Biscotti and Brownies

This week started new production projects. One of my duties Brownies with Ganache icing
These brownies are very cake like {not what I want out of a brownie} good in it own right. It's always interesting the first run with a recipe. I made the mistake on using the wrong kind of shortening. We have two types in the class and of course I pick the wrong one {go figure, don't get me started on how much I HATE shortening any way!} Hi ratio vs regular frying. Chef explained that Hi ratio works better do to the Hi ratio of sugar...hence the name. All in all lesson learned that's why I'm there right?
Next on my list Biscotti. We do have an ability to pick a flavor on these...I chose Almond orange.I must say these looked, tasted and were texturally the best that I have seen in the program.As we were discussing the flavor scheme chef lectured about getting away from extracts....he's preaching to the choir I have always hated extracts and when all possible I use the real flavor like vanilla beans, purees or flavor oils. I wasn't looking for almond flavor more than just having sliced almonds in it so that was simple. For the orange aspect I used orange zest and orange compound which is best for flavoring but is not readily available to the public.

I also made Focaccia Bread but didn't have time to take pictures so next week will have this fabulous bread!!!
On my own order list was Strawberry cake with Chantilly cream.
Strawberry cake can be frustrating because most people who ask for it are use to the box cake.The one that tastes like overpowered strawberry but probably has nothing that even resembles a strawberry in it. Here's real Strawberry cake I pureed strawberries and mixed it with my egg whites and milk. Crumbed soften butter with cake flour and leaven added the liquid and voila! My strawberry cake. I made a strawberry simple syrup brushed my layers and put strawberry jam and Chantilly cream in between the layers.

I also did a short notice German Chocolate cake {My husband took my camera to the niners game...so no pictures}....but it is soo good. I can just eat the coconut pecan icing with a spoon.
Until next week be sweet...

Special orders

This week in Pastry we got a couple of special orders. A Wedding cake and a sheet cake. I didn't work on these but I though I'd post them because I didn't take pictures of my citrus Bavarian. I am glad to be doing a different job next week Bavarian is fabulous but stressful!

The chef that runs the course doesn't write directly on the cake {he uses Maripan...not my favorite look but it's his show I'm just here to learn}

Strawberry Bavarian Torte

My Job this and next week....It seem as though I Only had to make 6 of these but it is one of most difficult items that we produce. You start off by making "cigarette paste" {a chocolate type paste no tobacco involved LOL} Scrape it in a mold and make "Jaconde" which is the cake added to the design and baked.
The whole Bavarian part has you on the stove heating milk and tempering eggs......It was no surprise that I would mess something up...I had to whip cream to soft peaks not any more. Problem is I thought I would be at the stove and then my cream would be where it needs to be. WRONG! I over mixed it and what do you get?

{Butter!!!}
Yes I made butter and butter milk from scratch...I thought that was so cool. The chef not so much. I had a hard day with feeling like the Bavarian was going to win my spirit dropped. But I did it and everyone said it was so pretty and we pretty much sold all of them!!

{now that is a lot of Butter cream...}
another cool thing was getting some special orders from the public. The Chef and Jon had worked on a large sheet cake for some one.

{The chef definitely has a style of his own}

We were very busy this week! I had more visitors! Natalie, Avery and her Mom. My Mom and my girls.Also Karen and her kids. Thanks for the support guys!!! Until next week! Chow!

Our Bake shop

Here's My items I was responsible for the last two weeks.




{Sachertorte}
This ia a traditional Austrian dessert a hazelnut dark chocolate biscuit with a layers of Apricot and Raspberry compote, crumb coated with French chocolate buttercream and covered with a ganache icing. Writing with chocolate was a little fustrating for me {I'm not use to the flow so there was breaks}

{Palmiers}
Puff Pastry Cookies

{ Olive Bread }
I also had Oatmeal Raisin cookies but I did not was to take a picture because they are not my recipe and they in my opinion are not that great in taste or look.

Next week is Bavarian Torte {the hardest to make item in the shop}

New ♥ Chef ♥ coat

Stay tuned...

Big news! I'm going to have the opportunity to test and review a product in the near future. As you know I love baking and I love trying out new products and techniques. The product for my upcoming review will be provided by CSN, an incredible website with everything from baking pans, to bedsheets to dining tables. Stay tuned and I promise to include a fabulous recipe in my review post.

Sugar work

I was so excited when I asked Chef Flick to show me how to do sugar bubbles and he said yes! I had a lady at cakes work in San Francisco do my wedding cake with lots of them all around and on the cake. She was the only one I could find that could do them in the area and It cost me $12 per person! So to learn and do that would be awesome!

{The Sugar box}
It is a very complicated process that can be painful! The sugar get so hot!!!!!

{His sugar roses are so Beautiful!}
I am planning to take confectionery arts next semester but until then I will be trying to play with it and get more comfortable with this crazy wonderful art!