Plated desserts are tricky. Done well, they can be really elegant:



Done badly, they can look like the art deco movement pooped all over your plate. Or like Freud took a shift in the kitchen:



I'll admit that at the start of this class I kind of thought I'd be an instant genius at this shit. I mean, I went to art school! I eat out and make snobby comments about the food all the time! I can make up smart-sounding crap about balance and harmony IN MY SLEEP!

Turns out, like most things, it's a lot harder than it looks. Funny how that works.

Anyway, our final was today and we had to come up with four platings for some surprise ingredients, iron-chef style. We ended up getting pear, dark chocolate, mascarpone, and phyllo.

I made chocolate ice cream, caramelized pears, a mascarpone cream with creme fraiche, and did as little as possible with the phyllo because I hate working with it. Here is the evidence...I wish I'd gotten better shots but Chef was waiting and my ice cream was melting.









Chef's favorite was the one I thought was the goofiest. I guess I'll never be a plated dessert genius. Crepe stand here I come.