Ninja Training School (Weeks 13 and 14)

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To "Finish Him" the Bavarian in Week 13, we use a technique that adds a "mirror" glaze that protects the cake and adds a cool glossy finish...


Not this mirror...
 



This mirror... not pronounced the English way...

The mirror is made up raspberry puree, gelatin sheets and simple syrup.  I topped it off with "Q"-shaped Spongebuttons/Rothchilds.  Wouldn't Zorro be proud?

In Week 14, first we made...

Creme Brulee (I will show the technique in a video soon.)

Fl

Floating Island (French meringue shaped and grown like a peep (those Easter treats) in a microwave!))  in a sea of Creme Anglaise (remember the ice cream battle).

Souffle: (Grand Marnier and Chocolate)

Entourage:  2.5 Cups of Milk, 4 Egg Yolks, 5 oz. Sugar, 2 oz. AP Flour, 7 Egg Whites, Pinch of Cream of Tartar

1. "Blanche" the egg yolks by mixing with the sugar.

2. Boil milk.

3. Add milk to egg/sugar mixture.

4. Add flour to the mixture.

4b.  Add flavoring such as grand marnier and chocolate to the mixture.

5. Add cream of tartar to mixer.

6. Whip egg whites.

7. Mix some egg whites into mixture to lighten it.  Fold in the rest of the egg whites.

8.  Bake at 400F, then drop to 375F.  It should still jiggle at 400F when you drop the temperature to finish it.

Ninja Training School: Week 12 (Invading Germany? Part One)

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I invade Germany with the technique for Bavarians!  Gutentag!


Vanilla Bavarian:


Entourage:  2 cups milk, 4 oz sugar, 4 egg yolks, vanilla, 8 oz white chocolate, 5.5 sheets of bloomed gelatin sheets, 2 cups of heavy cream (the milk adds more fat to the mixture)


Chocolate Bavarian:  


Entourage: 2 cups of half-and-half, 1.25 oz of cocoa powder (or 6 oz of bittersweet chocolate), 5 egg yolks, 5.5 oz of sugar, 5.5 gelatin sheets (bloomed), 2 cups of heavy cream


Ninja technique:  Gelatin sheets can be found in some stores.  Blooming is the process of hydrating them in ice cold water!


1.  Mix the sugar with the egg yolks.
2.  Bring the "milk" to a simmer.
Ninja technique:  It's similar to creme anglaise (see the Ice Cream battle).  Add some sugar to the "milk" to help it cook faster.
3. Temper by adding a little bit of the simmered milk to the egg yolks/sugar.  Then add egg yolks/sugar to the milk.
4.  Add the "chocolate" or whatever flavoring.  Use a strainer if so desired.
5.  Squeeze excess water from gelatin and add to the entire mixture.
6.  Whip the heavy cream and then fold into the entire mixture.

You lay down a layer of bisquit then fill with chocolate bavarian and set via refridgeration.  You will then add another layer (coat with simple syrup) and top with vanilla bavarian.  (Not shown but in progress.)

Ninja technique:  Folding whipped cream makes the dessert lighter.  I think CoolWhip will work if you want to be an time-efficient killer!  To fold properly (remember you aren't mixing it; thoroughly mixing will result in a dense mixture defeating the purpose of folding) you keep a rubber spatula steady then "stab" the mixture in the center and rotate the bowl as you bring ingredients "up and over."  Sorry, it would be easier to tape but school keeps me busy!


Chocolate Mousse:


Entourage:  1 kg bittersweet chocolate, 1.5 quarts of heavy cream, 5 egg yolks, 6 oz sugar


1. Same technique as above (add whipped cream last to fluff it up)

It's chocolate mousse cooled in a terrine and placed on some pate sucree.

Ninja Training: Pastry School (Weeks 6 through 11)!

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I apologize for not posting for awhile... (Please note: I will share recipes to those interested!)
1) I was in a serious accident where my right hand is inoperable but it is getting better through lots of physical therapy.  Henceforth my creations are not as beautiful as I'd like but hopefully you'll see improvement as I improve.  Needless to say it takes more than a flesh wound to take me down.

2) I was taking a 4-week course Introduction to Digital Photography - or Ninja Surveillance School - hehe.


In Week 6, we learned how to make a croissant... 3 SINGLE TURNS.  The concept of a Detrempe and a block of butter called a Beurrage (not a Barrage though an Artillery one would be quite devastating)!

 

In Weeks 7 - 8, we learned how to make Danishes... Viking Warriors would be proud as I know how to make Ebelskivers too - they used their beat up shields in days yore to cook these delicious pancakes but I digress... from 3" squares...

 

Danish - Cream Cheese and Cherry Filling - Folded as a square (each corner is folded down like an envelope).

Danish - Almond Paste/Apricot Filling -  Folded as a Diamond (you cut into a 3" square and then fold two corner down as a diamond)

Col au Vent 
 

Danish - Walnuts and Pastry Cream - Shaped like a Pinwheel - (you cut each corner to almost the center then you alternately fold the corners).

Apple Turner (from Danish dough - remember my hand being busted right?)

 

Leftover Bits of Puff Pastry - a Napoleon and an Apple Tart -yes, Chef is awesome!  I have much to learn!

In Week 9 and 10, we made a 1-2-3-4 Yellow Cake and Italian Buttercream (emphasize on 20 oz of butter... where you soft ball boil the sugar... it appears to be a dangerous process so I'll keep to a colder buttercream and 10x recipe).  I don't see that much of a taste difference.  We learned how to make a flower out of marzipan.  Unfortunately I missed it due to hand injury!

Cake..courtesy of Chef!

In Week 11, we made a bisquit roulade...  I'm very familiar with a savory roulade but in this technique you roll a sponge cake by individually whipping egg yolks and egg whites with sugar then folding it with flour.  Some people make yuletide logs with this technique?

I accidentally stacked another pastry in my transport container.

Bisquit Roulade with simple syrup, lemon curd, and buttercream wrapped in each "layer."  Covered with chocolate ganache.

We also learned how to make a Banana-Passion Fruit Sorbet.