Growing up in a confectionery - chocolate business, which his parents in Switzerland owned, Ralf Wellauer's career started with an apprenticeship as a confectioner-chocolatier in Arbon, Switzerland, and finished as being best apprentice of the year.

During his apprenticeship he participated at several competitions, receiving gold and silver medals. After his apprenticeship, Ralf Wellauer worked in different first-class chocolate businesses, including at his parents’ Pastry Shop and at the famous Confiserie Roggwiller in St. Gallen.

At the same time, he continued to become skilled by attending seminars, including Ewald Notters Sugar pulling and blowing seminars and Fredy Eggenschwyler Marzipan Modeling seminars. He attended the economy and business school in St. Gallen to be awarded with the Swiss commercial certificate.

After that he left Switzerland to Australia, and joined the Hyatt Hotel group, first at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Melbourne, in the position as Assistant Bakery Chef and then at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Canberra as Assistant Pastry Chef.

Returning back to Europe, he was in charge of the Lufthansa first class give-away production at the well-known Confiserie Schubert in Saarbrücken, Germany.

From there he traveled for several months through South East Asia and worked for different Hyatt Hotels and continued his career at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Sydney, as Head Executive Pastry Chef.

During this time he was attending different Pastry TV Shows and was awarded two gold medals at the Australian Chef Salon. He went back to Germany as being the Production Manager and Co-owner Confiserie Schubert.

In 1995, he successfully passed his masters degree at the Bundesfachschule in Wolfenbüttel. In 1999, Ralf Wellauer was awarded Pastry Chef of the Year in Germany.

Next to his position of overseeing as co owner the large pastry and chocolate shop with 60 employees, he organized on regular basis demonstrations at the Condirama, Felchlin's training center in Switzerland and at different Pastry exhibitions in Europe. In 2004, he acted as teacher at the World Pastry Forum in Las Vegas, demonstrating a new line of indulging Chocolates.

Today Ralf Wellauer works for Max Felchlin AG as the Creative Corporate Pastry Chef. This position requires him to create and develop new recipes in the Research and Development Department. In addition, he is responsible for food design and food photography, presenting our new products in an attractive and appealing ambience. Max Felchlin AG has an active product promotions program and Ralf Wellauer is responsible for the development of the various promotions, including the chocolate and pastry moulds.

Chef Wellauer’s Recipe: Black Forest
Chocolate and sour cherry cupcake with Kirsch buttercream


Cupcake Mixture
640 g / 20.58 oz #31345 Felchlin-Swiss California Almond Paste
240 g / 7.72 oz Butter
80 g / 2.57 oz Brown cane sugar
260 g / 8.36 oz #31118 Felchlin-Swiss Maracaibo Clasificado 65% Rondo, liquid approx. 35°C/ 95°F
400 g / 12.86 oz Fresh eggs
130 g / 4.18 oz Pastry flour type 400
6 g / 0.19 oz Baking powder
450 g / 14.47 oz Marinated Sour Cherries

Kirsch Butter Cream
300 g / 9.65 oz Butter Cream
150 g / 4.82 oz Pastry Cream (hot)
30 g / 0.96 oz Kirsch 40%

Preparation
Cupcake Mixture
Gently heat the California almond paste, whisk slightly with soft butter, sugar and liquid couverture with a paddle. Add eggs little by little, do not over beat, fold in sifted flour and baking powder, stir for a short time in a kitchen machine. Display the Felchlin Silpat Cupcakes with cupcake liners, pipe 55 g of the Cupcake Mixture per piece and bake. Baking temperature: 180°C/ 356°F, convection oven: 160°C/ 320°F

Baking time: approx. 25 minutes

Kirsch Butter Cream
Whisk all ingredients together until foamy.

Setting
Allow to cool the cupcakes on a wire rack, as required freeze or use immediately.

Make a wedged shaped cut upside down into the cupcake and fill with 15 g of Marinated Sour Cherries. By using a disposable pastry bag and a star tip, top the cupcakes with Kirsch Butter Cream rosettes.

Tip for decoration: garnish with a couverture disk and a stemmed cherry.

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Basic Recipes

Marinated Sour Cherries
700 g / 22.51 oz Sour cherries, drained
190 g / 6.11 oz Sour cherry juice
50 g / 1.61 oz Sugar syrup
125 g / 4.02 oz Granulated sugar
30 g / 0.96 oz Wheat starch
25 g / 0.8 oz Orange juice
10 g / 0.32 oz Kirsch 40%

Preparation
Boil the sour cherry juice and sugar. Mix sugar and corn starch and blend with orange juice. Mix both liquids and bring them to a boil. Add the sour cherries and bring to a boil again. Allow to cool. Fold in the Kirsch.

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Butter Cream
450 g / 14.47 oz Granulated sugar
150 g / 4.82 oz Water
100 g / 3.22 oz Glucose 44/45
100 g / 3.22 oz Granulated sugar
120 g / 3.86 oz Pasteurized liquid egg white
80 g / 2.57 oz Pasteurized liquid egg yolk
1000 g / 32.15 oz Butter

Preparation
Bring sugar, water and glucose syrup to a boil at 114°C/ 237°F. Whisk sugar with egg white and egg yolk. Add the boiled sugar mixture all at once, then whip until cold. Whisk butter until fluffy and mix with the Pâte à Bombe to an airy mass.

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Pastry Cream (hot)
1000 g 32.15 oz Milk 3.5%
200 g 6.43 oz Granulated sugar
#31350 Felchlin-Swiss Vanilla Cream Powder

Preparation
Mix the Vanilla cream powder with little cold milk. Bring the remaining milk with sugar to a boil. Add the Vanilla cream mix and reboil shortly. Let it cool immediately. Allow to chill overnight in the refrigerator. Stir to a pastry cream in a kitchen machine.

© Copyright 2012 SCFF, LLC (trading as Swiss Chalet Fine Foods).