Sweet Treats
Canapé baker Robin Mozingo shares recipe for success
A stop in North Carolina to visit family changed ROBIN MOZINGO’s life unexpectedly, and provided Wilmingtown with a unique baking talent now on display at Canapé in Wilmington’s Brooklyn Arts District.
A self-taught chef and baker with a passion for local ingredients and farm-to-table food practices, Mozingo had packed up her life as a cook on a New Hampshire farm last year and was heading south to start a new life in Austin, Texas.
Visiting her parents and friends in North Carolina, she found herself renting an apartment in the arts district and finding a place to explore her passion for baking. She’s now the pastry chef at the popular Wilmington eatery, creating everything from fruit pies to homemade ice cream treats.
She found her calling in the culinary world in a unique way, as well.
“I started off working a corporate office but hated it,” Mozingo says. “I decided to start sewing clothes and selling them at music festivals. Then I decided to buy a grill and started cooking at festivals around the country.”
She had found her passion and began the nomadic phase of her life, traveling to various music festivals and other venues, learning to cook by trial and error.
Mozingo’s last job was as cook at a New Hampshire farm, where she perfected the art of preparing large quantities of surprising and filling treats from familiar local ingredients.
“In farm work, it’s all about being able to make things out of next to nothing and make enough meals for everybody. I learned to work ‘food magic’ with seasonal ingredients,” she says.
Originally from the Fayetteville area, Mozingo’s family paid frequent visits to the Wilmington Riverfront. Mozingo used to tell herself she would live there someday. So far, she hasn’t been disappointed.
Mozingo’s workday begins around 1 p.m. every day, when she starts prep work on cakes, pies, ice cream, and specialty desserts to accompany the unique Canapé menu.
“I turn the oven on and pick three or four desserts for the evening,” Mozingo says. “The menu changes at least every other day.”
Her desserts are French inspired and focus on seasonal, local ingredients. Among her most popular creations are Southern-style fruit pies and grasshopper pie, which features mint cream cheese and a graham cracker crust.
During the summer months, housemade ice cream treats and tarts were big hits with Canapé customers, as well.
Canapé, 1001 North Fourth Street, features an ever-changing, seasonal menu where Chef Matthew Gould utilizes fresh ingredients from local farms and markets.
With the construction of the City Block Apartments and plans for future renovation and construction in the neighborhood, Mozingo is excited about the Brooklyn Arts District’s future as a growing residential and commercial community.
“Once more people move into the community, I’d like to see us open for lunch, as well,” she says.
As of mid-January, Canapé was already reserving tables for Valentine’s Day, and Mozingo is excited about the chance to think out of the box for romantic desserts.
Mozingo offers a few ideas for those thinking of making their own specialties for the romantic holiday: Red velvet cake, trifles, and champagne sorbet are simple yet delicious treats for two, she says. Her favorite, however is chocolate pots de crème, and she shares her recipe for those inclined to give it a try.
Chocolate Pots De Créme
1¼ cups heavy cream
3 ounces chocolate of your choice, chopped
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon flavored liquor of your choice (optional) or you could use brandy
¼ cup sugar
3 large egg yolks
½ tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Bring cream to a low simmer; do not boil. Remove from heat. Whisk in chocolate and sugar. Let stand for 3-6 minutes.
In a large bowl, stir together yolks, vanilla, cocoa, salt, and liqueur/brandy if desired. With a small whisk or fork, stir chocolate mixture until smooth, then slowly stir into yolk mixture. Strain through a fine sieve into a heatproof container that is easy to pour from, such as a glass measuring cup.
Place four ovenproof serving containers in a roasting pan or casserole dish and divide chocolate mixture among them. Mozingo says she uses small canning jars for a rustic look.
Pour enough hot water into the pan to reach halfway up the sides of the containers.
Bake for roughly 30 minutes. Custards should be jiggly in the middle and will set while they cool.
Cover with plastic wrap and cool in the fridge to set. Serve with fruit, whipped cream, or other toppings. These are a great make-ahead dessert since they keep well refrigerated for a couple of days.
To view more of photographer Katherine Clark's work, go to www.katherineclarkphotography.com
