Who doesn’t like desserts? They are sweet, they are tasty, and an incredible way of rewarding yourself after a long and stressful day of work. We do realize there’s a variety of dessert ideas out there – ice creams, creme brulee, cakes, and more – however, today we would like to take a look at some of the more luxurious dessert ideas, i.e. hardest desserts to make. Well, when we say “luxurious”, we do not really mean the ingredients are incredibly pricey or hard to get – rather, these desserts are luxurious because preparing them properly requires real skill and dedication and are hard things to bake.
We have selected some of the most difficult desserts to make. These are not the best ideas for you if you consider yourself an occasional cook, but if cooking is your hobby and you have the desire to test out your skills against the hardest pastry to make, you’re in the perfect place. Here are our 3 picks for the most difficult desserts which you can make right now.
Everybody knows how tasty the Macarons are, but hardly anybody knows they’re the hardest pastry to make. We present you with a “simplified” recipe, but can a Macarons recipe really be simple?
Ingredients
Filling
To start off the most difficult pastry to make, place the icing sugar and the almonds in the food processor and pulsate until finely combined. If any larger particles stay in the sleeve, discard them and transfer the rest of the mixture to a large bowl. Add the first batch of egg whites (60 g) to the almond mixture and mix until they begin to form a thick paste.
Prepare a spotlessly clean heat-proof pan and tip the second batch of eggs inside. Place 60 ml of water and the granulated sugar in a small pan and bring to boil over medium heat. Prepare a sugar thermometer and wait until it registers 110 degrees Celsius. Using the electric whisk, start beating the hot egg whites at high speed until the temperature rises to 119 degrees. At this moment, gently pour the syrup down the mixer bowl, avoiding the whisk. Continue to whisk the mixture until it cools down slightly – the bowl shouldn’t be too hot to touch, yet still hot. Add the food coloring and whisk some more.
Tip the meringue on the almond mixture and combine. Be careful not to overmix. A properly prepared mixture should fall in a thick line from the spatula, for about 30 seconds.
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Line up three baking sheets with baking paper. Transfer the batter to a piping bag. Hold it vertically to the tray, make sure that each round you pipe to the baking sheet is 2-3 centimeters in diameter. Leave the hardest pastry to make to rest, for about 30 minutes.
Bake the macarons for a quarter an hour. Macarons are hard things to bake but hang on. Slide the parchment on the work surface and let it cool down for a while, before gently picking the macarons up from the baking paper
Now it is time to make some filling. Place the cream in a small pan, and put the chocolate into a bowl. Bring the cream to a bowl and pour over it with chocolate. Leave it for a few minutes, then stir. Add the butter and stir again, until the mixture turns smooth. Leave until everything thickens. Place the chocolate mix in a clean baking pipe, and pipe around the macaron’s edges. Fill up the center with jam, and place another macaron bun on top.
Leave overnight in the refrigerator – the macarons will gain taste as well as size. Even though they’re some of the hardest desserts to make they’re also the most popular.
Here’s an idea for an exquisite dessert straight out of the UK! Plum pudding is a local delicacy, but it is not easy to prepare; in fact, when it comes to puddings, this one is one of the most difficult desserts.
Ingredients
Fruit mixture (make at least 4 days ahead)
Pudding
As you can see from the ingredients, this is definitely one of the difficult dessert recipes. Blend the fruits, peels, and spices and place them in a jar. Add a quarter of a cup of cognac and close the lid. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 days, each day adding a fresh ¼ cup cognac.
Soak the bread crumbs in milk and sherry. Mix the beaten eggs, salt, and sugar, and blend them with the fruit mixture, combining thoroughly. Butter up some bowls, and fill them with pudding – up to ⅔ of their height. Cover with foil and tie firmly, steaming for 6-8 hours. Preheat the oven to 260 degrees Celsius. Uncover the bowls and place them in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Add a little bit of cognac to each bowl, cover with foil again and store in a cool place.
To use, steam the pudding again for 2-3 hours and unmold. Spring the pudding with sugar, add heated cognac. Ignite and bring up to the table. Serve with cognac sauce.
This may be one of the hardest desserts to make but the taste is well worth the effort!
And here’s our last dessert on the list of difficult dessert recipes! Ever tried Chocolate Souffles before? If not, here is your chance – that is, if you are able to manage the most difficult pastry to make.
Ingredients
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter up a 1 1/2-quart tall-sided baking dish. Sprinkle it with sugar and place it on a rimmed baking set.
Set a large, heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. In the bowl, combine chocolate with vanilla and a quarter of a cup of sugar. Cook and stir until the chocolate melts completely, and the mixture becomes smooth. After that, remove the mixture from the heated sauce and let it cool down slightly for about 20 minutes, or until it achieves room temperature.
Combine the chocolate mixture and egg yolks. Remember to stir well. Set the souffle base aside for now.
Prepare an electric mixer. In a large bowl, mix together the tartar cream and egg whites. Use medium-high heat and mix until soft peaks start forming around the bowl, for about 2-3 minutes. Gradually add sugar, and form until glossy peaks form after about 5 minutes. Be careful not to overbeat!
Add the egg whites mixture into the souffle base in two portions. Use a rubber spatula to gently cut through the center and pick up some base from the bottom of the bowl. Turning the bowl, continue cutting through the center of the base and combining the base, and then mix in the same matter.
Transfer the mix to a dish – be sure not to get batter on top of the dish. Bake the souffle for half an hour (do not open the oven!) and serve immediately. It’s a hard thing to bake but extremely delicious.
In case you don’t want to deal with the most difficult pastry to make but are still interested in tasting the deliciousness of the difficult desserts, feel free to pay us a visit at Stubborn Seed. We’re confident that you’ll soon call us your favorite Miami restaurant.
