2am:dessertbar at Holland Village - The Making of Cassia Plum

Cassia Plum - this dessert is designed and created by Pastry Chef Janice Wong of 2am:dessertbar at Holland Village, and is made with core ingredients : Choya, Yuzu, yogurt, Raspberry, Bamboo Shoot.

We have 2am:dessertbar Pastry Chef Carmen Rueda from Spain to demonstrate and explain how to make this dessert.

How it is prepared - The bottom of this dessert is first lined with Choya gelatin crystals. They are made using light gelatin with Choya and frozen in order for the crystals to form. The crystals are prepared the night before use. 

To the frozen plum mousse chassis is added some crispy white rice at the base. The white rice is prepared by first popping it, then raspberry powder and white chocolate are added to give it a pinkish color.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Note : Foams have become in recent times a popular Molecular Gastronomy technique where natural flavors are mixed with gel or stabilizing agents (agar, lecithin) and extruded through a whipped cream canister equipped with N2O cartridges, resulting in formation of foam that serve to integrate new flavor. Usually espuma (thermo whip) is used to create these foams.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The  espuma or thermo whip used here by Chef Carmen contains mixture of flour, Choya and yogurt. The foam or mousse extruded from the espuma is piped into the frozen plum mousse chassis. On top of the frozen chassis is placed a gelatin Choya layer. 

Around the base are placed bamboo shoot bits that are made by : soaking the bamboo shoot in Choya, drying them, finally adding sugar to the dried bamboo shoot bits. 

This is followed by adding Raspberry bits at the base on top of the Choya gelatin crystals. Finally liquer dressing is drizzled around the frozen plum mousse chassis to complete the dessert. The smell of the liquer is pretty intense. 

Food Tasting Notes : The popped rice at the base of the frozen plum chassis tastes sweet whilst lending a crisp crunchy texture, the yogurt mousse within the plum chassis is flavored with a tinge of Choya. The raspberry flavored frozen plum chassis has a moderate sourly sweetness with a smooth melt in your mouth texture. The Choya flavor comes  out strongly in the Choya gelatin crystals at the base of the chassis. The raspberry bits provide a strong after taste of sourly sweetness. The most intense liquer smell comes from the liquer dressing that garnishes the sides of this dessert. All in all a refreshing flavor and a pure delight for any dessert lover ! 

2am:dessertbar is located at 21A Lorong Liput, Holland Village, Singapore 277733, and is open Monday to Saturday from 6pm to 2am. 

For reservations please call +65 6291 9727 or email at 2amdessertbar@gmail.com