4/9/18 Hot Cross Buns

4/9/18 Hot Cross Buns

Our prayer breakfast group did not meet Easter Monday. So we had Hot Cross Buns on 4/9 instead.

Chelsea Buns are a traditional sweet roll with raisins from England. On Easter Friday, the buns are baked and marked with a cross. Raisins add flavor, texture, and nutrition to the bun. Loved by the prayer group!!

4/8/18 French Toast Redux

4/8/18 French Toast Redux

With Skills USA practice, there is an abundance of baguette cut into cubes in the freezer. Sunday  morning is becoming French Toast day. Here is the latest:

French Bread with Sausage

French Toast with Sausage

4/6/18 Skills USA Practice

4/6/18
Heidi, Nina, and I continue to practice our Skills USA baked goods with the help and patience of Chef Summers. We improve each practice session and discover ways to streamline the operation and produce better products.

Video: 4/6 Practice

Nina's Cookies and Baguettes

4/5/18 I Love Lucie

4/5/18 My friend Lucie had bunion surgery and I prepared dinner for her family to help out. Chicken Tetrazzini, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Sweet Potato Rolls, and Strawberry Triffle. Saved a few rolls for my family and we had them for breakfast the next day.

Sweet Potato Rolls

Nice Golden Color

For Breakfast

4/3/18 Truffle Practice

4/3/18
The Chocolate Artistry class is practicing Truffles to prepare for our final. We improve with each practice. Here is the link for video:Truffle Practice

Packaged Truffles

4/1/18 French Toast

4/1/18
With practice for Skills USA, there has been left over baguettes. And, the best use for leftover baguettes: French Toast. This is overnight French toast. Layers of cubed leftover bread is soaked in eggs, milk, brown sugar, salt, and a little vanilla. We enjoyed ours with drizzled honey.

Overnight French Toast from leftover baguettes.

3/27/18 PBJ Confections

3/27/28 PBJ Confections Video: PBJ Confections
Our Chocolate Artistry class made lovely PBJ Confections using a recipe from our textbook.
Three layers were prepared: raspberry jam. peanut butter, and milk chocolate. All three were layered in a pan and set aside. Dark chocolate was melted and tempered. The layers were cut into 1" squares. We had trouble with the squares breaking while being cut. Chassitity used a kitchen torch and heated a knife to cut the squares and this solved the problem. The squares were dipped in tempered dark chocolate and topped with chopped peanuts.

PBJ COnfections

3/26/18 Fifth Service Hot and Cold Desserts

3/26/18 Hot and Cold Desserts
Fifth Service: Fifth Service Video

Sue and Chassitity prepare Pineapple Cake and Burnt Sugar Ice Cream

Patrick and Ayana prepare Coconut Creme Pie and Strawberry Shortcake

Sampler Plate for Fifth Service

3.26.18 Sticky Buns for Prayer Breakfast

3.26.28
The Early Bird Prayer Breakfast loves Sticky Buns! Many say this is their favorite sweet. I will treat them again today with this fave bread.

Baked but not flipped

Turned out

Ready for my close up Mr. DeMille

3/23/18 Skills USA

3/23/18 Skills USA

Preparing for Skills USA requires much practice. We keep trying to improve our baked goods and meet time limits. We have made many mistakes and improve with each practice. At this point we have 3 more Fridays to prepare for competition and Butter Tea Cookies to add to the French Bread and Pumpkin Bread.

A few photos: Practice

Nina's Great French Bread