My Last Final Exam Piece for the Course!!!

Dear All

I know I have been away like for ages but I hope that doesn't mean that I've forgotten about this blog. School has been one hell of a ride and I can't believe that I'm in the last leg of the course.... Yep this is the last six months I have here in Melbourne and I'm not sure how and where I will be headed after this.

I remember sending my mum a text to wish her Happy New Year telling her also that I would be seeing her soon. She was surprised; thought that I won't be doing so until 2011. Scared her though when I mentioned that I would or could be back in like June or so when I graduate. Guess what her reply was - Don't come back.....

Three simple words that spoke a hell of a lot.... Hmmmm.... got me pondering......

In order to not be a naughty daughter and adhere to her wishes I would have to do one of two things : stay here illegally or get married to a aussie....

You guys tell me.....

Anyhow.... this is the best piece I have ever made in my entire course here... I love this piece. Themed 'Paris in Love'.... my friend Aazam helped me choose this expressive masterpiece....

Thank you Aazam.... I love ya for it :)

Present Desserts (Assessment Task)

My Novelty Cake (Assessment Task)

My Sugar Roses (Assessment Task)

Another Week at School... Another Week full of Food...

Well folks... all these pictures speak for themselves... feast your eyes and salivate my friends...

Back to School!!!!!!

Yes folks, summer is almost over and all the schoolies are back with their heavy laden bags, musical instruments, new uniforms and stationaries along with a slight tan to show off to all their friends.

And of course, dear old me is not excluded from this parent frenzy of utmost joy where they will once again enjoy the silence within the walls of their houses after the kids have gone to further enhance and gather the wealth of knowledge.

Trust me, I can almost hear the shouts of joy eminating from each and every household...

As for me, this first week back at school has been an OVERLOAD!

Not only do we have classes on a Monday night, we also have a kitchen production class that will see us unqualified patisserie people whipping up a supposedly 3 or 4 course meal to be served to the general public! Wonder whether school has hinted to those making a booking to read the fine print that explains no medical claims and lawyer suits would be our responsibility...

So if you heard anything through the grapevine that people had an unwanted 'incident' at a particular school, well just pretend that you didn't know me.

Anyhow, this semester sees me making gateux, tortes, cakes, bread and cooking dishes so here are a few pictures from the initial classes this past Monday and today:

Yeast Goods... Part Five

Getting drunk before lunch isn't a good idea though....

Yup, the babas above were soaked in a mixture of rum, lemon juice, orange juice, lemon and orange peel, sugar and water.... Somehow the teacher had a heavy hand and the amount of rum that he poured into the mix was gooooooooooooooooooood!

Didn't manage to bring any back for me housemates though. Filled those with fresh cream so by the time I get back there wouldn't be anything left! Plus the babas would have been too mushy and soaked in the liquid mix it wouldn't have been yummie to eat.

A picture says a thousand words though.. imagine the taste....

Yeast Goods... Part Four

Krispy Kreme, Dunkin Doughnuts, J.Co and Big Apple.....

To me nothing beats the fresh, homemade smell and taste of doughnuts... YUMMIE

Above is the picture of our products: jam filled, mini sugar and cinnamon sugar. I brought two boxes filled with those for my housemates and they gobbled up everything in 2 days!!

Now they want me to make more of them so that they can eat. Told them they would have to wait until summer comes around for me to ferment the yeast at home with the heat. Currently spring in Melbourne is like winter with the sun shinning hot and the wind blowing cooooollldd....

Anyhow, this batch was heavenly. Can't wait for next week to see what else we are going to churn out from the mixing bowl...

Yeast Goods... Part Three

Hello everyone!

Sorry for not writing about the yeast stuff I've been doing the past few weeks... ben busy producing loads of assignments and class theory tests to close up this semester.

Can you believe it's going to be summer holidays in a few weeks time??

Well the picture above shows our finished danish products: apple, custard, apricot and blueberry fillings. So far these were the best products that I'v enjoyed making and eating as well.

Tune in to next week to see what is in stored!

Yeast Goods - Take Two

Bonjour mes amis...c'est lundi encore. Aujourd'hui nous faisons des croissants dans la classe...(corrigez mon français s'il est mal... merci...)

Quels sont des croissants?

Pâtisseries...rempli de celui que vous puissiez imaginer, doux et savoureux.

Alright alright... enough of french. I think I've not made a good French speaker at all. My apologies to all those who are fluent in the language especially the native speakers. I was merely trying to practise what my teacher had taught me. I hope I have not angered anyone.

Well, today sees us patisserie people making chocolate, plain and marzipan croissants in class. Making puff pastry is always great fun especially when it's for products as yummy as this. Then again, the yummie stuff always leave us short of the pictures eh...

No thanks to the wonderful camera I have though... but yup... croissants for this week my fellow readers, the one off visitors and my salavating friends...

Au revior!

Yeast Goods - Take One...

Hello everyone and welcome to Yeast Goods... the session that allows one and all to sample the yumminess of freshly baked bread and other products made from yeast.

Today, we made something called a beesting...

The picture above shows you the product in 3 different stages; stage one is on the furthest right just out of the oven whole... stage two is on the furthest left where the beesting is sliced into two and is piped with custard whilst the final product is in the middle.

The beesting has a sponge like cake texture with an almond sugar glaze topping. Looking at the way this product was made, it comes no where to creaming butter and sugar and adding eggs like you would a cake but is made using yeast..

Let me just tell you that this is one yummy yummy yummy yummy beesting...

Here is the recipe for the above:-

Ingredients A:

Bakers Flour = 250gms

Yeast = 50gms

Sugar = 10gms

Water = 200gms

Ingredients B:

Bakers Flour = 600gms

Butter, soften = 240gms

Milk Powder = 20gms

Sugar = 170gms

Egg = 220gms

Salt = 5gms

Method:

Mix ingredients A together and let it stand until doubled in size. Add ingredients B to A until developed. Scale a dough ball of 450gms each with the total quantity and leave to rest for 10minutes. Roll out and place into tins or trays and dock using a fork or a roller docker. Apply fillings or toppings and proof at 32degrees celcius. Bake at 210 degrees for about 20 - 25 minutes until golden brown in colour. Remove from oven and place onto cooling wires. When cold split in half and fill with custard.

Topping:

Butter = 150gms

Sugar = 250gms

Honey = 25gms

Cream = 30gms

Almond flakes = 150gms

Method:

Boil together butter, honey, sugar and cream. Remove from heat and then stir in the almonds. Cool and spread onto dough.

Monday Food Galore....

Hello everyone, it's Monday again... yup another week another list of stuff I made....

Today, sees the following being made in the bake area -

- Chocolate Mud Cake
- American Brownies
- Chocolate Souffle

Next week will be our theory and practical exams for both prepare and produce cakes as well as prepare and produce hot and cold desserts. I'm going to be pooped next Monday I tell you.

Today we had a chocolate field day in the bake area... most of us were covered in one or more types of chocolate whether it being cocoa powder, melted cooking chocolate or chocolate ganache. Our teachers were busy preparing us next week's exams whether from the theory or garnishing aspects. Let's just say things were hectic today....

Oh yes... here is a pix of the souffle that we made just out from the oven :



The tricky thing about souffles is that it has to be served straight from the oven to the customer looking like this... if you wait then you would have a flat cake!!!

Will try to get my 'frozen' camera to work hopefully by next week so I can put up more pictures of my masterpieces here from the exam and those that are upcoming.... so stay tuned and keep your fingers crossed and a bucket nearby to catch the drool....

Have a great week ahead!