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Sunday, October 10, 2010

WELCOME TO PASTRY CLASS!

On the frist day of class after getting all of the administrative stuff out of the way we made a Genoise.

Instead of giving us a recipe (or like they say on the baking side, formula) Chef Santos gave us RATIO 1 part sugar, 1 part cake flour, equivalent # in egg. This ration can be used for any sponge cake! You’ll never need a recipe again

Example: 3 oz of sugar, 3 oz of cake flour, 3 eggs!

Chef Santos broke down two different ways a cake batter “grows” – HIGH FAT (creamed fat) and EGG FOAM (whipped egg). These cakes also represent different mixing methods.

An example of the HIGH FAT:

1. Pound Cake this method incorporates sugar and air with the butter. For example you would use the paddle attachment on your Kitchen Aid to soften the butter and then add the sugar and air naturally moves in and out.

Examples of EGG FOAM:

1. Genoise – for this cake the eggs should be warmed and then whipped to light volume, and then fold in the flour.

FUN FACT: this cake is named after a city in Italy

2. Sponge Cake – In this cake the egg is separated from the yolk. Whip half of the yolk with half of the sugar. Whip the whites with the other half of the sugar. Then Incorporate the whites in with the yolk, as well as the flour alternating the two.

FUN FACT: The French call sponge cake a Biscuit!

Genoise and Sponge Cake are interchangeable. The Genoise is denser but has more moisture. The Sponge cake is lighter, airier but is dryer.

3. Angel Food Cake (the least amount of fat)- Egg whites whipped with sugar and then flour is folded in. Angel Food Cakes are baked in bundt pans.

4. Chiffon Cake – With this cake you again separate the yolk from the white. Add oil and any extract you might want to use to the yolk. Whip the whites (making a meringue like consistency) Fold the yolk and flour into the whites.

LEAVENING AGENTS:

Breads:
Yeast – The Yeast produces CO2 which causes the bread dough to rise.

Cakes:
Eggs – whipped egg whites with sugar and air that is folded into the catter creates expansion when heat is introduced
Double acting baking powder- Emits CO2 once it is mixed with the liquid, then again when introduced to heat.
Baking Soda – Is an akaline – It needs moisture to activate. Once mixed with liquid emits CO2 and needs to be used immediately.

ADDITIONAL FACTS: Adding acid to both will emit CO2 as well. Baking Powder is more forgiving, you don’t have to use it right away like you do with Baking Soda.

CONVECTION vs STILL OVEN

When a recipe calls for the oven to be set at 350 F they are assuming youa re using a still oven which is standard in most homes. However if you happen to be using a convention oven the general rule is to lower the given temp by 25 F. Make sure to preheat the oven a full 15 min prior to using.

GENOISE

finished genoise cake

5 eggs
5 oz sugar
5 oz cake flour

1. Add sugar to eggs
2. Mix right away (the sugar adds moisture)
3. Spray sheet pan then place parchment paper on top, spray very lightly into your cake ring

cake rings

4. Put mixing bowl over simmering water, continue to whisk. – this heats up your egg and sugar mixture. When its warm to the touch of your knuckle its ready.

5. Use the whisk attachment on Kitchen Aid and mix until it has doubled or tripled in volume. Start at med then go up to high speed.

6. Optional – add an ounce of melted butter – this fat will make the cream more moist.

7. Add an flavoring (vanilla, almond, lemon extract etc…)

8. Once its fully whipped fold in sifted flour (by hand) with out deflating the air. Spilt flour up into thirds and fold in each separately. When folding you want to cut through the center and rotate the bowl as you are folding. Once most of the flour is incorporated add more. Do this until all the flour is folded in.

genoise batter

9. If adding butter, add a little bit of batter to melted butter, mix and then fold that mixture in with the rest of the batter. (This is done so that the butter doesn’t sink to the bottom.)

10. Fold batter into cake ring – don’t over fill leave about 1/8-1/4 inch from top. Put in oven

batter in cake ring

11. You want it to be a golden color – when the center springs back and the cake is slightly separating from the cake pan its done. You can also insert a skewer in the middle, if it comes out clean its done!! Approx 18 min.

12. Loosen the sides with a knife or a metal spatula. Sprinkle the top with sugar (this prevents sticking when you flip it out of the pan) Flip over onto cake board. Let cool upside down so that the top flattens. Let completely cool.

CHANTELLE CREAM

3 cups cold Heavy Cream

Powdered sugar (to taste)

1. If you want your cream flavored, add to cream before you start mixing it.

2. Mix cream using the paddle attachment, then add sugar. It should be smooth not chucky, just the point when it holds its shape. Careful not to over whip.

3. Only hold for up to an hour.

ASSEMBLING THE CAKE

1. Cut the cake into thirds; make a notch so that you know where to put them back together.

2. Once you have 3 even layers, place the bottom on cake turn table and brush on simple syrup, until soaked in. You can be generous with this. Spread on cream. Continue process with next two layers.** The last layer should go face down.

3. When all layers are assembled spread cream over the sides of the cake, making smooth and creating a right angle on the top edges.

applying simple syrup to final layer

SIMPLE SYRUP – ½ water ½ sugar melted together.

FUN FACTS:

**With this cake you can also use a butter cream, layer in cooked fruit, gnoche, or jams/jellies.
**If using a cake board the white is the “food safe side”
**If you do not have cake or pastry flour you can use AP flour, the cake will be heavier.
**To prevent rust in the cake ring you can dry in the oven instead of air-drying.

DAY 2

Chocolate Sponge (Genoise) Roulade
Basic Vanilla Pastry Cream
Ganache
Pound Cake

CHOCOLATE SPONGE (GENOISE) ROULADE

Finished Chocolate Roulade

This is pretty much the same as Genoise we made the day before except for two things. 1. It will be chocolate flavored. 2. We will make it into a roulade instead of a cake.

6 eggs
6 oz sugar
4 oz cake flour
2 oz coco powder


When making this replace about 1/3 of the flour with coco powder. In this case we were doing a 6-6-6 ration so 2 ounces of the flour where replaced with coco.

1. Follow the same procedure as above for mixing the egg, and sugar.
2. Make sure to sift the flour and coco powder well – sift 2-3 times to mix together.
3. Fold dry ingredients into wet – be careful not to over fold.
4. Pour onto sheet pan, making an even layer onto the pan.

poured batter on sheet tray

5. When it springs back in the middle its done. Be careful not over cook this will make it harder to roll later.

just out of the oven roulade

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

8 oz cream
8 oz semi sweet chocolate


1. Bring cream to close boil
2. Pour hot cream into bowl with chocolate. Let sit for 1-3 min.
3. Starting from the center with small circles, stir the cream and the chocolate. When you can start to see the chocolate incorporating into the cream you can widen your stirring radius.
4. Leave at room temp for 1-2 hrs – it will thicken up.

chocolate ganache

PASTRY CREAM

This is a very versatile filling. This is like a mother sauce in the baking world.

5 egg yolk
4 oz sugar
16 ox milk
1 oz cornstarch
1 oz butter


1. Mix the cornstarch with the egg yolk using a whisk

cornstarch mixed with egg yolks

2. Combine milk, sugar and vanilla pulp and pod into pot. Bring to slight boil.

3. Mix hot milk mixture with egg and cornstarch using whisk

4. Return mixture to pot, Over med heat – continuously whisk until it thickens and becomes smoother. As soon as the you see bubbles leave for 30 sec then take off.

5. Add butter while still hot

6. Pout onto plastic covered sheet pan. Wrap in plastic and put directly in the refrigerator to cool.

vanilla pastry cream on plastic

ASSEMBLY OF THE CAKE:

1. When the roulade is cool sprinkling the top with sugar, and with another piece of parchment on top flip the cake over.

2. Cover the entire surface with simple syrup. It will soak it up like a sponge.

3. Spread the Vanilla Pastry Cream on top, leaving a little edge at the top.

Pastry Cream on Cake

4. Roll up the cake – length wise (like a log)

5. Pipe the ganache over the roulade. Using a metal spatula spread the gnoche smoothly.

Roulade after being rolled, before application of ganache

TIPS: If the Ganache isn’t thick enough yet, mix it. Agitating it will firm it up and help the cooling process.

OLD FASHIONED POUND CAKE

finished pound cake - note the crack on top.

8 oz butter
8 oz sugar
8 ox cake flour
8 oz egg (approximately 5 eggs, but important to measure)
Bake at 325 – Regular oven

1. Spray inside of loaf pan – cover with parchment paper.
2. Cream butter and sugar for 15-20 min using paddle attachment. Scrapping once and while. Should become a pale white as more air is introduced.
3. Optional - Add any flavorings (zest, extracts)
4. Slowly add egg
5. At low speed add flour little by little. This is a thick batter!
6. Evenly distribute batter into pan

7. When it has formed a mound like shape and a crack in the middle that is good indication that its done. When it is coming off the sides and a skewer comes out clean its done. About 45-60 min.

FUN FACT: This is considered Old Fashioned Pound Cake because it uses butter as the leavening agent. Other recipes may call for baking powder.

DID YOU KNOW THIS ABOUT THE VANILLA BEAN?


You know a vanilla bean is of good quality when it is moist, stains the finger, is pliable.

Dry ones that you’ll find in your everyday grocery store are still good but they are much older.

After you are done cooking with the pod of the vanilla bean you can rinse it , then dry it off and put it in your sugar to make it smell good.

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