Let us pray to our Saint

St. Honore is the French patron saint of bakers and pastry chefs. I guess he'll be the one I'll be praying to when I take the pate a choux test and practical! This cake was made to honor St. Honore. It is essentially a disc of pate brisee with rings of pate a choux piped inside. Individual pate a choux cream puffs are attached on the outside with caramel and the center of the pastry is filled with creme chiboust which is pastry cream lightened with a meringue that is set with gelatin.

I wonder if Lance Armstrong eats this before every race

Pate a choux piped in a ring topped with sliced almonds and filled with praline creme mousseline, this pastry is named after a bicycle race thus its resemblance to a wheel tire.

"Mon Petit Chou"

Mon petit chou is a term of endearment and some think the name of this dough may refer to the pastries as "cherished little things". Only the French could come up with something so charming! Pate a choux, or cream puff pastry is one of the basic pastry doughs in French pastry making. The dough is made by whisking flour into boiling water, butter, salt, and sugar. The dough is then cooked on top of the stove to dry out the mixture (this is called dessecher). At this point you have to stir wildly so that the dough does not burn on the bottom. I say "wildly" because the dough can get quite thick so you really have to get your arms working here. It is ready to be thrown into the mixer with a paddle attachment when a thin film forms on the bottom. Eggs are added one at a time until the right consistency is reached. At this point gruyere cheese and black pepper can be added to make gougeres. Different shapes are piped out according to what is being made and then baked. This dough is the only French dough that gets cooked twice. Pate a choux pastries are leaved by steam, a method of mechanical leavening as compared to chemically leavening. It is the steam created by the moisture and eggs in the dough that expand forming the cavity inside the pastry. This dough is used in many classic pastries such as cream puffs, eclairs, profiteroles, swans, and gougeres.

The Dancer in the Kitchen

School has been very busy. We just finished the tarts section and I'm studying for the test and practical. I am a little nervous! Class is a bit daunting. College for me was over years ago. Being back in school is a strange feeling. I'm not used to having teachers telling me what to do and grading me! I feel like I am constantly being scrutinized and watched. I realized it's because as cooks you want to be precise and efficient with your movements. Just like food you don't want to waste. If you watch a cook in action in the kitchen it is almost like a choreographed dance. Every movement is planned, controlled, and has a purpose. Every movement has been rehersed over and over again until it has become second nature to the body.

Once Upon a Tart

Chocolate Ganache Tart

Linzer Torte

Caramel Nut Tart