I just realized that the t-shirt that inspired this blog title that was inspired by cupcakes is close to 4 years old.

Don't worry, my husband still has it and wears it weekly.

And that's the end of that chapter

Well then, this was fun. As much as I enjoy pastry, I always had my doubts. Every night I felt that I hadn't worked hard enough, I hadn't made enough change in the world, I wasn't satisfied.

Not ever wanting to give up, I stuck it out. The classes at the start were very basic, maybe the advanced would get better. Now, having gone through some of the advanced curriculum I realized it's not the classes problem, it's mine.

I miss teaching. I miss interacting with students and educators. I miss turning on people to new ideas and watching people develop. There is still a need for really awesome teachers like myself and now I bring impressive baking skills to the mix.

Anyway. Next step? I'm thinking elementary. I am going to keep my k-12 art credential and teach art while working on my multiple subject credential. In a few years I want my own elementary class, teaching every subject with a little bit of an art twist. I also really need to figure out a master's at some point. In time, in time.

I'll bake, and I'll still post but it may be about the fun times volunteering in elementary schools, interviewing and subbing.

xoxo

Allegra

Cakes and cuppie cakes!

Let's start with some excitement...my first client work! Lily is a year older and Eric ordered 32 cupcakes! I made 12 mini green tea, 12 mini red velvet and the remainder chocolate with bright teal icing. All of these cupcakes are vegan and made with mostly organic ingredients. The best part is they are TASTY and Lily loved them. Hooray!

Carrot cake with cream cheese icing and marzipan carrots

Hooray we have started cakes! So many tasty treats, so many ways for disaster to strike, but ultimately so much cake. Everyone has had carrot cake at one point in thier life, and this one was pretty good. Not too sweet, no squishy raisins, just carrots, sugar, flour, oil, leaveners and flavors.

Pretty pink cherry cake!

Well, it's pink and has cherries on the top, but really the flavor is vanilla. I am becoming a fan of masking the sides in toasted nuts, it saves so much time with masking. Being the type A personality that I am, I still strive to ice each and every side to perfection.

Chocolate geniose with chocolate buttercream and transfers

This may have the name of Swedish chocolate cake, yeah it does. I think there is also pastry cream in a layer. Making a genoise is tricky and after making 3 I still need practice. Ultimatly, it is very light but also very crumbly and eggy. I much prefer a chiffon.

Diplomat Cake

I love this cake. I love that it looks like it belongs on the cover of a Sunset magazine from the 70's. I love that it is masked in pastry cream and then baked making it oh so moist. I love fruit on the top and while I am not a fan of glaze I like the shine it gives. All in all a success.

Lemon poppyseed cake with berries and cream filling

I threw in a little Grand Marnier for the soaking syrup and well I also soaked the fruit before making the filling. This is like a short cake, a little denser and the poppyseeds give a nice texture.

Chiffon and Chocolate chiffon with caramel mousse

More mouse cakes! Very fun and exciting to make. I like the pattern in this cake, it looks more complicated than it was to make.

Angel Food Cake

So light and fluffy! Can't mess with a classic. And hey, it's fat free!!! There is a ton of sugar, but hey no fat. It dissolves on your tongue and is as soft as a pillow.

The fun stuff

Strawberry sorbet

We're wrapping up plated desserts this week. It's been fun and I think we get to an advanced section of plating in a few more weeks. I am enjoying this enough to see myself happy working on a line in a restaurant or hotel. So much fun playing with space, color, texture and now taste!

Tiramisu

So I actually think my formula for tiramisu is better than what we made in class. First off, this one asked for gelatin to be used in the marscapone mixture which I omitted and the texture came out beautifully. Secondly, not enough coffee flavor (could have used espresso, not coffee) and there was no rum in the coffee. Other that that it's okay. It went without too much complaint and I feel good knowing I know how to do better. At least the plate looks good!

Creme Brule

Ah, this reminds me I need to hit up Home Depot for a torch. I'm fairly happy with this dessert and this plate. Everyone I know loves creme brule and I see myself working with making tasty flavor variations and well using the torch on many more creme brules to come.

Baked Alaska

So, I actually made baked alaska during summer camp. Okay it was a cooking class in the summer but it was still the same idea. This is a little fancier, home made sponge, ice cream and an Italian Meringue. Again we used the blow torch. It's cute and all but I didn't find too much inspiration with this particular dessert.

Caramelized bananas, chocolate ganche and filo

Okay, here is a winner. I love Filo! I love it with melted ganache and torched bananas even more! Torching bananas is really a neat trick. Cover the slices with sugar and then torch. They caramelize and form a little crunch just like a brule. It's like mini banana brules! And it's my current favorite trick.

Chocolate brownie with dark chocolate crisps, banana caramel mouse, caramelized bananas and banana caramel rum

That's quite a mouth full, but it's mine all mine. I should actually come up with a better title. We were told in class that we had to use a brownie to make a dessert. Sold on the caramelized banana from the day before I came up with this guy. If you ever see banana caramel anywhere, buy it. Immediately. Do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars just buy the damn banana caramel. It's a real pain to make, but a real delight to eat. And no, I'm not sharing my formula.

Inside the robot is a hazeulnut praline!

Cute isn't it? Too bad about the smudges. I am starting to play around more and find a way to show my own personal taste with the plates. I mean, we've all seen swooshes but robots? I think robots and pastry belong together and here is the proof!

Dessertzilla

Marbled Cheesecake

Something about this dessert stops people in their tracks. I hotel wrapped this sucker and walked home my normal half mile route to quickly change and go out for a drink with a friend. On my way, people would not look at me rather they looked at the cheesecake. Later that night I brought a few slices out to the bar to give my pal and the guys could not stop looking at our cheesecake. Nice guy, we chatted for a bit. I guess what I learned is that the only thing you really need to pick up guys in San Francisco is a slice of cheesecake.

Chocolate Mousse in a Florentine cup with Vanilla Tuile

Fancy! This was created in the above photo. We are working with multiple products that have to be shaped immediately out of the oven. My fingers are getting tough! Soon I will be able to pick up pans with my bare hands!

Bread Pudding with Hard Sauce

Hard sauce may be my new favorite sauce. Butter, confectioners sugar, and booze. It melts down hot desserts and creates a wonderful aroma, not to mention taste. I see this sauce being made a good deal in my future. Also what is nice about is that I can easily veganize it! So many things we make are pains to veganize. Actually, now that I think about it, I could veganize the bread pudding thanks to soy milk, creamer, and nutritional yeast. Hmm. . . .

Chocolate and Passion fruit Mousse wrapped in a Ribbon Sponge

For some reason, Blogger makes it incredibly difficult to organize the order of photos in the posts. I usually spend 20 mins re arranging photos and 10 typing about them. Today, I did not organize photos because I realized chronological order matters to only myself. This was made a pretty long time ago but really if I hadn't said anything you would not have known. I got to use a ring mold and strips of acetate which appealed to my former art student self. Fun stuff here!

Porcupines...

So I think these guys look more like a Moose than a porcupine. It's up for debate. Inside are rum balls with almonds stuck in and then dipped in coating compound. Pretty cute and I liked playing with the detail.

Rustic Plum and Berry Tart

This is something I will make again, again, and again. Incredible! Easy! Tasty! And look, fruit so it's healthy! I won't tell you what went into the crust.

Goat Cheese Cheesecake

We used a very mild cheese so you really only get the flavor as you are swallowing the creamy goodness. Why I was instructed to plate the piece of cheesecake standing on end . . . well because it is nonsense. Whimsical yes, but I fear it would fall over while being brought to a table. Still, tasty and I could see this being made again.

More cream puff fun!

Ah yes, it has been awhile. Things have been a little insane but the main reason I have not been posting is....I lost my card reader. Oh, that brings me back to the teaching days. We also got a new desk and rearranged the whole computer area so it's not surprising. Just lame!

So things have also been busy in the culinary school world. We wrapped up breads and have been making individual tartlettes, pastries, and big tarts. Some have been tasty! Some have been strange. Way to many have had almond paste but I digress. Above you see a few variations of what can be done with cream puffs! Old school? Yes. But awesome and I have a freezer full of swans just waiting to debut at my next cocktail party. Spicy swans! Yummy.

Sarah Bernhardts

We actually made these the other day. Why, Allegra? Don't those little sweet morsels look a little like, uhm well how to put this delicately...ta tas? Why yes dear reader they do! And we can thank the dirty old man that is hidden inside every pastry chef with the magical, delicious, the almond based cookie topped with mocha buttercream and dipped in chocolate...the Sarah Berhnardt. *Originally these were topped with a marzipan coffee bean...we opted for the more subtle gold leaf.

Almond hazelnut and toffee tart

This was basically a giant chunk of candy. Nice and crisp. Great for braces, especially if you wanted to remove them yourself. Originally, the entire tart was glazed in ganache making it look beautiful, yet deceiving. When I see glazed tarts or cakes I think soft, moist, maybe some mousse. Not difficult, hard ass toffee. I opted for a drizzle and a ganche filled raspberry to give a more honest presentation.

Pear and almond tart

Ah, that looks so pretty. A nice traditional French winter pastry. I have seen photographs of this in a few books, and the frangipane is much darker. Maybe it is a different formula? Everything set up nicely in this tart and it's quite tasty.

Close up - Pear and almond tart

Mmm. The only thing I may do differently next time is blind bake the short dough. With so much creamy texture on the inside, it really needs a contrasting crunch.

Pithiver

This may make a reappearance the next brunch pot luck I attend or as part of Christmas brunch. Very tasty and very easy to make. Roll out puff pastry, chop it into an 8" circle. Fill with goodies! This originally called for more almond paste based filling but the class was verging mutiny so our wonderful chef gave up savory fillings. This guy has broccoli, mushrooms and cheese. It's delish! Yum yum yum.

Pithiver - inside shot

So this guy collapsed a bit after it came out of the oven. It could have used a few more rounds in the oven but it was baked all the way through and very good. I had to get rid of it because it was so good and I could not be trusted.

Braided white bread - basic

This is going back in time, I realized I did not get the bread section much coverage so here is a braided loaf I made. We made tons of these and it reminded me of lanyards. Pretty neat, pretty easy and kept us busy.

Breaded white bread - advanced

And because Chef Doug can't resist showing off, he made this awesome star creation. I did help by braiding the little star arms, but it was with supervision. This had 12 different strands that were looped, braided and twisted. Then it was filled with more braided strands...we called it the brain. Fun to look at and still on display at the school.

Citron and lemon berry meringue tartlette

Oh piping citron 25 times with chocolate was fun . . . actually I got pretty good at it by the end. This is an okay shot, I was a little rushed to get out on this day and could have gotten a better shot. Oh well. Short dough filled with frangipane, topped with lemon buttercream, dipped in chocolate and then a marzipan flag with citron on top. Very labor intensive but also received well.

The meringue tartlette is tasty lemon curd covered in meringue and it has a secret berry inside. I then got to use a blow torch. I love using the blow torch.

Assorted berry tartlettes

Blueberry lemon curd tartlette

Yes, we have made fruit tarts before. They are so pretty! So practical! Something I will make again, again, and again. These have always been one of my favorite treats and I love making variations.

Lamination is not just for handouts

Ah, laminated doughs. So flaky, so crunchy, so well, butter laden. Part of section 102 covers laminated doughs, croissants, puff pastry, and danish. All of these have incredible amounts of butter folded in multiple times. We call these "turns" in the bakeshop and they are essential if you want to ever have any layers in your dough.puff pastry

mmm....see the layers? Those are all created by a turn. This batch of puff pastry had 4 double turns. Each double turn creates about 7 layers so as you can see, there are plenty to crisp in your mouth.

and some croissants...

These guys actually aren't very good. While they are spirally and there are layers, the layers are still too tight. This happened because I rolled out my dough too thin for my turns. I have to make these again on Monday for my final and hopefully I did not roll out the dough too thin this time.

Ugh, the final. I'm making croissants, a rolled wheat bread, a braided bread, and a basque cake. It will be okay, just busy. Then there's the written part that I have to study for. The test is standard throughout the department and it is tricky. Oh well, I always like a challenge!