We teamed up with Callebaut Chocolate to present the “Think Outside the Box” Contest. Our community submitted hundreds of your most innovative and “out of the box” ways of incorporating Callebaut chocolate into an interesting dish in 10 different categories. The grand prize for the winner of each category? A trip to Mexico City!
After much deliberation, here are the winners! Scroll down to see the winner in each category. In two of the categories (plated desserts and savory applications), we couldn’t pick a single winner, so we picked two. Congratulations to all of our winners, and thank you SO MUCH to everyone who took the time to enter.
Note: In the second round of this competition, a select number of chefs were asked to submit videos describing their entries, their approach, and why they believed they deserved the win. You can watch the winners videos by clicking the “Video description” button next to their name. Clicking on the winners’ names will also take you to their personal Instagram, where many of them have shared additional photos and even some videos of their entries.
PLATED DESSERT – WINNER
“La Casa Azul” by Chef Ale Gomez – Video description
White chocolate raspberry mousse, lime sponge cake, mango sorbet, with an avocado purée.
Callebaut Chocolate Used: Zephyr
PLATED DESSERT – WINNER
“Chocolate Pistachio Cherry Forest” by Chef Juan Gutierrez – Video description
This dessert is inspired on the traditional Black Forest cake. I wanted it to look like a forest were the skin of the trees are falling into the ground. For this dessert I wanted to make it more memorable using different techniques but specially making it vegan! Exactly you heard right, this dessert is 100% vegan. With a pistachio mousse that will bring nuttiness and a beautiful aroma, we add red cherry sorbet that complement the Sao Thomé perfectly.
Callebaut Chocolate Used: Single Origin Sao Thomé 70%
ENTREMET / SPECIALTY CAKE – WINNER
“Callebaut Bean to S’more” by Chef Didier Berlioz – Video description
A Callebaut 811 cocoa bean hides a s’more entremet. The shell is filled on a base of crispy of graham cracker streusel, 70-30-38 chocolate mousse layered with smoke scented marshmallow and gold milk chocolate fudge. It’s glazed with red velvet cocoa spray and decorated with marshmallow, mini graham, and molded chocolate bar. Cover with the second half of the pod, torch to order to bring the fire in, and reveal all the goodies!! Bon Appétit!
Callebaut Chocolate Used: Gold Callebaut, 70% Callebaut, and 54% Callebaut
PASTRY “TO GO” – WINNER
“Choux Pop” by Dmitriy Shurygin – Video description
Choux with dark chocolate cream and cherry jelly inside. Whipped white chocolate cherry cream outside. Garnished with fresh cherry, pistachio and chocolate disks.
Callebaut Chocolate Used: Velvet White Chocolate and 811 54.5% Dark Chocolate
CONFECTIONERY – WINNER
“A Taste of Mexico” by Chef Samantha Mendoza – Video description
Dark chocolate bar, strawberry ganache & salted caramel pearls, marshmallow and almond shortbread.
Callebaut Chocolate Used: Sao Thome & Salted Caramel Pearls
BAKERY – WINNER
“Nahuatl Cake (Pastel de Mole y Tamarindo)” by Chef Karla Espinosa – Video description
Chocolate mole cake spiced with pasilla peppers, cinnamon, clove and pumpkin seeds, topped with a tamarind ganache and Chicatana ants, sunflowers pumpkin seeds.
Callebaut Chocolate Used: 811, 823
BREAKFAST BREAD – WINNER
“Chaconne Chocolate-Raspberry Cream Cheese Danish” by Chef Mark Chacon – Video description
Chocolate Croissant Dough with classic croissant dough with a thin layer of marbled white and dark chocolate raspberry ganaches, a raspberry-white chocolate-cream cheese quenelle, milk chocolate-raspberry ganache rolled in toasted devil’s food cake crumbs and raspberry dust, dark choc shaving, raspberry dust, and gold dragee.
Callebaut Chocolate Used: Finest Belgian Milk Chocolate 33.6%, Finest Belgian Dark Chocolate 70.5%, Cocoa Mass, Cocoa Powder, Finest Belgian White Chocolate “Velvet”
VERRINE – WINNER
“Chocolate and Beets” by Chef Latonya Witherspoon – Video description
Poached ruby red and golden beets, dark chocolate mousse, goat cheese mousse, red beet gelee, fresh raspberries, and micros.
Callebaut Chocolate Used: 53%
ICE CREAM – WINNER
“Day of the Dead Ice Cream Social” by Chef Cheryl Wakerhauser – Video description
Callebaut chocolate chili infused ice cream (with home grown chilies! scooped to look like a skull…look close) swimming in a chocolate stout beer with caramelized cocoa nib and malted barley décor. Happy hour meets dessert!
Callebaut Chocolate Used: Finest Belgian Chocolate 70.5% and Callebaut Roasted Cocoa Nibs
SAVORY APPLICATIONS – WINNER
“Chef David’s Roasted Baby Beets” by Chef David Ryba – Video description
Orange roasted baby beets, savory goat cheese cheesecake, bittered chocolate, house-made graham cracker, and cocoa nibs.
Callebaut Chocolate Used: Finest Belgian Dark Chocolate and Callebaut Roasted Cocoa Nibs
SAVORY APPLICATIONS – WINNER
“Seared Scallops and Chocolate” by Chef Brandon Near – Video description
Seared Diver scallop, chocolate pasta tossed in lemon oil, chocolate beurre blanc, birds eye chili pistou, and crytalized lemon balm.
Callebaut Chocolate Used: Callebaut 811 Dark Chocolate
MIXOLOGY – WINNER
“Chocolate Passion” by Chef Christian Castillo – Video description
Liquid coffee chocolate ganache, passion fruit juice, tequila, and passion fruit foam.
Callebaut Chocolate Used: Dark Chocolate Callebaut 811
