Week 5 – Petit Fours

So then we made all these little treats:

Lemon Meringue Tartlets, Strawberry Tartlets, Sweet meats (Dried fruit with Marzipan and dipped in clear caramel), Nougat Triangle and Piped Marzipan

        

Week 4: Hot and Cold Desserts

So this marks the final week of crazy 8 hour a day pracs a.k.a Summer mode.. did I forget to mention that most of the items we had this week had to be plated up Restaurant standard, what a challenge that was!! It was a brilliant finish to the 4 weeks and now I’m back to 3 nights a week, which means I can find a part time job, hopefully in a bakery/patisserie nearby or in the city..

So for Week 4, we did:

• Vanilla poached pear with chocolate sauce
• White wine fruit jelly
• Crepes with mixed fruit flambe
• Ice cream, Sorbet and Parfait
• Bombe Alaska
• Brandy snaps and Tuille
• Creme brulee and Creme caramel
• Sticky date pudding
• Sabayon, Butterscotch and Anglaise sauces and Strawberry coulis
• Chocolate bavarois
• Macadamia tart
• Bread and butter pudding
• Souffle (Vanilla, Chocolate and Hazelnut Grand Marnier)

          

And for Assessment: 1 x Chocolate Bavarois (including 1 x Brandy snap) and 1 x Souffle, both plated up Restaurant standard

  

Week 2: Pastries

The following week was equally insane.. I think we are really being pushed to our limits, this is what summer school is all about, in some aspect I love it cos we only have to concentrate on one Unit but at the same time it’s driving me insane cos we are working 8 hours a day non-stop and then after 6 lessons, it’s assessment time already!!

Including pracs, we have theory units such as ‘clean and maintain kitchen’ and food safety procedures, etc.. and we have to pass all 3 theory Units to move on to next term! Talk about pressure!!

Anyway, here’s what we did for week 2:

• 3 methods of puff pastry – English, French and Scotch
  • Apple turnovers
  • Mille Feuille
  • Sausage Rolls
  • Cinnamon Sugar Twists
• Frangipane Tartlets
• Quiche using savoury short pastry
• Fruit flan using sweet short pastry
• Choux pastry – Profiteroles and Choc Eclairs

     

Assessment was 10 frangipane tartlets, 6 profiteroles and 6 choc eclairs, also passed the theory and prac!!

The rush of the holiday period

The 4 dozen cupcake order was my last order for 2009.. I’m off on holidays for 3 weeks and then I start school, so I have put 2010 orders on hold for the moment and will only know how to fit that all in once I get my school schedule and a placement for working experience..

Merry Christmas Everyone and Happy New Year!!

It’s Christmas Time..

So Nicky and I threw a party and we had such a great time.. For the party, I made my Sticky Date Scones, a Black Forest Choc Ripple Cake (for Jason’s bday) and also for the first time ever, Minced Fruit Tarts.. Here are the pics:

   

French Classic and Modern Gateaux and Tarts

I’m sooooo exhausted.. a long weekend of 9am-5pm, 2 days in a row at a short course at William Angliss..

Here’s the pictures!! A couple of friends were lucky enough to sample the Gianduja mousse and Cointreau mousse I had which was part of the cakes below..

Sicilia Tart - Pistachio/Cinnamon Strudel on top, Almond Pistachio Cream and Roasted Apricots in the middle and Almond Shortbread as the base.

Victoria Tart - Ganache Cuba on top, Spiced Pineapple (Victoria Pineapple) and Chocolate Almond Cream in the middle and Almond Shortbread as the base.

 

Vanessa Cake (my super favourite between all the cakes I made) - Chocolate raspberry sponge (top and bottom), Vanilla Creme Brulee and Griottines in middle and Bitter Chocolate Mousse to hold it all together and a deep dark chocolate ganache to coat with chocolate garnishing

 

Horizon cake - Dacquoise Orange Noisette with Hazelnuts for the layers, Gianduja Mousse for the first layer, Cointreau Mousse for the top layer and Cigarette Paste with Biscuit Jaconde on the outer rimmed area and Apricot Glaze to top it off!!

 

It was super fun and the coolest part was that the Pastry Chef that was teaching us is THE HEAD PASTRY CHEF for Brunetti! and I met the owner today as he was just “visiting”.. woohoo!!

Well, the next class will be in October, ‘Introduction to French Pastries’ which will be all the other stuff like croissants, danishes.. etc.. stay tuned!!

Whoops.. forgot one more thing, on the way home.. I saw a rainbow.. how appropriate to end the day *smiles*