Talia Profet

An experienced pastry chef with over a decade of experience, Talia has worked in Michelin-starred kitchens all over the world – including New York. Now based in Amsterdam, Talia spends her time creating, testing and tasting recipes using deZaan cocoa to ensure that all our customers have access to the latest tips, insights and innovations.

deZaan offers a toolbox of cocoa from which you can pick and choose. It’s essentially a playground for chefs to jump into and create their own flavors, colors, textures and recipes. - Talia Profet

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Get to know Talia

What is your favorite cocoa-based dessert?

I tend to lean more towards the intense flavors, so to desserts that showcases all the true characteristics of cocoa: it's bitterness, sweetness, fruitiness, chocolaty and raw notes - and the textures you can achieve with them.

What would be your top tip for using cocoa for other pastry professionals?

My first tip would be to try your favorite or most popular recipe with all 6 deZaan cocoa powders to see how they might take the dish to another level. My second tip would be to think of what elements are key to your recipe and choose the appropriate cocoa powder to create the best dessert.

What are your favorite flavors for using alongside cocoa in pastry creations?

The flavor pairings are endless, but I tend to lean towards, spices, herbs and fruit at the moment. I also very much like challenging myself and pushing to try new and unique flavors such as Guava & Cocoa, Miso & Cocoa, Smoked Vanilla & Cocoa, or Turmeric / Cardamom / Orange & Cocoa.

What is your favorite product from the deZaan range?

I cannot choose just one! So here is my list and my reasonings behind each:

The natural powders (True Gold and True Dark) are just fascinating to me. They are cocoa powders that in every application express a specific flavor note such as roasted caramel coffee then berry or fruity notes.
Crimson Red has this ability to aide many applications and to give this brilliant velvety texture and red chocolaty color. It's a real full body powder.
Carbon Black is a powder that allows you to play on its strengths which is its color and flavor. It allows you to add natural color to your savoury or sweet creations while adding a bit of bitterness and a touch of saltiness.
deZaan Cocoa Butter Drop & Mass Drops are the newest additions to the range and just brilliant. These two in combination with the cocoa powders can take any creation or technique to a whole new level.