Where has this show been all my life? I mean, Dessert First is like my unspoken motto. Food Network is premiering the new show ‘Dessert First with Anne Thornton‘ this Sunday, October 24 at 12 pm Eastern and I can hardly wait! First off, how darling is the graphic? I’ve been totally into blue and pink for party themes lately and this is the perfect mix of cute, retro and modern. But who is Anne Thornton? You can view her full bio on the Food Network site here, but most recently she was Executive Pastry Chef and Event Coordinator at Hotel Griffou (I want to go to there) in New York. I got a chance to ask her a couple of questions to get to know her better.
Q: Growing up, what was your ideal birthday treat?
Anne: I always asked for ice cream cake. It had to be chocolate pound cake with mint chocolate chip ice cream and decorated with pink roses. I still love ice cream cake. I’ll show you how to make a chocolate peppermint ice cream cake on my Christmas show which airs December 5th.
Q: What is your favorite dessert that you make and favorite dessert to eat out?
Anne: It’s so hard to choose a favorite dessert but my signature dessert is my Salted Caramel Banana Pudding Pie. My favorite dessert when I’m out is Baked Alaska, it’s hard to find but if done well it’s divine.
Q: I saw the dessert you made on The Nate Berkus show. Will your show feature easy treats like those carousel ice cream sandwiches or will they be more detailed?
Anne: On “Dessert First” I’ll show you how easy it is to make simple and elaborate desserts. You’ll learn tips and tricks that I’ve developed to give your desserts that “WOW” factor without a lot of work.
Q: What trends in party treats are you liking?
Anne: I’m a big fan of cupcakes and cake pops. I think we are going to see a lot more macaroons in the future. I’m a huge fan of these glamorous little treats.
Q: Puff pastry. Is it as hard as it looks?
Anne: Making puff pastry from scratch isn’t hard it’s just extremely time consuming and labor intensive. I love frozen puff pastry. It works beautifully and save a great deal of time and energy.
Q: Dark chocolate or milk chocolate?
Anne: Both! I have a special place in my heart and in my recipes for both of them. There is always room in my pantry for dark, milk, and white chocolate. No chocolate, no matter if it’s bittersweet or semisweet, will ever be turned away.
AMEN, sister.
Anne’s first show will show off some scary sweet treats for Halloween including these Red Velvet Brain Cupcakes. She’ll also feature a whimsical Milk Chocolate Graveyard Cake with chocolate trees, cotton candy and pretzel candy bones!
She’ll also feature a twist on an old standard with her Couture Caramel Apples. With toppings like salted pecans, toasted coconut and candied ginger this treat would surely win best dressed. As with most of the Food Network shows, the recipes are available online. I can’t wait to watch this show each week to see what Anne has in store. Set your DVR’s so you don’t forget and watch this Sunday, October 24, 2010 12pm Eastern.
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Sharon
All images courtesy of Food Network
