MADRE'S STORY
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STORY
“This is my take on the classic marjolaine, a traditional layered cake, but more deconstructed. It has dark-chocolate crémeux (rich pudding), white-chocolate espresso mousse, hazelnut nougatine, thin sheets of dark chocolate, white espresso ice cream, and hazelnut meringue crisp. I’ve been making variations of this for over a decade now. It was originally one of the petit gâteaux (little cakes) that my team and I made for the National Pastry Team Championship back in 2007. We were the very first all-female team to ever compete in a pastry competition, and it holds many fond memories for me.”
Since
1986
There’s a reason so few restaurants serve soufflé. According to chef Sally Camacho Mueller, it’s not that the dessert is tricky to prepare—though her version does require pouring molten sugar from a hot pan with one hand while holding a blowtorch in the other—it’s that the iconic French treat is, to be frank, a pain in the ass to serve.
But as a native Angelena, she isn’t above taking inspiration from her childhood trips to Magic Mountain: The accompaniment for the soufflé at Tesse is a small mound of glacé point, or what you and I might best describe as a bowl of homemade Dippin’ Dots. When the showstopping dessert lands on your table, you will inevitably be tempted to snap a beauty shot. All Camacho Mueller asks, however, is that you wait until after the last spoonful to post that Instagram pic. This is a dessert meant to be eaten in its prime.