Sugar rush
Friday 03 February, 2012 | Sharon Sebastian
SINCE baking his first cake about 17 years ago, Adriano Zumbo has become something of a modern day Willy Wonka.
Zumbo’s flabbergasting creations include the croquenbush, his V8 cake, gingerbread house and the infamous macaron tower. The patissier, aka mad scientist of pastries, took time out of his busy schedule to have a chat with SuperLiving about his sweet success.
To find out where his interest for creating sweet treats with a twist stemmed from, we turn back the clock to when Zumbo was 13 years old and head to Coonamble, New South Wales.
Zumbo’s parents owned and still do own the local supermarket in the town, and he said his favourite hangout after school was down the lolly aisle.
“When my sister started managing the bakery [at the store], I had the opportunity to play around in there and I discovered that it was something I really enjoyed doing,” he said.
“I used to make packet cake mixes for my friends and teachers at school. It just goes to show what happens when you start from [the] basics.”
Today, 30-year-old Zumbo draws inspiration from his everyday culinary experiences. “Everything I eat and everything I take in during the day inspires me,” he said. “Sometimes I’ll be mid-sentence talking about something completely un-related and I’ll remember something else about the last meal I had, it could be a flavour combination or a texture. And I’ll start playing around with that idea in my head.”
“Yeah, it’s always a thrill to see the response people have to your work,” he said. “It’s great to see any kind of passion for pastry, but when it’s come about as a result of your own effort there’s nothing sweeter.”
We are never too old for a sweet treat. “I think if you have a sweet treat it never really leaves you. If anything it probably increases over time. Have you ever seen a grandmother refuse cake?”
This could probably explain why those lucky enough to live in the area where Zumbo’s shops are located join visitors to line up outside the stores as early as 7.30am to sneak a bite or three of one of his sweet creations.
November 6, not only marks Zumbo’s birthday, but Macaron Day aka Zumbaron Day.
Last year fans were treated to more than 60 different flavoured macarons, which included the unique banh mi (a Vietnamese baguette/sandwich) and fried chicken flavoured treats. There were also gin and tonic, salted butter popcorn and toasted marshmallow, salt and vinegar and ramen. Meanwhile pigs’ blood and hamburger macarons were all the rage in 2010.
A couple of years ago Zumbo created the golden macaron for the day. “It was a throwback to Willy Wonka, where only the luckiest few kids got to tour the chocolate factory if they found a golden ticket in their chocolate bars,” he said. Moreover, a tour of Zumbo’s Balmain lab would be a sugary experience you would not forget. “Unfortunately these days with our four stores I don’t think I have the luxury of time, so I’m not sure that it will make a repeat appearance.”
When SuperLiving asked the master patissier what we should expect this year he said, “It’s too early to say, you’ll have to check back in November!”
Try if you dare – a Zumbo challenge for us at home
Cherry Poppins
Cherry pâte de fruit
- 175g sieved cherry purée
- 5g pectin NH
- 20g caster (superfine) sugar
- 135g caster (superfine) sugar, extra
- 40g liquid glucose
- 6g citric acid solution
Spray a square 15cm cake tin with cooking oil and line with non-stick baking paper, extending over two opposite sides. Put the cherry purée in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to 60°C. Combine the pectin and 20g sugar then add to the cherry purée when it reaches 60°C. Bring the mixture to the boil and add the extra sugar and glucose. Stir with a whisk until the mixture returnsto the boil, and then boil for one minute. Add the citric acid solution, stir well and pour into the lined tin. Set aside.
Coconut and white chocolate ganache
- 125g coconut cream
- 15g inverted sugar (see glossary)
- Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
- 25g cocoa butter (see glossary), finely chopped
- 250g white couverture chocolate, chopped or buttons
- 100g desiccated coconut
- 50g glacé cherries, finely diced
Put the coconut cream, inverted sugar and vanilla seeds in a small saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat. Meanwhile, melt the cocoa butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, then cool to 32°C. Put the chocolate in a bowl. Pour over the coconut cream, set aside for ten seconds and then stir gently with a whisk until smooth.
Gently fold in the coconut, glace cherries and 32°C cocoa butter. Pour over the pâte de fruit and use a palette knife to smooth out to the edges. Gently tap the tin on the bench and leave overnight to set (if the weather is hot, you may need to use the refrigerator).
Chocolate base
- 50g milk couverture chocolate, chopped or buttons
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water or in the microwave. Use a crank-handled palette knife to spread a very thin layer of chocolate over the ganache. Allow to set.
Remove from the tin and turn upside down, so the chocolate layer forms the base. Remove the paper and use a ruler and sharp knife to mark out 7.5 x 2.4 cm bars. Heat the knife by dipping it in hot water, dry and use it to cut out the bars.
To finish
- 800g dark couverture chocolate (70%), chopped or buttons
- 80g plain poprocks
Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper or Silpat. Temper the dark chocolate then stir through the poprocks.
Use a dipping fork or ordinary fork to dip each bar in the chocolate coating, agitating it slightly so that the excess chocolate drips back into the bowl. Drag the bottom of each bar over the edge of the bowl to neaten then put on the lined tray. If you would like to create a ripple effect in the chocolate coating, gently point a hair dryer on the cool setting towards the top of each bar. Set aside for 6 hours to set.
Makes 12
Recipe and image from Zumbo by Adriano Zumbo, published by Murdoch Books.
