A Pie and a Galette...Who Could Ask for Anything More?

It was eight o’clock on Saturday morning.  I was coffee-less and challenged to an eight hour pie baking stint.  I figured that if I could make it through the whole class without passing out in my pie dough, I would deem the day a success (low standards were necessary at this point in the day).

Lucky for me, and all my future pie eaters, I did not fall asleep in my pie dough (nor in the filling).  We began the class by tackling the illusive pie crust…which must be both tender AND flaky.  The crust recipe we used was  for a traditional all butter pie crust (opposed to one that includes oil or shortening), called “Pate Brisee”.  It was a quick dough to get together, but also easy to over-work and make tough.  Ironically, the best crusts of the day were the ones made in the KitchenAid mixer, and not by hand (it pains me to even write that!).

I already adore pies...and when fruit is involved, they are one of my all-time favorite desserts.  For class, I baked a Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, made interesting by the addition of crystallized ginger and an almond topping. 

While we are on the subject of strawberries, the below picture is a side by side comparison of a strawberry from the farmer's market (small and cute with a smooth, tender flesh) compared to a strawberry from the grocery store (huge and strangely crunchy.

Strawberry mutants aside, I think that strawberry-rhubarb is one of the best flavor combinations...ever.  The bright, tart rhubarb melts with the sweet berries to create a taste that rivals even Mary Poppins in the perfection department.

After baking the pie, and feeling overly proud and accomplished, I realized I still had five hours left to bake.  After briefly contemplating a nap in the corner, I got up and made frangipane (naturally).  Frangipane is an almond filling that bakes up sort of puffy and is often times accompanied by pears or other fruits in tarts. 

With the frangipane in arms reach (quite a good place for it to be), I needed a vehicle to drive it around.  So, I made another Pate Brisee crust, put some frangipane in the center, topped it with fruit (a mixture of apple, and assorted berries with some lemon zest), and folded up the edges to make a lovely, rustic Galette.   I love how scrumptious all the fruit looks, yum.

The line up of desserts that day was quite impressive.

Ups and Downs in Tartville

Monday night’s Pastry Class was a haze of heat, butter, and emotional turmoil.  Not only was it was the first 80+ degree day of the year in San Francisco, but we made Tarts…more specifically, Tart dough.  Tart dough is mostly made of butter and needs to be kept chilled…or else the butter melts…excessively.    Case in point, our teacher Christa couldn’t even convince her dough to cooperate during the demo.  Instead, the dough just started sticking to everything it could attack and oozed around the counter.  This is the point we all should have fled the scene screaming.  But instead, we stuck around to be TARTured (sorry, when it comes to food puns, I just can’t help myself). 

The basic formula for the Tart au Citron  (-aka- Lemon Tart) with a Pate Sucree crust (a sweet and flaky crust) I was assigned:

1.        1. Make the tart dough (8 oz. butter, ½ cups sugar, 2 egg yolks, pinch of salt, 3 cups flour, 2 tablespoons heavy cream) and divide it in half to make two tart shells.

2.        2. CHILL

3.       3. Roll dough out and cut into the exact circle size of the tart pan

4.       4. CHILL

5.       5. Put dough in your tart pan perfectly (which is harder than it sounds)

6.       6. CHILL

7.       7. “Blind-bake” the dough, meaning you need to cover your dough with parchment and dried beans (to weigh it down) which allows the crust to bake a little so it won’t be soggy when you add the filling

8.       8. Fill the tart with a beautiful home-made lemon curd

9.       9. Bake the whole tart (the filling needs to be baked too).

The recipe seemed so straightforward, but proved difficult as an 80 degree day led to a 90 degree kitchen…with ovens blasting at 375 and chefcoat-clad students involuntarily playing slip and slide on buttery tart dough. I felt like a drunken hyena suffering from a mild case of heat stroke…and I was somehow supposed to be coordinated enough to create a delicate Lemon Tart?

As I was verbally abusing my tart dough, things were awry around me.   One tart shell plunged to an untimely death as it was being removed from the oven…its flaky remains a perfect symbol for the evening. 

Simultaneously, an oven started expelling smoke and the dried beans (being used to "Blind-Bake" the filling-less tart shells) began fumigating the room with an unpleasant, too-earthy odor. The overall kitchen vibe was laughably spastic. 

It was about 9:15pm when I realized that there was no way I was going to have everything done in time for plating and presenting (at 9:30).  I was heading high speed towards a perfect tart pan ZERO of an evening.  By nothing short of a small miracle, I did manage to finish one lousy tart pan of baked dough (which Christa pointed out was slightly under-baked)…not exactly a brag-worthy evening.  I had to leave the remaining tart components I had partially finished in the fridge for next class.

Update:  It is now Thursday evening, and I am happy to report that I have made a full recovery from the Tart Disaster of 2009. Christa, feeling sorry for her defeated students, held a Tart Re-Do Class.  It effectively restored the Pastry Morale, and gave everyone a second chance to create an elegant, beautiful, and impressive tart. The combination of intense cravings for tarts, and the fear of second failure proved beneficial.  I found myself baffled by how wonderful all the tarts looked and tasted…it leaves me daydreaming (and drooling) over what delicious creations are up next.

To Meringue, or Not to Meringue?

There is something both confusing and amusing about Meringues.  After a series of internal debates, I have concluded that I do indeed like Meringues, despite the fact that I don’t actually enjoy the flavor of the puffy little sugar bombs.   Sounds strange I know, but I’ve got my reasons for liking them…

First of all, the very appearance of a Meringue is just so darn charming.  They remind me of soft fluffy clouds and whimsy. Another reason I like Meringues is that eating them makes me laugh, which I think has something to do with the texture…they are crunchy and melty and amusingly lightweight.  I figure that these Meringue- attributes, along with the fact that meringues are often served with whipped cream and fruit (two things I adore), are enough for me to give them my seal of sweet approval.

I have eaten my fair share of Meringues, but I’d never actually attempted to make them (likely due to my questionable feelings towards them), until Wednesday’s Pasty Class.  I was given a specific Meringue duty…to create a  Pavlova, which is a type of baked meringue that is supposedly named after a Russian dancer.  The Pavlova I made had a dipped-in center, perfect for filling with a lovely cream, which in this case was a Honey- Lavender Whipped Cream.  The recipe also included topping the puffy, creamy dessert with Poached Strawberries. 

When I read the recipe, a level of difficulty was seemingly inherent (ingredients like lavender make me wary).  However, I discovered that Pavlovas are actually pretty easy to make….especially if you have a Kitchenaid mixer.  A Pavlova basically entails whipping egg whites, sugar and a bit of cream of tartar together until the mixture turns into a large, opaque white mass resembling Kirby (Kirby is the star of the only video game I’ve ever been addicted to…and basically looks like a huge marshmallow).

The Honey-Lavender whipped cream called for in the recipe slightly concerned me.  I don’t tend to enjoy eating lavender (although I have been pleasantly surprised by it in the past).  Oh yeah, and then there was the fact that I had to use a spice grinder that smelled like a giant curry pot to incorporate the lavender into the sugar…how lovely (apparently someone had last used it to grind cumin, and the cumin would not leave despite multiple cleaning efforts).  Fortunately, the musky cumin odor somehow disappeared, and lavender sugar was born…and was pleasantly floral, and only faintly sweet (which is good since it was paired with the uber-sweet Pavlova).

Before I go into the madness that is poaching strawberries, I have to explain one thing…or at least TRY to explain it.  For some odd reason, I consider fruits as being in one of two categories.  Category One is “Everyday Fruits,” and includes fruits that I can get every day, and easily…like bananas and apples.  The Second Category is “Special-Time Fruits,” and includes fruits that are more seasonal or expensive…like strawberries and blackberries.  I can deal with a mealy apple once in awhile, but I get really angry when I eat a “Special-Time Fruit” that isn’t really, really delicious.

That said, I am pissed off at poached strawberries, and have no plans to ever again poach them.  First of all, poaching strawberries drains them of their beautiful brightness , and makes them look muted and almost sickly.  Their taste is also muted…and develops a strange herbal quality, almost as if the berries had been steeped in tea or something.  After poaching the Strawberries, I felt slightly depressed for them.

When it came to plating my Pavlova, I decided against using the mushy, poached strawberry corpses and opted for fresh strawberries instead…which I cut into little hearts (I figured it was only appropriate that these berries were mourning for their sad, mushy brethren).

After all is said and done, I think I’ll continue my confused relationship with the meringue.

Creme Brulee Trio

One of the unexpected side effects of Pastry School is my newfound ability to feel wide-eyed and bushy tailed when it’s late (and late to me is 9pm.  I wish I was joking).   Pastry class goes until 10 pm, so I’ve had to break my normal schedule.  I am no longer able to be wrapped up in my cuddly blankets, catching all the zzz’s I can, at 9:30.  After ingesting such enormous amounts of sugar and feeling prosperous and excited about some beautiful pastry creation, my usual bedtime routine has been foiled!

Tonight is one of those  “I can’t go to bed because I'm high on Pastry School” nights.  I made crème brulee, and for the first time, I felt like I had real pastry SKILLS (one should pronounce that “skeeeeels” for maximum effect).

I started out by getting cream, a full vanilla bean (I know, I live an extravagant life), and some sugar simmering on the stove.  As I was waiting for the cream mixture to scald (aka get really freaking hot), I  separated 8 eggs…crème brulee isn’t exactly a “light” dessert…and proceeded to use 8 egg yolks.

I put the nonfat, protein packed whites in the communal “Egg White Bin” for  use in next class (when we make meringues!).   As an interesting side note, egg whites keep for weeks (it’s the yolk part that is first to spoil), so if you have left over egg whites in your fridge, try the smell test.  If they don’t smell like anything, you are good to go.

When the sweetly vanilla cream mixture was good and hot, I combined it with the egg yolks, beating the mixture vigorously (remember to temper, temper, temper!  Nobody likes a curdled crème brulee).    Then, into the oven (and a water bath) the little crème cups went.  

One can tell when crème brulees are done because they jiggle exactly how Santa’s “bowl full of jelly” does.  At that point, it was out of the oven and into the fridge.  While the crème brulee cups chilled, I made some decorations with caramel.  Most of them looked like a small child using their non-dominant hand had taken over, but, a couple turned out to be useable.

After all this caramel madness, my crème brulees had set up enough to torch them (oh yes, with a blow torch).  I felt both very afraid and strangely powerful with the blowtorch in hand...  

Since I had created little caramel spoons during caramel playtime, I decided to used them to decorate the creme brulees.  I topped the sugary flatware with the most beautiful pyramid-shaped sea salt, and placed them on the custard cups.  All this writing  has tired me out…Sweet Dreams!

Happy Easter - Lemon Poppyseed Muffins with Lemon Curd

Happy Easter!  

I woke up this morning, and all I could think about was how I wanted to bake Lemon Poppyseed Muffins.  

I already had some freshly-made lemon curd in my fridge (I made it yesterday at Pastry School) desperately in need of a home.  What could be a more perfect vehicle for this tart custard gold than a sweet little muffin? 

Because it's Easter, and because all holidays make me miss my family even more than usual (and "usual" is a LOT), these muffins are in honor of my parents. 

Anything of the muffin variety reminds me of my Dad...and the sour, brightness of lemon is something he'd definitely love.  I knew I wanted them to be Poppyseed, because that reminds me of my Mom.  In fact, I'm sure if she was here to try a bite (or ten), she would get 100 of the tiny black orbs stuck in her teeth...right in time for a photo opp.

I decided to use a basic buttermilk muffin recipe, and twist it a little.  I added the zest of a couple Eureka Lemons (this is the kind that all supermarkets carry, and we know them just as the generic lemon), toasted some thinly sliced almonds for crunch, and added a quarter cup of poppyseeds.  Then, after filling my muffin tins, I added a mountain of silky, yellow lemon curd right on top, dusted them with some raw turbinado sugar (which gives the top a very pleasing crunchy sweetness), and into the oven they went. As the muffins baked, the lemon curd oozed and cradled itself deep inside it's muffin nest, creating a lovely balance of flavors and textures.  I'm a sucker for anything mini, so I made half of the batch as mini muffins and half as regular.

Just like how the tart and sweet complement one another in these muffins, my home-sick feeling was countered by the sweet and wonderful feeling of being able to share these muffins with my lovely boyfriend Nick's, family.  I also discovered that these muffins are all the more delicious with a good glass of champagne...but, then again, what isn't?

Pastry School -Day 1 - Cookie Chaos

Oh, the first day of Pastry School.  In my mind, it would be exactly like the cooking shows I addictively watched, watch, and forever will watch….meaning that everything would seamlessly work out.  All my ingredients would be right next to me, waiting in line on the caloric diving board, ready to jump into my bowl of butter.  But, I was nowhere near as Pastry-Stealth (or coordinated) as I had imagined.  Cookie chaos ensued.

The first recipe I started attacking was for Whole Wheat Shortbread with Cocoa-Nibs.  Initially, the Kitchenaid Mixer and I had a slight disagreement (although I have seen them used bazillions of times, I’ve never had the luxury of owning one).  Our spat began like this...first, I tried to coerce the thing into creaming my butter and sugar together...with the whisk attachment.  This was a poor attachment choice. Although it did work….for 2 seconds...until all the butter was suctioned into the center of the whisk, which at this point was wildly hula-hooping around a giant bowl of air.  After spending a few minutes whacking the whisk attachment onto the side of the bowl, I realized I looked like a crazy woman (sadly, this is nothing new).  

After ceasing my whisk abuse, I finally got the wad of sweet butter out of the center of the whisk and decided to take a different approach.   I found the paddle attachment and was able to cream my butter and sugar together with ease.  In the future, I will simply ask myself “WWPDD,” ("What Would Paula Deen Do?”). 

The rest of the recipe went along smoothly, as did my variation of Peanut Butter Shortbread cookies filled with Chocolate Ganache.  

Well, the recipes went along smoothly with the slightest of hiccups, which came about when I realized that my Peanut Butter Cookies were starting to crack in the oven.  After a slight moment of sheer legume panic, my Pastry teacher (perhaps I should refer to her as my "Pastry Godmother") assured me that this was a desired effect.  Phew.

Since there are 14 total Pastry students in the class, my two-cookie contribution was only a fraction of this sweet chapter.  There were many other cookies baked up, including Meyer Lemon Sandwich Cookies, different types of basic Shortbreads (one with a Salted Caramel Sauce in the center), Ginger Cookies, Almond Shortbreads, and Cornmeal Shortbread with Currants and Rosemary.

At the end of the baking madness, we embarked on a wonderful thing...the "tasting".  The only part of the tasting session that was not awesome, was when we tasted a defective cookie...the baker had accidentally used salt instead of sugar.  Eating a Salt Cookie is not a pleasant sensation, and is unadvisable under all circumstances. 

At the end of the night, we were allowed to take home tons of cookies (and dough, which is happily in my freezer for later use).  The unclaimed cookies and doughs (and there were tons of both...which almost seems criminal) were given away to a program called "Food Runners", which was started by the school's founder, and provides food to people in need.  I can't wait till next class...I'll keep you posted =)