dining

Check out These Peepers! Try a Houston Chef's Winning Food Network Dessert

Check out These Peepers! Try a Houston Chef's Winning Food Network Dessert

HOUSTON’S OWN RUCHIT Harneja, executive pastry chef of Musaafer, won this week’s episode of Spring Baking Championship on Food Network. And foodies have a chance to try his winning dessert at the Galleria restaurant, now through Easter Sunday!

Harneja’s playful creation is an innovative spin on a honey-glazed ham. He translates all the flavor profiles of the classic Easter dish — hickory smoke, honey, pineapple, cherry, cloves, and even the ham itself — into a sweet treat. The dessert highly impressed the professional judges on episode three, which aired March 20.

He used his experience with heterodox food pairing — a yin and yang theory in which two opposing ingredients are combined to create a harmonious dish — in the dessert. A surprising blend of hickory-smoked honey cake, pineapple-and-clove Peeps and cherry pâté de fruit is topped with a ham crumble (there’s a plant-based version available, too). “I enjoy pushing the boundaries to explore more interesting flavor combinations, and this dessert is no exception,” he says. Jaipur-born Harneja is known for interesting flavor combinations and presentations as seen in a few of his signature — eye-popping and beautiful — desserts at Musaafer.

Harneja and contestans on 'Spring Baking Championship'

From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
Food
promoted

Leadership in Action: ‘Setting Clear Goals’ Among Secrets of Success for Attorney Jess Bailey

Al Torres
Leadership in Action: ‘Setting Clear Goals’ Among Secrets of Success for Attorney Jess Bailey

How did you get to where you are today? A few key principles integrated into my life: setting clear goals, maintaining a growth mindset, building strong habits, and surrounding myself with the right people. Goals provided direction, while a growth mindset helped me turn challenges into opportunities for learning. Consistent habits, like disciplined work and effective communication, kept me moving forward. Being surrounded by motivated, supportive individuals has elevated my standards and kept me accountable. They’ve provided advice, encouragement, and sometimes that extra push I needed to stay on track. With these elements, I’ve been able to create a framework that helps me succeed and ensures I continue to grow and evolve.

Keep Reading Show less
People + Places
style

Sneak Peek: Check Out Houston-Based Foreign Fare’s Spring 2025 Collection

Arianna Vetere

A new look from the soft landings collection

FROM THE OWNERS of popular Montrose haunts Traveler’s Table and Traveler’s Cart is another jetset-focused business. Owners Thy and Matthew Mitchell launched Foreign Fare in the fall of 2023 with long-haul travelers in mind. The pieces are wrinkle-free and designed to be functional as well as stylish. The line was recently featured in Travel & Leisure as a “first class look.”

Keep Reading Show less
travel

1,500 Miles from its OG Property on Nantucket, Palm Beach’s White Elephant Beckons

The lobby of White Elephant Palm Beach

COVERED IN VERDANT vines and flanked by tall palm trees, the entrance to the White Elephant Palm Beach feels like passing into a stately home, rather than one of the island’s newest resorts. The building is 101 years old, and while the original footprint and façade remain, the interior has a decidedly updated, ultra-luxe beach vibe.

Keep Reading Show less