1/30/18 Escoffier Dinner

1/30/18 Escoffier Dinner

The Baking and Pastry Arts class prepared Desserts and Bread service for the 2018 opening Escoffier Dinners event on 1/30/18. One hundred and sixty patrons attended this Chef Floyd led event.  The dessert rocked the house visually and tastefully!!

The dessert was composed of devil's food cake, dark chocolate mousse, vanilla, mousse, with a chocolate glaze. A Florentine cookie was the crunch component with an eatable paper Escoffier motif. A vanilla and chocolate sauce swirl complemented the plate as well as a chocolate decor.

1/30/18 Salted Caramel Truffles

1/30/18

Chocolate Artistry

For class today we prepared Salted Chocolate Truffles. The components include milk chocolate truffle molds, caramel candy, dipping chocolate, and kosher salt.

1. Prepare the caramel candy
2. Pipe caramel into the molds
3. Dip mold in tempered chocolate
4. Enter chocolate paradise!!

PS: There are no Truffles left for photos!!!!!

Chef Demos the Caramel Candy

Finalizing the Caramel Candy with butter addition

My Caramel is very dark

Ready for Caramel

1/29/18 Hot and Cold Desserts First Service

1/29/18
In the CCC Baking and Pastry Arts Hot and Cold Desserts class, the class presented the First Service. This is the day we prepared and sold our first products for sale.

The class used one classroom day for prep on 1/22/18 and the next class 1/29/18 for final prep and sale. All photos: https://animoto.com/play/id0y3xR21HIcPla0MM4zMg
Our first offering:

1/25/18 Sour Dough

1/25/18 Sour Dough

One might wonder, after all the posted bakes, why is sour dough bread not even mentioned?? Well, here is the reason: many attempts at sour dough starter failed. For 4 months all attempts fizzled. Good news: finally we have a fabulous starter fermenting on the kitchen counter. It doubles in size everyday with the appropriate sized bubbles. It has become a pet. It is fed everyday at the same time the dog is fed! It needs a name. Soon, we may store it but for now it is fun to watch it work!

Starter Day One

Day 5

Everyday appearance

Sour dough rye bread

1/19/18 Sunday Bakes

1/19/18
Baking on Sunday
Making 3 bakes today:
1. Almond Ring Coffee Cake for Sam and Judy Brake
2. Orange Rolls for Prayer Breakfast
3. Almond Cream Cheese Braid for Hot and Cold Desserts Class

1. Using a recipe from Cook's Illustrated, Almond Ring Coffee cake is my first experience with Almond Paste. Usually Almond Flavoring tends to be strong and is used sparingly. This recipe called for a large amount of almond paste mixed with cream cheese for the ring filling. The result was too strong an almond flavor. Using the Cook's Illustrated recipe is a pleasure with additional notes and information and photos for each recipe step. Trying new dough shapes is always fun and with photo illustration for the first attempt, helps lead to success. Next time, the almond paste will be thin down with more cream cheese and the dough cut should be all the way but not though the ring.


2. Alabama Orange Rolls is a repeat bake. This always seems to please and using orange flavor in the dough, filling, and glaze creates the most wonderful morning treat. The Cook's Illustrated version of this recipe is preferred.

M\Orange Rolls rising. Baking 3 bakes at the same time, I had to make time notes to keep up with varying rising and baking times.

Baked and Glazed

3. Using leftover almond paste and cream cheese from the Ring Coffee Cake recipe, I baked a Almond Cream Cheese Braid for Hot and Cold Desserts Class. More cream cheese was added to the mixture and tempered the strong almond paste flavor. There are several angles to present this baked good.

1/18/18 Dutch Crunch Rolls

1/18/18
My family loves Philly Cheese steak sandwiches on a Dutch Crunch Roll. After attempting several recipes for the roll, we preferred the Cook's Country version. This slightly sweet roll has an oval shape with an interesting crunchy top. Just before the final proof, a mixture of rice flour, yeast, salt, oil, and sugar forms a paste and is brushed over the roll. When baked, this forms a crunchy top with a particular cracked design.

After spending much time to prepare the rolls, we opt for a quick but fabulous filling:
1. Saute a large onion, 2 bell peppers, and  8 oz 1/2 mushrooms.
2. Add 1/2# chopped Boar's Head London Broil Roast Beef and heat
3. Cover with provolone cheese and heat til melted
4. Slice Dutch Crunch Rolls and spread the inside halves with mayo. Broil until bread edges are golden brown
5. Fill buns and enjoy!!

Final Proof

Paste brushed on roll

The CRUNCH

Yes, CRUNCH

Ready for Filling

Mayo toasted filled roll

Lovely and Delicious Sandwich

1/15/18 Chocolate Artistry

1/15/18 Chocolate Artistry

What a fun and exciting class! Chocolate, YUM!

Our class begins with a study of the chocolate production and tempering chocolate. All together a wonderful class day!!
Production Assignment

Video of class tempering chocolate:
 https://animoto.com/play/PxfPHwmO2UKTlzoV8qZ54A

Chocolate in temper:

Tempered Dark Chocolate 

Tempered White Chocolate

1/15/18 Happy New Year

1/15/18
Happy New Year

After a wonderful 2017 Christmas holiday, it is time to return focus to school and projects. The first Monday back at Prayer breakfast, we feasted on Orange Rolls. A smaller size roll suits the group with so many other offerings for breakfast.