There are desserts you make for practice, and then there are desserts you make from the heart. L’Incontro is one of those — a pastry born out of friendship, cultural exchange, and a desire to connect two worlds that mean so much to me: Italy and Canada.
A Final Project with Meaning
During my time at ALMA, our final pastry project challenged us to create a dessert that was original. I was the only foreigner in my class — proudly Canadian — and I teamed up with two peers from Milan. Together, we decided that instead of just creating something beautiful, we wanted our dessert to mean something.
We wanted to celebrate our different backgrounds while finding what united us. That’s how L’Incontro — meaning “The Meeting” — was born.
The Ingredients of Connection
We began with ingredients that told a story.
For me, the obvious choice was maple syrup — a symbol of Canadian tradition. I explained to my teammates how it’s not just a sweetener; it’s an experience. Families gathering in sugar shacks, pouring it warm over snow, sharing pancakes and stories around the table. It represents comfort, nostalgia, and togetherness.
My teammates chose chestnuts — a cherished Italian ingredient, especially in autumn. They told me about their family traditions of chestnut picking in October and November. Entire families would go into the woods, gather chestnuts, and roast them together in the evening. Just like maple syrup in Canada, chestnuts in Italy bring people together.
We wanted a fruit to bridge these two flavors, and at first, we chose blackcurrant. But because it wasn’t in season, I proposed blueberry — another fruit with strong ties to Canada. Blueberries felt like a natural match and brought freshness and balance to the earthiness of chestnut and the warmth of maple.
The concept to creation
Our original dessert wasn’t a choux at all. It was a layered entremet featuring:
- Maple mousse
- Blackcurrant (later blueberry) compote insert
- A pancake layer
- A creamy chestnut cream made from chestnuts we picked ourselves in Borgo Val di Taro, near Parma
The pancake layer got us a few raised eyebrows from the chef-judges — it wasn’t traditional, and they weren’t expecting it. But they admitted it worked. It was a nod to Canadian breakfast culture and ended up adding both charm and texture to the dessert.
We also had the chance to harvest the chestnuts ourselves. If you’ve never picked chestnuts the traditional way, you should know — you use your feet to gently pry them out of their spiky husks. It’s an oddly satisfying (and very Italian) experience I’ll never forget.
Why This Pastry Still Matters to Me
We got 100% on the project, but more importantly, L’Incontro marked something bigger: the beauty of collaboration, respect for tradition, and the creativity that happens when different cultures meet in the kitchen.
Today, the version you’ll find in my pastry shop has evolved. It’s refined into an elegant choux with maple, chestnut, and blueberry — a meeting of flavors, rooted in the bond that made it possible.
