CHEF SPOTLIGHT: ANASTASIA KOGAN

In modern pastry, the most memorable desserts are the ones that turn familiar flavors into something unexpected. Chef Anastasia Kogan, Pastry Chef at Épicerie Boulud in New York City, does exactly that with her plated study in Chocolate, Coffee & Caramel — a dessert built on contrast, precision, and quiet elegance.

An elongated chocolate sablé, shaped like an éclair, is layered with silky caramel crémeux and a ribbon of salted caramel sauce. A light coffee-infused chocolate Chantilly sits on top, finished with a thin dark chocolate plaque and a scatter of extra-fine cocoa nibs. A cocoa nib crunch adds a crisp, bittersweet break in texture, while gold leaf and a dusting of edible gold bring the presentation to its final polish.

At the center of the dish is Cacao Noel chocolate and cocoa in several forms — cocoa powder, milk and dark couverture, and extra-fine cocoa nibs — each one shaping a different layer of flavor and texture throughout the dessert.

The Inspiration Behind the Dessert

For Chef Kogan, this dessert is an extension of the way she approaches pastry altogether: as a discipline where precision and artistry meet. Her path to the kitchen began in a classroom, not a bakery — she trained in applied mechanical engineering in St. Petersburg before a visit to Paris revealed the parallels between physics and pâtisserie: structure, balance, and control. That engineer's eye shows in this dish, where each component is built to do one specific job.

The bittersweet chocolate sablé provides structure and a clean, crisp bite. The caramel crémeux and salted caramel sauce bring richness and depth without tipping into heaviness. The coffee-infused Chantilly lightens the plate, while the cocoa nib crunch reintroduces texture right when the dessert needs it. Nothing is decorative for its own sake — every element earns its place.

The result is a dessert that reads as refined and modern, but is grounded in classic technique and disciplined balance.

THE RECIPE: BUILDING CHOCOLATE, COFFEE & CARAMEL

Below is a look at the key components that come together to create Chef Anastasia Kogan's Chocolate, Coffee & Caramel. Each element contributes its own texture and flavor to the final plated dessert.

CHOCOLATE SABLÉ

INGREDIENTS:

Butter (83%) 290g

Confectioners Sugar 166g

Cacao Noel Cocoa Powder (Garnet 22–24%) 48g

Whole Eggs 83g

All-Purpose Flour 414g

DIRECTIONS:

Cream the butter and confectioners sugar until smooth. Gradually add the eggs, scraping the bowl well between additions. Add the flour and cocoa powder, mixing only until combined.

Sheet the dough to 2.5mm, cut into elongated oval, éclair-shaped pieces, and bake inside indented half-pipe metal molds to maintain the curved shape. Bake until crisp and allow to cool completely.

CARAMEL CRÉMEUX

INGREDIENTS:

Sugar 156g

Milk 453g

Vanilla Beans 2pcs

Egg Yolks 69g

Sugar 23g

Pastry Cream Powder 35g

Gelatin (Silver) 5g

Butter 254g

Salt 2g

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare a dry caramel. Heat the milk with the vanilla beans and deglaze the caramel with the hot milk.

Prepare a pastry cream using the caramel milk, yolks, sugar, and pastry cream powder. Remove from heat and add the bloomed gelatin, salt, and butter. Blend until perfectly smooth using an immersion blender.

Chill completely before piping.

SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:

Sugar 492g

Glucose 16g

Heavy Cream 492g

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare a dry caramel using the sugar and glucose. Warm the cream separately, then carefully add the hot cream to the caramel, cooking for approximately 2 minutes after returning to a boil. Blend until smooth and strain.

COCOA NIB CRUNCH

INGREDIENTS:

Sugar 300g

Cacao Noel Cocoa Nibs 300g

Butter (83%) 10g

Fleur de Sel 3g

Cacao Noel Classic Milk Intense 38% Chocolate 350g

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare a dry caramel and add the cocoa nibs, cooking until evenly caramelized. Stir in the butter, then spread onto a silicone mat and immediately sprinkle with fleur de sel. Allow to cool completely.

Break into pieces and pulse to a coarse texture. Mix with melted milk chocolate and spread into a thin layer. Once crystallized, break into small irregular pieces for assembly.

COFFEE-INFUSED CHOCOLATE CHANTILLY

INGREDIENTS:

Heavy Cream 355g

Glucose 24g

Nevuline 24g

Ground Coffee 15g

Cacao Noel Classic 55% Chocolate 220g

Coffee Extract 10g

Cold Heavy Cream 377g

DIRECTIONS:

Bring the first quantity of cream, glucose, Nevuline, and coffee to a boil. Cover and infuse for 10 minutes before straining.

Pour over the chocolate and emulsify. Add the coffee extract and the cold heavy cream, then blend again until smooth.

Refrigerate overnight before whipping to a medium, pipeable consistency.

DARK CHOCOLATE PLAQUE

INGREDIENTS:

Cacao Noel Royal 64% Chocolate

Cacao Noel Extra Fine Cocoa Nibs (1–2mm), for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Temper the chocolate and spread into a thin, even layer. Cut into plaques sized to sit atop the assembled dessert and allow to fully set before use.

ASSEMBLY

Place one chocolate sablé on the serving plate. Pipe the caramel crémeux along both sides of the sablé, then pipe the salted caramel sauce through the center. Sprinkle cocoa nib crunch over the caramel.

Pipe the coffee-infused chocolate Chantilly evenly over the dessert, then place the dark chocolate plaque on top. Pipe a thin line of melted chocolate across the top and sprinkle with extra-fine cocoa nibs. Finish with edible gold leaf and a light dusting of gold powder.

For plating, set the dessert slightly off-center on a large plate, finishing with a few additional dots of crémeux and caramel sauce along with extra pieces of cocoa nib crunch for texture. Garnish once more with gold leaf and gold dust, and serve immediately.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Chef Anastasia Kogan's Chocolate, Coffee & Caramel shows how an engineer's precision and a pastry chef's instinct can shape the same dish. By layering bittersweet chocolate, deep caramel, and roasted coffee against contrasting textures, the dessert stays rich without ever feeling heavy.

Using Cacao Noel chocolates, cocoa powder, and cocoa nibs throughout allows every layer — from the crisp sablé to the whipped Chantilly — to hold its own distinct flavor and structure.

The result is a dessert that is technical in its construction and effortless in its presentation.

Discover more recipes and inspiration from Cacao Noel and continue exploring the possibilities of modern chocolate pastry.