As the leaves turn and cozy flavours take over the season, Chef Kate Siegel, Executive Pastry Chef at the Fairmont Pacific Rim, shares one of her most beloved autumn creations: the White Chocolate Kabocha Squash Crèmeux. A recipe she’s refined and reimagined over the years, this dessert has become a signature of her fall repertoire—silky, comforting, and elegantly simple to prepare.

White Chocolate Kabocha Squash Crèmeux
Ingredients:
- 160g Egg Yolks, fresh
- 40g Sugar
- 470g Kabocha squash, cooked and pureed
- 450g 35% Cream
- 210g Valrhona Iviore white chocolate
- 35g Lemon juice
- 6g Gelatin (3 sheets)
Directions:
- Soak the gelatin in cold water until soft. Strain and set aside.
- Bring the squash puree, cream, and sugar to a boil. Pour over the chocolate and blend with a hand blender.
- Whisk in the egg yolks and the lemon juice. Return to the stove and cook over medium heat while stirring constantly with a spatula until 84 °C.
- Remove from the heat and add the gelatin.
- Blend in a bar blender or Vitamix for 3 min. Strain through a fine strainer into glasses or a prebaked tart shell and allow to set in the fridge (at least 4 hours).
- Serve with cinnamon (or bourbon) spiked whipped cream.
