Likely Story

I've Been Busy.

Hello.  I made things this month.  See?

This is my velveteen, disappearing nine-patch quilt.  It's soft and velvety and so help me, I will never sew with velveteen again!!

This is a bloody enormous house square that's part of a quilt my MiL and I are sewing together. We're each sewing a block a month and then trading the blocks, so I'll have the blocks she's sewn and vice versa.

These are some peach danish I made the other day b/c I had both puff pastry and peaches going spare. They were delicious!!

FInally, here's a picture of my neighbors house at night.  I just really liked how creepy the place looks, so I've been stalking their house for creep-tastic night pics.  I'm sure they think I'm some sort of serial killer.  I do live in the heart of suburbia, so it's to be expected.  This one was taken on the 4th of July (obviously).

Best. Cookie. Ever. and other assorted brilliance.

I present the best Oatmeal, Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookie.
They are crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle.  The cranberries present a lovely tang when balanced against the dark chocolate and the brown sugar dough.  Not too many chips or craisins and the oats aren't all up in your grill, either.  They are in a word, perfection.  Don't you want some?  You do?  Okay, here's the recipe:

Oat Chocolate Chip Craisin Cookies by me.

2 sticks butter
1 c. dark brown sugar
1/2 c. castor sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp good vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 c. rolled oats
1 - 1 1/2 c. chopped dark chocolate or dark chocolate chips
3/4 c. craisins (dried, sweetened cranberries)

ovens at 350 f    please.
 cream butter and sugars.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix until just combined.
In theory, you should sift the dry, but I never do.  Mix in flour, salt and soda until a good dough forms.  Fold in oats, chips and craisins.

Bake 15-18 minutes, depending on your oven.  They tend to burn quickly, so watch the first tray or two.  Cool on a rack and eat!

But what to store these little treats in?  Oh, I know!!  An awesome cookie jar that I smuggled back from the UK in my suitcase. How could a cookie jar be awesome you may ask? Because its a retro, ceramic (not that cheap, plastic crap you see making the rounds), Dr. Who TARDIS cookie jar - hell yeah! And it was only a tenner!   Bask in it's glory, internets!

In Just Under 5 hours

2 Angel Food Cakes
2 dozen Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream frosting
1 large Vanilla Cake with Dark Chocolate Buttercream frosting
1 large Chocolate Éclair Cake
1 large Lemon Daffodil Cake
2 trays Double Chocolate Brownies: one w/ Butterfinger topping and one without
1 tray Lemon Squares
and finally
4 - 50 piece trays of assorted brownie/cheesecake/dessert "bites"

Now I'm sleepy.

Final Exam

This may be the last official pastry/culinary school post for some time as I will not be attending classes in the fall.  I have only one class left to take before I can graduate and it is a dreadfully boring class, so even then, no pretty pictures.  This last series will have to hold you for a while.

The Final Exam:  Mango Mousse Entrement

From the bottom to the top:
Coconut Pound Cake
Coconut Dacquoise
Raspberry Preserves
White Chocolate Mousse with bits of diced Mangoes
Mango Mousse
Mango Gelee
garnished with glazed raspberries and sliced mango.

    

Enjoy!  Mousse is good food!!

FO: Gruyere Bread and a High Class Fluffernutter

First, the Gruyere Bread.  Actually it's a Gruyere/Dubliner Bread.  The recipe can be found here and it is worth the trouble and completely delicious.  It also makes you feel like a baking ROCKSTAR being able to make something this pretty.  No, I'm not kidding and yes, I know I have problems.  But behold the beauty of Gruyere Bread:

Delicious looking, no?  Well hold on to your socks, people.  Here's the High Class Fluffernutter Torte!

So, here's what we've got.  From the bottom layer to the top it's a pate sucre crust, salted peanut caramel, banana cake, peanut butter and chocolate feullitine (think crispy), flambed banana chiboust (pastry cream lightened with meringue) and a homemade toasted marshmellow top garnished with milk chocolate placards, caramelized banana and peanut brittle.   Yes, it does taste good, but I totally agree with you if you're thinking that it all just seems a bit much.  This was our last project in Advanced Bakeshop and really the point of it was to make sure we could handle all of the individual components:  pastry, candy, cake, confection, custard, meringue, chocolate and fruit.  And what better way to do that then to make as throw all of those things into one dessert?  Unfortunately, I now have about 6 pounds of this sitting in my fridge.  So, you're welcome to come over and rescue all of this decadent goodness from the waiting trash because in 4 days that's where it's heading.  I'm home all weekend!  Bring a fork!

Chocolate Bliss

Have I been neglecting the pastry side of things?  My apologies.  Hopefully this will make up for it. 

Today we have a Triple Chocolate Bavarian Entrement.  It has a chocolate chiffon sponge cake base with dark, milk and white chocolate Bavarian creams layered from the bottom up, topped with a cocoa gelee and white chocolate drizzle.  I don't mean to brag, but not only am I in shock that it turned out so well, I honestly am 99% positive I could make it again and again.  Huzzah!

Bon Appetit!

Catching Up

Hi there. Long time no speak, eh?  Yeah, I know.  That's my fault really.  I've been busy.  Doing what you may ask?  Well, I decided my life was in no way hectic enough so I took another job as the part-time pastry chef at a small cafe here in Mt. P called The Square Onion.  It's not much, just a couple of days a week, but it keeps me on my toes.  Otherwise, it's just been business as usual here.  Pretty boring really.  I am working on Noni's Cascading Fuschias Bag, as you can see:

Oh, and I made a very yummy poached pear tart, filled with vanilla almond diplomat cream in a chocolate lined shortbread crust.  Very tasty.  Deadly, really.  See?  It's a bit beige in the photo, but trust me when I say it isn't beige in flavor.

I should have more to say someday in the future, when I am not so bloody exhausted.  Until then, I leave you with the promise of more pastry to come and maybe even some sort of particularly witty commentary on something relevant.  Maybe.  Probably not, actually but dare to dream.

See Pretty Things!

First things first.  While it's no Saturday Torte, we made Tiramisu in class on Wednesday.  Homemade vanilla lady fingers drenched in a kahlua syrup, filled with a marscapone bavarian cream, topped with a cocoa gelee and chocolate shavings.  Want some?

Are you sure????

OK, then I'll just sit here and look at my new Jane Crossover Sweater Kit that arrived today.  ;-)

Fits In The Palm Of Your Hand

Teeny, Tiny Hazelnut Buttercream/Ganache Dacquoise Tortes. 
They fit in the palm of your hand.

Hazelnut Dacquoise (2) layered alternately with dark chocolate ganache and hazelnut  buttercream.  Finished with toasted, crushed hazelnuts and piped ganache.  Though it looks a bit fussy, one of my eaters informed me that it tasted a bit like a crispy-chewy moon pie, the BEST crispy-chewy moon pie one could ever imagine, but a moon pie none the less.  He meant well.  Go figure.

Progress, Progress, It's Inevitable.

Well, I have been swamped at work, but look - Tree Jacket is actually progressing!  See?

School starts tomorrow - Advanced Bakeshop, every Wednesday from
7 am to 3 pm.  My brother is here (currently on my couch) until Friday.  Work just keeps heating up for the next few months.  I've got a busy year ahead of me. 

What I really need to do is finish this bloody sweater!  I want to knit other things now!  Argh!