Desserts by Raymond Blanc

My blogging year couldn’t have started better than a press launch with one of the world’s most respected and self taught chef Raymond Blanc at the high tech beautiful demo and showroom kitchen, Gaggenau, in central London. The launch for Raymond Blanc’s frozen desserts, which started with a champagne reception, was put together by the lovely people at Winterbotham Darby, an UK award-winning retail and food services supplier,
with production sites across Europe. They offer full marketing, technical,
logistics & sales support for many well known food brands.

Raymond Blanc has been working closely with Winterbotham Darby for over a year developing his ‘iced’ desserts. ‘the word frozen has such a negative connotation’ says Raymond Blanc. A collection of five deserts, three to be  launched end of January 2014 at Sainsbury’s and from mid-February at Waitrose. The other two lines are scheduled to be launched end of the year.

At the press launch we watched the Raymond, cooking and showing how to serve the deserts with the special French flair and elegance.  First, the Cherry Clafoutis,  family classic recipe known in every French household, its to be served warm, topped with toasted almond and icing sugar.  A warm and comforting desert ideal for those days when you feel you need a food ‘hug’. The intense sourness of the Griotte cherries works really well with the sweetness of the vanilla batter. It bakes in 30 mins, cooking instructions at the back of the packaging.

 

Next desert, Raymond showed us how to make from scratch the truly rich and intense Chocolate Delice, with crisp hazelnut base and contrasting dark chocolate ganache is a very special experience – pure indulgence! We will be able to buy already made and it doesn’t need any accompaniment. Fabulous!

 

 

Last desert of the evening was the Pear and Walnut Dacquoise, which used Williams pear, is a very light cake made with layers of Dacquoise biscuit sponge, meringue, walnut cream and sugar topping. It’s full of flavour and texture. Raymond made a divine ginger creme Anglaise to accompany this dessert. The ginger lent a sharp and spicy finish that goes really well with this desert.

 

Raymond Blanc is very charming and you can feel in his voice and attitude that he’s seriously passionate about food, specially deserts!  It is very exciting to know that we will be able to buy and serve at home high caliber desserts at affordable prices. The desserts are priced at £5.99/each and usually serves between 4 (very generous portion) to  6 or 8 people.  See back of the packaging for serving suggestions and portions.

Cherry Clafoutis and Chocolate Delice, will be available from Waitrose and Sainsbury’s.
Pear and Walnut Dacquoise will be available from Waitrose only.

A further two desert lines are planned for the end of this year as well as other products in the pipeline. In the meantime, enjoy these exceedingly good deserts.
Disclosure: I was a guest at the press launch. All views are my own based on the tasting section that took place at the event. I was also given the desserts to bake and prepare  at home.
dessert but I couldn’t resist and I had the pear and walnut dacquoise for afternoon tea!

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