PoshVine Blog

Say it with Ice Cream

Chef Anthony David is a dessert wizard. And an extraordinary one at that. The reason being that he works with ice cream. “And the stuff, as you know, melts,” he laughs. The top chef of luxury ice cream brand Haagen Dazs is always working to enhance the dessert experience. It’s not just about putting a scoop of ice cream into a nice glass and topping it with cherry or wafer.

Chef Anthony turns luscious Haagen Dazs flavours such as dulce de leche and raspberry sorbet into cupcakes, making a good thing even better. He gives the ever popular banana split a classic turn. So, with Valentine’s Day, devoted to sweet pleasures, being just around the corner, he’s been pushing his creativity even further.

His V-Day creation has been perfected after much thought and attention to detail. What can you expect? Something that’ll certainly blow you away and help you win over your Valentine all over again. “I first thought of the flavours that would work with our customers,” says Chef Anthony. So, he picked strawberry and Belgian chocolate. These popular ice creams are contained in two chocolate hearts, he explains. You can imagine the skill it takes to do that!

But that’s not all. “We’ve decided on some theatre at the table,” says the chef. “So, we’ll be pouring on a hot chocolate sauce onto the dessert when it’s ordered. That will cause the chocolate heart to dissolve and the ice cream to emerge.”

Is that delicious-sounding or what! We say, Haagen Dazs’ Valentine’s Day offering is going to be better than youknowwhat!

How cool is that! - Discovering Indulgence Workshop

Mmmm…. Eyes closed, feeling the sensual pleasure of Belgian chocolate ice cream melt in the mouth, that was the all-round expression in the room. Guests at the Haagen Dazs celebration presented by Poshvine said it all with their obvious enjoyment of one of the world’s best-loved ice creams.

The Haagen Dazs store at 1, MG Road, was packed to the edges with guests who’d signed up for this exclusive indulgence on Thursday afternoon.  Poshvine editor and food writer Priya Bala presented the event, first dwelling on what makes Haagen Dazs so special and then introducing the brand’s top chef, Anthony David.

Chef Anthony, a specialist in ice cream desserts, drives the product line at Haagen Dazs, which includes the international classics, Indian specialities and new innovations.  He created for the crowd of ice cream enthusiasts a selection from the store’s delectable ice cream desserts. First, it was a cupcake platter – raspberry sorbet, Belgian chocolate and dulce de leche ice cream set in cupcake moulds and topped with tall swirls of cream and other good things. Scrumptious, the tasters pronounced it.

Next up, he put together a lovely semi freddo of strawberry ice cream and Belgian chocolate layers on chocolate brownies, served in creamy slices. The chef explained that less-than-world class ice creams will not stand up to such shaping and moulding. But Haagen Dazs, with its emphasis on all-natural ingredients and absence of synthetic agents or emulsifiers is perfect for transforming into luscious desserts that look great and taste even better.

Much thought and scientific research goes into the making and serving of Haagen Dazs – such as specially created scoops that measure out exact volumes and have mercury centres to prevent the ice cream from sticking to them. All this, to put out the perfect scoop of ice cream; it boggles the mind for sure.

If there’s lots of scientific principles involved, there’s plenty of artistry and passion, too. The core ingredients for Haagen Dazs are from the best possible sources; vanilla from Madagascar and plump strawberries from Poland. “And, I’m proud to say, mangoes from India,” Chef Anthony said.

His demo concluded with a classic Banana Split, a beautifully put together dessert with chocolate, caramel, fruit and cream, all combining to make a perfect sweet ending. Guests tucked in with abandon and went mmm….again.

Think that was a lot of ice cream for one afternoon? Everyone vowed to return for more.