After wowing viewers and judges alike on season seven of Masterchef, Reynold Poernomo has been busy living up to his title as 'Master of Desserts'. In early 2016, he and his brothers opened their dessert bar Koi in Sydney's Chippendale, and have continued to impress crowds with their creative take on sweets. With a menu that boasts the very best of seasonal produce, experimenting with flavours and textures seems to be a specialty of Reynold's.
Although there's a lot of talent behind the sweet success of the Poernomo brothers and their desserts, Reynold believes his 4 tips will help anyone ace dessert.
Dessert masterclass: Reynold Poernomo’s top tips for nailing your next dessert
Dessert cooking can be a daunting experience, but also a fun challenge! The skills required for desserts are very different, with precise measurements, timing and techniques needed. However, with a little preparation and practice anyone can learn the basics.
Below are my top tips for preparing, planning and nailing your next dessert.
1. Using the right equipment
Preparation is the key for every kind of cooking. The first step to success is thoroughly reading the recipe (twice!), and gathering all the equipment you will need. The first step is crucial as all recipes will clearly outline the equipment and ingredients you’ll need.
We’ve all had that moment of dread when you’re halfway through a recipe only to realise you don’t have a key ingredient or are missing a vital piece of equipment. The mad dash to the shops that ensues isn’t worth it – check everything off beforehand and you’ll have a smooth and enjoyable cooking experience.
2. Flavour inspiration
Finding inspiration for flavours is the next key element in creating well-rounded, delicious desserts. Once you’ve mastered the basic technique, playing around with flavour combinations can become an easy and fun way to shake up your desserts and get creative.
For example, a plain cheesecake can be jazzed up with all different kinds of fruit, sauces, glazes and of course – chocolate. The Inspired by KITKAT Chocolatory range is a great way of incorporating new and interesting flavours into your cooking without a huge amount of effort. The brand-new KITKAT Mint Cream & Cookie Smash can easily be melted down and mixed through a traditional cheesecake to make a delicious choc mint flavour.
3. Online tutorials
If you’re making a dessert before that you’ve never attempted before or using a technique that you can’t quite visualise, online tutorials are the perfect solution. Whether it be how to make the perfect éclair, or crafting the best Italian meringue, there are thousands of videos available online that demonstrate recipes start to finish, and focus on particular techniques. You can even cook along with a video as you go.
4. Practice makes perfect
Like all things in life, practice is the key to mastering desserts. Unfortunately, there is no shortcut to producing amazing pastry and desserts – practice is the only way to understand the techniques, learn about flavours and deliver amazing results. If you practice enough you will soon become the dessert master you always dreamed of becoming!
