Class Day 9: Croissants, Puff Pastry, Pain Au Raisin

So, while we only made the dough for croissants and puff pastry - ready to bake off for the final class! - we finished off the brioche from the previous class and made pain au raisin: yumyum!

ticings!

This stuff is so cute and amazing! It is the simplistic adorability that just calls to me...
some "prints" are so modern and chic, others are just damned cute!

I guess I also love how these work on flat iced surfaces... so its less of that traditional swirly swirl - but a really modern looking iced cupcake!

Just wanted to share!

Strawberry Cream Tart

Strawberry Cream Tart from Baking at Home with the Culinary Institute of America

I've had this post sitting around for a while... I guess I forgot to publish! Oopsies.
I made this back from when I had tart dough left from class, and pastry cream sitting in the fridge from an attempt at cream puffs...

this turned out to be the perfect recipe to use all that up! It essentially comes down to assembly.

Tart dough - Baked in 8in tart pan - Fully blind baked.
1/2C Strawberry Jam
1/4C Melted Chocolate
2C Pastry Cream
2 Pints Strawberries - hulled & sliced

Once tart shell is baked and cooled, brush with melted chocolate. (Keeps moisture from soggying the crust!) Smooth in pastry cream. Top with strawberries. Brush with jam that's been melted in a small saucepan.

I probably shouldn't have glazed this and then fridgerator'd it overnight... it was juices galore! But still yumyum!

Class Day 8: Flat Breads & Brioche

Sage Foccacia

Spicy Country Crackers

Brioche will show up next week - we only made the dough this class.

Pizza Dough was demo'd. And we reaped the benefits. I personally chowed down 6 slices in class. Too many? Oops!

Happy Tape!

I'm a sucker for cute and unique packaging... so of course, when I came across Happy Tape - I immediately ordered a box! No hesitation. I love this stuff! I'll have to restrain myself from buying each and every style. Eek!

Wrapped up some of that homemade bread from class to gift to some peeps!!

Class Day 7: Yeast Breads

Never made bread before... always hid from anything involving yeast. But turns out, its not as scary as I thought. And what is this interesting thing about "starters"? I might just have to give that a go at some point in the future!

Rustic White Bread

A classmate's dough (above) - I forgot to take a pic of mine... you can see the difference in the shape (below)

The AMAZING YUMYUM  BREAD! (teacher's loaf shown here)

 Mine, cut @ home

Olive Loaf
(I loved the look of this dough... obviously!) Came out a bit saltier than I would have liked, but delish!

Challah Bread
Took the dough home from class and baked at home. Not very good at the whole braiding thing... streched out the strands longer than I wanted - got this enlongated bread. But still yummy! And smelled so good baking in the oven!

Crispy Salted Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies

from poppytalk

What initially peaked my interest in this recipe was that it COULD be vegan-friendly. Not that I'm vegan... but it's good to have alternatives to satisfy all potential client needs no?

These have a wonderful warm color that just made me feel all calm and lighthearted. I don't know why.

 
The butterscotch leaves a dreamily sweet scent throughout the kitchen... lingering into my bedroom where I laid watching tv as the cookies cooled.

The cookies don't spread during baking, so the size came out to be like Nibblers from Mrs. Fields.
But oh-so-more-decadent!

It might have been a tad sweet - maybe from my using sweetened coconut as opposed to unsweetened. And of course, who doesn't love the off-set of sweet with sea salt!

Since the recipe yielded a good solid 2 dozen... it was time to share!

Cream Scones

Cream Scones from Baking at Home with the Culinary Institute of America

0.5 C Sugar
3.75 C Bread Flour
2T Baking Powder
2tsp Salt
2T Grated Orange Zest (approx 1 LARGE orange)
1C Dried Sweetened Cranberry (I used the Super Cranberry and Pomegrante Dried Fruit mix from Trader Joe's)
2.5 C Heavy Cream, chilled
Egg Wash (1 Large Egg whisked with 2 T heavy cream)

Combine all dry ingredients and blend well in stand mixer. Blend in zest and dried fruits. Then add the cream, mixing until just combined.

Remove dough and pate into a 10in diameter round - divide into 12 wedges.
Wrap in plastic and freeze. (At least 4 hours, up to 4 weeks)

To bake - heat oven to 350. Arrange scones on greased or parchmented baking sheet. Brush with egg wash. Bake until golden brown, 35-40 min.


Love the color of the dried fruits with the orange zest!

The somewhat time consuming part - wrapping each scone in plastic to freeze.

With the egg wash.

Class Day 6: Cakes

Layer cakes to be exact.

 

 Made "true" buttercream... starting with Italian meringue,

adding in lots of butter.

Made vanilla and raspberry flavored. One to ice and one to fill the 3 layer white cake.

The assembly:

Yay!