This was truly a bittersweet week. This week I had my last final practical, essentially my last time cooking at the Art Institute. We have one more week of class, but the cooking is done. For the final we made the Special Macaroon with a crème brulee insert and Lemon Raspberry Tart with a Coconut Shortbread crust topped with Italian Meringue. We also made a melted Isomalt garnish. I was worried about the Special Macaroon. The first time we made it, I had lots of trouble. I actually made it four times. This time I only made it once! I could have gotten more rise in the macaroon, but both the texture and color were quite good. I thought I might have over baked my tart shell, it had a bit more color than I thought it should have. It was ok but I did over fill my shells with lemon curd. I was not thinking about the weight of the meringue. I was happy that the meringue was a very good consistency and Chef Elizabeth stated that they were very evenly browned.
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I am friends with fondant!! This week we made a high-ratio yellow cake with a simple buttercream covered in fondant. We then each made colored band and flowers with a 50/50 mix of fondant and gum paste. I started making Briar roses and very quickly became frustrated. I then switched to Hydrangeas. Out of all of our choices, those were the easiest because it was the only option using a stamp. However, because of their size, I had to make quite a few to have an impact on a two tier cake. I also made a lot of black fondant/gum paste mix for my dummy cake. For that cake I have taken on the additional challenge of painting on fondant and making Peonies. It will be quite a challenge.
This week I had another chance to make the wedding cake that I made for my final practical last quarter. My High Ratio Cake, Diplomat Cream and Italian Buttercream were much improved. My Fondant band was good and the Gum Paste roses were passable. My icing of the cake however, was still terrible. I just can't seem to get the hang of it. I really do try my best. My sides aren't even and I can never seem to get it smooth enough. It was made worse when another Culinary student pointed out how bad it was. I know my greatest strength is in breads. I am confident in everything I have learned in school except decorating cakes. I graduate in three weeks, I should be better than this.
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AuthorKimberly-baker and food history enthusiast! Archives
March 2015
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