Lesson 14 Intro to Sugar

The last quarter of the superior pastry classes are all about sugar. The first class I took relating to sugar was very interesting. We learned to make jam, caramels, and pates a fruit which is a very good gummy type of candy made of sugar and fruit and dipped into sugar. They are like the individual candies Jex and I used to eat as kids.

Apricot Pate a Fruit

Caramels with almonds and pistachios

My mixed red fruit jam.

Until next time Au Revoir and Bon Appetit!

Lesson 13 Chocolate Exam

Instead of one exam to end Superior Pastry we had a two part exam.  The first part was to make a chocolate box and decorate the top.  I made a box topped with a chocolate flower with a small sphere center and a small sculpture in the background with some chocolate swirls coming out of the top.  The chocolate exam went much better than the sugar exam at the end of the term.

My chocolate flower with circular center.

My chocolate box with spheres and swirls.

Until next time Au Revoir and Bon Appetit!

Lesson 11 Watch out Godiva!

I can now begin my own chocolate empire.  These little bon bons of goodness are dark chocolate filled with caramel.  Creamy, smooth, delicious, and pretty on top of that!

My Caramel filled Chocolates

Until next time Au Revoir and Bon Appetit!

Lesson 10 Chocolate Picture Frame

As part of learning to temper chocolate and practice making shapes we made boxes, picture frames, and pictures out of dark chocolate.  To make the pictures we put a temporary tattoo made of cocoa butter into a plastic mold and then filled it with tempered dark chocolate.  When the chocolate hardened it showed the cocoa butter creation perfectly.  We used the leftover chocolate to make candy bars.

My Chocolate Box and my Chocolate Candy Bar

My picture frame from the side

My picture frame on my chocolate box

Until next time Au Revoir and Bon Appetit!

Lesson 9 Chocolate Sphere, Mango Coulis, and Praline Crisp

Lesson 9 was the first of four lessons in chocolate.  We learned to temper chocolate which means we can make shapes and designs with the chocolate and it will be crisp and shiny until you eat it without ever melting.  The process of tempering chocolate involves melting chocolate chips to a specific temperature, cooling the chocolate to another temperature, and finally raising the chocolate to a final temperature.  I can't wait to come home and try the tuxedo strawberries again now that I have this new knowledge!

My Chocolate Sphere with Mango Coulis and Pistachio swirl

My candy bars with gold dust

Until next time Au Revoir and Bon Appetit!

Lesson 8 Lemon Cream with Raspberry Foam

When we practiced making plated desserts we had to make lemon cream, raspberry coulis and a poured sugar item to decorate the plate.  Here is what I came up with and the Chef was NOT impressed.  Oh well, better luck next time!

 My Lemon Cream with Berry Coulis

Until next time Au Revoir and Bon Appetit!

Lesson 6 Verrine Petits Fours

The second day of petits fours we made verrines or glasses of small mousse desserts.  We made some raspberry, some strawberry, some apple, and some with a sugar, flour, crumble with pop rocks.  All very pretty and equally delicious.

My Verrines

Apple and Raspberry Verrine

Strawberry Verrine with Mint Leaves

Strawberry Mousse with Poprock Crumble

Until next time Au Revoir and Bon Appetit!