Featuring Chef Fany Gerson of La Newyorkina, the newest chapter of the American Egg Board (AEB) Incredible Egg Trends series spotlights “Desserts” and the ways chefs can add on-trend flavors to these menu items.

According to Datassential 2019 Dessert Keynote Report, consumer demand for this classic meal part to evolve grows every day. Two in five consumers say they are interested in more globally inspired dessert flavors—especially Millennials and Gen X consumers. The same report shows savory ingredients are some of the fastest-growing terms on dessert menus (i.e., salted caramel, sea salt, olive oil and bacon).

 

The reinvention of desserts on the menu

“We see an opportunity for chefs willing to step outside of expectation on desserts. Our next Incredible Egg Trends (IET) brings dessert, often an afterthought, to the forefront of innovation and creativity,” said Phaedra Ruffalo, senior director, market development at the AEB. “At La Newyorkina, Chef Fany Gerson infuses her heritage into consumer favorite sweets, making her the perfect chef to carry this trend rooted in nostalgia. Paired with the natural, multifunctional eggs, dessert menus are poised for reinvention.”

From globally inspired desserts to savory ingredients in classic sweets, chefs can glean inspiration on how to add in unexpected elements into their dessert menu with this chapter of Incredible Egg Trends with Chef Fany Gerson.

 

Chef Gerson bridges cultures with nostalgic treats

Known as one of the culinary leading voices on Mexican desserts, Fany Gerson launched her artisanal frozen treats and sweets company, La Newyorkina, in 2010.  Six years later, she opened her first brick and mortar shop to share authentic Mexican treats with West Village and beyond. This Culinary Institute of America grad has also written three books: My Sweet Mexico, Paletas and Mexican Ice Cream. Her work has garnered recognition across the industry, including being recognized as a Latin woman leader in 2017 by El Diario and receiving a nomination James Beard Award 2010 for Best baking and pastry cookbook. 

“I celebrate Mexican culture, so it’s about bringing and showcasing a lot of those flavors through the sweets that I make,” said Chef Fany Gerson. “My philosophy comes together in this dish in the way that we take classic American desserts like a key lime pie, and then we have this filling that’s very tart from the passion fruit, which is common in Mexico. Right, so then this is something that bridges both cultures.”    

 

View additional desserts content

In addition to Gerson’s twist on the key lime pie, the new IET chronicle includes five other recipes developed for restauranteurs: Sweet Lavender Omelet, Saffron Cream Puffs, Blue Cheese Flan, Brioche Bread and Sesame Meringue.

Operators can find these six recipes and five menu concepts from other restaurants along with Chef Gerson’s video, as well as research and tips related to the desserts trend at: incredibleegg.org/professionals/incredible-egg-trends