So as I eat my cookies, and drink my tea, I'll wrap up this week. Beginning on Tuesday, (since we had Monday off!) we worked on Quick Tarte Tatins, a French Caramel Nut Tart and Bourbon Pecan Cookies.
The Quick Apple Tarte Tatin is called this because it is prepared by placing caramel, then apple slices in a tart ring, and topping it with Sucree (tart dough), instead of the traditional Puff Pastry. And although these were delicious, rumor around the school has it that they are nothing compared to the real deal. Having had a Tarte Tatin in Paris, I can hope that our recipe will be quite similar. For a true Tarte Tatin can be truly outstanding. These did turn out quite cute though, because you drape the dough over the apple slices, and it sort of falls around the apples as it bakes, making a wavy bottom crust. So intensely looking forward to the Puff Pastry unit, where we do this for reals.
So the main lesson objective for Tuesday was caramels. I am continually so intrigued by the order the class is laid out. Having come into the school with a basic understanding of all the units, the structure seemed fairly random at first. However, now that we have completed a full unit, I think it's simply brilliant. Starting with a tart unit was a great way to incorporate basic dough mixing methods, various caramels, an introduction to chocolate work, and an introduction to caramels, we have really covered some ground with tarts and cookies alone.
After making the Caramel for the Tarte Tatin, we made a more complex caramel for the French Caramel Nut Tart. The Tatin caramel is simply burnt sugar - water and sugar brought to a boil, past a few of the candy stages, onto a nice amber color. This caramel has the addition of Milk (used as a fat source) and Glucose (for texture) and Walnuts. It is then spread over a crust, and topped with almond cream, and baked to perfection. Rich, but not over-the-top intense, this made a really lovely dessert.
Then for the cookies. Man oh man. A basic pecan shortbread dough, but with a slight addition of Bourbon, rolled up, sliced, brushed with an egg wash and topped with a pecan half...these suckers are addicting I tell you. So buttery, so tender, so wonderfully nutty and toasty.
My love for Bavaria and Austria flourished on Wednesday when we made Linzer Torte. At my job in Germany, I ate a Linzer Cookie every singe afternoon, at the end of my shift. I would change out of my uniform, snag a powder sugar covered cookie, and stroll the streets of Regensburg, ofter to a small park overlooking the Danube. This park is neatly tucked back in a corner, gated with brick walls, and a very serene place to unwind after a day of learning to bake in German. But here, I walked away from school, eating my Linzer Cookies, and over looked Steven's Creek. not quite the Danube, but, for today, I can imagine I'm back.
The Linzer Tart consists of tart dough, a layer of Almond Cream, a layer of Homemade Raspberry Jam we made in class - first time learning about Pectin - and topped with a gorgeous lattice.
And the cookies - just so cute! I first became obsessed with these after Martha Stewart Living Magazine published square Linzer Cookies on the cover of their February issue, with heart cutouts in the center. Those are Pecan with Cherry Jam, and quite scrumptious. Perhaps even more so than these. But, these are truly a classic. And look at em. It's hard not to love them.
As I am writing this, I had to stop mid sentence and come back, because I forgot the Quiche! Made with Lardons (like big fat French Bacon - which beats American Bacon every time) and Gruyere, it was so yummy. Eggy, fluffy, rich, filled with Bacon, it was truly, truly delightful.
That wraps up Tuesday and Wednesday's classes, which brings us to today. Exam Day. After 12 days working on Tarts and Cookies, we were put into a lottery system for the practical exam. We were required to produce 1-8" tart with a Sucree dough (tart dough), 2-4" Tartletts with Brisee (like American Pie Dough) and 5 Cookies from a single batch. As for the lottery system, there were four sets, each with three recipes. One included the Classic Apple Tart, Clafoutis, and Spritz Cookies. The Second included the Baked Fruit Tart, Banana Cream Tart, and Gingersnaps. The Third was the Nut Tart, the Chocolate Ganache Tarts, and the Bourbon Pecan Cookies. And the Fourth included the French Caramel Nut Tart, Quiche, and the Austrian Kipferl Cookies. If you're curious about these combinations, just hop back a few posts to see. I kept telling a classmate over and over last night that I just really didn't want the Baked Custard Tart. I thought it was slightly dull, and among the least challenging. She told me I was going to get it for sure then. But, the pastry forces worked in my favor, and I was chosen to produce and present the Nut Tart (my favorite of the entire unit), the Chocolate Ganche Tartlettes (which are a wonderful exercise in piping chocolate, and creating a perfectly smooth ganache) and the Bourbon Pecan Cookies. Which is excellent! More cookie for my fridge! I was particularly thrilled to receive this set of pastries because of all the combinations, it has the most creative freedom associated with the finishing. The template for the Nut Tart, and the piping design for the Chocolate Ganache Tart are left completely up to the baker. There are absolutely no requirements, which is quite fun.
We had from 9:30 to 1:30, with a mandatory 30 minute lunch break to do the practical exam. Then, the chef marked the time we completed it on our sheet tray, we wrote our name, and she called us one by one to examine the products. The pastries are graded on Presentation, Taste and Texture. The practical as a whole is graded on Cleanliness, Organization, Mise En Place, Timing, Tool Skills, Attitude and Technique. So in addition to critiquing the pastries, she discussed the other aspects of production as well. During the test, she was simply strolling the room, taking notes on those categories as she went through the class.
And here, here is my finished sheet tray from Exam 1 - Tarts and Cookies.
And now for some Pride and Prejudice, knitting, and going out for Cajun food tonight with some Pastry 2 students. What a wonderful day. It feels very rewarding to wrap up a unit with an exam I'm pleased with.
Cheers.
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