I love Kouign Amann

Paris has a delightful array of pastry to try. The chefs are constantly competing with each other to come up with the best croissant or the best new surprising cake. Things can get pretty "innovative" and sometimes it adds up to a disappointment but when you find a pastry chef that does a classic perfectly...well, its lovely.

Kouign Amann has been popping up around the city this winter, probably because its heavy, warm and full of delicious, comforting salted butter. I remember trying one when I first arrived in Paris (not knowing what it was or what to expect) and I didn't really enjoy it. Clearly, I did not know pastry at all then! Because this pastry is so wonderful I just can't live the rest of my life without it. And I think I love them event more because they are a regional pastry from Brenton (aka: Brittany).

Thank goodness for David Lebovitz coming through with a working recipe for me to try when I get home. I take back what I said before, David.

I bought myself some individual kouign amann yesterday so I could treat myself for breakfast today and clearly enjoyed it too much to take a photo for you all. So here are photos from the shop where I bought them. I don't really recommend the shop for his chocolate or anything else (even though he is an MOF) but if you are in the city looking for a treat, stop in and pick up some kouign amann. I recommend the salted caramel. You'll die a little and go to butter heaven. *Heat these babies up in the oven for a few minutes before you eat them and it will be even more amazing.

You're welcome.

Georges Larnicol, MOF
132 Blvd. St. Germain 75006
33 1 43 26 39 38
http://www.chocolaterielarnicol.fr/

*he has many boutiques throughout Paris, this is just one location.

Recipe: Mille Feuille

Mille Feuille (1,000 leaves/layers) is still my favorite pastry. Specifically Mr. Pierre Herme's version filled with chocolate and praliné. Oh wow, I need to go get one of those soon.

I had dinner with a friend a few weeks ago at my apartment. She made delicious Korean BBQ ribs and I made the classic version of a vanilla mille feuille. The key to having a good mille feuille is to show off the two contrasting textures - crispy puff pastry with light and creamy vanilla cremé.

Want to give it a go? I think you should! It is a perfect surprise for Thanksgiving or Christmas! The best part is that you can make the pastry dough a day or two in advance. Just freeze the dough until its ready to be baked! OR if you really are pressed for time or simply don't want to attempt this somewhat daunting recipe - go ahead and buy frozen puff pastry from the market. Lets be honest, sometimes there is just NO time.

Pate Feuilletage Inverse (Puff Pastry dough)
Oven: 450F or 230C


400g Butter
130g Flour


In your mixer, combine butter and flour until smooth and homogenous. Form this into a cube and wrap with plastic. Refrigerate until ready to use. 

270g Flour
10g Salt
140g Water (approx.)


In your mixer, combine all ingredients to create a firm detrempe (read:dough). This is a French culinary term for the first stage in the process of making puff pastry, which requires only flour and water. After, form into another cube, wrap with plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.


Onto a floured surface, roll out your butter dough in a rectangle just enough so that you can wrap the detrempe inside of it. Place the detrempe in the bottom half of the butter dough and fold the butter over the detrempe to enclose it as if it is a giant ravioli. Note: don't be afraid to use flour on the counter and the top of the dough, butter is easily melted and sticky so you will need to use flour to prevent the sticking and if the dough gets too warm and soft stick it in the refrigerator to firm up again. 

Press together the ends of the butter to close everything up. Place the dough with the longest seam to your left, as if it is a book (an upside down one). Roll the dough out to about 10 cm x 35 cm long. Now you will give the dough its first "turn". Visually divide the dough into thirds. Fold the top third down and fold the bottom third up. It will end up looking like this. 

Repeat this three more times to total four turns keeping the long seam to the left. Remember, if the dough gets too warm and starts sticking to your table wrap it and refrigerate it until firm again (15 mins-30 mins).

PHEW! The hard part is over. Now let your dough rest in the refrigerator for an hour or so. When you are ready, roll out the dough to the size of a baking sheet (normally 40cmx60cm). This size will give you enough servings for about 12-13 people. The thickness should be about 1 cm and it should be even in thickness all the way through. After you have rolled it out, let the dough rest in the fridge again for an hour because it is elastic and will retract a little. (This is when you would want to freeze the dough if you want!!)

Bake at about 190C/375F until golden brown and crispy. (If you can manage, flip the pastry half way through - probably about 30 minutes).

BRAVO!! 

Now, pastry cream.



750g milk
250g cream
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
200g sugar
80g corn starch
220g egg yolks (about 6)
50g butter, unsalted, cut into pieces

In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, cream and vanilla to a boil. In another bowl mix the sugar, starch and egg yolks together. When the milk boils, pour half of the milk onto the egg mixture and mix immediately. 

Put the milk back on the heat and add the egg mixture into the pot. Put on medium heat and mix constantly until the cream is thick and reaches a boil for 1 minute. Always mix! You don't want to burn the bottom of the cream :)

Scoop out onto a tray covered in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold. You can also put it in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes to cool it faster and then store in the fridge.

Now, combine the cooled pastry cream with about 25% whipped cream. 

Assembly:

Cut the puff pastry into three even sections lengthwise. Fill a pastry bag with the cream and pipe the cream on top of the first layer of puff pastry. Spread the cream with a spatula so it is evenly distributed and without holes. Place second layer of puff pastry on top. Repeat the layer of cream and top off with another layer of puff pastry. Top with a sprinkle of icing sugar or anything else you would like! In this photo I used the extra bits of puff pastry and crunched them up into small pieces to put all around the outside. Just cover the sides with left over cream and then press the crunchy bits into it.

VOILA! Phew, now go have a drink!

Remember to DANCE & a recipe!

The best message I got on my birthday was an e-mail from Mike with a link to a you tube video. He said "its your birthday babe, remember to dance..."

Couldn't have said it better myself. I love this song and adore this video. Perfect way to wake up on my first day of 25!

Here is the recipe for the peach and hazelnut cream tart! Enjoy!!

Pate Sucre

250g flour
100g butter (room temperature)
100g icing sugar
1 egg
20g water

sift the flour.
cream the butter and icing sugar together.
add the egg. mix until smooth and homogeneous.
add the sifted flour.
if using a mixer, beat until the dough comes together.
if using your hands, use your hands or a scrapper to "frasage" the dough. basically, take a handful of dough and press it into the table while sliding your hand or scrapper so the dough smears. once all the dough has been frasaged, gather it. wrap in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Creme noisette

250g butter (softened)
250g sugar
250g hazelnut powder
200g eggs
50g flour
5g vanilla extract
50g cooled pastry cream
cream the sugar and butter together.
add the hazelnut powder and cream together.
add the eggs, one by one.
beat the mixture to "blanch" it. (make it white/lighter in color)
add sifted flour, mix.
add rum and vanilla. mix to combine. 
fold in pastry cream.cover and fridge.

2 white peaches, sliced.

roll out your pate sucree, poke the dough to make holes for steam while it bakes. line your tart ring or pan with the dough (decorate the edges if you want!) and bake until lightly golden (you are baking it again so you want it to be under baked at this point so it doesn't burn later). 

Let the shell cool for a few minutes (use this time to cut your peaches?) and then pipe or spread a layer of cream in the bottom of the shell. The cream will puff/rise a little in the oven so leave space for that. Place your peaches on top and bake again for about 20 minutes or until you see the cream browning around the edges. Let cool and bon appetit!

La Pêche

This summer season I rediscovered my love for peaches. White peaches in particular. They are so much more sophisticated than those canned and cubed yellow peaches I used to eat as a kid in my lunch box. Not that I didn't love those too.

I wish I had started eating them earlier in the season so I could have enjoyed even more but of course my stubborn mind thought I didn't really like them and didn't want to give them another try. Stupid. I love them! They are so beautiful too so I just had to make something with them.

The fruit deserves to be the star of the show so I went with a simple baked peach tart and nestled the juicy slices of peach into hazelnut cream. Wow, was it good. I wish I had some whole roasted hazelnuts to scatter on top for some extra flavor and crunch but I guess I'll have to wait until next time.

What is your favorite summer fruit or dessert?? Now its the time for apples, pears and figs!

home baking: chocolate!

Is there a problem when I spend my whole morning baking at work and then the afternoon baking at home? Maaybe? eek! Don't judge me!! :)

I warned my friends when I moved into my new apartment that I was going to go all "Julie and Julia" on their asses. Well, I wasn't lying. I made Julia Child's chocolate mousse recipe last week and it was delightful. Especially because its composed of Valrhona chocolate and Illy coffee. This is pretty simple to make and great for dinner parties. After you make it and before it is chilled, scoop it into little individual ramekins to serve your guests! Top it with some fresh whipped cream right before you bring them out. Your friends will be so impressed!

Recipe

Makes 6-8 servings

6 ounces semisweet chocolate (the better the quality, the better the end result!)

4 tablespoons strong (good!) coffee

1.5 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened

4 egg yolks

4 egg whites

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup orange liqueur (I omitted this because I didn't have any)

3/4 cup sugar

Roughly chop the chocolate into pieces

Pour the hot coffee over the chocolate (as if making a ganache)

Leave to sit for a minute or two then mix and add the butter.

In another bowl, beat the egg yolks, liqueur, and gradually add the sugar while beating

Beat until thick, pale yellow and it forms a "ribbon" when it falls from the whisk

Place the egg yolks over a double broiler of just simmering water and whisk for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is foamy and warm to your touch

Remove from the heat and beat over a bath of cold water (rest the bowl in another bowl full of cold water) until it is cool, thick and forms a ribbon

Once the chocolate is cooled, fold the egg yolk mixture into the chocolate.

In a metal bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, then gradually at two tablespoons sugar and continue beating to stiff peaks

Stir a quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and then delicately fold in the rest of the whites.

Scoop the mixture into a serving dish (or individual pots de creme)

Cover and chill for several hours or overnight

Will keep (while covered) for several days

Serve with lightly whipped cream or creme anglaise.

Another little creation from last week. Chocolate and caramel tartlets. 

Until the next one...bon appetit! 

home baking with summer strawberries

In my fabulous new apartment I am happy to report that I now have a real, live, functioning oven! It is such a luxury here in the city. I am really excited to start using it once I am settled. In my last apartment I had this old microwave-oven that I had written off as a useless piece from the beginning. One night when I was waiting for my brother and his friends to get to my apartment I decided to give it a go and try to make a simple strawberry tart.

Lo and behold, the appliance wasn't useless after-all. When they arrived we had some wine, bread, meat and cheese and topped it off with this little dessert. It was a really nice evening with family and friends.

Here is the recipe if you want to give it a try. You don't have to use strawberries either. Just pick your favorite fruit!

Pate Sucre

250g flour
100g butter (room temperature)
100g icing sugar
1 egg
20g water

sift the flour.
cream the butter and icing sugar together.
add the egg. mix until smooth and homogeneous.
add the sifted flour.
if using a mixer, beat until the dough comes together.
if using your hands, use your hands or a scrapper to "frasage" the dough. basically, take a handful of dough and press it into the table while sliding your hand or scrapper so the dough smears. once all the dough has been frasaged, gather it. wrap in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Creme d'amande

250g butter (softened)
250g sugar
250g almond powder
200g eggs
50g flour
40g rum (optional)
5g vanilla extract

cream the sugar and butter together.
add the almond powder and cream together.
add the eggs, one by one.
beat the mixture to "blanch" it. (make it white in color)
add sifted flour, mix.
add rum and vanilla. mix to combine.
cover and fridge.

roll out your pate sucree, poke the dough to make holes for steam while it bakes. line your tart ring or pan with the dough and bake until golden. let the shell cool. pipe the creme d'amande into the bottom of the shell and top with strawberries. you can put the strawberries in whole or cut them in half and lay them in a spiral design. top with a sprinkle of icing sugar. store in fridge.

bon appetit!

Update: Internship

I've now completed my third week at work, time is flying already! After my first week I posted this little doozy of a post. I was feeling really overwhelmed, frustrated, alone and just straight exhausted. The exhausted part hasn't change that much but everything else has gotten so much better. It was as if one day I walked in and it just all made sense. I fell into the flow of the kitchen and finally organized all the little bis of information in my mind and I have been enjoying it ever since. I guess I just had to pass through the learning curve.

The hours are pretty tough because like I told you, I am not the best morning person. If you ask Mike or my parents they would probably just roll their eyes at my ridiculous need for sleep. So when my alarm goes off at 5 or 6 am all I want to do is throw my phone against the wall and stay all snuggled up in my bed. By the way, you know what is better than coffee? Riding a bike 20 minutes to work in the dark and sometimes sketchy streets of Paris. Now THAT will wake you up.

And I know what your thinking. This girl can ride a bike?! Yes, its true. I have become a master. Surprising, I know!

So the verdict is that this internship will be great. I am so thankful that I don't want to pull my hair out or cry everyday like I did at the beginning. Things are looking up! It is also pretty cool to go into the store front and see something that I made sitting in the counter with a 23 euro price tag on it.

Here are some of the things that come out of our kitchen each day...

Pastry School: Entremet

We were lucky to have another week of making entremets which is everyone's favorite! We made Fraisier (strawberries and cream), Sweet Cherie (cherry), and the San Marco (chocolate and pistachio). They were all really nice. Mandy and her mom were here this week so they were subject to me force feeding them. I pretty much brought them a cake per day!

Scary thing, starting tomorrow I will have to be making these cakes in a real Parisian patisserie. I start my internship tomorrow morning! I can't believe it is already here. I'm not going to lie...I am pretty nervous! Wish me luck!!

playing catch up!

It has been a busy two months. Mike came to visit and a week later my best friend came to visit and now I am prepping for my entire family's arrival in one week! It has been and is amazing. I love seeing everyone and am so happy they have come/are coming. Only problem is, it doesn't leave too much time for keeping up on my blog!

I was just going through my photos thinking.."what should I write about now?" and realized...holy motherload I have a lot to cover!

So I am going to play a game called "lets get you up to speed" and am going to throw together the past few weeks of school...well, bits and pieces.

I am in my final three weeks of classes. Can you believe it? I can't! This coming week we work with ice cream (YUMMM) and then plated desserts and then... c'est fini! It's gone quickly but I am going to enjoy these last few weeks with my classmates and my insane chef as much as I can.

 pate de fruit

 nougat

 mint marshmallows

 painting on pastillage

making praliné ...so good

 the mighty kouglof

 petit brioche

 focaccia

 Pain aux lait

 baba aux rum passion fruit and cassis

croissants

 bostock

almond croissants

All caught up? Phew, thank goodness! :)

Mille Feuille

Mille Feuille is a layered pastry. It can be translated to "Thousand Layers" and is composed of sheets of puff pastry, pastry cream and anything else you feel like adding into the mix. It is so yummy! This is my favorite thing that we have made in class yet! I just kept finding a reason to cut another piece and devour it.

We made two different varieties: chocolate, hazelnut, praline and pistachio, strawberry. Both were beautiful and delicious but (big surprise) my knife kept hovering over the chocolate one for more.

You can find a version of this pastry in most shops and I would recommend it as a choice if you are debating on what to get. There are a few places you can find it in the states but not many.

The layers are: 

powdered sugar and decoration

chocolate puff pastry

hazelnut and praline pastry cream

chocolate puff pastry

chocolate pastry cream

chocolate praline crisp

chocolate puff pastry

the end.

Here is the pistachio version. Also delicious.

Would anybody like any of the recipes you have seen from my schooling? I would be happy to share one! Let me know your favorites so far!

Happy weekend! :)

EuroPain 2012

EuroPain is a massive exposition for baking and pastry. It brings together professionals from all around the globe to share, promote and compete with each other. Our class went on the first day to see what it is all about. The expo took place at the convention center right outside of the city. They had everything from ice cream to bread, industrial machinery to live competitions. It is also the home of the Bakery World Cup.

While we were there we were able to watch some of the petit four competition between about 10 countries. It was so intriguing to sit and watch them create these beautiful little bites of food. After they presented them to the judges (also from around the world) and our art teacher was one of the judges. Note his collar.  The red, white and blue collar denotes that he is an Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF). 

Our favorite part of the whole thing was, you guessed it. Free samples! It was like a really awesome and gourmet version of Costco. They had everything! Bread, bread, and more bread. A ton of ice cream and gelato, pasta, pastries, even a bar serving drinks! I loved seeing all the wonderful pastries and all the crazy gelato flavors. It shocks me how perfect chef's can make their pastry look. Too perfect to eat....almost ;)

Foie gras, Beer or Salmon flavored gelato, anyone?