Last Week....Cakes

 I cannot believe that this is the last class blog post of my time here with the pastry program. Next week will be my final week of having exams, it is going to be a very hectic week and then a week later I graduate. I have learned so much over the past six months, it is crazy. I have made some great friends that I will miss so much during my next step in the Cake program. They have definitely helped me get through being homesick, not that I do not still get homesick once in a while. And the chefs; well there is so much to say about each one and how they have helped me along the way. Each one has definitely boosted my self-confidence which is something that I have always struggled with. As I am writing this blog, I am listening to Christmas music and thinking that in two weeks I will be around my family and I am so excited to share with everyone different things I have learned at The French Pastry School! Cannot wait to see all of you! Thank you for being so supportive of me and reading my blog every week! Love you guys! <3

World Cup Cake

 Layers from the bottom to the top: Hazelnut Dacquoise(a type of cake) with caramelized hazelnuts, Hazelnut Mousse, Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Mousse, and Chocolate Glaze.

 Nougat Mousse Cake

Layers from the bottom to the top: Pistachio Dacquoise, Apricot-Passion Fruit Gelee, Pistachio Dacquoise, and Nougat Mousse with Pecans, Walnuts, Dried Cherries, and Dried Apricots.

Coconut Passion Cake

Layers from the bottom to the top: Coconut Dacquoise, Passion Fruit Mousse, Candied Pineapple, Coconut Dacquoise, Coconut Mousse.

 Raspberry Silk Cake

 Layers from the bottom to the top: Almond Dacquoise, Hazelnut Crunch, White Chocolate Mousse, Almond Dacquoise, Raspberry Gelee, and White Chocolate Mousse.

Pithivier

(Pit-i-vee-yay)

A traditional pithivier is a puff pastry with almond cream baked inside. You can also add fruit or whatever you like. It would be really good with peaches!

 Raspberry Creme Brulee Macaron

This is just like a bite size macaron, just on larger scale. This time we made a French Meringue instead of an Italian Meringue.  A French Meringue is probably what you are used to making, it is egg whites whipped with sugar. An Italian Meringue is egg whites whipped with a syrup made from water and sugar.

The filling is just like a creme brulee except, it does not have a caramelized top on it. You can do the caramelized top by using a stencil and putting caramel powder in the oven.

Wedding cakes

Wow, I cannot believe that I have a little less than a month to go before I graduate from this program. It is crazy how much I have learned these past five months.





First time doing string work....definitely could have been better, but hey it was the first time! Wish I had more time so I could have finished it.

 Probably one of the worst cakes I have ever done. I messed up the buttercream, but at least I was able to learn a new technique even if it doesn't look that great.

Crouquembouche 

Wedding Cakes: Gumpaste Flowers

Just a little update before you look at what I have been working on this week. Last week I unfortunately found out that I was not chosen to be an intern at the school for next term. As we have been taught, our profession comes with a lot of rejection and this is the first one that I will be able to take as a learning experience. That being said I am going back to my original plan of doing all three programs at the school. As much as I wanted the internship, the cake program will be a great opportunity and learning experience for me as well. 

Speaking of the cake program this week and next week we will be working on the wedding cake module. This week we focused on gumpaste flowers. I have not worked with gumpaste this much in a long time and it was fun to get back into it and learn more. When you look at the pictures the first picture will be before shading(with luster dust) and the second picture will be after shading. Some picture might be hard to tell. but you still might be able to see some sort of difference.

   Yellow Roses

   Carnations

Blossoms

        Daisy 











All put together!

Of course I had to make yellow roses again! They were my grandma's favorite. I wish she was here to see them, but I know she is with me in the kitchen everyday.

"Life is like a box of chocolates..."

Earl Grey Ganache Filled Candies

The Colombian

This candy is filled with a coffee infused ganache.

Peanut Butter 

This candy has a peanut butter filling. This one reminds me of home because it is almost like a Sarris peanut butter meltaway!! A.K.A my favorite Sarris candy!!

Trios

This candy is has a chocolate base and topped with caramelized hazelnuts covered in chocolate.

Royaltine

This is a chocolate hazelnut candy.

Gianduja

This candy is a chocolate base topped with gianduja. Gianduja is a chocolate hazelnut mixture, almost like Nutella just with less chocolate flavor.

Swiss Rocher

These are a version of a Ferrero Rocher!! The only thing that is different is that there is not a hazelnut in the center.

Buttermass

Pear Caramel

This is filled with a caramel and chocolate filling. It is supposed to have pear alcohol in it but we used an orange liqueur.

Pistachio Ganache

This is filled with a pistachio ganache. I like this, but I think it would be very good with a white chocolate shell instead of dark.

Marzipan 

Rum Truffles

Carmelized Almonds

Normandy Cream

This is a chocolate ganache filling.

Nougatine

The nougatine is a caramel base mixed with granulated almonds.

 Mendiants

Last, but not least mendiants. These are a chocolate base with nuts and candied fruit on top. They can be made in many shapes and sizes. I was given the big chocolate bar from Chef En-Ming Hsu for winning the tempering contest. She said she had a special project for us to do and gave each of us a container of un-tempered chocolate and when we were done bring it to her!
       You would probably like to know what tempering means....well chocolate has 6 different crystals in them and when it is melted they are unstable. Cooling it down and bringing it to the right temperature(which varies for the different types of chocolate) creates stable crystals. These stable crystals are what gives the chocolate a shiny look and makes it snap, If the chocolate was not tempered it would be soft, not like your typical chocolate bar. There are three different ways to temper chocolate; tabling, seeding, and direct method.
       Tabling chocolate is when you poor 75% of the melted chocolate onto  a granite or marble table/slab and spread it out so that you are able to fold the outside into the middle with a table scraper. You do this until it gets think, but  not too thick. Then you put that back into the bowl with the rest of the melted chocolate. Make a test.
       Seeding chocolate is when you have melted chocolate and you add pistols(unmelted chocolate disks), about 15%. Stir and make sure they are all melted. Make a test. If it doesn't set add a couple more pistols. I used this method when given the "special project"
       Direct method tempering is taking pistols and melting 75% and stirring in the rest. Make a test.
When I say make a test, we are taught to make a test even if you are at the desired temperature because the thermometer could not read it properly. The easiest way to make a test is take a small piece of parchment paper and dip it in the chocolate. If it does not set within three to four minutes it is still too warm and not tempered.