“Creamsicle” panna cotta by Danielle Riesz.

 
  FROM LEFT: Danielle Riesz, Elissa Buckley and Kate Button
 
  Kate Button’s “cherry pie”
 
  Almond and espresso cake with French buttercream icing by Elissa Buckley

Danielle Riesz, The Little Nell
Danielle Riesz, executive pastry chef at The Little Nell’s Montagna restaurant and Ajax Tavern, unveils a plate worthy of exhibition: her “Creamsicle” panna cotta. It’s a fête for the eyes, with bright candied blood oranges and kumquats and crisp “fans” of caramel.

Even more indelible, however, is the assortment of tastes and textures: sweet and smooth, crunchy, nutty and tart. “Happiness,” says Riesz of the final course, and she’d be hard pressed to find an argument. Once seen as a special indulgence or mere afterthought, the dessert course is finding renewed appreciation in Aspen-area dining establishments, at farmers’ markets and in the home. The patience, precision and passion for desserts demands a unique skill set, says Riesz, one different than that of an executive chef’s. It is a precise science, with minutia in the recipes. A truly talented pastry chef wants to evoke sheer delight in each of his or her guests.

Kate Button, The Pullman
Kate Button of The Pullman in Glenwood Springs is another young pastry chef making a sweet impression. With throngs of devotees turning out to try her Kate’s “cake” of the day, this chef uses recipes handed down from her mother and grandmother. “They’re old-school 1950s recipes,” she says. They are tried and true and evoke a feeling of time, effort and simplicity,” she explains.

For her summer menu, Button ruminates on a grilled pound cake recipe, also her grandmother’s, presented with variations of summertime fruits and herbs, as well as a corn dessert, in which every single element contains corn.

Elissa Buckley, d'Ellissious Cake
And then there’s the go-to chef for weddings and other celebrations: Elissa Buckley of d’Elissious Cake Studio of Aspen. A regular at the Willits winter indoor farmers’ market, where she features a selection of oh-so-yummy cookies, breakfast pastries and cupcakes, this former pastry chef at The Little Nell is best known for what she loves most: butter cakes (versus oil-based) finished with French-style buttercream.

One bite of her golden velvet cake with cream cheese frosting draws an amazed reaction. Buckley laughs aloud. Not an unusual response, she says. The flavors are complex, varied and exciting, anything but excessively sweet. “It should never be too sweet. It should have depth of flavor and subtleties just like a good savory dish,” she says of the dessert course. “[It should] put a smile on your face and make you say, ‘That was a good all-around meal.’ You have that lasting impression.”