CAKE BOSS!!!!

CAKE BOSS WAS AWESOME!!! He really put on a great show, he talked about his life before he became Cake Boss, he told us how he became the Cake Boss, and what the future holds for him and his family.

He told us how he is involved with Make a Wish foundation. I sat there in the audience with tears streaming down my face about how he told a story about a gravely ill child. Her wish was to go and hang out with Buddy (aka Cake Boss), they made cakes, and spent the entire day together. He asked her parents if there is anymore that he can do, and the parents replied "you made her smile, we have not saw her smile in months." After that he said he went home to spend time with his family and kids. It was horribly sad, but he made one little girls wish come true!!!!


Furthermore, Buddy had competitions between children that were in the audience, women, and men. My favorite competition was the competition between the men. I never laughed so hard. They had to make chocolate roses(molding chocolate) for their wives. It looked like those edible chocolate roses you see all the time for Valentines Day. But these guys were considered "sexy men." When they got up on stage, Buddy made them dance, two out of the three guys had to left feet and eight arms. THEN, this one pudgy guy, starts break dancing and spinning around on the floor. I lost it, it was something you would see in a movie at a wedding. The entire crowd laughed!! My mom was laughing so hard her stomach hurt.
After they made the chocolate roses, everyone thought they were just going to run off stage and give them to their wives. But we were wrong. Buddy invited their wives up on stage, they had to be on the opposite sides of the stage from each other. Buddy made them do a dance over to their wives to give them the roses. It his hysterically funny!!!!



One of the guys danced over to this wife, in a really sweet way. The music that was played in the background, he danced over to her with the rose stem in his mouth, it reminded me of something you would see in Dancing with the Stars as the couple was about to dance the tango. Then he gives his wife the rose and then dips her and gives her a kiss. It was really sweet.


Remember the guy I told you about that was spinning on the floor when he first got up on stage?? Well, this guy when he went to go give his wife the chocolate rose. He threw off his wife t-shirt showing the audience his bare chest and stomach. His wife starts 'shimmying,' closer to his. He grabs her to were it looks like he is going to hug her, but instead it looks like he gave her a body shake. If you ever saw the movie Just Friends, you will know exactly what I am talking about.




Buddy also, decorated a 3 tiered cake for the audience, something that would have taken me at least 2 hours to do, took him 10 to 15 minutes. It was just awesome! And absolutely beautiful!

He told us that he is opening up a Pizza place in Hoboken NJ, calling it Sofia's after his daughter. And he is also opening up a factory where you will be able to take classes which is awesome! So I definitely have to make it up to Hoboken, New Jersey soon!!



If Buddy every does another tour I really recommend you guys getting tickets!! He throws an amazing show that I think everyone should get the chance to go see!!



This is the stage from were I was sitting. Doesn't it look adorable?!?!?! So creative!




This is Buddys new book! It is a really nice book, it also gives us some of his recipes that he uses in his bakery. I really can't wait to try the Cannoli, and Biscotti recipes! yummmmm!!!!!







Here is my Sweet Potatoes I made for Thanksgiving! There was struesel and marsh mellows all throughout the sweet potatoes! it was soooo amazing! I loved it!



Here are my Cinnamon Rolls that I made on my last day at LCB before I started my Thanksgiving break! They were amazing! May not be very pretty, but how they tasted definitely did not matter!




I am so excited that is it finally Christmas time, that means I get to start some cookie making with my mom!!!!! You will get to see all of the cookies and rolls that we make over the next couple of weeks!




Furthmore, I only have about 2 weeks until I go on Christmas break! Seems so soon!!!


I hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving!!!!!!


There is going to be a post this Tuesday of Wednesday night!!!

Is there anyone out there that reads my blog????


Keep Posted!!!!!! There is a lot coming up in the next few weeks!!!!

Pithivier and CAKE BOSS TOMORROW!!!

Today I did not bake anything sorry to say. Last night I went to Light Up Night in Oakmont, and I woke up sick. I am all stuffy, my throat is sore, and I feel like my head is swimming. So, I did not make anything plus even if I did it would be completely unsanitary.

I was planning on making these cookies with my new Copper Cookie Cutter that is in the shape of a Chefs hat and freeze them for Christmas. I was also going to make Brioche bread this weekend, so that my mom could use it for stuffing for Thanksgiving this Thursday. If anyone has ever had Brioche Bread, there is 9 oz of butter, and it just makes the absolute bread stuffing!


On Friday, in my Breakfast Pastry class we made Pithivier. In definition Pithivier means: A classical French Pastry believed to have been created in 1506 by a French patissere named Provenchere. This pastry was probably one of my favorite things I have made here at LCB. It's really really pretty, and definitely fun to make. Then entire process took 2 days to make. This pastry is usually found in the South of France. But when I open up my own bakery in a few years I would definitely love to bring it to my bakery.





Here is the French cake fully done!! I had a lot of fun making this, and I just think it is absolutely beautiful!!!!


Here is what the cake looks like cut in half. The center is filled with Almond Paste. Which if you like Almonds you will love this cake!! I didn't eat any, the first day I brought it home, because once you are around it long enough, you just can't do it. I however I did have a bit of it the next day. It's very good, not too sweet! It's perfect!


This is what it looked like before I put it in the oven to bake! It's still very pretty!!!


I hope everyone liked my French cake I make in class on Friday!! I would love to make it again soon!!!!!


As for tomorrow my mom and I are going to go see CAKE BOSS!! If I am able to take pictures, there will be pictures up this week!!


Until then have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!

Le Cordon Bleu Class Pastries and Cake Boss!!

I want to go there so badly!!! It's beautiful!!!!!


I am currently sitting at work and I thought that I would update my blog, since I finished my articles for the next newsletter. I just sent out the December and January newletter last week and corporate already "okayed," it!! Thanks to my awesome newsletter staff!

Even though I still have one article to to go, I'm still ahead of the game! :)!!! The one article I am doing it on Bakerella!!!! If you do know know who she is go here www.Bakerella.com and you will definitely know why I decided to write and article on her!! She's just awesome!!!

Next week (I believe Monday) I get to go see Buddy Valastro from The Cake Boss tv series!! I'm beyond psyched!! Hopefully I will be able to take pictures if so I will definitely post them up to share with you!! :)Here is his website http://www.carlosbakery.com/


For this entire week in the Pastry end of Le Cordon Bleu there has been a Canadian Chef here to instruct us. He has the Canadian French accent! It's really awesome, it makes me feel like I am in France and it makes me want to go there even more. The work that he does it just absolutely amazing!! We were lucky enough for him to teach us Puff pastry through out the week!!!

We started the week off with make the Classic Puff Pastry. It takes about 3 minutes to scale the recipe, but it takes about 2 days to roll of the recipe the right way. If you are in a hurry after when you scale out the recipe, mix the ingredients but do not over mix, and knead the dough (don't over knead, it's not bread!!) You have to put it in the fridge for 3 hours...NOT FREEZER! But the correct way and you will have a better result is if you roll out the dough over a 2 days, but the second day you bake it. I might have to do a day on how to make puff pastries because they are just amazing!!! You'll fall in love wit them!!

Recipe

1 pound 8 oz Bread Flour (Patent Flour), but All Purpose is fine to
.50 oz Salt
3 3/4oz Butter
12 oz Water
14.25 oz Butter for rolling in

Oven: 350 Degrees

Yield: 10 to 14 pinwheels or turnovers: which ever one you want to make

I did Pinwheels and Turn overs!



Here are two of my Pinwheels!! Once you have rolled your dough out over the 2 day, on the second day you get to shape your pin wheels.

Here is how to shape Pinwheels:

Use a pizza cutter (don't use scissors you will tear the layers) and cut 4 inch squares! Try to make the all the same size.


One you have cut your squares, take a small knife like a paring knife and cut triangles like how I have in the picture, but do not cut all the through the center. Then add some Egg Wash where it would look like all of the triangles would meet in the center.

THEN....


Take the LEFT corner and bring it the the center where the Egg was is. Rotate and always bring the LEFT corner to the center!! You will do this 4 times!! Then once that is completed. Put whatever kind of perservatives you want in the center,on top of the egg wash! She be about a quarter size. Then egg wash the entire pinwheel (not the preservative!). Put in oven, until goldent brown!

Caution: VERY HOT!!!!!!!





For the turnovers it is almost the same process. Cut 4 inch squares. Once you have your square cut fold in have take the bottom right corner to the top left and press lightly so you know where the center is the unfold it. Then put egg wash on the left verticle side, and the top horizontal side, then put whatever filling(about a quater size) you want sort of in the middle , not touching the crease and not the cornor.

Remember when I made you make the crease so you knew where the center was. You are going to now complete the Turnover by taking the bottom right corner to the top left corner. And seal it by pressing all around the edges of the Turnover! Don't be afraid of it, it's only dough! Really seal it!!!!! Egg wash it!!

For both the PinWheels and Turnovers after you egg wash it add sugar to the top!!

Breakfast Pastries!!!!

This is Strawberry shortcake! The biscuits are Orange Zest biscuits! The strawberrys really compliment the Orange Zest biscuit!! And a Mint sprig as the final touch!


This past monday,I started my 3rd mod at Le Cordon Bleu. I am currently in breakfast pastries and cost control and purchasing. The new chef that I have for the next several weeks is different than my previous chefs. First of all she is my first female chef that I have had, and she has more of a sweeter sense about her. She is very nice, and the strange thing is, is she is only about 8 years older than I am.

I have to admit that the next couple of weeks are going to be a little difficult for me to make something every weekend, because the holidays are coming up. But what I am going to do is, put some posts up of some of the items I make during the week. Plus, within the next couple of weeks my mom and I will be making a lot of Christmas cookies, rolls, and many other things. So I will definitely be putting many posts up!!!! Plus I can't wait for Christmast morning, because my mom makes great vegetable strata and french toast strata!!!! But I will still have my weekly posts!!! :)

Last mod when I was in my Breads class we made tons of bread, we made so much bread that some of the bread that I brought home went stale. There was one day when we had a lot of Brioche bread. Brioche was one of my favorite breads that we made, and what make it so great was the 9oz of butter it called for. Can you imagine? Eating bread that you can taste real butter throughout it and it had a little bit of a flakey texture??? It was like heaven! So, my mom made a stuffed chicken one day, and stuffed the chicken with the stale brioche bread!! It was the best stuffing I have ever had! So I told her that I want to make Brioche bread to stuff the turkey with this year. My mom stuffs the turkey, it sorta freaks me. Thank god I am in pastry, I can't stuff a turkey not alone bone a duck like a few of my fellow culinary friends are doing. I would just die. If you are interested on how to bone a duck youtube it, and you'll see why I it gives me the heebie jeebies!!

Anyways, getting away from stuffing a turkey and boning a duck in class this week we made blueberry scones (I love blueberrys!!!) pumpkin bread, lemon poppie seed muffins, strawberry shortcake, buttermilk buscuits, and orange- scent muffins, crepes with apple compote en flambe with homemade ice cream, and coffee cake and apple fritters. As you're read we were busy!!!!

Here are some pictures of some of the items that we have made this week:


Blueberry Scones! I absolutely love blueberrys, especially in pastries! If you ever make scones and want to add blueberrys or anykind of dried fruit to it, make sure you put your dried fruit in water(cold water) for a while. My suggestion is after when you preheat the oven put your fruit in water. Then you make your recipe. Then add your blueberrys. Futhermore, after when everything is mixed together make your batter into a circle a little more than a half in thick. Then cut your scones with a pizza cutter to however big you want them. BUT keep your scones in the circle do not place the pieces all over the tray keep everything in the circle. If you do not do that then your scones will dry out while baking. I also think cranyberry scones would be great as well!!




More blueberrys!!! Blueberry muffins with Pumpkin bread!!!!! If you want to achieve the sweet and salty taste with Pumpkin Bread, just before you put your bread in the oven add store bought Pumpkin seeds to the top!!! Believe me it a great combination!!!!!!!


Sour Cream Coffee Cake! This was really good!!! On top of the batter was streusel! If you add some streusel between the layers it just makes it melt in your mouth!!! ex: batter on bottom, streusel, batter, then streusel on top!! Always end with the streusel on top!!!!

Streusel Recipe!!
2.5 oz Brown sugar
1 oz Sugar
4 oz Pecan Pieces (optional)
1/2 Tbs. Cinnamon (you can always add more...I always do!!!)
2.5 oz Cake Flour (Or All Purpose Flour)
4 oz Cold Butter
.5 tsp. Vanilla Extract



Apple Fritter!! I've never had one before, it reminded me of funnel cake with something inside it. After when you deep fry the apple fritter add some cinnamon and sugar to the top!


Inside of the Apple Fritter! You can not tell what is in the center, but it apple!! It was good, but it is something that I would never make for myself.


What to look forward to! Some more projects with baking!!! Keep posted!

Have a great and safe week!!!

Rose and Pearl Birthday Cake!!

My Gumpaste flowers!! I love the colors!!!


My mom just turned 45 this weekend! So I made her birthday cake! I decorated it with roses and pearl sprinkles. I made the roses out of Gumpaste that I colored with Wilton Gel.



We had spaghetti which is my moms favorite food, with salad, and garlic bread! And her cake for dessert!!!

It was a really nice relaxing evening!!!!


Here is my moms birthday cake!!!!! Enjoy!!



All frosted and waiting to be decorated! I love to frost a cake...it's so relaxing!


All decorated with roses and pearls!



Top view!



Black and White photo! The while flower looks awesome!







All pretty with candles!!!!!




I hope you enjoyed my photos! I was really nervous about working with Gumpaste! If you never have worked with Gumpaste it is really nice to work with! Do not be afraid to try it out! Just got for it!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bakerella...little Cakes!!

So earlier today, I posted a new blog stating that this weekend I was going to have two new posts. Well, I had to get started on the one project, because tomorrow I have to make my moms birthday cake. The project that I did today, is for tomorrow night. I hope I didn't confuse anyone toooooo much!


I made another recipe from Bakerella's Cake Pop Recipe. But I did it my way. To be honest this was a very fast project to do. I would say the most time consuming part was using the cookie cutter to shape the cake pieces.



The shape of the little cakes are cupcake. I melted candy mold chocolate for the chocolate base, and the colored top was also melted candy mold.


Here are the pictures



Here they are without the chocolate covering!! And awaiting to go into the fridge!!!




And the first base is dipped!!! Not so bad!



All done and looking cute!!!!!!



mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm



I love the Yellow!!!!









Well that was my Friday night adventure!!!!


Now tomorrow is, something I am alittle more nervous about! I have to make roses out of Gum Paste.....Lets pray that it turns out good!!!!!

UPDATES & CHANGES!!!

This past Wednesday, I finished my 2nd mod at Le Cordon Bleu. I took a breads class and math class. So far I am 12 weeks in at Le Cordon Bleu, and I can happily say that I made the DEANS LIST. And I recieved my first A in a math class ever!!

So, starting November 8th I will be entering my 3rd mod, and will be starting Cost Control and Purchasing (another type of math class ehhhh) and the French Pastries.
Which I can't wait because the Chef that I will be having for the next 6 weeks, everyone raves about! So I am beyond excited to have her!


I am going to be sharing with you my two of my favorite projects that I did in breads!

Furthermore, as for the updates, I will be having two more blog posts coming up this weekend. One is for a get together, that I will be making a dessert and the other is for my moms birthday dinner which will be held this Sunday. And I will be making her birthday cake.

Also, since I will be in a French Pasty class for six weeks I will be updating my blog as much as possible. At least 2 times a week. (class work + my work on the side= two times a week)


About a week ago my Chef had us do a project, it was to create your own bread plaque as if you owned a bread shop. It was one of my favorite things I have ever done at LCB.
Chef taught us how to make roses, and other little decorations that we could have put on our plaque. But I solely just decorated mine with the different kinds of breads that we made in class. Even though the roses were absolutely adorable!!

We had 6 hours to construct our bread plaques, which is two class periods. Then we had 2 hours to glaze our plaque. We used burnt sugar and oil to glaze them alone with any other products that we have in the kitchen. To get the different shades of brown, we would have as much or as little amount of oil to the burnt sugar. Then we would put it in the oven for a few minutes until the burnt sugar was dry. We repeated this process as much as we wanted to.




Here is my bread plaque, completely finished! It came out a little darker than what I wanted it to, but I still really like it. I received an A on it.



Here is my bread plaque before I glazed it on the last day.
It was by far one of my favorite projects!!!!


Furthermore, on the last day of my breads class we made Chocolate Cherry Bread. The title explains everything. If you just go by what the title tell you, you would think that it is a very sweet bread. But you would be really surprised.

Yes, it is considered a sweet bread, but the truth is it's a semi sweet bread. It won't give you a tooth ache I promise. I would go great with tea. Chef told the class the when he made this bread for a bakery one Valentines day he made 500, and charged 7.00 dollars for the bread. Two Valentines day later he tripled the amount of the bread and charged 7.50 a loaf. Once you see this bread you will understand why he sold it on Valentines day! This was one of my favorite breads that we made this mod, besides the Epi Bread and the Baguette!!!



Adorable huh?!?!?! I love the heart shape! I wish I would have learned more bread like this in my Breads class, but I do have some great ideas as for my own kind of heart bread!!



This is what the heart bread looks like cut in half!! There is pieces of chocolate and cherries all throughout the bread! Yumm!!


I am also going to add some of the bread that I have done along the way!!


Here is the 5 braid, this was my first attempt. It was a little big for the pan, that's why it is not straight! Now I can make a perfect one!!! When making this bread you have to be careful. But once you know how to do it, it's easy!!!



The Baguette and Epi bread!!!



The sourdough boules! They make good bread bowls!!!!


I hope you liked some of the breads I made in my breads class! Now onto more fun and exciting thing in the future!

Stay tuned for some more weekend projects!!

Random thought 364 days till I am a Pastry Chef!!!!!!!!