Bella...Updates...DC Adventure

Once again, I am writing another blog without any sort of cute sweets, like I promised I would last Sunday.

This is another sad post. My dog of almost 14 years we are putting her down tomorrow. She has congestive heart failure, and everyday she is getting worse and worse. And it is now her time to go one, even though I want her here forever, but I can't let her suffer because I want her here. That's not fair to her at all.
She was the best dog anyone could ever ask for, she was one of the best things that has ever happened to me, and has helped me all throughout many stages of my life, and for that I am grateful. Now it is her time to go on and join my turtle Buddah...my old dog Bimbo (don't laugh at his name ;))my two birds.

With my grandfather passing away last weekend, I spent 2 days in West Virginia, that helped me out a lot with his passing. And now Bella, it has just been a real emotional roller coaster for the past week.

This Wednesday, I am leaving for Washington Dc, to visit John and do some more sightseeing. I am excited for but there is so much going on right now I'm having a hard time getting really excited.


I was thinking about doing a post about the different kinds of well known cupcake shops in the DC area...like Georgetown Cupcakes etc....buying some cupcakes and comparing them on taste..likes...dislikes...I will critique them! So there will be a blog up later this week about my DC Food adventure!


Sorry that this blog jumped from one subject to another. I'm very tired and functioning on like 2 hours of sleep.



Here is a picture of my Bella, Christmas about two years ago. Isn't sure beautiful???? I think so!



Please stay posted...everything will so get back on track!


I love you Bella with all my heart!

Please Read

Hi everyone,
This is going to be a short blog. I usually update my blog on sunday or during the week.

My grandpa passed away tonight, I will not be updating anything tonight. But next weekend I will have something cute for everyone to enjoy.

Thank you for being understanding
Sarah

Pumpkin Cheesecake!

It's been a while since I showed you how to make something that I know everyone will just love. I need to start doing that more!!Todays chosen recipe to do is Pumpkin Cheesecake. I actually just got done eating a piece about an hour ago in my pastry kitchen. I just couldn't wait to share with everyone....as many of your know cheesecake is one of my favorite things to consume! A wedding cheesecake would be absolutely ideal!!!!

I will give you my recipe along with 2 complementary sauces as if you wanted to plate this for a party or just use on the side...to spice things up ;)!!



Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling

Cream Cheese- 1# 8 oz
10x Sugar (also known as Powdered Sugar)- 6oz

**Paddle the Cream Cheese and 10x sugar in a mixer on LOW SPEED!!!

Egg Whites- 2oz (Fresh eggs or Pasturized eggs)
Yolks- 2oz for fresh or
Vanilla- Splash

**Combine with Cream Cheese and 10x Sugar- mix on low speed- always scrap the bowl along the sides, you don't want clumps and lumps!!!!****


Pumpkin Puree- 6oz
Cinnamon- 1 teaspoon
Ginger-1/2 teaspoon
Nutmeg-Pinch (not a handful)
Ground Clove-Pinch

**Add to the above- Scrape bowl constatly so there are not any clumps and lumps**


For the Crust

Graham Cracker- 6 oz
Sugar-1 oz
Almond Flour-1 oz
Salt- Pinch
Melted butter- 4 oz

**Mix together in a 10" cake pan-there's no need to prebake the crust!Prss the crust firmly agains the bottom of the pan! Pour in Pumpkin Cheesecake mixture! And Volia

Pop it in the over at 325F until set.

Rule of Thumb
Cheesecakes should be we to the touch but set, not dry. If you cheesecake comes out of the oven and it splits down the center...then you baked it toooo long!


Here are the Sauces that will complement the Pumpkin Cheesecake, but they are optional!

Butterscotch with Bourbon Sauce

50 grams Brown Sugar
50 grams Corn Syrup
75 grams Cream
15 grams butter

**combine in a medium Sauce Pot, bring to a boil for 4 minutes...remember to stir ;)**

1 teaspoon- Vanilla Bean Paste
1 tablespoon- Bourbon
Salt- Pinch

**Strain and add to the mixture above...and put in fridge**

Cranberry Sauce
2oz- Simple Syrup (if you don't know what that is, it is for instance 2oz of sugar and 2 oz of water brought to a boil...and once it is brought to a boil take of stove and put in a container and let it cool...an ice bath works best, whatever the amount of sugar is the amount of water...equal parts)
2oz- IQF Cranberries..you can get frozen ones found in local grocery stores
3oz Cherry Puree
Lemon Juice- Splash

**Put everything in a Sauce Pot let it boil for 1 minute...strain it..and put in container**

You can also serve Sauteed Apples with it:

Need one apple(as many as you would like...this recipe calls for 3 apples..Granny Smith)

Wash and peel your apples...if you have a mellonscooper...then you can make little round apple balls...but If you don't want to waster the apple...slice it up the way you want to.

then take...2oz of butter
2 tablespoons of Vanilla and Sugar
**Sautee the apples in a pan...don't make mush!!!! They should be able to hold their shape!**

When You are done add 1/4 teaspoon of Lemon Rind!!!

Here is my Pumpkin Cheesecake from my class earlier today!!!!


The little Pumpkin is made out of Marzipan...the moon shaped cookie we didn't make our chef did. The round balls is the appple recipe I have you. Same with the Cranberry Sauce and Butterscotch with Bourbon Sauce in the leaf! This sort of reminded me of something from the Disney movie Cinderella!


When it comes to plating a dessert, melt chocolate...make a design using a parchment bag (I will tell you how to make one if you vote for it on the side of my blog). Make a design..allow the chocolate to flow out of the bag...don't draw it! Use little squirt bottles to put your sauce in, then "color" in the areas inside the chocolate lines. You don't need to color in all the available spaces. And your fruit...less is more ;)! And just have fun, and remember it takes Practice!


BLOG UPDATE!
I added some new features such as most viewed recipes...a search box...and a survey box. The survey box is up....cast your vote!! Be the FIRST!!!

Have Fun with it!! Just Remember....SIFT HAPPENS!!

Plated Desserts!

Over the last few weeks in class I have been learning how to properly plate...plated desserts. I have to admit this is one of my favorite classes I have taken. It is a ton of work but definitely worth it in the end. And let me just say that the desserts are 'deeeelish'!! It certainly helps with my once-a-day sweet tooth.


There is a lot more that goes into a plated dessert than what you think it would be.

When it comes to a plated dessert there are 5 components:
1.Fruit- for nutritional purposes, also adds color.
2.Crisp- The crunch factor, things such as cookie..pate sucre, pate sablee
3.Sauce- there should be at least 2 different kinds of sauce
4.Garnish- Can be chocolate....edible flowers, herbs, etc
5.Base-Is what the main dish such as a cheesecake...lave cake...etc, it's what you order!

All these components have to be presented in a plated dessert according to Le Cordon Bleu standards.




Chocolate filled with two different sauces! My first plated dessert time!




Chocolate Cigarettes!!!!




My chocolate curls!



Panna Cotta! This is one of my favorite desserts!



Key Lime Pie!!



This was a sponge cake with fruit in the center.



S'Mores Dessert! This was awesome as well!






This is one of my favorite plated desserts that I made!! Awesome tasting as well!!!!




I absolutely love this class! There will be more pictures up soon! Stay Posted!

Happy Easter!!!!

Updates!

Today is the beginning of a new module...that means I am in new classes. For the next six weeks I am in Global Diversity, which has a lot to do with sociology, I have taken a sociology class before and absolutely loved it, so this class is right up my alley. As for my kitchens class I am in Plated Desserts which is exciting, completly different than what I have been in before, so that means I will have pictures of some pretty plated desserts.



This past Saturday, I made a cake. I allowed the cake to cool in the pans..just how everyone else does...and as it was cooler I can release it from the pan. Well, I don't know what happend put it was like cemented to the pan. I even sprayed the pan..with baking non-stick spray. So needless to say I was highly annoyed. That is why I did not have a blog post for this weekend. It just didn't turn out at all.


Furthermore, I am currently on another job hunt...my work study job at the school is over in 6 weeks it is being eliminated. So this sort of put a damper on things. I have 6 weeks to find another job...let the job hunting start up.


I have everyone has a great week!! Keep posted :)

All Chocolate Butterfly Centerpiece

Last week in my French Pastry class we devoted ourselves of making all sorts of Chocolate candies...from truffles to fudge. We had all sorts, we were not allowed to take any home, until the last day (which was today). This week we worked on our edible chocolate centerpiece. I absolutely loved this project, it was a ton of work but absolutely worth it!

My Butterfly Chocolate Centerpiece


















Some of the chocolates that we made in class...my favorite is the yellow flower one!!!




A close-up of my edible flower and such! The flower was made of white chocolate, and the chocolate branches were made of modeling chocolate! The trickiest part of making the centerpiece was the accessibly of it.




Here is my centerpiece from another angle!!!


I would love to make more centerpieces in the future! This was probably one of my favorite things I've done so far while attending Le Cordon Bleu!!!!!

I am officially on Spring Break for a week!!! I think I might have to make something cute...since it is supposed to be Spring!


Keep Posted!!! :D

Cake Pops Competition!!!!!

This past Friday was the Cake Pops Competition! It was a blast! There was so much talent, it was unbelievable! I hope everyone that attended had fun!!!!!!
This blog is going to be all pictures mostly because I can't explain how awesome the night was!!!




Here are all of the 135 cake balls that Stephanie, Bill and I all made the day before the competition!



Sprinkles....marshmellows.....and all sorts cute fun things!!! This is the day of the competition that was available to the competitors!



Mini M&Ms....Nerds....Hershey Kisses....and multicolored sprinkles!!!!




The contestants getting ready!!!!





And so the competition begins!!













Isn't he cute?????









A little girl made these...while her mom was competing.She did a great job and to only think she is 5!!!!!



THE FINISHED PRODUCTS!!!!









Leggos!!!!




The Roses! These girls on judges choice!!!



















These girls got people's choice!!!




The group photo of all of us at the end of night!!!