Yes, winning is sweet. It's the getting there that can be challenging, tense and exhausting, as En-Ming Hsu can tell you, even as she enjoys having just been awarded the gold medal at the World Pastry Cup Competition. Hsu, executive pastry chef at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago, has been back at work for several weeks now, following the prestigious international event that took place at the end of January. The golden glow is still there, though. This is the first time in the 12-year history of the World Pastry Cup that a U.S. team has taken the top prize.
French teams are frequent winners.
The competition, which takes place every two years in Lyon, France, pits pastry pros from around the world in nine-hour marathons of creative sugar excess. Fifteen countries sent teams. Beginning at 6 a.m., three pastry chefs from each country worked together to finish their creations by the deadline. Peach melba bombe glacee, a molded ice cream dessert with raspberry ice cream, yellow peach sorbet and a red peach glaze. And for the American-style entry, poached Washington apples with apple gelee, mascarpone cream and apple sabayon.