“Welcome to Psychedelicatessen, a weekly column exploring the world of cannabis cuisine, including recipes from the great chefs and ganjapreneurs who fuel our appetite for adventure.”
A classically trained pastry chef, Marla Molly Poiset decided to infuse cannabis into gourmet patisseries and chocolate after watching her daughter struggle with leukemia. As an accomplished professional with a background in interior design, Poiset is passionate about beautifying her surroundings and elevating sensual experiences. “Bringing something beautiful to someone suffering” motivated Poiset, who learned about the healing benefits of cannabis while attending a support group for relatives of cancer patients in 2011. Hearing a woman whose husband battled lung cancer describe how marijuana helped, Poiset thought, “Really, marijuana?” but was determined to investigate for herself. After embarking on her own research and seeing the benefits to her daughter’s health, Poiset transformed into a dedicated activist. “Now, my daughter says, ‘Mom, not everything can be related to pot!’ ” Molly laughs, “and I don’t even smoke pot!”
As a self-described “total lightweight,” Poiset does not smoke and says “even five milligrams will affect me” when eaten. As a professional woman in her late 50s, Poiset represents a demographic that’s enthusiastically embracing newly legal cannabis use, but need low-dose options appropriate for newbies, grandmas, and cannabis-naive patients. Her approach to creating edibles is completely contrary to the model exhibited by most infused food makers — high-dose, cheaply made baked goods — and is designed for “those who would be turned off by the counterculture.” Poiset says, “preppy, straight-laced people who would never smoke pot, I can get them to stop and take notice with a beautiful chocolate truffle.”
After her daughter’s illness, Poiset embarked on a dream to live in Paris, and so she enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu, studying to be a pastry chef for six months. “I wanted to elevate the experience and do something much more technical than a Rice Krispie treat or a gummy bear.” However, Molly wasn’t prepared for the difficult and intimidating world of French pastry chefs, describing the time-consuming preparation, specialized equipment, the need for strict obedience to recipes and exact measurements. Learning the classic way, it seems, requires dedication and attention to detail, traits not common amongst many stoner chefs. “French pastry versus American baking — it’s a completely different experience,” Poiset exclaims, “when you make a French dessert, plan on spending five hours at it!” After mastering the art of patisserie, Poiset returned to Washington state and began infusing cannabis into her creations, calling her new company Chefettes. Winning the second place Cannabis Cup in 2013 for her “Be the Light” Golden Frankincense Truffle, which contained only 10 mg of THC, was incredibly rewarding for Poiset. About her win, Molly says, “I’m very proud to be part of this sea change, and I want nothing less than to change the world!”
This year, Chefettes entered two different confections: a Margarita Truffle with 6 milligrams of THC and three mg of CBD for the US Cup Edible category, and a Ganesh Ganache absinthe and cannabis gelato-style frozen treat with 68 milligrams of THC and 38 mg of CBD. This recipe for Madeleines de Momo, is a simple pastry appropriate for home cooks, a nice little bite with rich flavors of fine cheese, butter, and rosemary, perfect for a savory snack.
You can meet Marla Molly Poiset at “The Art of Edibles” panel at the High Times Cannabis Cup on Saturday, September 6 at Comcast Arena in Everett, WA.
Madeleines de Momo
Tools & Equipment
Ingredients
• 2 tbs unsalted butter (20 grams)
