15 Winning Desserts From Best New Chefs

Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs have included many talented pastry chefs over the course of its 37-year history, from Nancy Silverton (1990) and Paola Velez (2021) to Tavel-Bristol Joseph (2020). Here we highlight some of our favorite recipes they and other Best New Chefs have shared with us over the years, like Bristol-Joseph’s incredible Basque cheesecake. Some are classically elegant and some feature store-bought hacks and easy upgrades. Creating an impressive sweet ending to any meal never looked better.

Easy Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta

Cara Cormack

Silky, elegant, and infused with real vanilla bean, this easy panna cotta from 2001 F&W Best New Chef E. Michael Reidt is a no-fuss showstopper. Lightly sweet and perfectly creamy, it’s a versatile dessert that pairs beautifully with fresh berries, citrus, or a drizzle of caramel.

Basque Cheesecake

Cedric Angeles

This Basque cheesecake from 2020 F&W Best New Chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph features a deeply caramelized top and a lusciously creamy center. Baked at high heat without a water bath, it’s a no-fuss crustless dessert that delivers rich vanilla flavor and a striking presentation that’s perfect for impressing guests.

Apple Butter Crumble

Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

2023 F&W Best New Chef Hannah Ziskin layers sweet-tart Pink Lady and Honeycrisp apples with rich store-bought apple butter for a gooey, jammy filling in this easy crumble. Topped with a buttery brown sugar streusel, it’s a cozy, flavor-packed dessert that only needs a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Shell Royster

These chocolate chunk cookies by 2022 F&W Best New Chef Warda Bouguettaya feature rich, nutty halvah folded into the dough, adding a toasty, earthy flavor. With chewy centers, crisp edges, and melty chocolate pockets, it’s almost impossible to eat just one.

Floating Islands with Dark Chocolate Crème Anglaise and Toasted Pistachios

Victor Protasio

This elegant dessert by 2003 F&W Best New Chef Gabriel Kreuther features airy poached meringue “islands” floating atop a rich dark chocolate crème anglaise. A sprinkle of toasted pistachios adds a delightful crunch and a hint of color to the classic French île flottante.

Labneh Panna Cotta with Orange Blossom Granita

Tara Donne

This elegant dessert by 2020 F&W Best New Chef Lena Sareini uses labneh as a creamy base for panna cotta, along with heavy cream and vanilla bean paste. Homemade apricot jam, orange blossom granita, white chocolate, and toasted baguette crumbles combine with the panna cotta for a restaurant-worthy dessert from your kitchen.

Summer Peach and Blackberry Galette

Tara Donne / Food Styling by Chris Lanier / Prop Styling by Raina Kattelson

This rustic galette by 2015 F&W Best New Chef Katie Button combines juicy summer peaches and tart blackberries in a flaky, golden crust. Infused with lemon zest and fresh thyme, the filling strikes a perfect balance of sweet and savory. Baked freeform, it’s an elegant yet approachable dessert for cooks of any level.

Over-the-Top Ice Cream Sundaes with Homemade Caramel

Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

These over-the-top ice cream sundaes by 2012 F&W Best New Chef Dan Kluger are appropriately named. Creamy vanilla ice cream is loaded with fudge chunks, crushed pretzels, toffee candy bars, and candied lemon peel, then each sundae is generously drizzled with homemade caramel sauce. It’s a playful, texture-packed dessert that brings a grown-up flair to a childhood favorite.

Black Mission Fig Clafoutis

2014 F&W Best New Chef Matthew Accarrino’s Black Mission Fig Clafoutis features fresh figs nestled in a tender, custardlike batter. Baked to golden perfection and served warm, it’s topped with a luscious port-infused whipped cream, offering Portuguese flair on the classic French dessert.

Sweet-Potato Meringue Pie

This Sweet-Potato Meringue Pie by 2000 F&W Best New Chef Andrew Carmellini features a spiced pecan-graham crust filled with a silky bourbon–sweet potato custard. Topped with billowy, toasted meringue, it’s the best excuse to pull out your kitchen torch.

Brandied Peaches

Tina Rupp

2009 F&W Best New Chef Linton Hopkins preserves ripe peaches in a sweet, boozy syrup at the height of summer. After blanching and peeling, the peaches are simmered in a sugar syrup, then combined with brandy and sealed in jars. Use them as a topper for ice cream, spooned over pancakes for brunch, or mashed into a cocktail.

Italian Trifle with Marsala Syrup

John Kernick

2002 F&W Best New Chef Fabio Trabocchi layers soft sponge cake soaked in spiced Marsala wine with silky vanilla pastry cream in this make-ahead dessert. Topped with whipped cream and fresh berries, it’s a classic dessert that brings a taste of Italy to any table.

Milk and Honey

This dessert by 2005 F&W Best New Chef Daniel Humm reimagines a childhood bedtime drink into a refined, textural masterpiece. Featuring vanilla ice cream, honey-oat shortbread, and crispy honey brittle, it’s finished with a drizzle of buckwheat honey for a rich, nuanced flavor.

Puff Pastry Apple Pie

This Puff Pastry Apple Pie by 2006 F&W Best New Chef Cathal Armstrong features a flaky, golden crust enveloping tender, spiced apples. Utilizing high-quality store-bought puff pastry, it offers an elegant take on the classic dessert with minimal effort, making it ideal for both special occasions and everyday indulgence.

Source link