Modern Romance Pump Room's Pastry Chef Fashions Sleek, Modern Desserts
Courtesy of The Chicago Tribune Magazine

Modern Romance Pump Room's Pastry Chef Fashions Sleek, Modern Desserts

At the Pump Room, they still make a big deal of the Baked Alaska--that old Dessert Hall of Fame classic--but more and more of the desserts coming from the pastry kitchen there have a sleek, modern look.

Among them: An artful presentation of a frozen banana souffle, an upmarket version of the root-beer float made with champagne ice cream and champagne, a beautiful cone of chocolate filled with espresso mousse and mascarpone floating on a shiny lake of espresso sauce. This last dessert, one customer suggested, should be photographed and hung on the wall among the celebrity photos.

These eye-catching, terrific-tasting desserts are made by Debbie Phillips an irrepressibly enthusiastic Englishwoman of 29 who has been cooking in Chicago for the last six years.

A line cook before she turned to pastry, Phillips is characteristically upbeat in discussing her work.

"I love what I do," she says. "It's exciting to me because more people are ordering dessert and they are more conscious of the options. They want more than just the chance to taste flourless chocolate cake."

With the glamorous Pump Room as a backdrop and many customers of long standing, she balances her cutting-edge presentations with classics such as apple strudel and creme brulee with berries. But Phillips leaves the excessive, death-by-chocolate approach to others.

"In fact, I'm making my desserts a little lighter these days," she says, "and I don't do anything intensely chocolate."

No one seems to mind.

For home bakers, she offers the desserts that follow.

DEBBIE PHILLIPS' FROZEN BANANA SOUFFLE (SIMPLIFIED VERSION)

Four to six servings

  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 2 large, ripe bananas
  • 2 cups mascarpone cheese+
  • 1/2 cup chopped semisweet chocolate (optional)
  • Hot fudge sauce to taste

1. Line a 5-by-4-inch loaf pan or 4 to 6 six-ounce ramekins with plastic wrap. Set aside.

2. In a small, heavy-bottomed pan, combine sugar and 1/2 cup water. Dissolve sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat. Brush the sides of the pan down with water every few minutes to prevent sugar crystals from forming.

3. As the syrup boils, beat the egg whites on medium-high in the blender until soft peaks form. Check the temperature of the sugar with a candy thermometer. When it registers 228 degrees, remove pan from the heat.

4. Turn the beater to high, then slowly pour the syrup into the whites in a thin, steady stream along the inside edge of the bowl. Continue beating until meringue cools to room temperature. Set aside.

5. In a clean bowl or a food processor, puree the bananas. Mix in the mascarpone until the mixture is smooth. Add the meringue by gently but quickly folding it into the mascarpone base. Stir in the optional chopped chocolate.

6. Pour the souffle mixture into the pan or the ramekins, smooth the top, cover with plastic wrap and freeze through the day or overnight.

7. To serve, unmold the souffle. Slice the loaf crosswise into 6 servings or unmold the ramekins. Center on dessert plates and garnish with a little of your favorite hot fudge sauce, heated.

PUMP ROOM'S APPLE STRUDEL

Four or five servings

For the filling:

6 to 8 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons dark rum or Grand Marnier

1/4 cup whipping cream

For the crust:

3 sheets phyllo

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

1. In a heavy-bottomed saute pan, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter over a high flame. The butter should become very hot and turn a light golden brown. When it begins to brown, immediately add the apples. Saute for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often, until the apples have softened.

2. Add the brown sugar and cook until the sugar is melted, about a minute.

3. In a small pan or ladle, heat the rum until it begins to boil. Flame the rum with a lighted match. When the flame dies, add rum to the apples.

4. Add the cream and cook at a simmer until all the cooking juices are absorbed. Transfer the apple mixture to a large plate and chill for 20 minutes.

5. While the apples are cooling, lay out the phyllo flat and cover with a damp dish towel to prevent it from drying out. Lay a piece of plastic wrap larger than the phyllo over the work area. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Set aside. Heat oven to 450 degrees.

6. Place 1 sheet of phyllo on the plastic wrap with the long side parallel to the edge of the table. Brush very generously with the melted butter and sprinkle with 3/8 of the bread crumbs. Repeat with remaining 2 sheets of dough.

7. Place all the apple filling in a line running parallel to near edge of the long side of the phyllo sheets, starting and stopping 1-inch from the edges. Pat the filling to make it even. Roll the strudel away from you, tucking in the edges as you go.

8. Transfer the strudel to the middle of the baking sheet, making sure the seam of the strudel is on the bottom. Place in the hot oven and bake until dark, golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.

9. Allow the strudel to cool for 10 minutes, cut into 4 or 5 pieces and place on dessert plates or bowls. If desired, serve with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. Alternatively, allow the strudel to cool to room temperature before serving.

Note: Chef Phillips also makes this strudel with peaches when they are in season. She uses the same amount, but cooks them only 2 to 3 minutes in step 1.

April 30, 1995 | By William Rice

 

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