Ricardo Vélez (Madrid, 1978), one of Spain's leading pastrymakers, wants to create "sweet emotions". Known as the Cocoa Chef, the man in charge of Moulin Chocolat and his sister Puy shared a few secrets of their trade on the last day of Madrid Fusión Pastry, the pastry section of Madrid Fusión Alimentos de España. "We sell emotions", said the creator of the 'Chapuis' Macaroon or the famous traditional Christmas "roscón", "where we retrieve the essence by reformulating a forgotten product". 

He also makes bread and chocolate ice cream, with flour salt, bread and oil. He has recreated the top-quality wafer which "nobody was making, by buying a German machine to make them which has taken us to another level". His latest creation is a cocoa expresso, a coffee/cocoa mixture he makes by buying up produce from small manufacturers in Mexico. "Dreams can come true. We bought up the entire production of a gentleman in Chiapas at four times the price paid by the local boss man", he explained.

Another successful product is churro truffle, created in 2017 for San Ginés, the world's most productive churro outlet, going back 127 years. "We use the world's best churro to make a paste. We dehydrate the churro in its own grease, mix the paste in with chocolate, fill the truffles, coat them with cocoa, and that's the world's first churro truffle", he says.

Not reluctant to disclose his secrets, years ago Vélez wanted a space for communication, The Pâtissier, a polyvalent place with room for courses, with a professional kitchen and a pop-up to share knowledge.
Moulin Chocolat made a success of its filled macaroons, éclairs, truffles, desserts and cakes that resemble fine metalwork, the result of research and passion for the pastrymaking profession. In 2014 Spain's Royal Gastronomy Academy declared Vélez the country's Best Pastrymaker, and in 2017 he won the International Gastronomy Academy's Prix au Chef Pâtissier award.
When he was small, his mother gave him a book on dessert recipes which mapped out his future. He studied at the Higher Pastrymaking School in Madrid,. and continued at the Valrhona École du Gran Chocolat in France. Back in Madrid, he worked at the legendary Lhardy until 2006, when he opened Moulin Chocolat, the pastry outlet to which he brought the refinement of grand French cakemaking. Using top-quality raw materials and a well-honed technique, there he extracts pure, powerful flavours, bringing pastrymaking to the public at large.
Madrid Fusión Pastry was also visited on its last day by master bakers Edu Lavandeira, Iago Castrillón, and Anna Bellsolà, from the Baluard outlet in Barcelona. Carlos Moreno and Juan Carbajo discussed flours and wheats. Teresa Gutiérrez and Jesús Monedero discussed cooking breads and catering. Lucila Carnero and Juan Carlos Menéndez finished the session with discussions on vegan and gluten-free pastry.