A New Breed of Desserts

Christina Tosi, the owner, founder and chef of Momofuku Milk Bar, teaches us a thing or two about getting innovative in the kitchen.

"I have always had a sweet tooth," admits Momofuku Milk Bar owner, founder and chef Christina Tosi. "I've been eating cookie dough as long as I can remember. I started baking around six or seven. My grandmother realized I was eating my weight in cookies, rather than vegetables!"

Tosi is known for her innovative desserts, from her famed birthday cake and cereal milk soft serve to her compost and corn cookies, the sky is the limit for the baker. She names strawberry, Ritz cracker and celery root as well as cereal milk, avocado and chocolate-hazelnut among her most unique flavor combinations.

While she creates fresh concepts, her desserts are born out of nostalgia and often from the perspective of a home cook. "My baking style was originally very homey—I was a home baker, self-taught but highly influenced by the matriarchs in my family," explains Tosi, who later went on to culinary school. "My baking style is now a mixture of the both: homey concepts slightly elevated through formal training."

In her highly acclaimed cookbook, simply named Momofuku Milk Bar Cookbook, Tosi exposes her shop's recipes and continues to let her creativity run wild. "I hone in on honest flavors, and let my appetite and imagination wander into flavor combinations," explains the baker.

Check out the slideshow above to learn some of the dessert goddess's top tips.