Long Overdue

I don't even know where to begin. Work was pretty crazy this last month and I haven't been unable to post the fabulous things I have been making and learning in class. Cake has been the new theme of the section I just started. Making and decorating cakes has been such a blast and I look forward to every class. There is just something about cakes that creates a feeling of excitement. I think it is because all birthdays, weddings and most other celebrations involve a cake. I'm not the only one who is excited about making cakes, my work is thrilled that I bring a cake into the office three days a week.

Horseradish Grill Chocolate Cake, Ganache Beurre Praline Filling, Ordinary Ganach Glaze

(covered in chopped hazelnuts and chocolate shavings)

Lemon-Scented White Cake, Lemon Buttercream Icing, Raspberry Filling

Apple Strip

(Puff Pastry, Almond Frangipane Filling, Golden Delicious Apples, Apricot Glaze)

Gateau Pithiviers

(Puff Pastry & Almond Frangipane)

Pound Cake

Eat Your Tart Out

This week in class we made tarts. My favorites were the fruit, lemon curd, and chocolate. The fruit tart is made with Pate Brisee, a light and flaky crust, then filled with pastry cream and decorated with fruit. The chocolate tart is made with Pate Sablee, a rich and crumbly crust, then filled with a rich ganache and topped with a hazelnut and chocolate shavings. The lemon tart is also made with Pate Sablee then filled with lemon curd and finished with meringue. I thought they all turned out to be adorable and great for many occasions.

Dessert Date

There is nothing I love more than dessert date nights. Tonight my husband Jordan took me to Momofuku Milk Bar, one of my favorite dessert spots in NYC. Momofuku Milk Bar works wonders with their ability to mix the sweet and salty combinations, in some of the most innovative and delicious ways. They are fantastic at preserving the textures of the key ingredients in their desserts. For example, the banana cake bite inside was light and moist and the cornflakes in the cookies still had their CRUCH when I bit into it. My favorite menu items are the cinnamon bun pie, grasshopper pie, and the cornflake-marshmallow chocolate chip cookie.

Momofuku Milk Bar Menu

Candy Bar Pie

(chocolate crust, caramel, peanut butter nougat, pretzels)

Banana Cake Truffle

(banana cream, hazelnut crunch, gianduja fudge)

Cornflake-Marshmallow-Chocolate Chip Cookie

Carb Delights

This week in class we were able to make all sorts of amazing carb filled delights. My personal favorite thing to make and eat were the doughnuts. Doughnuts can be either yeast risen or cake like, through the use of baking powder. In class we prepared raised doughnuts, sour cream doughnuts, and filled doughnuts.

Chocolate Godiva Sour Cream Doughnut Recipe:

Doughnuts:
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened alkalized cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Vegetable oil for frying

Chocolate Orange Glaze:
3 bars (1.5 ounces each) Godiva Dark Chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon grated orange peel

Make the doughnuts:

1. Whisk together eggs and sugar in mixing bowl. Add sour cream and vanilla.
   
2. Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in another bowl until thoroughly blended. Using a rubber spatula, fold flour mixture into sour cream mixture and blend until soft, moist dough forms, adding additional flour if needed. Place dough onto lightly floured surface and lightly sprinkle top of dough with flour. Gather dough into ball and knead gently 5 or 6 times or until smooth. (Do not over-handle dough.)
   
3. Divide dough in half and pat each with floured hands into circle about 1/2-inch-thick. Cover dough with plastic wrap and place in freezer for about 20 minutes or until firm.
   
4. Using floured 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut rounds from each dough circle. With floured 1 1/4-inch round cookie cutter, cut hole from center of each doughnut. Using floured pancake spatula, transfer doughnuts and holes to parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
   
5. Gather scraps of dough together, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Pat to 1/2-inch-thick and cut more doughnuts as above. Cover doughnuts and refrigerate for up to 6 hours until ready to fry them. Allow chilled doughnuts to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before frying.
   
6. Add oil to saucepan or deep-fat fryer filling 1/3 full. Heat over medium heat to 375°F. Fry doughnuts, 3 at a time, for about 1 minute on each side or until browned. Using slotted spoon, remove doughnuts and place on paper towels to drain. Set doughnuts on wire rack to cool. Fry doughnut holes, 6 at a time, in same manner.
   

Make the glaze:

1. Place chocolate in mixing bowl. Heat cream in small saucepan over medium heat to a gentle boil. Pour hot cream over chocolate and let mixture stand for 30 seconds. Gently whisk until smooth.
   
2. Stir in butter and grated orange peel. Cool glaze until it starts to thicken slightly, stirring occasionally but gently so that it cools evenly without creating too many air bubbles.
   
3. Set wire rack with doughnuts on baking sheet. Drizzle spoonful of glaze over each doughnut, covering top. Place baking sheet with doughnuts in refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes or until glaze is firm. Sprinkle with orange zest if desired. Store doughnuts in airtight container at room temperature. Doughnuts should be served same day they are prepared.

My Little Sunshine

This past weekend my husband and I headed down to Washington, DC to help plan my niece Ella's first birthday party! When I walked into my sisters house it was a tornado of craftyness. My sister Mandi was sewing, my sister Lindi of Love The Day was designing, and I was ready to bake. It turned out to be the perfect day for my little sunshine Ellason.

Menu: panna cotta, banana pudding, mini cheesecakes, and chocolate truffles

Bring on the Bread

In my first week of Module II I learned how to make semolina bread, olive bread, American black bread, baguettes, fougasse, and decorative breads. It is amazing that I have learned how to make so many different types of bread in the first week of Module II. I can't wait to see what else this Module has to bring.

Baguettes/Fougasse Provencase

French-Style Baguettes

Bread Design

Olive Bread Recipe

By: MARBALET

• 3 cups bread flour
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped black olives
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1 tablespoon cornmeal

Direction

1. In a large bowl, mix together flour, yeast, sugar, salt, black olives, olive oil, and water.
2. Turn out dough onto a floured board. Knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside, and let rise about 45 minutes, until it doubles in size. Punch down. Knead well again, for about 5 to 10 minutes. Let rise for about 30 minutes, until it doubles in size.
3. Round the dough on kneading board. Place upside down in a bowl lined with a lint-free, well floured towel. Let rise until double in size.
4. While the bread is rising for the third time, put a pan of water in the bottom of the oven. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
5. Gently turn loaf out onto a sheet pan that has been lightly oiled and dusted with cornmeal.
6. Bake loaf at 500 degrees F (260 degrees C) for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake for 30 more minutes, or until done.

Pâte à Choux and Pastry Cream

Paris Brest

Paris Brest was created to commemorate a popular bicycle race between Paris and Brest. Its shape represents a bicycle wheel and was a popular treat with riders because of its energy-giving high calorie value (that's why it's yummy!). Today it can be found in pastry shops throughout France.

Croquembouche

Croquembouche is a traditional French wedding cake

Eclairs

When it comes down to it, all the delicious desserts you see above--the éclairs, the croquembouche, the cream puffs, and the Paris-Brestthe--are a combination of two key components: Pâte à Choux and Pastry Cream.

Pâte à Choux is the delicious buttery dough. The first step to making Pâte à Choux is bring water and butter (scary amounts) to a boil. Then remove it from the stove and stir in the flour. After the flour is stirred in, place it on the stove while continuously stirring in order to cook the starch and dry out the dough. After the starch is properly cooked and the dough is dried out, remove it again from the heat, but continue to stir to cool the dough. Add eggs one at a time, until it reached an elastic consistency (like the butter, scary amount of eggs). Once you reach the right texture and consistency, fill a pastry bag and piped the dough onto sheet pan. Bake.