Executive Pastry Chef Kayline Johnson, Atlantis Casino Resort Spa Restaurants, Reno, NV, USA

Executive Pastry Chef Kayline Johnson and her amazing baking team create all the creative desserts, breads, and gelato for the 8 restaurants at the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in Reno, Nevada, which include 2 fine dining restaurants, Atlantis Steakhouse and Bistro Napa. Executive Pastry Chef Kayline Johnson graciously provides a delectable taste of the restaurants with her recipe for Coconut Macaroon Cookies.

Executive Pastry Chef Kayline Johnson

During our stay at the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in late July 2019, we not only had the opportunity to personally taste many of the delectable desserts including her luscious pink champagne cake decorated with a pink chocolate "button," miniature eclairs, cream puffs, breads and rolls, and gelato made in-house by Executive Pastry Chef Kayline Johnson and her team while dining at their many restaurants, we also met with Kayline, who took time to speak with Luxury Experience as well as provide us with a tour of the expansive bakery.

Pink Champagne Cake

Kayline Johnson comes from a family of great cooks, fishermen, and hunters. She grew up baking cakes with her mom and entered her first baking contest when she was 6 years old and in first grade! She honed her culinary craft by attending Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon. Although she went to school for savory cooking, one of her former instructors hired her after she graduated, as a pastry chef. From there, she has never looked back.

Rolls

As the Executive Pastry Chef for the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa, Kayline and her team are responsible for creating all the breads, pastries, and gelato for the property’s 8 food outlets, which include 2 fine dining restaurants and an upscale buffet restaurant.

Gelato

Having dined at the fine dining restaurant, the Atlantic Steakhouse, we had the opportunity to enjoy their signature brioche roll, which Kayline explained they make by rolling out brioche dough, then layering chopped green onion and Gruyere cheese, then rolling them up like a cinnamon roll. Served warm from the oven, they were fabulously addictive. Also wonderful was the coffeecake they make as take-away treats for the Atlantis Steakhouse, which are presented at the end of the dining experience for patrons to enjoy the next day for breakfast.

Cheesecake

The bakery also makes excellent, ultra-decadent cheesecakes, which weigh in at 8 pounds and serve 10. Her tip for the cheesecake is to use Philadelphia Cream Cheese, as it makes a difference. Her favorite thing to make? Gingerbread houses! Looking at her portfolio, her gingerbread house creations were pure fantasy meant to delight the eyes with child-like wonder, including a skyscraping gingerbread house sculpture. For a bit of fun for her team last year, she asked each of them to make a gingerbread house, which in turn decorated the buffet tables for the holidays. Creative and fun for all to enjoy.

Her advice to those wishing to pursue a culinary career is that it is a lot of fun, but you will always need to work on holidays and weekends. When not working in the bakery or dreaming up new recipes, she likes to spend time with her husband and their dog, Kayla, on their boat, going tubing, or camping.

Executive Pastry Chef Kayline Johnson graciously provides her recipe for Coconut Macaroon Cookies. Having eaten these delicious cookies at Toucan Charlie’s, their upscale buffet restaurant, they are a real treat. Enjoy!

Executive Pastry Chef Kayline Johnson of the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa Restaurants
Coconut Macaroon Cookies

Ingredients

Method: Mix cornstarch together with macaroon coconut in a bowl, set aside.

Method: Put the corn syrup, water, and sugar in a saucepan with plenty of space. Mix slightly and bring to bring to a boil. Add the macaroon and cornstarch mix until well blended.

Put the above ingredients into a mixer with paddle attachment, slowly add the egg whites, salt, and then vanilla. Mix on low speed until stiff.

Let it cool enough so that it does not burn your hands and deposit the mixture into piping bag. Pipe out small rosettes (about 2-inches in diameter) onto parchment paper or wax paper lined baking sheet. You may also scoop the mixture or deposit it onto the prepared baking sheet using a tablespoon.

[Editor’s Note: If you do not have a piping bag, you can use a zip lock plastic bag, and cut the tip off the end of the bag.]

Baking: Bake at 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) for 10 minutes. Check and bake a little longer if needed until the cookies are golden brown.

Executive Chef Kayline Johnson and Debra C. Argen

Read more about the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in the Hotels and Resorts, Restaurants, Chefs’ Recipes, and Spas sections.

Read more about Reno and Tahoe in the Destinations, Adventures, Art, and Performances sections.

Atlantis Casino Resort Spa
3800 S. Virginia Street
Reno, Nevada 89502
United States
Telephone: +1-775-335-4539
Website: www.AtlantisCasino.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atlantiscasinoresortspa
Twitter: @atlantiscasino

Important Travel Information:

Direct Flights to Reno from:

For more information on direct flights to Reno, please visit the website: https://www.atlantiscasino.com/activities/direct-flights-to-reno/

Complimentary Atlantis Shuttle from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport

Atlantis Casino Resort Spa is conveniently located minutes from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport and offers complimentary airport shuttle for all hotel guests. The Atlantis shuttle runs from 4:30 am until 12:15 am. The shuttle departs the airport every 30 minutes, on the quarter hour, and can be found directly outside baggage claim. It departs Atlantis every 30 minutes, on the hour and half hour. For more information, please call 775.825.4700.

For more information on the Reno and Lake Tahoe area please visit the website: www.VisitRenoTahoe.com

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