and will be around for the long haul,” she states. Rather than steering away from any of the more popular offerings, Nguyen follows a two-fold approach to her creations: consulting her guests’ requests and then tapping into her own ideas. “I just let my creativity go wild, keeping in mind what products I can use in-house and what I would like to try,” she explains.
Among Nguyen’s more memorable petite desserts are mini cupcakes topped with marzipan pink cowgirl hats and cow horns for a cowgirl-themed party, along with macarons featuring a painted Chanel logo. While garnishes and decorative elements vary based on the dessert’s main component, she is a fan of finishing off a mini dessert simply with either fresh fruit, crunchy chocolate pearls, or chocolate decorations in colors that correlate with the dessert’s main flavor.
Since PCC has been able to resume its buffet service, Nguyen recently incorporated petite desserts into the Easter and Mother’s Day menus. The club’s banquet menu, which includes the pastry chef’s choice of petite desserts, is another outlet that lets her flex her creative muscles. “It gives me the opportunity to select my own ingredients and experiment with new recipes or decorations in small batches,” she notes.
A Lasting Impression
Concocting a petite dessert often comes with lofty expectations, as is the case for Pastry Chef William Racin at Duquesne Country Club in Pittsburgh, Pa. “Being such a small package, petite desserts have a tremendous responsibility to make a lasting impact on the consumer,” he says. Having honed his skills at the club for the past 12 years—along with stints at high-end hotels and inns—Racin has kept a close eye on petite dessert trends in numerous environments.
Defining a mini dessert as one that can be eaten in 2-3 bites, Racin concentrates on incorporating bold flavors and a variety of textures into his finished product. He believes that the pandemic gave rise to this category because of its ease of portability for members dining at home. “I would imagine that people became much more health-conscious, so something small with great flavor could satisfy a sweet tooth without breaking the bank in the calorie department,” he notes.
When showcased at the club for banquet service, petite desserts work well for easy replenishing and in turn, promote efficient operations. Racin favors their small lids for maintaining freshness and reducing the chance for cross-contamination. Speaking of food safety, he believes that dessert displays like doughnut walls, s’mores stations and chocolate dipping stations will become less common, while mason jar desserts and mini cupcakes will remain popular for their appeal and theme-based style. Although Racin affirms that trends, in general, come and go, it is the mastery of his colleagues who will continue to drive ingenuity and innovation. “There are so many talented pastry chefs in this industry that are always pushing the creative direction into uncharted waters. I think that is a great thing,” he says.
With flavor and texture reigning supreme when preparing a memorable finale, Racin also considers his customer and how best to please them and their party. On occasion, he adds a personal touch by incorporating a company logo or a coordinated color scheme—something that is enjoyed by both the consumer and those creating it.
Finding ways to showcase new and different petite dessert ideas has been a challenge for many clubs this past year, but Racin and his staff have been able to tap into their creativity via other F&B events like wine and spirit tastings. “We develop desserts that complement the tasting without overpowering subtle notes of the wine/spirit,” he says. “As banquet and a la carte business increase, more opportunities for small desserts are presenting themselves.”