"It was still winter in Washington and the State Dinning Room was glowing and glittering, the tables set with the Reagan china service. For this time of year, I chose deep and comforting flavor of hazelnuts, coffee, and rum. I love using beautifully crafted Old World ice cream molds and thought that Chancellor Helmut Kohl would appreciate a molded ice cream dessert . . . So I made a hazelnut ice cream mold filled with coffee rum mousse and crunchy meringue. I decorated each one with nougat triangles and red polka-dotted meringue mushrooms. The petit four tray I am displaying holds rich goodies just right for the season: Parisian macaroons, chocolate almond drops, and butter cookies dipped in chocolate." - Excerpt from "A Sweet World of White House Desserts" by Roland Mesnier