Last week felt like a pretty quiet one compared to the previous 16. I kind of got the feeling that our tutors were taking it easy on us as next week is graduation when we’ll be making pretty much everything we’ve made on the course. But in one week. That’s right. One frikkin’ week. We’re going to be busier than a one-legged man in a butt kicking contest.
The earlier part of the week, we spent prepping and making ‘baked custards’ of the world. France was repped by the crème brûlée and crème caramel, Italy by the panna cotta, and the good ol’ US of A by a rather tasty baked cheesecake. But where was the British custard tart I ask you? Nowhere. A bloody outrage!
The above was the pre-cursor to the plated deserts section of the course, which we were led through by Frank and Juliette, both of whom have worked as pastry chefs at some pretty fancy places. And it showed.
We learned a bit about what a customer expects, some thoughts on seasonality, how to come up with a desert including flavour combinations and then ideas on how to name it and put it together on a plate. All pretty interesting, especially as it felt more like cooking than baking, which is a different perspective to what we’ve been up to over the rest of the course. But enough of that, here are a few of Juliette & Frank’s creations:
Caremelised pineapple crepes with vanilla ice cream, candied hazelnuts and tuille baskets.
Pain Perdu with strawberry sorbet, mascerated strawberries and brioche coutons.
Caremelised apple tarts with sorrel and cinnamon sabayon and panna gelato.
Sable Breton and caramelised fig tart with strawberry sorbet and frozen yoghurt ice cream.
Chocolate mousse and anise marshmallow tarts, with tapioca, micro greens and crispy, caramel croquant wafer.
Caramel and vanilla poached pears, vanilla ice cream and pastry crumble.
Pistachio frangiapane with fresh mint parfait, white chocolate ice cream and pistachio dragees.
So that was our penultimate, and I’ve got to say it, very tasty week. Next week’s the big one, and I’m sad to say, the end of the course. I have a feeling its going to get a bit emotional. Until then…
Tags: Baked Custards, Cheesecake, Chocolate Mousse, Creme Brulee, Creme Caramel, Deserts, Frangipane, Ice Cream, Pain Perdu, Pancakes, Panna Cotta, Plated Deserts, poached Pears, Sabayon, Sable Breton, Sorbet
