Pithiviers et Sacristains!

Pithiviers or Three king cake is made from a puff pastry ( feuilletage ) has three double turns. Making this cake need a muscle, especially  for the last turn that need to roll out the dough before cut into half. The challenge for this one is a right technique assemble each piece together. The most difficult woul day the curve at the finish, mark all the beautiful line all over the cake in opposite direction and had to do it quick because of the dough will get too soft as in the school always about finish on time, so you can't take your time to do it and if it take stock long your Doug will get too soft and it is hard to work with as well. The filling is a almond cream with the favor or rum a bit which just example bacause you can add on differance favors but need to make a bit dome in the middle, so will pop up nicely and don't forget to prick the top to release the moister as it will rise so hight. As I almost made a mistake , to brush the egg wah couple times to get the best golden color and the flower will go wiht good ize not too small or too big because it will rise up a lot as well.

As you know making dessert using a lot of expensive ingredients, so it is very important to not through the left over but using with other things!! For this puff pastry ( feuilletage)so I use the left over after curve the shape of three king cake to make a Sacritains or puff pastry " twist". Same dough but add the nibbled sugar , cinnamon and chopped almond would be great combination. So no wasting and eat more dessert!! 

Le Nôtre!

Having another fun day at Le Nôtre!! Making macaron is addicted- how cute and colorful their look!! Today taking a class at Le  Nôtre where is the top school of French cuisine and pastry in Paris. The school is located close to Rue de Champsylsee, the nice setting of the restaurant in the patio and inside of the building made the class even more interesting to just come to the school. 

We got treat for the first arrived with chocolate croissant and le notre' tea was perfect to start the lesson because it was at 9.30 am. The chef didn't want to say much word in English which quite challenge because of my a little French but I am survived as I did learned many lesson to make a macarons. The chef shown us how to master the macarons with using the French meringue method for making a macaroon shell and two filling we make today, cocoa and raspberry butter cream. from many class, demo and practical I did at Le cordon blue, I found that I love the Italian meringue because the shell is more stable, maintain a shape better and keep it last longer compare to French meringue. Will keep you posted for more macarons to make. 

Magador!

I was so excited after the demonstration and want to make this cake after tasted it!! Magador or chocolate génoire with chocolate mousse is a sponge cake with four layer, chocolate cake, raspberry seed jam, chocolate mousse and finish with last layer with the  both jam and the mousse. 

The sponge is using the génoire method which you want to aim fort eh moist and soft for the cake for the mousse is a lot of work because you need to prepare, whipped the cream, cook the syrub, beat the egg yolk and melted the chocolate. The order of adding and mixing in the mousse is very important to get a smooth and melted in your mouth. In addition for  the sweet tooth people, this came it will not desired you wihtout adding the imbibing ( syrup with brandy favor) to add abut sweet into the cake and  fruite brandy flavor. 

Charlotte Aux Poire!

Charlotte aux poires or Pear Charlotte is based of sponge cake method with the pear mousse filling inside. Actually the cake has three parts of using a sponge to make a shape, the round sponge around the cake is  called"  lady finger " as it looks. For the bottom of the cake is spiral and the top is a flower shape. One thing I love about the cake is soften when it bite and light sweet for the filling. All my classmate love it and did a good job, so thanks for the chef again! 

Brioches 'rich yeast bun' !

Brioche is a simply bread enriched with the butter and eggs with no filing in it!! Today, by using a same dough but so many shape you can make- big ( grande ) et small ( petit ) or pain shape. I personal don't like the taste cry much, almost no taste but this bread has a story of it. If you heard about " let them eat cake" is often quote as an example of Marie Antoninette's arrogant at the plight of hungry parisian during the French revolution. Basically, you can see it is rising so much because ofth yeast and the fermentation process for over nice , gave a dough rising in the shape.

Les secret du Macaron!

It was so much experience with the chef- Daniel Walter at Le Cordon Blue today. Learning how to master the secret violate macaroon( macaron à la violette)  If you saw my first day making a macaroon in Paris then you must know that I made it by using the Italian meringue but today I did it with French meringue. 

Why the class is named " les secret du macaroon" because of the chef has difference technique to master how to make the macaroon easy and came out very well. 

Couple things that you need to do to make a perfect macaroon are know your oven very well which you might need to try couple times to get the right one which is okay or may be you are very lucky to get a perfect one for the first try;). second, the quality of the ingredients is very important- many chef also said that even though  you hired the chef from France to make the same thing in your country but if you did not import the indigents from France the result will never be same as you had  it in France , especially the bread or pain. Well, it doesn't mean you need to to import all the ingredients from France but pick the best quality you can find from your local store. Come to meringue, as I mention that I made the French meringue for this time, pay attention when you beat the egg white with sugar to get a stiff peak and not over mix the batter when you mix it with the dry ingredients  which they are only two things, powder sugar and almond powder.so, if you got what I mentioned above then you are on the way to success making one. I don't think, I need to mention about pipe the macaroon shape because it is really an experience which it not difficult, just keep in mind if your hand is not moving when pipe it then it should came out nice and round. Today, we go very simple of the filling, chocolate ganache but the secret that you should try are adding the difference favor into the chocolate , for example honey and appellation calvados contrôlée add up a lot of just chocolate ganache. The decoration was gives a nice touch at finish-the crystallize violets. Merci chef for sharing us a secret!!!

Croissant & Croissant aux chocolat !

These are what I was looking forward to make as it known as difficult and the best in Paris- Croissant! 

croissant or any puff pastry dough are known for their flakiness resulting from the rolling and folding of the dough and butter of the same consistency. the step of folding the butter-layered dough is called a turn ( tour in French). The principle of creating layer by rolling and folding the dough with butter is future enhanced with the rising power of yeast. To make a croissant, you need at least three turns and never give more than 4 turns. 

Another important thing to know is if you want your croissant is more flavor than you should fermented the dough or leave it over night to give it rise volume and better flavor.

Tarte Meringuée Aux Poire Caramélisée !

This Tart was my another practice to make the sweet pastry dough or pâte sucrée in French and I was very happy with it- crisp almond crust! The most important making a great dough and using this method is the butter cold and not over mix which cause the dough is too elastic! 

The tart actually garnish with caramelized the pear with butter and raisin then favoring with the fruit brandy. For decorating, using the almond  meringue and sprinkle the slice almond then bake at 170 degree then lower a bit after with rotate the baking sheet to release the moisture of the oven after about half away cook.

Barquettes Au Miel!

As you can see from the picture that how can't I will not love this Tarte with a full of with the honey-almond filling, using about 300 g slice almond to finishthis trarte ! Almond is well used in sweet and as well as savory dished and also extremely healthy. 

Until this lesson, in the class still use a same method making a sweet pastry dough or pâte sucrée and I ming be can say my skill is getting better and better. In general, we will need a  barquettes mold according to the name but we also can make as a Tarte in the ring if you don't have one. 

Tartelette À L'orange!

This was my last favor- orange and my favor one of the other favor I had made so far for-chocolate and lemon!  I end up with loving the recipe from the school having a ground almond to make a sweet crust pastry dough ( pâte sucrée ) and all the technique that I learned, so definitely do it again. To prepare the dough for the orange filling, we need to cook the dough completely unlike the other that you need to re- bake again after the filling. The filing, orange cream- adding the two orange juice and the orange zest made the fruity favor into the the trate. You can make the cream by using the double boiling to cook it but it will take longer time to cook but will get nice and  smooth cream texture and no risk to burn the cream  or if you don't want to take long time then you can cook on the stove which is much hotter, so need to make sure that keep stirring because it is very easy to get burn. 

Tartelettes Aux Chocolat !

After making tarte aux citron or lemon tart then using the same type of dough , sweet crust pastry dou or pâte sucrée in French, so filing with other favor- chocolate was also great as well. It was two filling in the trarte. First need to pre- baking the dough , let it chill then add the soft chocolate which made from hot chocolate- honey melt combine with dry ingredient and flod into the mering. Bake the half- cooked dough with failing soft chocolate until the dough turn golden brown. Fill the last layer with the chocolate ganache and let it chill before ready to serve! 

Macaroon Day One!

This is not my first time making macaroon but it was frist time in Paris! Taking a macaron class is always my dream and and must to do, especially in Paris . I actually learn a lot of lesson and watched the demo at Le cordon blue but having get into the practical yet, so first I start with " La cuisine Paris "  

The school just in front of the river sien next to hotel de ville with small class room which I though it was great to learn.

We are three group of 8 people and my group ( three people ) making two color with the filling cream of white chocolate & passion fruit. My group chose a yellow color according to my name and nice summer color ;) and we make a filling - chocolate passion fruit. After finish, I saw the group next to me had some purple shell left then I use it to put together which I though both color it should be nice to sandwich it together, and it was;) 

After all my experince, making the macaron is about practising and alos would say the most important to get a perfect shell macaron is to whipe the meriengue to the right stage- stiff and glossy. After that, very gentil adn becareful to not over mix the dry ingredient with the meringue, so look for the finish batter that flow as ribbon when you lift yoru spatular with the batter. 

Making a filling or cream is not very difficult which you can start with the Ganache which is the most simple filling that you can start with your first time. For piping  is about practising again and again, even now they also has a mold to pipe the macaron shape ;) 

Anyway, what I found about making this macaron which using Italian meringue to make it is less risky than French meriengue, easy to corporate with the dry ingredient helps the shell more stablize and you can keep the shell without the filling for up 2 weeks in the refrigerator and 2 month in the freezer but after you fill the cream, better to finish after 4 days because the filing will soak the shell and it will be too soft. I wish that From what I mentioned that encorauge you to make one soon, Bonne chance!

Tartelette Aux Citron!

Tarte Aux Citron or Lemon Tarte is a popular dessert everywhere for someone who doesn't like the dessert which too sweet.

To get a perfect sweet shortcut pastry  dough which call" pâte sucrée " in french , you need a three steps- crémer. Sablés, and fraiser for the in French actually mean you need to cream the butter with sugar then combine with dry ingredient and add the liquid at the end which usually mean water or egg. The critical point is you don't want to work with the dough tooling which cars the butter get too hot and the dough will turn elastic. If you get a nice crisp crust and soft texture of doughi inside then for the filling- lemon cream is not a problem and you also use the same sweet pastry dough with any other favor or the filling for example chocolate or almond cream. Keep inmind Eventhougn you can use the same dough pastry but Differnce filling need a pre- bake dough ( chocolate cream )or some dough need a completly cooked ( orange cream ).

Mocha Coffee Bean!

I actually not a fan of coffee at all but this Mocha coffee bean ( Moka in French )  was changed me a bit after tasted!!! After I was trained for many practice hours, whisking butter cream and whisking a batter for a sponge cake was not a problem anymore but I still got sweat!!  Not only decorate with the butter cream coffee, also the coffee bean favor from soaking up with the  imbibing syrup ( water+sugar and coffee extract ). I made a two layer of the cake and coating with butter cream and toasted almond chopped, what a simple decorate and filling but great tasted and good looking after all. Actually, Moka were first discovers by European in the 17th century in the port city of Mocha( in Yemen) and started to get popular in Paris in 1857. 

Dacquoise!

Today we made dacquoise and I will never forget !!! .. In three hours, we need to prepare  the cake , butter cream and decoration which today we decide to make a marzipan flower- it was my frist time for me.

In the practical room, we only allow to use a whisk not the mixing machine, so you can imagine making this cake wasn't easy job today for me because of whisking!!  Start with making a cake which made from the ground almond and meringue Suisse. whisking the meringue was not too bad at frist then the second hours started making a Parline butter cream - I could see my arm get a strong muscel and got all sweat  but I couldn't gave up after looked at other classmates who were in the same situation with me working on whisking!!! It was wrothed after all hard worked when look at the finishing cake  and can't wait to taste it;) 

Bâtons maréchaux et palest aux raisins.!

My class start early today and have nothing in my stomach, so making le petits four sec- bâtons maréchaux et palets aux raisin  (assort light biscuit ) for my petit dijuener was perfect;) 

These petite fours sec as the name is indicate a dry biscuit ( secs is dry in French ) so to make a great result you should know the requiring is the oven.petits fours were to perfect perpetration to bake once the oven had cooled down after the lager gâteux (cake) were done .. petites fours translate loosely as a "little flame" simply referring to the low flame in the oven.  You also can make a plain batter and eat it self but it will not as good as adding the smell of bake almond combine width the each bit of chocolate for le bâtons maréchaux. Brushing the glaze of apricot with  coating the crystal rum sugar powder other top will make les  palets aux raisins look better and flavorful.

Anyway, if you don't like almond or raisin then these biscuit are perfect accompaniment with tea, ice cream and sorbets, bon appétit !

Éclairs et Chouquettes!

Les

These two dessert made from choux pastry but difference finishing. The choux itself is not sweet at all but the pastry cream is the one is favoring this dessert! 

For the éclair,  I made the chocolate pastry cream and decorate with two types of fondant favor-chocolate and coffee extract. 

For the chouquettes, we coated with the nib sugar which is quite sweet and nice decorated at the end.

Chef's creation!

It was great experience watching how chef decorate with their creation and learning  how to use the 

right plates to display nice looking to finish up the desserts, bravo chef!!!! 

Chaussons aux pommes

This pastry dough is exactly the same that dough that I made for palmier but just 5 turn and  not too sweet as much as Palmier. I used three apple for making the filling and add the vanilla favor. We brush the outside with egg wash, so after bake it give a nice golden shiny. 

Palmiers!

Palmiers is a French cookies that has a shape look like an elephant ear. The best I found and hard to stop after eating is from La Boulange in Sn Francisco, of course of the sweet with a lot of butter on it ;) I did know and totally understand why those cost very much! It doesn't mean about the ingredient that use to make them but the time consumer!!!! You really need to work on your layer between the dough and butter which take about many turn or fold then chill it and repeat again for 5 times to get  a nice layer and puffy after it is baked, you might get a muscle from pounding your butter and from using a rolling pin with the pastry dough.