It’s only natural that frozen desserts are the stars of this end of year: they accompany our evenings in the middle of tropical summer, they can be prepared in advance and, served on platters, they are perfect for sharing.
Pavé, despite the infamous jokes, is a national passion that does not lose its majesty thanks to its versatility. According to Juliete Soulé, pastry chef at the Atelier Gourmand school, the name comes from the French pave, which means pavement, and refers to a layered assembly.
“The base can be a sponge cake or a champagne biscuit, for those who prefer a softer texture, or even maria or cornstarch type biscuits. Condensed milk cream is the most common, but there are many options, from custard to pure dulce de leche. Every family has its own recipe,” she explains.
Some similar versions are given other names. Cookie pie, popular in the South, contains more cookies than cream and becomes a treat that can be cut into slices. There is also the charlotte, which is not assembled in layers. “The biscuits are placed upright, on their side, with the cream in the center,” explains Soulé.
Dutch pie, also known as German pie, has a few Mary cookies in the cream filling, as well as chocolate-covered cookies all around. In the book “If life had a recipe” (EV Publicações), the author Silvia Leite, founder of Café Bruges in 1991, in Campinas (SP), claims the invention.
Bahian Lisiane Arouca, pastry chef at Grupo Origem, created a more sophisticated presentation of her childhood cobbler for the Megiro bar in Salvador: the candy is assembled in individual molds and unmolded before being served. “It’s not just a dessert, it’s a memory and affection, a sweetness that brings people home,” she says.
Born in the United States and increasingly Brazilian, cheesecake (cheese cake, in the literal translation) also has a guaranteed place on end-of-year tables. But the classic recipe, according to banquet host Malu Mello, from Rio de Janeiro, is not for beginners.
On top of the crispy pastry base is a high layer of cream cheese filling. Above all, jelly. “The cream must be very white, which is why it is cooked in a very gentle oven, in a bain-marie. I made some adaptations, such as adding fresh fruit to the jelly,” she explains.
At the Empório Jardim chain in Rio, chef Paula Prandini’s invention is different: made exclusively to order at the end of the year, her cheesecake is filled with goat cheese.
There are simplified versions of cheesecake, like the one adopted by photographer Angelo Dal Bó, author of the site cuisinedalbo.com.br – only the dough, composed of biscuits and butter, goes quickly in the oven. The filling, which contains no eggs, simply needs to be placed in the refrigerator to firm up.
“The recipe is adapted from a book by Jamie Oliver, I find it fresher and simpler. I make the classic with red fruit syrup, but I have tried other toppings. It is delicious with slightly sweetened mango puree or with guava paste,” explains Dal Bó.
Less popular in Brazil, cassata is a frozen treat of Sicilian origin: between two thin layers of sponge cake, the sweet ricotta cream filling contains drops of chocolate. The side, made of almond paste with pistachio and honey, and the top, made of candied fruit icing, make the cassata a very sweet treat.
The Italian from Rome, Chiara Licocci, owner of the Dolce confectionery, in Florianópolis (SC), admits that many Brazilians find this dessert strange. “In Brazil, ricotta is not as valued as in Italy, and the strong colors of the accompaniments and fruits cause a certain strangeness,” he believes.
Maybe that’s why Brazilian cassatas contain ice cream instead of ricotta. The Ghee Banqueteria recipe appears on the table like a frozen cake with fresh red fruits. “It is also very good garnished with white chocolate shavings or small meringues,” suggests Oghan Teixeira, buffet partner.
To set a balanced table, ideal for groups of six to eight people, banquet host Rita Atrib, of Buffet Petit Comité, suggests combining a sweet treat made from chocolate or dried fruits, such as walnuts and almonds, with a pastry dessert, which could be a cheesecake or a tart. To top it all off, something lighter, like a cobbler, pudding or ice cream, and a mix of fresh fruit.
“I like to cut large fruits, like pineapple and mango, into very thin slices, like a carpaccio, to accompany them with other small fruits, good to eat in one bite, like cherries, grapes and figs,” he suggests.
You don’t need to exaggerate the quantity of each candy. Typically, Atrib says, a person eats about 150 grams of desserts – when there’s a lot of variety, they’re expected to taste just a little of each.
Dried fruits are also part of the package, but the hostess says that for Brazilians they are more suitable as snacks. And where does the panettone come in? It could be a dessert, served with ice cream, or a coffee with company at the end of the party. In this case, it is better to opt for the classic versions, without filling.
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