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.