chocolate sampler plates for sweetest day

O.k. now that I'm a new convert to mixing "untraditional" flavors with my chocolate I'm trying to compose a nice sampler plate for sweetest day at work.

I'm thinking chocolate and cinnamon (since it's fall). Then other complimentery flavors like apples, pears, etc... BUT then I'm worried it will be too comlimentary and not enough of a taste adventure.

I've really wanted to make a petite version of Herme's, Mozart torte (apples, cinn. & choc) with a cinnamon shortbread. But I haven't formulated what other tastes I want to do with this. Any ideas or thoughts???? Or should I seperate his components so that tasting each item totals that over all dessert?





P.S. They really can't give me a count so I need to keep my plate realistic...if they only get a few reservations I'd like to let the chef plate for me (they want to keep my hours to a min. right now).

 

Herme's "mozart" consists of 3 layers of shortbread crust with cinnamon, between the layers is a chocolate mousse with apples and cinnamon. The sides are covered with chocolate decorative plates.

I've wanted to make this for a while now........I'm excited to finally do it. But I need to make some changes to fill out the plate, it's being billed as a sampler plate for 2 people. Right now I'm thinking of making it into a petite napoloen using the cinn. crust on the bottom, the choc. apple mousse layered between chocolate sheets.

But then I can't deside about my other components....do any of these sound good to fill my plate or are they too similar?

Phyllo purse with apple compote.

fritters dusted with cinn.

Carmel Creme Brulee or vanilla bean brulee

Norman Love's Cinnamon truffles

We have a green apple gelatto at work, I could use.

Apple cakelettes

Molton cakes with a touch of cinnamon




I'm really stumped when it comes to sauce choices: I've been wanting to make a vanilla apple cider reduction but I'm on over kill....... any ideas Isa?


What would you like to eat on the same plate as the Mozart torte?

 

Oooooboy, lots of great thoughts from all of you.

It's still a work in progress but does this sound better? (remember it's for 2 people)

Mozart torte, warm petite molton cake, petite gingerbread cake, cold vanilla ice cream (or should I do a white chocolate creme brulee?), chocolate cinnamon truffle. It's not very daring but I'm still a little chicken to go too far.


I bought a can of edible gold spray color (something new to play with) and I thought I could stencil something onto the plate to tie the items together.

I can do a apple cider reduction or a calvados anglaise to dress the plate. I'd also like to put some salted pecans with my molton cake. It's going to take a bit of effort to get all these items looking good and coordinated on the plate..........

Does this sound better or need more work?

 

Well I did some tastings and I threw out my menu yesterday. I didn't like the repeating flavors after all.

On the menu for tonight:

Mozart napoleon- apple chunks in choc mousse with cin. sables

Pumpkin white chocolate cheese cake on ginger crust

Pear amaretti white choc. studel with a dollop of ice cream on top

Gooey Carmel tart with salted pecans

Very fall "ish", not so much for lovers (but I read the origins of sweetest day and it's not about romance actually).

I'm leaving it up the the last second on this dessert as far as how I'm plating it. I have some pretty leaf tuiles baked off (maybe I'll brush them with gold dust) and/or some piped multi choc hearts.......but even using garnishes is like over kill.......I'm either going to have to sauce the whole plate or forget any sauce....it's just too busy.

P.S. I'm following your advice Momoreg, your right about repetition!

 

Congratulations on being unemployeed Angry......your going to like it! Did your hubby plan the same time away from work too?
It's really wild and cool that your following your dreams!


O.k. it figures you'd ask me the origins......well I've already forgotten the city it started in but the rest goes like this. During the 1930's a man seeing how some people (like orphans and homeless people) had so little, thought he would share with people less fortunate. So he handed out candy to the orphans and homeless people to bring some happiness into their day. The people of the city admired the man for sharing and in time word spread and the people in the city desided to participate also and had out sweets to the orphans.... Well at least that's the just of the story I read............

So it's not about romance like valentines day.

Well dessert turned out fine.....I couldn't do anything clean lined/ elegant with that much happening. So I went the other way and went with abstract hearts all over the plate (including the edges) drawn with ganche, then some I filled with anglaise. Then I used my piped chocolate heart in each dessert with varying heights and sizes. The hearts unified the plate. I had purhased a new product....spray on color, I bought gold. But it was too transparent to show well on a white plate. I'll need to play with that further.

Pear strudel: pears, dark br. sugar, cinnamon, white chocolate, amarettti cookies.