Customers who stop by Bruno’s Bakery & Gelateria in Freehold Township this week can try a French pastry called St. Honore.
A sophisticated cake made with puff pastry, cream puffs and pastry cream, the dessert was made by co-owner Joseph Settepani on the latest episode of Food Network’s “Next Baking Master: Paris.”
Settepani is one of four contestants remaining on the eight-episode show, which premiered with 10 competitors in May. After each episode airs, he offers one of the desserts he prepared on the show at his family’s bakery.
So far, the bakers have created Parisian desserts using French sugar, chocolate, butter, fruit and eggs. On Monday’s episode, Settepani showed off his egg-cooking techniques with a hazelnut praline souffle with hazelnut citrus crumb — judges Stephanie Boswell, a pastry chef, and chef and restaurateur Ludo Lefebvre loved the flavors — and the St. Honore made with pastry cream flavored with cassis (black currant), almond dacquoise (merengue-based sponge) and chestnut cream.
Food Network calling: An interview with Joseph Settepani of Bruno’s Bakery & Gelateria
In addition to baking with eggs, the contestants were required to create a dessert that reminded them of their childhood.
“Growing up, having my father be a pastry chef, brings back a lot of memories,” Settepani said during the episode. “A flavor that really stood out to me as a young kid was cassis … and chestnuts.”
Boswell said his egg technique “was textbook.” Lefebvre complimented his pastry cream, and guest judge Nesreen Mroueh, a pastry chef, said his dish was “really, really delicious.”
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The next episode will feature challenges involving wine and cheese. In the finale, “the bakers must put it all on the plate and create a phenomenal three-course dessert tasting menu, showcasing all of their skills and all of the new techniques they’ve learned,” according to foodnetwork.com.
“Next Great Baker: Paris” airs at 9 p.m. Mondays on Food Network.
Go: Bruno’s Bakery & Gelateria, 356 W. Main St., Freehold Township; 732-301-5126, brunosnyc.com.
Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2003 and has been writing all things food since 2014. Send restaurant tips to [email protected], follow on Instagram at Jersey Shore Eats and subscribe to our Jersey Shore Eats newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Food Network: Bruno’s Bakery owner survives another week