I used to make what was our best dessert, which was a hot fudge ice cream cake. It was basically a pound cake. We’d cut the piece of cake in half – it was about three by three inches square – and we’d put a square block of ice cream next to the lower level of the cake, and then we put the other piece of the cake on top and covered the top with hot fudge. Then we put a cherry and a big dollop of whipped cream on the top. You had to be very careful when you put the hot fudge on the cake to leave a hole in the center of the top piece of cake so the whipped cream would stay on the cake and the cherry would stay on the whipped cream, otherwise it would just slide off if it was covered with hot fudge.
Anyway, it was a fabulous dessert and we sold a lot of them. They were hard to make, but I ate a few of those myself.
Earlier this summer, one of our hotels, the JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Arizona, hosted an event that fans of sweets, like me, would love – it was called the World Pastry Awards. Top pastry teams from countries around the world like Denmark, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Singapore and South Korea came to our hotel to take part in this competition. The U.S. was represented by our current national champions, who just happen to be the pastry team at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge.
The competition required the participants to make a sugar showpiece, a chocolate showpiece, a cake, a frozen dessert, three types of chocolate bonbons, three small cakes, a plated dessert and a chef’s special creation. All of these pastries were then evaluated by three panels of judges for quality of the creation, taste and artistic beauty. Being one of the judges who gets to taste these creations sounds like real a dream job to me!
After the two day competition was over, the judges awarded gold, silver and bronze medals to the top competitors and I’m proud to share with you that our JW Marriott Desert Ridge team came in third place, taking the bronze. With the third best pastry team in the world working there, I’m definitely going to have to pay a visit to that hotel sometime soon!
I know there are a lot of people out there with a sweet tooth just like me. I’d love to hear what your favorite desserts are, so please leave a comment and share them with me.
I’m Bill Marriott and thanks for helping me keep Marriott on the move.
My sister Maryanne and I worked at the Essex House in NYC in the late 70s and we always enjoyed the Marriotts Black Forest Cake. It was a frozen pastry made of layers of wafer, whipped cream and walnuts. It was heaven. Will I ever enjoy that again?
Posted by: Joanne Dorniak | 06/29/2012 at 02:15 PM
The Hot Fudge Ice Cream Cake is the reason I love cake and ice cream to this day! All cake must have ice cream and hot fudge on it in order for me to eat it! I am a former Marriott employee and Marriott's hot fudge is the BEST! I used to eat it with just strawberries. Yummy!!
Posted by: Renay Butler | 10/24/2010 at 08:19 PM
Dear Mr. Marriot sounds like a great event to be at! My favorite dessert is alligator cake, which I think is a West Coast dessert. For the banana pudding lover you must try Magnolia Bakery in New York
Thank you for sharing
Jasmine Einalhori
NYU 2011
Hotel Management
Posted by: Jasmine | 10/05/2010 at 08:25 AM
Sounds fun and sweet! It’s great to know that your hotels are also places where interactions happen on many different levels, whether it is serious business or just plain fun. Personally, my favorite dessert is crème brulee. Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: Terica Adams | 08/31/2010 at 02:27 PM
Dear Mr.Marriott
My wife and I have used your Hotels and Time share units many times.Last week on Aug. 12th we wanted to use a $50.00 Travelcard our daugher gave us for xmas in 08.Not paying attention to renewal date we called the 800 number and was told we had to submit a renewal form.We received an email explaining the process and including the cost of processing & delivery fees which would reduce the value of the card to less of it's value.This disappoints me very much.
Posted by: Wesley L. Tucker | 08/18/2010 at 06:38 PM
I have a pretty big sweet tooth myself. And as much as I love the big, fancy desserts, I've always been a big fan of the more simplar ones; like ice cream sundaes, cheesecakes, pineapple upside-down cake, etc. I can't really say I have a favorite, but I do have a list
Posted by: Courtney Stringer | 08/12/2010 at 03:15 PM
I had the pleasure of meeting chef Chowdhury at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge just prior to the competition. He and his team are geniuses. Just that simple.
As to my favorite dessert it's anything with the words 'ice cream' and/or 'cake' in it. Also my father-in-law's cheese cake which is TDF.
Kaptan
Posted by: Kaptan | 08/08/2010 at 12:27 PM
Growing up in Hampton, Virginia my folks and I made special trips to the Hot Shop in Newport News, VA just for the Hot Fudge Cake with Ice Cream. That was a special treat for us kids.
Posted by: Glenn Wilson | 08/03/2010 at 01:26 PM
Mr. Marriott,since you are so slim, it looks like you made a lot more of these desserts than you ate.
It would be nice if you had some standard, popular menu items that were available in every full service hotel. that way, people could know what's there, in addition to any local specialities.
Posted by: Bill | 08/02/2010 at 04:35 PM
How about Chocolate Kahula Pecan Pie -- that's my favorite!! --with whipped cream of course.
Posted by: Joyce | 07/30/2010 at 04:20 PM
Dear Mr Marriott As an ex-employee of Marriott, I am now in the lucky position of owning a hotel in the English Lake District, (Castle Inn Hotel). I think we sell the best dessert in the world. Hot Sticky Toffee Pudding, Toffee Sauce and Clotted Cream. Simply amazing !
Posted by: Peter Wells | 07/30/2010 at 09:08 AM
Bill,
Good story. I have found Marriott's a good place to have lunch or dinner while traveling. However, there should be some way to get the message to locals about specials. If this were don I would be will to go to the one's near by home.
Posted by: Robert Hull | 07/28/2010 at 05:06 PM
Mr. Marriott
I would like to know how to apply for a job in your lima peru hotel. I live in the united states and would like to move there.
Posted by: melissa stephens | 07/28/2010 at 01:36 PM
I had the pleasure of meeting chef Chowdhury at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge just prior to the competition. He and his team are geniuses. Just that simple.
As to my favorite dessert it's anything with the words 'ice cream' and/or 'cake' in it. Also my father-in-law's cheese cake which is TDF.
So I'd echo an earlier suggestion and feature your hot fudge cake in your restaurants. We'd all consider it a personal favor.
Posted by: Harley Mayersohn | 07/28/2010 at 12:44 PM
One of my favorite desserts was an old Stouffer Hotel's recipe called "plantation cake". It was a gingerbread cake sitting on top of a gooey molasses sauce topped by a lemon cream cheese icing - sinful!
Posted by: Edie Bates | 07/26/2010 at 12:36 PM
Just get me a New York Cheescake and a cup of coffee. No decaf and don't mess up the cheescake with fruit. That fudge cake sounds good too. The cheesecake is easier to serve and easier to eat. Keep up the good work.
Posted by: Mike F | 07/24/2010 at 12:42 PM
We just returned from having fabulous desserts at your Marriott Saigon, Marriott hotel & Resort in Bangkok, Thailand and Marriott JW Phuket! Keep up the great desserts!
Ned Leavitt
Platinum Member
Posted by: Ned Leavitt | 07/24/2010 at 05:45 AM
I remember one of your favorite desserts Lemon Daffodill Cake. I made it for your birthday many years at Camelback Inn. We did make the ice cream cake squars with fudge topping and whipped cream and a cherry. The only thing different was we used chocolate cake.
You brought back many memmories.
I retired after 30 years with Marriott.
Posted by: Virginia Gilmore | 07/23/2010 at 06:04 PM
Great story, Bill Marriot, and congrats to your team. I love anything chocolate. That's the first thing I'd normally look for, on the dessert menu.
Posted by: Parissa | 07/23/2010 at 02:34 PM
Oooh, you're so lucky to be a judge. I think it's a great honor to hit number three! Go Marriott!
Posted by: Danielle | 07/23/2010 at 01:26 PM
My favorite dessert is Death by Chocolate--Bake Brownies
crumble in trifle bowl--Chocolate mouse--then Heath Toffee Bars crumbled and then whip cream. YUMMY
Posted by: Gwen Allemand | 07/23/2010 at 08:16 AM
I just sent congratulatory remarks and just realized I made one huge "faux-pas" that if my wife of 34 years were to see it, I would certainly find myself in a huge mess - I indicated we would be in Paris for our special day in November - actually we shall be at the Shelbourne in Dublin for our anniversary - I was so glad to be conveying congratulations to you and your family that I forgot the fact we have 2 dates - a civil ceremony and then a church wedding - one of which is 11/13 and the other 12/18 - so perhaps if my wife should read my postings I will not catch "h---" for my lack of attentiveness.
Again many thanks for all the great memories while staying as guests in your hotels!!!!
Posted by: Barbara & Edward Garabedian | 07/23/2010 at 07:33 AM
Bread Pudding -- best I ever had was at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs
Congratulations to the staff at Desert Ridge -- Kudos to all --- great job!
Posted by: Sandy Causey | 07/23/2010 at 07:10 AM
any chance of learning who came in #1 and #2?
Posted by: Jim Chapman | 07/23/2010 at 06:29 AM
I grew up in the DC area and we use to go to Hot Shoppe and get the Hot Fudge ice Cream Cake all the time. It was the best thing in the world. It would be so wonderful if you would bring that back to your Marriotts. There have been many imitations of your dessert but none have ever come close. Please please bring to your hotels. Thank you. John McClain
Posted by: John & Carol McClain | 07/23/2010 at 05:31 AM