Johnny Iuzzini's Thanksgiving Dessert

By Pastry Chef Johnny Iuzzini

Ingredients:

• 65 g  Flour
• 1 tsp  Baking soda
• 1/2 tsp  Salt
• 3 Tbs Ginger, peeled, minced
• 2 Tbs  Candied ginger, minced
• 3 Tbs Hazelnut crunchies
• 1 tsp  Saigon cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp  Allspice
• 1/2 tsp Clove
• 1/2 tsp   Nutmeg
• 170 g  Butter, room temp
• 110 g  Sugar
• 100 g Brown sugar
• 2 ea  Eggs
• 250 g  Molasses
• 200 g  Milk

 
Ingredients for pumpkin mousse:

• 1200 g  Roasted pumpkin pure
• 4 tsp   Saigon cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp   Cloves
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1200   Pumpkin puree
• 500 g   Simple syrup
• 600 g Cream
• 12 ea Gelatin sheets

 
Ingredients for cranberry crisp:

• 520 g  Cranberry, fresh
• 250 g  Water                         
• 1 %  Methocel A4M

 
Ingredients for salted pumpkin seeds:
250 g  Pumpkin seeds
24 g   Olive oil
2 g  Salt
50 g Butter

Preparations for gingerbread sponge:
Sift together the dry ingredients. Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs slowly. Combine the milk and molasses and heat slightly to dissolve. Alternate adding the dry and milk to the butter. Fold in the crunchies and ginger.  Scrape the bowl well often.
 
Directions for pumpkin mousse:
Seed and score the pumpkin, rub with butter and roast at 325° until tender. Pass the meat through a food mill with the finest plate. Season the puree with the spices. Whip the cream to soft peaks. Warm some of the simple syrup in the microwave to dissolve the gelatin, add back into the rest of the syrup, then into the puree. Burr mix until smooth. Fold in the cream. Pipe into acetate lined tubes. Freeze.
 
Directions for cranberry crisp:
Cook the cranberries with the simple syrup until they pop and have broken down a bit. Puree in the blender and pass through the fine chinois. Chill in an ice bath. Shear in the Methocel ot Ultra sperse with a hand blender for 1 min. Spread on acetate and dehydrate.
 
Directions for salted pumpkin seeds:
Toss the seeds in the olive oil and salt. Toast until golden in the oven. Once cool. Warm some butter over low-med heat until foamy, ad seeds and toss continuously until the seeds puff. Pour out onto a paper towel lined tray and dab the excess butter.
 
Garnish with pumpkin seed powder (terra spice.)

Phone: (212)299-3900
Address: 1 Central Park West, at. 60th St.