disasters and deliciousness

Which do you want first, the good news or the bad news?  Ok, I'll start with the good news.  This week in Cakes class, we made a DELICIOUS modified tiramisu.  We used a ladyfinger sponge, then soaked it in a coffee-brandy syrup.  Then we covered it in mascarpone mousse and rolled it up into a "roulade."  Then we covered it in a coffee-flavored Italian buttercream and finally finished it with a chocolate glaze.  I don't think I will ever eat tiramisu at Olive Garden again!  It was delicious...and none of the components was all that complicated.

Modified Tiramisu

Ok, now for the bad news.  Both pastry techniques and cookies class this week were certified disasters.  First, in pastry techniques, we were supposed to use our puff pastry dough from two weeks ago to make napoleons and several other items.  However, when we got into the kitchen, our dough was still frozen solid.  I mean, these things were like bricks.  You could have wrapped a threatening note around them and threw them through someone's window.  And even after letting them sit out in the sun for over an hour, we had to fight to roll them out.  So we ran out of time and only got to make the napoleon (three layers of puff pastry filled with mousseline cream and topped with fondant glaze and chocolate).  And my group's mousseline wasn't set enough when we went to cut it and we ended up with a huge mess on a plate.  But at least it was delicious!

Classic Napoleon

Then, in cookies class, we were supposed to make three tarts - Linzer, Pear Frangipane, and Bakewell.  When we went to get the doughs out of the freezer, the Linzer doughs were nowhere to be found.  Completely vanished.  So that one was scratched from the list.  We moved on to the Pear Frangipane, which came out beautiful but we haven't tasted yet. 

Pear Frangipane Tart

Then the third one was the Bakewell.  We thought this one was alright until we put it in the oven and it immediately turned to liquid and started pouring over the edges of the tart pan and down into other groups' tarts.  We put a sheet pan under it, hoping we had just overfilled it, and tried to let it bake some more.  But it turns out there was something wrong with it, and we still haven't figured out what.  As made obvious by the pictures below, it was destined for the garbage.  Sigh.... at least we got one good tart out of the class?  All in all, it was a frustrating week.  I think we all got a little TOO much rest over Spring Break...




Bakewell Tart - what it was SUPPOSED to look like...

 


...and what ours looked like :(