Uchi's Pastry Chef Shares Her Favorite Dessert Recipe

Uchi’s new executive pastry chef, Ariana Quant, is spilling the tea on one of her signature desserts.

Thanks to a recent promotion, Hai Hospitality’s Ariana Quant is now overseeing the pastry department at all Uchi restaurants. This is good news for Dallas gastronomes, especially those familiar with Uchi’s acclaimed Uptown concept and its boozy upstairs counterpart Uchibā. Here, the dessert doyenne shares the recipe for one of her favorite sweet treats.

JASMINE CREAM
Serves 6 to 8

Jasmine Cream
2 1/2 cups cream
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. jasmine tea
1 envelope unflavored, powdered gelatin

Pour the milk into a bowl; slowly sprinkle the gelatin on top; gently stir in the gelatin; set aside so the gelatin can “bloom” (absorb the liquid). In a small saucepan, scald the cream with the sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat and add the jasmine tea; put the lid on the saucepan and allow it to steep for 8 minutes. Add the bloomed gelatin and stir to dissolve. Pour the mixture through a strainer and into a quart container. Cover with a lid and refrigerate overnight so the mixture sets. The next day, pour the mixture into a stand mixer and whip with a whisk attachment on medium-low speed until it forms soft peaks. Set aside until ready to use.

Cilantro Granita
1 cup (scant) sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup ice
1 cup cilantro
1 1/2 cups cold water

In a small saucepan, heat the lemon juice with the sugar until the sugar is dissolved; set aside and allow to fully cool. In a blender, add the orange juice, ice and cilantro; blend until the ice is crushed and there are no large pieces of cilantro. Pour the mixture through a strainer and into a small bowl; skim off any foam. Add the lemon-sugar mixture and cold water; stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a glass container and freeze overnight. The next day, when ready to serve, use a fork to scrape the granita layer by layer.

Honey Tuile
12 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup honey
1 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 pinch salt

In a small saucepan, heat the butter, honey and sugar until melted. In a small bowl, mix the salt into the flour. Off the heat, slowly add the flour in small increments, using a whisk to combine. Make sure all the flour has been incorporated before adding in the next increment. Pour the mixture into a heat-proof container and allow to cool. When cool enough to scoop, line a sheet tray with parchment paper. Drop tablespoon-size scoops of the mixture onto the tray, 4 inches apart. Bake in the oven at 350 F for 8 to 12 minutes; rotate the tray halfway through. Bake until uniformly golden brown. Allow the honey tuiles to cool before crushing. To crush them, pulse the honey tuiles in a food processor until uniform in texture. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

To serve: Place two spoonfuls of the crushed honey tuile in the bottom of a small glass jar. Add one large spoonful of the jasmine cream on top. Add the cilantro granita on top of the jasmine cream, keeping it light and fluffy rather than packing it in. Garnish with chunks of fresh pineapple, edible flowers and cilantro.