5/20/18 Chocolate Croissants

5/20/28 Time for a challenge and to practice skills. Laminated doughs can be difficult but so worth the effort for the end result. Using a recipe from our Baking textbook, I prepared the dough and followed the techniques learn in Artisan Breads class. The Monday Morning Prayer group loved these pastries.

The Dough ready to roll and cut and proof overnight

5/21/18 Service

Oh!! Look at the lovely layers

Oozing with chocolate 

Small and Large sizes

5/13/18 Morning Buns

5/13/18 Morning Buns for Prayer Breakfast tomorrow. I enjoy working with the blitz dough and the results are nearly like laminated dough, but not quite. I think I will cut the dough longer next time.

Nice swirl

5-14-18 Service

Final bake

Layers apparent

5/12/18 Sweet Potato Rolls

5/12/18 Sweet Potato Rolls

My good friend Carol's sister tragically lost her life in a car accident Thursday morning as she was going to work. It is so very sad. The prayer group prepared dinner for Carol's family tonight. My contribution was Sweet Potato Rolls. Since I was making up rolls, I doubled the recipe and made rolls for Carol, my friend Judy who was having company for dinner tonight, my friend Mary Lee, and my friend Tricia. This recipe produces a soft and tender rolls with a beautiful golden color. Delicious!!

5/10/18 CCC 28th Annual Excellence Awards Ceremony

5/10/18 I received an invitation to attend this ceremony and I had no idea what it was all about. I attended and was led to my seat. Tiffany Toledo was my neighbor and I asked her why we were here. She showed me the program and I discovered I was name Baking and Pastry Arts Outstanding Student of the Year. I was very surprised and shocked to receive this honor.

The Evening Program

What a surprise!

Karran helps out with a photo!

A wonderful honor presented by Chef Summers!

Letty is Outstanding Culinary Student

Karran and Melanie are Outstanding Hospitality Students presented by Dean Lassiter

Home Again!  

5/9/18 The Wednesday Afternoon Bridge CLub

5/9/18 The Wednesday Afternoon Bridge Club
It was my turn for bridge and I wanted to prepare a dessert using my new counter top Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. I decided to use chocolate and raspberry as the flavor profile. I decide to make Dark Chocolate Mousse Bombe with a graham cracker/pecan crust and red raspberry gelato. Plate decor includes a chocolate painted swash across the plate with raspberry coulee and meringue stars. The bombe was dressed up with chocolate buttercream. The dessert was a success!! What would I change? Probably use a plain plate would help featured this dessert. I liked the sugar level of the bombe and the gelato. It was not overly sweet. Just right.

Red Raspberry Gelato

From my new ice cream maker

Folding in ingredients into the mousse

Meringue Stars

Graham Cracker/Pecan Crust

Everything and the kitchen sink

5/7/18 Danish Crispies

5/7/18 Danish Crisp. The Early Bird Prayer group sweet bread is becoming repetitive. Wanting to fine something new, I found this recipe in a cookbook for Danish Crispies.

The recipe produced a beautiful dough with lemon and lime zest. The recipe actually called for lemon zest but I didn't have enough and subbed lime zest to complete the measured amount. Although subtle, the citrus aroma and flavor improve the product. If I make this again, I would cut the slices thinner for a more crispy result.

Love this dough with flecks of citrus peel

5/5/18 Homemade Hamburgers

5/5/18 My family wants burgers for dinner tonight. Since I took Garde Manger with Chef Clarkson, I have been grinding our own hamburger meat for burgers. Every time I grind the hamburger, I improve on texture and flavor. I have the flavor profile down, but my burgers don't hold together on the grill. Internet research reveals I need to eliminate liquids and possibly add an egg or two. I was adding olive oil and A1 Sauce.

Sue's Homemade Burgers

3# Beef Chuck cut in chunks
1/2 c Chopped Fresh Parsley
1/4 c Chopped Chives
 2 cloves minced garlic
1 Medium onion, chopped
Salt and Pepper

Process through your grinder. Shape patties and refrigerate.

The recipe yields 10 bugers

Simpson tomatoes just in season

Fabulous Burger!!

4/30/18 Seventh Service

4/30/18 Seventh Service for Hot and Cold Desserts
Chassitity prepared Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream and Ganache. Ayana prepared a Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie. This was our best sales of the semester.

Video for Seventh Service: Seventh Service

4/30/18 Pecan Raisin Cinnamon Buns

4/30/18 Prayer Breakfast Pecan Raisin Cinnamon Buns
For this weeks Prayer Breakfast sweet bread, I baked a Cinnamon Buns stuffed full of pecans, raisins, and cinnamon.  Not everyone likes these all ingredients in their buns, but the prayer group enjoyed this treat.

4/28/18 Vin de Mer

4/28/18
The Beaufort Wine and Food asked for volunteers from the CCC Culinary School to help with the Vin de Mer event. I volunteered to help with setup on 4/28, Saturday morning. To see a big empty tent with just tables evolve into a wonderful event in 3 hours was fascinating.  Without specific tasks, I offered to help in any way I could.
Video of setup for Vin de Mer: Vin de Mer

The Biltmore Wines

Signature Goblet

Set up and ready for guests!! Cheers

4/24/18 Chocolate Artistry Final

4/24/18 Chocolate Artistry Final
Truffles were are final project in this class. This first day early in the semester we made Truffles and these were my best ones. For the rest of the semester, I struggled. For the final, I had improved my technique and processes. My Truffles had a few problems: they were too small. But, overall, this was an enjoyable class and I learned so much.

Piped Ganache for Centers

Sheila Enrobes

Billy Enrobes

Ganache Centers to be Enrobed

Truffles

Tempered Chocolate for Enrobing

Patrick Completes Truffles

All Finished Chocolates

Truffles for My Friends

Pretty