Dominique Ansel’s New Desserts Include 'New York Pizza Slices' and Bodega Coffee Tiramisu
Dominique Ansel—the award-winning pastry chef otherwise known as “The Cronut King”—is known for his inventive, visually intricate desserts that make you do a double-take. In a recent collaboration with Singapore-based chef Malcom Lee, he created a “crab” with mousse in the claws and panna cotta in the body, which you could reach by cracking the chocolate shell with a mallet. And for Easter last year, his take on chocolate eggs resembled an avocado, pit and all, with mini white chocolate egg truffles hidden inside. Ansel’s latest project, however, is dedicated not to an object, but to a city: New York—and you’ll never look at a dollar slice the same way again.
Enter the New York City-themed capsule collection, which will take over the pastry case at Dominque Ansel Bakery in Soho starting on July 4. It includes nine brand-new desserts, created as a nod to Ansel’s fifteenth year in New York—think salted caramel éclairs with taxi designs, and a “haute dog” that swaps your typical Nathan’s dog for ladyfingers, raspberry creme, passion fruit curd, and shredded coconut. As with all good things, these desserts won’t stick around forever—their availability ends after Labor Day, so get them while you can. Here's a rundown, in case you're still on the fence.
Bodega Coffee Tiramisu
The blue coffee cups you find at the corner bodega get a sweet makeover. Ansel’s tiramisu tribute includes an espresso and amaretto-soaked almond biscuit, mascarpone ganache, and dark chocolate mousse.
"Everything Bagel & Schmear" Pavlova
New Yorkers will tell anyone who listens that they make the best bagels in the country—nay, the world. So it’s only fitting that Ansel paid homage in this collection. His pavlova is made with honey graham cracker meringue, topped with sesame seeds. poppy seeds, and toasted coconut. The schmear component is cheese mousse and sour cherry jam, which you’ll find inside the pavlova.
New York Slice
99 cent pizza looks a lot different when it’s in strawberry tart form. Ansel’s “slice” combines said tart with fromage blanc mousse, fresh sliced strawberries, strawberry basil jam, kirsch-soaked almond biscuit, and vanilla sablé.
Pretzel
Street cart pretzels get a twist with “pretzel bavaroise, soft caramel, and crispy peanut butter feuilletine.”
Haute Dog
Inspired by the hot dog carts found all over the city, the “haute dog” sees your Nathan's dog and raises you a sweet alternative with fluffy biscuit à la cuillère (ladyfingers) soaked in coconut syrup, combined with raspberry cremeux, passion fruit curd, and shredded coconut.
A Bite of the Big Apple
A nod to New York’s nickname, this dessert involves apple gelée, fresh Gala apples, and vanilla bavaroise, all on top of vanilla sablé. (Plus, a hint of sharp cheddar, for a savory bite.)
A Stroll in Central Park Chocolate Hazelnut Acorn
This isn’t your typical acorn—unless you’ve ever encountered one made with hazelnut mousse, blackberry crème de cassis jam, hazelnut dacquoise, and crispy hazelnut feuilletine, of course.
Éclairs
The capsule collection has two New York-themed éclairs—a salted caramel éclair with a yellow taxi design on top, and a chocolate Éclair with a subway design, dubbed “Spring Street.” The latter is a nod to “our Spring Street home,” according to the announcement.
