Memory on a spoon... how nostalgia makes chocolate desserts stand out

than the chocolate mousse at The Parakeet, both use high quality chocolate, which, both chefs say is imperative to achieving successful results with their chocolate desserts.

Upstairs’ dessert hasn’t gone viral, but it’s very popular, says Michael.

“It’s often complimented on the use of using three different chocolates in one dessert and that all of the flavours and textures work so well together. It’s also my favourite dessert to make, I enjoy being on the pastry section and this dish has so many precise elements that require different skills and techniques to bring it together.”

There are no precise elements involved in the creation of Café Mama & Son’s Milo Chocolate Tiramisu, nor does it contain high quality chocolate, but this popular chocolate dessert served at the Filipino-Japanese restaurant in Kentish Town, does include a hefty dose of nostalgia, says chef and restaurateur Omar Shah.

Omar’s take on the classic tiramisu replaces coffee with Milo (a chocolate-flavoured malted powder). The Milo milk-dipped ladyfingers are layered with mascarpone with the top dusted with a milo cocoa mix. A side of tres leches Milo cream is also provided for customers to pour over the top.

“Milo is so common in every household in Asia,” says Omar. “We wanted to take a classic dessert and put an Asian twist on it. Replacing the coffee with Milo milk means it has a softer taste and can be enjoyed by all ages and any time. It’s not just chocolate, it’s malted, so it carries a depth, warmth and a distinct flavour that you can’t find in regular chocolate. Because it taps into the nostalgia it makes the dessert both playful and indulgent.”

How to make a sell-out chocolate dessert

The Milo Chocolate Tiramisu is so popular, the tray regularly sells out before the end of the day. 

So how do you create a chocolate dessert that could go viral, get compliments and sell-out?

Use quality cocoa: With a dish like chocolate mousse, you can't scrimp on quality, says Ben, who experimented with different cocoa percentages before settling on the 70% Valrhona as the base for The Parakeet’s. “When you’re doing something as simple as a mousse the quality has to be good, otherwise it falls flat. Using anything less than the 70% just comes across too grainy or sweet.”

Michael agrees that using the highest quality you can get your hands is key to a dish’s success. “This will ensure you have the best final result, a better tasting product and it will be much easier to work with having a great structure.”

Contrast flavours: Chocolate is sweet, so can be paired with more savoury flavours for balance. Take Michael’s chocolate dessert, which offsets the caramel sweetness of the 36% Caramelia with savoury elements such as the Pedro Ximenez gel and salted milk ice cream as one example, and the malted flavour in the Milo chocolate in Omar’s tiramisu. Russell & Atwell’s Giles says in chocolate sweet and savoury ‘blend beautifully’.

“We have a hazelnut variant using Italian Roma hazelnuts roasted in their shells. You get this umami, nutty flavour against the sweetness of chocolate. When you get those two together it’s just delightful. The same with our salted caramel – a bitter savoury and bitter sweet.”

Treat it well: When you’re working with chocolate, temperature is important, says Michael. “Overheating will cause the structure to become spoiled and heating too quickly will cause it to burn,” he says.

Be careful not to add water or other liquid or it could become thick, grainy and unworkable, he says.

Don’t be afraid to experiment: “Chocolate often appears in standard formats, but there is a lot more room for experimentation,” says Omar. “By using products like Milo chefs can move past the unexpected and create desserts that taste amazing but also trigger memories and tell a story.”

(Written by Emma Eversham)