Oklahoma City G&CC has dozens of decadent ways to satisfy members who crave the rich, creamy taste of pudding, custard and mousse.
Puddings, mousses and custards conjure up lots of nostalgia—but they’re also powerful parts of pastry programs in clubs across the country.
At Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club (OCG&CC) in Nichols Hills, Okla., Executive Pastry Chef Toni Jones, who has been with the club for four years, relies on these creamy sweets for dozens of desserts that are both modern and traditional.
“Chocolate mousse is something we always have on hand, and we do a million different things with it,” she says.
Made by pouring crème anglaise over high-quality chocolate, Jones uses an immersion blender to achieve a smooth consistency with her ganache. From there, she does a soft whip on heavy cream until peaks form. She folds the cream into the ganache, then pipes and chills. Once set, its potential is limitless.
“Members always want something really chocolaty and dense for banquets, so mousse bombs are one of our most popular applications,” says Jones.
The bombs feature a shiny outer chocolate shell that caps a dense chocolate cake on the bottom. Inside the dome, Jones pipes in flavored homemade mousse.
“We’ve done chocolate, passion fruit, raspberry, caramel and even lemon,” she says. “They’re about the size of a baseball, so they’re very satisfying for members and guests. Plus, they can be made ahead and held until service, so they’re great from an execution standpoint [see photo, above].”
Compared to mousse, which is lighter and fluffier, pudding has a more semi-solid consistency. At OCG&CC, puddings are used primarily in parfaits or on buffets. But from time to time, they also make the cut for the dessert menu, which features three contemporary desserts, two old-fashioned desserts, five house-made ice creams, five house-made sorbets, and brandy ice.
“We’ve done coconut, lemon, chocolate and even a Girl Scout Cookie pudding,” says Jones, who serves the creamy treat in a glass soup bowl, to play up its natural beauty. “We just did a caramelized banana pudding with a rum shot that went over really well.”
Custards, panna cottas and crème brûlées are also popular at OCG&CC.
“Everyone loves crème brûlée and panna cotta,” says Jones. “They’re recognizable and flexible. They allow you to incorporate seasonal flavors without dramatically changing what makes them classic.”
This fall, Jones will feature a pumpkin crème brûlée—her all-time favorite application—as well as others that will rotate through to keep the menu fresh and exciting.
“We’ll probably do a coffee crème brûlée and maybe a chocolate one, too,” she says. “The beauty of crème brûlées and other types of creamy desserts is that they can be both classic and modern in the same bite.”
