"I wanted to create a dessert representing the friendship between the two countries. The lei as a symbol came to mind right away. To execute this idea, I made some very colorful sugar flowers and glued them to the chocolate base. Just before serving, the leis were draped over mango ice cream and coconut mousse molds, which were displayed on caramel and almond nougat stands." - Excerpt from "A Sweet World of White House Desserts" by Roland Mesnier.