Every year in New York City, Dessert Professional magazine celebrates its picks for the Top Ten Pastry Chefs in America. The definitive list, now in its twenty-second year, honors some of the most talented pastry chefs in America, as well as inspiring all pastry professionals to strive to ever higher levels of creativity and technical mastery. At La Venue in NYC, the exuberant honorees presented a walk-around tasting that left no doubt as to why they were tapped for this year's prestigious honor.
Check out this slideshow for a peek into the exclusive industry event, held each year in June, and join us in congratulating these super hard-working chefs who give it their all to give us all our favorite treats, sweets!
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Jimmy Leclerc, Ladurée
Jimmy Leclerc's "Diva"There was no mistaking the flavors in this pretty presentation of Tahitian vanilla macaron with Tahitian vanilla cream, slices of fresh strawberry, wild strawberry crème légère, soft vanilla-almond biscuit soaked with vanilla syrup. The decoration included Tahitian vanilla cream, wild strawberry crème légère, fresh wild strawberry, gold leaf, and white chocolate.(Photo Regina Varolli)
Jimmy Leclerc, Ladurée
Ladurée’s Jimmy Leclerc sets up the dessert buffet table, including a selection of macarons, while his team photographs the spread.(Photo Regina Varolli)
Thomas Raquel, Le Bernardin
Thomas Raquel's "Strawberry" was a cool, refreshing burst of flavors and textures comprised of caramelized honey custard, elderflower scented strawberries, seared Japanese cheesecake, strawberry jus, basil purée, frozen strawberry foam and Thai basil.
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Thomas Raquel, Le Bernardin
Thomas Raquel of the Michelin three-star Le Bernardin in NYC serves up his “Strawberry” to guests, the vapors from the liquid nitrogen-frozen strawberry foam wafting up from the cups. (Photo Regina Varolli)
Thiago Silva, EMM Group
Thiago Silva's "The Passion Fruit" was a cleverly concocted dessert with passion fruit mousse, très lèches cake, passion fruit curd, kuro chocolate soil, liquid milk chocolate center, and chocolate branches.(Photo Regina Varolli)
Thiago Silva, EMM Group
Thiago Silva, a Food Network Chopped champion and C-CAP alum, sets out his plated passion fruit dessert.(Photo Regina Varolli)
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Zac Young, David Burke Group
Zac Young's playful sweet and savory Maple Bacon Bourbon Donuts(Photo Regina Varolli)
Zac Young, David Burke Group
Zac Young fused sweet, savory and slightly spicy with his pulled pork sliders on flaky house made jalapeño biscuits.(Photo Regina Varolli)
Lisa Bailey, D Bar
Lisa Bailey's Texas-style "Peaches and Cream"This delicate and light dessert consisted of buttermilk Panna Cotta with roasted Frog Hallow Farm Peaches marinated in lavender and rosemary-infused honey, pecan crumble and white peach sorbet.(Photo Regina Varolli)
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Lisa Bailey, D Bar
Lisa Bailey (center) and hubby Keegan Gerhard, a former Top Ten honoree (left of Lisa) celebrate with the D Bar team from San Diego and Denver.(Photo Regina Varolli)
William Werner, Craftsman & Wolves
William Werner's beautiful Blueberry, Earl Grey and Hazelnut Tarte was a mini version with a creative twist on a classic fruit tart with Earl Grey black tea, bergamot, blueberries, and caramelized hazelnuts tossed in sugar and yogurt powder (right). Yuzu, Coffee and Coconut Tart (left) with coffee namelaka, yuzu gel, and caramelized coconut.(Photo Regina Varolli)
William Werner, Craftsman & Wolves
William Werner's Raspberry Pâtes de Fruits (center)(Photo Regina Varolli)
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Maura Methany, Norman Love Confections
Maura Methany's Peanut Butter, Chocolate and Caramel Crunch Cake was a rich flourless chocolate cake composed of peanut butter-chocolate crisp, peanut butter cream with poached candied peanuts, peanut butter mousse and caramel mousse, served with a dark chocolate peanut butter macaron and vanilla caramel.(Photo Regina Varolli)
Maura Methany, Norman Love Confections
Maura Methany of Norman Love Confections arranges her Peanut Butter, Chocolate and Caramel Crunch cakes below a wide array of beautiful chocolate bonbons.(Photo Regina Varolli)
Miroslav Uskokovic, Gramercy Tavern
Miroslav Uskokovic's Strawberry and Wild Rose Cake Donuts were paired with fresh strawberry and vanilla bean milk.(Photo Regina Varolli)
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Miroslav Uskokovic, Gramercy Tavern
Miroslav Uskokovic pauses from mixing up batches of fresh strawberry and vanilla bean milk to smile for the camera. Also shown are his triple chocolate chunk cookies.(Photo Regina Varolli)
Salvatore Martone, Atelier Joel Robuchon
Salvatore Martone's "Forêt Noire” was an adorable rendition of a Black Forest cake with Kirsch chantilly, chocolate cremeux, cherry fromage blanc mousse and brandied griottes in pistachio powder.(Photo Regina Varolli)