Cookies, Tarts and an Externship!



Macaroons



These past three weeks have been so crazy, and I don't know where they went! I wasn't necessarily busy; just constantly occupied with homework and stressing over my externship situation. I had the class "Cookies, Tarts, and Mignardises," and it went by so fast that I almost feel it didn't happen at all. For those who don't know what mignardises are, they are basically small, 1-2 bite desserts that are usually served with tea. They can be anything from little cookies, to tiny cakes, just as long as the item is dainty.

For the most part, it was a simple class, concentrating basic concepts. We started out with learning a variety of cookies, from icebox (sliced) cookies to bar cookies. A lot of the cookies were from different countries, especially Germany (maybe because our chef was German?). Probably one of my favorite things I made was the macaroons.

French Apple Tart

About halfway through the block we moved into learning different tarts. Now, tarts are NOT pies. Tarts have straight sides, and never a top crust. Also tart crusts are usually made out of a basic cookie dough or puff pastry dough, while pie dough is much flakier. After making an apple strip, a French apple tart, and an alsatian apple tart, I was quite tired of apples by the last day of class!

At the end of class we had two separate final practicals: a cookies practical and a tart practical. They were on two separate days, the first one being the cookie practical. Everyone drew two types of cookies at random that they must produce. For the tart practical, everyone had to make the same two tarts: a lemon meringue tart and an alsatian apple tart.



My Tart Practical

So, although this class itself was quite relaxing, I was finding it hard to be just as calm. I still did not have an externship site secured, and I had only about a month left to find a place to hire me. However, just last week, it was settled with Hotel du Pont, in Wilmington, Delaware, that  they will hire me for my externship.I will work for them for 18 weeks, starting in early December, and going through mid-April. I am so excited about this, since Hotel du Pont was my first choice! The hotel has a 4 star and 4 diamond rating, and owns a prestigious reputation. With it being only 20 minutes from my house, I will be able to live at home. I am glad to be with my family for five whole months, especially during the holiday season!

Even though, at times, it looked as if things would not work out, I am reminded that God always has everything in His hands. He has a plan, and there is no need to stress over it. All we must do is put our faith in Him, and we can be sure that He is watching over us.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but, in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the the peace of God, which trancends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." 
-Phillipians 4:6,7

Gateau St. Honore: A Dessert All of Its Own

I had often heard about the classic Gateau St. Honore dessert, and finally got the chance to make this complex cake on the last day of my Pastry Techniques class. To give a little history on the French cake, it is named after Saint Honore, who is the patron saint for all bakers and pastry chefs (who ever knew there was a saint just for these special people?).

It is made up of many different components, and can become quite a construction to build. To start, the base is simply a circle of puff pastry dough. The one I made is 8 inches in diameter. Puff pastry is very flaky, and made by a series of folds, layering dough with layers of butter. I then made pate a choux and piped about 20 profiteroles, which are basically like cream puffs. I also piped two rings of pate a choux on my 8 inch puff pastry: one ring near the edge, and a second further in. This gives the pastry more structure. It is then baked, along with the profiteroles.

The next step was to make our caramelized sugar for our profiteroles. Once the profiteroles were cooled after baking, I punched out a hole in the bottom of each one. They were then each dipped upside-down in the caramel and placed on a flat surface to dry, giving a smooth, flat top to each one.

Next, we made the chiboust cream meant to go inside the profiteroles and on the base. Chiboust is made up of three components: pastry cream, Itallian meringue, and gelatin. Once it was made, I filled all the profiteroles. I then took the rest of the chiboust and piped a braided design across the base of the dessert. I also dusted the top with powdered sugar and torched it. Lastly, I took some of the left over caramelized sugar, dipped the bottom of my profiteroles, and attached them around the outside ring of the dessert.

Whew! And that is a classic Gateau St. Honore!
I think I shall go eat a piece of mine right now.....

Pastry Tech

This past week I started the course Pastry Techniques. It is a bit different than Baking Techniques (the class I finished prior to this one). While Baking Tech taught all the basics of mixing methods and a variety of main products, Pastry Tech focuses on practicing important skills needed in the industry. The class goes at a much slower pace than previous courses, which has driven me a little crazy. I'm used to a much busier day, and producing a lot more items. But in all, I'm still learning a lot, and improving my skills every day.



Typical piping homework

A huge thing we focus on in the class is piping. Every day I have piping homework, and my chef will critique me and tell me what to work on. To practice, everyone uses a piping gel, which can be a bit annoying and harder than buttercream or chocolate. Right now, I've just had to practice basic loops and writing "Happy Birthday." We also pipe borders with a practice buttercream.



My attempt of a marzipan rose



Another thing I've been learning is how to make roses out of marzipan (it has a dough-like consistency, and is primarily made out of sugar and almond flour). Part of my homework every day is to bring a rose that I have made This is probably the hardest for me, because i feel that I can never make my roses look life-like. I need a lot more practice!

We've also been practicing tempering chocolate and making apple strips. The apple strip is one of the items I will have to make on my 2nd Term Practical (a test I must pass before my externship in December). So it is extremely important I master the apple strip. I think I did okay for my first time, but I really hope I get plenty more practice at it!

Apple Strip

                                                                                                            



Getting Started

For years, I used to keep a daily journal, recording my life for pretty much six years straight. I made myself write every night, even when I didn't feel like it, and it really became a habit that was hard to break. I gave that up awhile ago, but now as a student at The Culinary Institute of America, I've been feeling a need to record everything that I am learning. Everyone says that the years here go by way too fast, and, honestly, I'm afraid that I already have a hard time remembering what I was learning three months ago.

This blog will also be a great way to share with others what it's like as a student at the CIA. And what better way to keep my family and friends updated? However, this blog isn't meant only for those back at home, but also for anyone else who wants to know what daily life is like inside the bakeshops of the CIA. I hope my blog becomes a useful source of information and enjoyment.

A quick introduction of myself....
My interest in baking and pastry arts really only began in the middle of high school. I was homeschooled all the way to my high school graduation, but during my last two years, I attended a culinary arts program at my local vocational school. After a basic baking class, I grew very interested and continued with advanced classes.

 At the end of the program, my Pastry Instructor recommended me for a job at local country club that was in need of a pastry chef for the summer. Their current pastry chef would be out on maternity leave for three months, and I was hired for the job. That job taught me so much about the industry and it was an amazing experience. I worked there until I had to leave for the CIA, which was a total of 10 months.

I began at the CIA in April, and am at the beginning of my second semester. Classes run in a block system, with each block being three weeks. I have just completed my second bakeshop class, so I am still in the beginning of the program. I am very excited about everything I will be learning, and can't wait to see where this career will take me!