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MasterChef's Reynold Poernomo reveals his 'favourite' Christmas dessert

If 2020 wasn't stressful enough what with the global pandemic, MasterChef's 'dessert king' Reynold Poernomo decided to up the ante and return to the show that made him a household name.

Reynold, who was just 20 years old when he placed fourth on MasterChef in 2015, came back for a chance to win on the aptly titled, Back to Win along with fellow fan faves Poh Ling Yeow and Callum Hann.

Reynold Poernomo on MasterChef: Back To Win 2020. Photo: Channel 10.
Reynold Poernomo placed third on MasterChef: Back To Win in 2020. Photo: Channel 10.

'Quite draining'

Sadly Reynold, now 28, didn't win and was instead eliminated in the semi-final. In a chat with Yahoo Lifestyle, the Indonesian-born Sydneysider was candid about the experience.

"It was quite draining because you have to churn out dish after dish every single time you go into that kitchen," he explains.

"It has to be new every time because if you keep recycling the same old thing, you're gonna get called out. I guess creatively, you can only do so much," he adds.

Factor in the post-lockdown surge in customers at the KOI Dessert Bars he runs with his brothers, it's no wonder Reynold felt burnt out.

But it was a partnership with iconic brand Ferrero Rocher to create two new limited edition Christmas desserts that helped him refresh and reset creatively.

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Reynold Poernomo and The Ferrero Rocher ‘Bell’ dessert. Photo: supplied.
Reynold with his Ferrero Rocher ‘Bell’ dessert creation. Photo: supplied.

Having a specific brief allowed Reynold to do what he does best: hone in on every single element, from the dark chocolate feathers to the spiced caramel filling, and make it perfect.

"It actually takes a bit of time," he says of designing the twin Ferrero Rocher desserts, festively named the 'Bell' and the 'Bauble'.

"It took me a few tries to kind of get this form down right," he reveals.

Luckily for Reynold, when it comes to Christmas with his family, he's excused from cooking duties.

"I actually wouldn't be cooking, I just rock up to my parents' place or my aunty's place and there's already gonna be a spread of food," he explains.

"I get really excited when my grandmother cooks these beautiful Indonesian dishes, that to me is so nice because of course now we can't really travel and it's really hard to find good Indonesian food here," he adds.

Reynold Poernomo reading his cookbook, The Dessert Game in the kitchen. Photo: Instagram/koidb.
Become your very own 'Dessert King' with Reynold's cookbook, The Dessert Game. Photo: Instagram/koidb.

Playing the dessert game

Being the 'dessert king' he is, Reynold's not entirely off the hook, though. He tells Yahoo Lifestyle that he's planning on whipping up one of his 'favourite recipes,' a basque cheesecake for his loved ones this year.

"Honestly, it's my favourite recipe to do. I made it recently and my family seemed to really like it so I want to make it again but this time make it a bit more festive."

The basque cheesecake is just one of many mouth-watering recipes in Reynold's new cookbook, The Dessert Game which was published back in November.

Despite his other-worldly talents, Reynold assures us that The Dessert Game is accessible for mere mortals.

"The book was all about wanting to put everything that I've learned, or as much as I can, into the book and showcase how easy or how doable it is to reach this kind of creative level."

Budding chefs can download the recipe for the Ferrero Rocher 'Bell' and the 'Bauble' to try at home.

Too hard? The 'Bell' can be snapped up at both KOI locations in Chippendale and Ryde for a limited time.

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