The Wizard of Ahs—from the hands of Moulin’s Thibault Livornette

by Robert Wemischner

Sponsored by 

“It’s time to return to the classics” could be the rallying cry from Thibault Livornette, pastry chef at Moulin, a mini chain of pastry shops/cafes in Orange County, CA. And the pastry case reflects that commitment with a wide array of French classics including viennoiserie and many other tantalizing treats inspired by the owner Laurent Vrignaud’s love for the small bakeries in Montmartre, the 18th arrondissement of Paris where he grew up. 

At only 26, after three years of studies at the prestigious Ecole Ferrandi in Paris, Livornette has worked in his native France under a few celebrated maître pâtissiers including Christophe Michalak where Livornette taught in the famous chef’s Masterclass series, for both professionals and home enthusiasts. After a pastry internship at the Michelin-starred Comice restaurant in Paris and then at La Goutte D’Or in Martinique under Yann Menguy, a year and a half ago, Livornette relocated to California to assume his current position. Hewing to the rigors of classic French patisserie, in which everything is made from scratch, he has revelled in keeping the tradition of the mille-feuille, Gâteau St. Honoré, seasonal fruit tarts and many other storied examples of the repertoire. 

“I’m lucky to do a job that I love,” says Livornette with a bit of an impish smile. “I remember spending time with my grandma in the kitchen, a time when I started becoming interested in the sweet side of the kitchen.”  Starting back then, he learned to appreciate the importance of using great ingredients to achieve memorable results. “With its complex flavor profiles, vanilla is at the top of my list,” he explains. From the intense vanilla flavor of the Flan Parisien to the Fraisier in which vanilla also plays a key role in most of its components, chef Livornette incorporates Whole Vanilla Bean Paste and Ground Vanilla Beans from the Tahitian Gold line in this and many of his other desserts. 

Further explaining his passion for the field, he says: “Creating happiness and a warm feeling through my baking, I view my job as pure pleasure, and part of that pleasure includes getting to work with amazing ingredients.” From the vanilla-scented sponge cake base, tenderized with a bit of almond flour, to the Crème Diplomate, a melding of vanilla-flavored pastry cream and stabilized whipped cream, this otherwise traditional take celebrates the perfect use of fragrant local strawberries. The fruit is presented between the sponge cake layers, which are soaked with strawberry syrup. The dessert is then garnished with intense dots of the fruit in a compote form. Finally, a careful sprinkling of Ground Vanilla Beans brings everything into focus and highlights a felicitous marriage between seasonal fruit and aromatic vanilla, a flavor for all seasons. 

In the hands of an inventive, classics-minded sweets wizard such as Thibault Livornette, the complex flavor personality of those miraculous pods comes through subtly, but unmistakably. Vanilla enhances buttery pastry, intensely flavored fruit, dairy-based custards or mousses, and of course, chocolate. In each case, vanilla boasts some 600 different flavor compounds, and it takes center stage. It’s a long and demanding journey for the pod; hand-pollinated, ripened, and then cured to develop its signature flavor profile. But it is well worth it when Thibault’s vanilla-enhanced work reaches the palate. 

Photos by Ricardo Mora

Fraisier Moulin

By Thibault Livornette, Moulin, Costa Mesa, CA

Yield: 18 servings

• Vanilla Sponge
• 110 g whole eggs
• 200 g egg yolks
• 55 g flour
• 140 g almond flour
• 1 g Tahitian Gold Ground Vanilla Beans, Papua New Guinea
• 225 g egg whites
• 225 g granulated sugar
• 55 g butter, melted

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the eggs, egg yolks, flour, almond flour and Ground Vanilla together for 10 minutes.
2. Whip the egg whites with the sugar to make a meringue.
3. Fold the meringue into the whipped yolk mixture and add the butter.
4. Spread onto a parchment-lined half-sheet pan.
5. Bake 370°F (188°C) for 12 minutes. 
6. Set aside to cool until you are ready to assemble the dessert.

Vanilla Pastry Cream

• 5 g powdered gelatin
• 30 g cold water
• 430 g milk
• 12 g Tahitian Gold Whole Vanilla Bean Paste, 3-Bean Blend
• 50 g egg yolks
• 43 g whole eggs
• 100 g granulated sugar
• 40 g cornstarch
• 45 g butter, softened
• 20 g white chocolate

1. Hydrate the gelatin powder in the cold water.
2. Heat the milk and vanilla to a boil.
3. Mix the yolks, eggs, sugar and cornstarch.
4. Add the egg mixture to the boiling milk.
5. Return the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly.
6. While the mixture is still hot, blend in the hydrated gelatin, butter and white chocolate.
7. Cover and rest in the refrigerator overnight.

Vanilla Diplomat Cream

• 750 g vanilla pastry cream (from above)
• 190 g whipped cream

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the pastry cream until smooth.
2. Fold in the whipped cream.
3. Refrigerate until ready to use. 

Strawberry Syrup

• 100 g water
• 100 g granulated sugar
• 50 g strawberry purée

1. In a small pot, boil the water and sugar until the sugar dissolves.
2. Add the strawberry puree to the hot syrup and mix well to combine.
3. Use hot.

You may store the syrup in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it, then reheat it just before soaking the sponge.  

Vanilla Chantilly 

• 4 g powdered gelatin
• 20 g cold water
• 500 g heavy cream
• 20 g Tahitian Gold Whole Vanilla Bean Paste, 3-Bean Blend
• 100 g white chocolate

1. Hydrate the gelatin powder in the cold water

2. Bring the heavy cream and vanilla to a boil.
3. Blend in the chocolate and the hydrated gelatin.
4. Rest overnight in the fridge before using.  

Strawberry Compote

• 2 g Pectin NH
• 15 g granulated sugar
• 100 g strawberry purée
• 20 g lemon juice

1. Combine the pectin and sugar.
2. Add the pectin mixture to the puree in a small pot.
3. Once the mixture boils, add the lemon juice.
4. Allow to cool completely.
5. Mix in a stand mixer with a paddle before use. Add water if needed to achieve a slightly softer mix. 

You should be able to pipe the compote with a pastry bag. It should barely hold its shape when piped in dots. 


Assembly

• 906 g fresh strawberries
• Tahitian Gold Ground Vanilla to sprinkle over finished desserts, as needed

1. Place a 10-inch x 2-inch (25.4 cm x 5 cm) metal ring on a board or a presentation plate and line the inside of the ring with a strip of acetate.
2. Cut two discs from the sheet of Vanilla Sponge: 1 the same size as the ring mold and one slightly smaller.
3. Place the larger round of sponge inside the ring and soak it with the hot Strawberry Syrup. 
4. Remove the leaves from the fresh strawberries and cut them in half.
5. Place the strawberry halves on the sponge and all around the ring, with the flat surface facing out. Make sure the strawberries are not taller than the ring.
6. Pipe some of the Diplomat Cream over the strawberries and spread with an offset spatula. Spread the diplomat all the way to the sides, filling in the spaces between the strawberry halves.
7. Cover the center of the dessert with more strawberry halves, then pipe a second layer of the Diplomat Cream on top.
8. Place the second, smaller sponge round on top of the cream, pressing gently to level it.
9. Soak the sponge with some of the hot Strawberry Syrup. 
10. Pipe a final layer of the Diplomat Cream and smooth it so that it is flat and level with the top of the ring.
11. Transfer the cake to the refrigerator and allow it to chill for at least 30 minutes before removing the ring and the acetate.
12. Whip the Vanilla Chantilly and transfer it to a piping bag with a #104 tip.
13. Pipe the chantilly in a decorative pattern on top of the cake, making sure to leave a 1” border around the edge of the cake.
14. Place more halved strawberries all around the chantilly, with the cut sides facing up.
15. To finish the cake, sprinkle it evenly with the vanilla powder and pipe small dots of the Strawberry Compote on top of the chantilly.

Photos by Ricardo Mora

(This article appeared in the Summer 2025 issue of Pastry Arts Magazine)