Chef Abu!!! Our Visiting Baker Chef..Who We LOVE! =)

First of all I would like to announced that I've GRADUATED! together with my dear first batch mates, Megan and Pei Minn! We have officially completed our 3 months certificate course!! We were all very happy that we've did it! but at the same time sad when we had so say our farewells =(..but it has been a great 3 months and I will always remember the times we had =) I shall be continuing my course at the academy, where my other classmates will be going out into the REAL WORLD! lol! well more details on our last day later..for now I have more new classmates which I have mega fun with them too! =)

As for now I shall blog the memories that I've obtained from these wonderful 3 months =)..Back to something more related to the tittle..YES! we did have a baker Chef Abu who came to teach us all about bread for a few days! =) It was quite awkward at first since we didn't know much about him, but before you know it we all were very close to him already  =) He wowed us with his various method on baking...and it was all about the feel of the dough..and not to follow the recipe exactly all the time..but to able to tell that bread is saying yes please bake me now or no!! I'm not ready yet! rather to just follow blindly the minutes written on the recipe page.

I personally was quite impressed, especially the hard rolls and the dark breads.OH oh!!! my all favorite was the soft roll!! It was amazing =) soft and fluffy..it's kinda like the sponge too! If you took one and flatten it, it would just bounce back!..I was like...wahhhh...It stayed soft till the next day too =) Best for sausage bun..hmmmm almost everyone's favorite..

We made so much bread in those few days I swear we could had open a bakery! All of us enjoyed his class very much and had lotsa fun too! all the jokes and 'incidents' that happened during class...haha I'm sure my classmates know what I'm taking about...hehehe! And we hope to see him soon too and hopeful have more classes with him in the future =) TERIMA KASIH CHEF!

LOL these were the amount we made in a day or 2! can you imagine!? and I think we had like 3/4 days of class? it was quite impressive..even chef took some pictures =) haha..the group picture is somewhere....

HAHA! Our chef style photo =) JUMPA LAGI CHEF! =) more to come...hehe

This Is Considered Bread !!!??!!

Yes I know this looks very familiar..if you were chinese =) Kinda looks like those pan fried 'paos' no? Take a closer look and it's actually what we all have eaten before..if you ever had McDonald's Breakfast..still don't know what it is? It's actually English Muffins! The 'bun' layer in the breakfast special =) And in fact the British do eat them from breakfast =) I think you can make it both savory or sweet depending what you feel like on that day! But anyway, I bet you are wondering why it's called english muffin but when in fact it's actually a bread? Well to tell you the truth I have no idea but I can tell you that it's one tasty muffin! Imagine bacon or ham with a slice or lettuce and tomato, mayonnaise and poached egg with benedict's sauce..sounds good for breakfast no? It takes quite some time to make them..first pan fried and then baked again to fully cook it.

Next up! You guessed it =) donuts! the all time favourite..with the explosion of Big Apple and J.Co donuts and also the all so famous Krispy Kreme, made all Malaysians going crazy over them for a period of time. It's actually a yeast based product..I bet many didn't know..I imagined it as 'fried bread' ..swimming happily in a hot pot of oil =) then sugar coated and when eaten, melts in your mouth kinda feeling =)

Apparently this dough is pretty versatile too! the french have names for every type but sadly I only can remember half of what chef told us..sorry chef =)..the one with the hole is donuts in general..sugar coated or cinnamon sugar if you are fan of cinnamon..haha inside joke..megan =)..

The ones without the holes are Berliners if I'm not mistaken..right chef? And we had a great time playing with the decoration! isn't the smiley face one cute? =) yummy shiny chocolate for the top and any filling you like for the center!

And these mini round ones..Churrox? or something like that..I will check it!!! but it's the same basic idea =) and let me tell you they are addictive..by the time you know it, it's nearly half gone! so hide it from anyone you know that's gonna finish them all! hehe

We also tried out a new bread..Cocoa bread..turned out pretty good..the taste and out look of it..you can taste a little acidity from the cocoa..recommended for cocoa lovers =)..More bread to come! believe me! =)

Pâte à choux!..All so French ^^ wee chef?

 

Pâte à choux, choux pastry also known to many as cream puff..But actually cream puff is one of the many things that can be evolved from this pastry. Some of you who've read my blog from months before might have seen me made this before =) I was no stranger to this pastry..in fact I've made it many many time at home..but even though with much practice some how I haven't master it yet..there were still some flops from time to time =( Without know why, which is the worst part. After experiencing some of the same deja vu at school, I've finally realised my mistake..which I think many have had the same problem..which is the baking process..I find this pastry quite amazing..it's first pre-cooked before then you add more eggs into it and then this liquid-y batter suddenly poofs up in the up like spring daisy! it's quite an interesting sight in the oven..this gives it a light, and hollow pastry filled with aroma =)

The other best part of this pastry is that it's all so versatile! depending on the shape, size and pattern you piped, you can practically make at least 5 different types with the same batter =) It's one of the best representative of the french pastry..We know that the french love and are very proud of their pastries and who could blame them? they are just so GOOD at making them!

My first good looking eclair...after many trials of piping the right shape and dipping it with fondant and etc for deco, I've finally made one that I personally think looks quite attractive..not to toot my own horn..'beep beep'..but still chef said it was a tad small..oh well, try and try again =)..the other plus point is that you are able to fill you choux pastry with whatever you like..but of course something that matches..hehe not just anything..any cream in general =)

Religieuse

Choux Chantily 

Paris-brest

ST. Honour

Don't you feel it's like the transformer? hehe it's quite cool I think =) and the most challenging one out of all was...'drum rolls'

 

croquembouche!

See! even the spelling is hard..don't even talk about the assembling part! It's a traditional dessert and quite significant to the french culture..It's usually made for weddings..all filled and then drizzled with caramel to hold it all together =) You may search online to look for a more professionally made one..they are quite amazing, not just the deco but the sear size of the ones made in France 0.0 as tall as a person! chef made a mini one just to demo to us..and so did we! =)

Haha you can see chef secretly laughing at ours..LOL! and of course I made some cream puff too! filled with hazelnut pastry cream which I've never tried in the past and it was all GOOD! =)

before

after! =) yummy!

More delicious dessert to come!

First Chocolate Experience "jumps over joy!"

 YES! I'm back! After 2 months of computer and internet problems, I've finally got it all sorted out =). My apologies to my blog readers...if I have any =)..I recently got my new internet line and it's suppose to be a lot faster, which is enabling me to update more photos! Very happy to once again be reunited with the digital world!..Anyway back to more of my pastry adventures! SADLY my days in school will be ending soon for a short holiday and I have missed out all the chances to update what I've been doing on the daily basis on my blog..But luckily for technology, the digital camera has been my great companion on capturing all the great memories in school and all the delicious things we made =)

Long long ago.....I had my first experience on CHOCOLATE! Many didn't know..at least I think they didn't...that I am a big biG BIG fan of chocolate! So this was a very exciting experience for me..especially the tasting part..As you all might realise that chocolate is a uber big part of the pastry world..there are even competitions held just on chocolates can you imagine? It open a whole new chocolaty world that I never knew existed!

 

Before this all I knew was..this chocolate tasted nice and the other tasted yucky...but now...from what it's made of, to what temperature it's suppose to be, to the quality, various types and the list goes on and on..There is more to chocolate than just taste! To get a perfect chocolate the quality of chocolate you use and the temperature you temper it plays a very important role, to give you goooooooood chocolate that melts in your mouth and give the perfect shine "bling bling"

And of course the possibilities with chocolate are endless..from choco truffles we all love to the delicious centered-filled pralines..can you say CHOCOLATE PARADISE!? After a few practices and I grown to love chocolate making more...the only downside to it is the mess I create and have to clean up at the end..I'm getting better at the part..I hope..Let's just say that everyone knows that I'm playing with chocolate that day when they see my uniform..hehe! =)

Tempering chocolate wasn't as easy as I thought it would be in the beginning..but I'm getting the hang of it..unless I cheat and use compound chocolate instead of coverture..opps! hehe..but it does take a little more time and effort..the right room temperature, environment and tools does make the process a lot more easier..

Casting was one of the messier bit..but I've realised that there were many different ways to make chocolate with various methods depending what finally result you wish to have. And always try to KEEP CLEAN and the chocolate at the RIGHT temperature =)..that's what chef always says =)

I hope all chocolate lovers enjoyed my post! more to come soon! =) thanks for visiting..