tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33249666682741707472024-03-12T20:58:59.174-07:00Tinker Tailorwhen i'm not busy making poor decisions, i'm busy making art.Helena Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948134617740274723noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3324966668274170747.post-32721943334927516812022-06-13T17:39:00.002-07:002022-06-13T17:39:39.809-07:00Patisserie 16: Rhubarb and Rose Buttercream Macarons<p> Once I got back to my home kitchen, I was determined to prove that my improved macaronage and troubleshooting from previous macaron bakes were the culprits of my issues with this pastry. So I made a batch of macarons, intending to fill them with a rhubarb and ginger white chocolate ganache. </p><p>Suffice to say, white chocolate behaves significantly differently than other types of chocolate, and my ganache was an utter failure. Basically, the lack of cacao content means that it sets softer and in general requires far less liquid to make a ganache; my resulting ganache, based on a recipe for dark chocolate, was way too liquid. But I baked up a batch of the macaron shells anyways, figuring I'd find some other type of filling for them the next day when I was less frustrated. <span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p> I don't have good photos of the process here, so you're just going to have to take my word for it that I made the Italian meringue as I have before, except this time I macaronage'd until the batter was liquid enough to drip a figure eight into the bowl of batter. Here is a photo of the piped macarons; you can see that I found a template that spaced them further apart, and the properly macaronaged batter was able to allow the peaks from piping to disappear smoothly without any additional fingertip smoothing, and without spreading too much. I banged the tray on the table once or twice, and popped a few large bubbles, but for the most part, they seemed fine. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CqR_oONfeA3iG44E4EaoWNL8k1WiQpswKZobNRIEqJXs5cvZeMr144DXdU2yePlB9A5MxWK5798SOfT-tEgNKPMShjeQ7pw3c4hadxe9aTOOWTdUyXRSYH3Il2QstqGoK4uDtZ_gTbSIavFdvRTeHTdvqQERrtkCdVr8PY7wLHYGnz0zgQISjXnovA/s2592/PXL_20220531_024811576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CqR_oONfeA3iG44E4EaoWNL8k1WiQpswKZobNRIEqJXs5cvZeMr144DXdU2yePlB9A5MxWK5798SOfT-tEgNKPMShjeQ7pw3c4hadxe9aTOOWTdUyXRSYH3Il2QstqGoK4uDtZ_gTbSIavFdvRTeHTdvqQERrtkCdVr8PY7wLHYGnz0zgQISjXnovA/s320/PXL_20220531_024811576.jpg" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smooth piped macarons that barely needed any attention after piping<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>And indeed! Looks like I've learned something this last two batches after all! Here's the first tray out of the oven. You can see a few on the left side that cracked; this side was closer to the back of the oven during the second half of the baking, so even though I rotated the pan and used a convection fan, it was still hotter back there. Since a macaron cracking can be due to heat, there's not much I can really do there, except maybe try the French macaron recipe from last time, where the baking temperature was extremely low. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-lpJsEKGwxSAo-ilyNcskQT6avdslJHIUSc7C59zEv90slDYAc0uTw1cHsZXJnzIGQYr6NyllWIxy4xrvlQpU2A95MPYpgUrdU_eY1BaXnTI6QhGJJQ3zpfjPgcV6rIIThHAQJMZxaNSkguvs4goZ3p-5qPsLy84msoKCePKUqdDVAZYjOREFDnQQg/s2592/PXL_20220531_025749462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-lpJsEKGwxSAo-ilyNcskQT6avdslJHIUSc7C59zEv90slDYAc0uTw1cHsZXJnzIGQYr6NyllWIxy4xrvlQpU2A95MPYpgUrdU_eY1BaXnTI6QhGJJQ3zpfjPgcV6rIIThHAQJMZxaNSkguvs4goZ3p-5qPsLy84msoKCePKUqdDVAZYjOREFDnQQg/s320/PXL_20220531_025749462.jpg" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few cracks where the oven was hotter, but otherwise remarkably uniform and well-formed!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>But it also brought me joy to break one of these cracked macarons in half and see that the shell was filled all the way! The top shell was contiguous with the fluffy interior, and the macaron was tender with a slight crispness to the outside, without being crunchy like a baked meringue. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8hj2NKJbo9io2Dgs186wz8b_1hVF_zM9Nk_60Or4Hh64j5GBvS4rcSLn168szjFFKNQEaFxYfe1U9YhP0QIhpvstRMtKz-3UNmLLn-XAJvNRpSxPJaVO-jUo4FHDAbGNcyRdLoJTwRpe8gv3p6GYyQ2WxphygOVVJ61quGMgHjt6CU_7dfrosDmj_Q/s2592/PXL_20220531_030344274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8hj2NKJbo9io2Dgs186wz8b_1hVF_zM9Nk_60Or4Hh64j5GBvS4rcSLn168szjFFKNQEaFxYfe1U9YhP0QIhpvstRMtKz-3UNmLLn-XAJvNRpSxPJaVO-jUo4FHDAbGNcyRdLoJTwRpe8gv3p6GYyQ2WxphygOVVJ61quGMgHjt6CU_7dfrosDmj_Q/s320/PXL_20220531_030344274.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FINALLY I've conquered the hollow macaron woes<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The other option to prevent cracks is to rest the shells so they can form a harder top before trying to bake them. This made me hopeful for the second batch, but as you can see, this didn't really improve the situation that much. Honestly, a failure rate of 1/8 is something I'm able to tolerate. More snacks for me!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQUdffukelzy7w1YNL5nrao713dYefyLCKOS0RoLMWxjL6HVlk7PuFGoW4pfMfcJfHdx6KF1Z6GYn4z5Xw02DRj_tOvIAaqSIwynZ6CDHE03ng6W6QgHGH-67ajACRG-6JnGakfKAMiKIXB9IVh3QxQ-HdkCJ2Qq_BYEm3hwkiriX8fl7dM9JsXZL2A/s2592/PXL_20220531_030744982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQUdffukelzy7w1YNL5nrao713dYefyLCKOS0RoLMWxjL6HVlk7PuFGoW4pfMfcJfHdx6KF1Z6GYn4z5Xw02DRj_tOvIAaqSIwynZ6CDHE03ng6W6QgHGH-67ajACRG-6JnGakfKAMiKIXB9IVh3QxQ-HdkCJ2Qq_BYEm3hwkiriX8fl7dM9JsXZL2A/s320/PXL_20220531_030744982.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second batch, with its additional rest, didn't really differ much, which aligns well with my understanding that resting is primarily a form of insurance by drying out the top of the shell and thus strengthening it.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Here's another shot of the macarons all in one tray, showing the cracked ones in front, with one broken open to show the interior, and all those pretty macarons with feet in the background!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAVkyFGMxh-c4kMviRVdTBqR5cGtpqcpOvWGhWgf-mVRMxJV233MbfKkiFDgWPRkEFqTc3mfWrfU2fzSLQp0vpBw26KAurBl9G8QeT596PAHkps3YX3Lv0yGAxs51zrA5mmViyZgBGNotAGkn0G9lLnXjocViA5KcWDYRnSbbpz9gNS_ItM7FmLRcdg/s2592/PXL_20220531_032025526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAVkyFGMxh-c4kMviRVdTBqR5cGtpqcpOvWGhWgf-mVRMxJV233MbfKkiFDgWPRkEFqTc3mfWrfU2fzSLQp0vpBw26KAurBl9G8QeT596PAHkps3YX3Lv0yGAxs51zrA5mmViyZgBGNotAGkn0G9lLnXjocViA5KcWDYRnSbbpz9gNS_ItM7FmLRcdg/s320/PXL_20220531_032025526.jpg" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The casualties up front, the pretties taking up the rest of the tray<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>For filling, I ended up making a rhubarb compote, which was still pretty liquid. But it was late spring, so I really didn't want to give up those nice stalks of rhubarb at the grocery store! But what to pair with it? The orange marmalade macarons were so well received for their jamminess that I decided to replicate this, using a cream of some sort in a ring to corral the fruit filling. <br /></p><p>I took inspiration from another recipe in the book, where the pink macarons are heart shaped and filled with rose buttercream. This buttercream is slightly different than that used in the cakes; it is based on a sabayon, which is egg yolks and sugar whipped together over light heat until fluffy and warm. My sabayon broke immediately after I added the butter, and it never really came back together. Adding rosewater didn't help. At this point, I was just hoping to cut my losses, so I stuck the buttercream back in the fridge for a bit, whipped it, and went ahead and piped it onto my macarons. I will return for you soon, buttercream macarons; you were far too delicious to not aim for mastery of form. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTuHBj4QQgnSFnRqWThXJsXc4R0ocPOEW3DbGAwGHGpQ49LmoQYjzHdeGpi_akHt12FlIWQqaDiGAN6SwqFkKOPvBqQHbi2Qb8Eu5wrdRZN9W_Eh_nEZMJhWh3RCD4abjBNi6sg7xBIqa4V4WZxd68BCgel4S_hPl7kpDhuahnYo9SgVJQulqI3KNsmw/s2048/signal-2022-06-01-12-29-08-260.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTuHBj4QQgnSFnRqWThXJsXc4R0ocPOEW3DbGAwGHGpQ49LmoQYjzHdeGpi_akHt12FlIWQqaDiGAN6SwqFkKOPvBqQHbi2Qb8Eu5wrdRZN9W_Eh_nEZMJhWh3RCD4abjBNi6sg7xBIqa4V4WZxd68BCgel4S_hPl7kpDhuahnYo9SgVJQulqI3KNsmw/s320/signal-2022-06-01-12-29-08-260.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Assembled macaron<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>These rhubarb and rose macarons tasted pretty good and the buttercream set with the rhubarb compote absorbing slightly into the macaron shells and tightening up a bit. The richness of the butter and sweetness of the tender cookie were well balanced by the tartness of the rhubarb, though the rose got a little lost and required searching for. The buttercream recipe calls for rose syrup, which I did not have, so I should have added more rosewater or, if I was scared to add too much liquid, made some rose syrup. But I do feel like I cracked the code of reliable Italian meringue macarons. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbbRCmtZIIOafTTECRjFit4rLkgcrt4PU5PyTzukGQMvxsBDNDoRil5fsxCWc2VVV1MuYW6l0tBu3v9M_N8hy99O66wSB1RbEBM4gO19rairrBC4lCyd9yTAjJZOShm-_SW7C20fNsxniA3ek-G1Xr9ElaZGIdnNMk2LPH3CA9sJG_TekFavwovCQiSQ/s2048/signal-2022-06-01-12-29-08-260-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbbRCmtZIIOafTTECRjFit4rLkgcrt4PU5PyTzukGQMvxsBDNDoRil5fsxCWc2VVV1MuYW6l0tBu3v9M_N8hy99O66wSB1RbEBM4gO19rairrBC4lCyd9yTAjJZOShm-_SW7C20fNsxniA3ek-G1Xr9ElaZGIdnNMk2LPH3CA9sJG_TekFavwovCQiSQ/s320/signal-2022-06-01-12-29-08-260-1.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Filled with a ring of rose french buttercream and a dollop of rhubarb compote<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div>I don't have too many notes this time since all of my findings were covered in the last few times I've made macarons. The next two endeavors will be: macarons with something other than simply almond flour in the shells, and finally, the Big Mac (a large macaron turned into a cake, essentially). <br />Helena Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948134617740274723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3324966668274170747.post-50471077109264085662022-06-13T11:50:00.001-07:002022-06-13T11:50:08.909-07:00Patisserie Intermission: Baking Abroad<p> It's kind of odd that, despite a monthlong trip in Europe while unemployed sounds like a relaxing time, it was actually one of the least relaxing trips I've taken here. Herein lies the trap of letting your hobbies become your responsibilities: it will follow you home through the goodness of your heart wanting to help you improve. I got the itch to bake and write, and so, funded by my parents' desire to stop hearing me threaten to go home because I couldn't cook in their kitchen, I purchased a few bare bones pieces of equipment and was able to make some decent pastry explorations while there. </p><p>In total, I bought: </p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>A kitchen scale</li><li>A rubber spatula</li><li>A pastry brush</li><li>A single silicone mold</li><li>Food coloring</li><li>A set of circle cutters</li><li>A piping bag (13")<br /></li><li>A piping tip (round, 10mm)</li><li>An offset spatula <br /></li></ul><p>And with those, I was able to make...<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p> 1. Chouquettes. I was tasked with making something for a small picnic we were having. In the interest of not making something too sweet or requiring refrigeration, as well as something not messy, I decided to make chouquettes, which are just unfilled choux puffs with sugar atop. I was originally going to use the Belgian pearl sugar as the traditional decoration, but was unable to find it easily at any of the grocery stores I went to, so I decided to try doing a craquelin instead. </p><p>A craquelin is a crunchy streusel-like topping of sugar, flour, and butter that is typically rolled out, frozen, then cut out and placed atop the piped puffs, coating the top of the puff and expanding/crisping as they bake. I used the <a href="https://www.davidlebovitz.com/craquelin-recipe/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">craquelin recipe from David Lebovitz</a> and tried a few different choux recipes, and I also had to experiment somewhat with the oven. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCZiF2cjpXeMSjL9MfPPqT_14q5xR1kKcsW9rBQtESYFyEBxunKijnjxQeYE5IAZ4Naj2PJPIGWeeABsCccz3gfE5pRXfMPW2lLlm1EQxA19naVZu0J1QyX-ey8sYJP4D-1A0M5DpLcW3tncs3VlO4TZc-JlGrU-U6TIVHrLtlW4SMLI4cRZ3VL5tfrg/s2592/PXL_20220512_204013021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCZiF2cjpXeMSjL9MfPPqT_14q5xR1kKcsW9rBQtESYFyEBxunKijnjxQeYE5IAZ4Naj2PJPIGWeeABsCccz3gfE5pRXfMPW2lLlm1EQxA19naVZu0J1QyX-ey8sYJP4D-1A0M5DpLcW3tncs3VlO4TZc-JlGrU-U6TIVHrLtlW4SMLI4cRZ3VL5tfrg/s320/PXL_20220512_204013021.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left and right are batches 1 and 2 of chouquette testing. In batch 1, I halved the recipe but forgot to halve the flour (oops), and in batch, 2, they were piped too large and burned on the bottom.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">The oven at my parents' place is the bane of my baking existence. There are six different settings that permute whether the heat is from top or bottom or a fan is involved, and somehow, none of them seem right for whatever I'm baking. Here, the primary issue I had was that the bottom of the choux would burn, but the tops still seemed eggy and would deflate when removed from the oven. Placing the sheet on the topmost rack helped somewhat but not enough, and I resorted to poking holes in the sides of the puffs as fast as I could after removing them from the oven, to prevent the hot air in the puff from pulling a vacuum and collapsing them as they cooled. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I sprinkled the final batch of puffs with some powdered sugar and tucked them into a bowl lined with a cute towel to present at the picnic. They were well received, particularly by our toddler guest who was seldom seen that afternoon without a puff in each hand.<br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTMQWNceym-PayWQgKTZmOe4oMeXGPbvGDYO67Tb583KNSiViS0D-pysLOAsQE7_5lah9BxwdxUcecU0QzPn4rh_OR4yF5uNfDUROeYW5y11MrnA-3TO1EgK96G-EnDD_3pgUU6a7wdE2IWGt-Pyz5QEFU4ByaQj7zOkpV7mTQJKIckY0zwxS1rUcFg/s1024/IMG-20220530-WA0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi54FQ-7hTcY5LSo3Ov_QwUE25931pKtpyqSIUEBia4TXMMqvHjpJTnHQBFfVk4cnfypzkCT0eZRlHhmrxMWsUPAyOjeSEsTPdvBUk7B0CqZClkwKI-xHNvleBmMSmsswt8vLcNFnRiAfPqPcGVrQEMCgWOhB63iljIqQkCNHCiJeKau2aTeEXN278Pfg/s2592/PXL_20220515_114358569.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi54FQ-7hTcY5LSo3Ov_QwUE25931pKtpyqSIUEBia4TXMMqvHjpJTnHQBFfVk4cnfypzkCT0eZRlHhmrxMWsUPAyOjeSEsTPdvBUk7B0CqZClkwKI-xHNvleBmMSmsswt8vLcNFnRiAfPqPcGVrQEMCgWOhB63iljIqQkCNHCiJeKau2aTeEXN278Pfg/s320/PXL_20220515_114358569.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A warm bundle of chouquettes au craquelin, dusted with powdered sugar. The lumps in the brown sugar caused unsightly brown splotches in the craquelin<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTMQWNceym-PayWQgKTZmOe4oMeXGPbvGDYO67Tb583KNSiViS0D-pysLOAsQE7_5lah9BxwdxUcecU0QzPn4rh_OR4yF5uNfDUROeYW5y11MrnA-3TO1EgK96G-EnDD_3pgUU6a7wdE2IWGt-Pyz5QEFU4ByaQj7zOkpV7mTQJKIckY0zwxS1rUcFg/s1024/IMG-20220530-WA0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">2. Macarons with French meringue. Now, you may recall from my previous two posts that I was having some...issues with macarons, in various places. I thought for sure that a combination of not having any form of electric mixer and the stressfull oven configuration would make macarons a non-starter in this kitchen. </div><div style="text-align: left;">But my mother asked for me to make something for her to bring into the office. I knew she had many French colleagues. Never underestimate my ability to muster up a flex for the sake of my ego. </div><div style="text-align: left;">I made a French meringue by hand (taking several breaks to rest my right arm, in total it took about fifteen minutes to get the egg whites stiff enough). I was pleasantly surprised that the macaronage was a lot easier with the less-stable French meringue, and I was able to get to the Figure-8 consistency easily (the batter falls from the spatula that you are able to draw a figure eight with it as it drops onto the batter mass, and the figure incorporates back into the batter within ten seconds). This consistency also had the effect of not leaving any tips that needed flattening! </div><div style="text-align: left;">I was actually inspired to make these using a recipe I found posted on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B0Wv19PluuB/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">instagram by Antonio Bachour</a>. The recipe called for a surprisingly low baking temperature of 135C/275F with convection, which is lower than I've seen anywhere, and a baking time of 12-14mins. But, given the oven's propensity for burning the bottom of things, I decided to give it a shot. </div><div style="text-align: left;">I was...surprised and kind of annoyed when they turned out absolutely beautiful. The macarons were smooth with tall feet (even though I didn't have a sifter for the almond flour) and there were extremely few bubbles. The shapes were kind of oblong since I did not have a template, but they turned out otherwise fantastic. <br /></div></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2UkgK_OjAM_abqsQXPjilIt7AApRMHXy4iy1YF9A-dVfczusmh8W7pny9chwy2_DowZBp-h5PMoWuFKeK2oLr2cbqDRBEyVa8hh1YWdfeklKBnNatu2R7GAr3YrJKosjUaHI2-Pmvm_GNfrooWCA62ifQxrqE8Kl4rWJcDCQc8TN-H5uD4Ho2EUDFmw/s2592/PXL_20220518_111013294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2UkgK_OjAM_abqsQXPjilIt7AApRMHXy4iy1YF9A-dVfczusmh8W7pny9chwy2_DowZBp-h5PMoWuFKeK2oLr2cbqDRBEyVa8hh1YWdfeklKBnNatu2R7GAr3YrJKosjUaHI2-Pmvm_GNfrooWCA62ifQxrqE8Kl4rWJcDCQc8TN-H5uD4Ho2EUDFmw/s320/PXL_20220518_111013294.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful tray of French meringue macarons (though the food coloring was not meant to be baked and turned brown instead of staying pink)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>And, most tellingly, they were not hollow in the least. The bubbles were a little large, but the lack of a hollow made me think my macaronage was finally correct. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkjkK3JMallElre1EVwOcz18Ehr-uJd6CFR-NBrhctmq8Z5DL_0C2sxkN6O0TKIptfma45jMyQIqTIcKob6yIFN8BD4whjUwSVqYf4F2l_ZDxHDgI51SH2XT288X2JXcCjjKJm1VxA9xDdJsY5jY89gdNvIBOsf2wNvL5JoS-iexzLI_8Qwjwcsl7vFQ/s2592/PXL_20220518_111052361.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkjkK3JMallElre1EVwOcz18Ehr-uJd6CFR-NBrhctmq8Z5DL_0C2sxkN6O0TKIptfma45jMyQIqTIcKob6yIFN8BD4whjUwSVqYf4F2l_ZDxHDgI51SH2XT288X2JXcCjjKJm1VxA9xDdJsY5jY89gdNvIBOsf2wNvL5JoS-iexzLI_8Qwjwcsl7vFQ/s320/PXL_20220518_111052361.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full macaron shell with no hollowness, though the bubbles could be a little finer<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I filled them with a raspberry white-chocolate ganache, chilled them overnight, and sent them off with my mother to the office. I was told that there were barely enough for everyone to get two, and I was showered by compliments via text. Not bad for a blind attempt guided only by hubris and a mysterious Instagram recipe! <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg675_espCbxRcSMrq8csJVMw6f571hATBHM2os8pdy0EKsJJe7wOD_V01mUawg-z_XBW2VtLmSYKSwQw05ZCZd_Rx0RSrpTkLgq_K6MTY7R7Fzne2uu1oo20kPwbC4KfsvWpNPMis6iMV_47YEgqfrqcrU0KZ_JiEM7-3tpH3BnNHGm0ZNze1YF5VBYg/s2592/PXL_20220518_210200864.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg675_espCbxRcSMrq8csJVMw6f571hATBHM2os8pdy0EKsJJe7wOD_V01mUawg-z_XBW2VtLmSYKSwQw05ZCZd_Rx0RSrpTkLgq_K6MTY7R7Fzne2uu1oo20kPwbC4KfsvWpNPMis6iMV_47YEgqfrqcrU0KZ_JiEM7-3tpH3BnNHGm0ZNze1YF5VBYg/s320/PXL_20220518_210200864.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Macarons filled with raspberry ganache to impress my mom's french colleagues<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p>3. Having said that, the secret difficulty in baking in a foreign country reared its head with the next recipe. I found a silicone mold at a garage sale and thought I'd try a sneaky attempt at the next part of the pastry journey, mousse cakes and entremets. But I made a grave error when buying cream, and, instead of getting shelf-stable heavy cream, somehow managed to pick up <a href="https://www.qimiq.net/products/qimiq-classic" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Qimiq</a>, which I did not realize was actually a type of half-cream with gelatin added. After a solid fifteen minutes of whipping with no discernable change in volume, I ended up pouring them into molds anyways with a fresh raspberry insert, and I stuck them in the freezer while I made the dacquoise. </p><p>The dacquoise, which was another painful session of whisking egg whites to a meringue, came out interesting. Perhaps the recipe or my whipping was off, but the final texture was oddly crackly on the outside and moist (but cooked!) on the inside, and generally the cake was extremely sweet and falling apart too easily. And finally, the glaze was entirely not thick enough and slid off of the frozen mousses. The final cakes ended up kind of like creamy jello shots, but the acidity of the raspberry was a great counterpoint to the white chocolate cream and the sugary dacquoise. My parents enjoyed them, but I couldn't get over the fact that they were so far off from what they should have been. <br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6R9TCRlPZvCRmcL2DjyhQiNSjZ7nsk9WkeuewuUNHAeg08pfSKDrmKeUsiYd3QkeelirG-UGaSBytnnlXAom0ObP3CCSef6vMwoPsVFYILF4OJ61tKGmfVgYUcxBFfoEgFbAqJk2_v6PHHa1IrJ1FRBr8QQhc3PZhn1Bt0cdDitCFQkVToHD1fbxj5g/s2592/PXL_20220524_185312842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6R9TCRlPZvCRmcL2DjyhQiNSjZ7nsk9WkeuewuUNHAeg08pfSKDrmKeUsiYd3QkeelirG-UGaSBytnnlXAom0ObP3CCSef6vMwoPsVFYILF4OJ61tKGmfVgYUcxBFfoEgFbAqJk2_v6PHHa1IrJ1FRBr8QQhc3PZhn1Bt0cdDitCFQkVToHD1fbxj5g/s320/PXL_20220524_185312842.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weird raspberry cream gelatin hazelnut dacquoise thingy<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p>4. So I tried again! This time, I decided to do a blueberry compote insert, but without a smaller set of molds, I froze the compote and cut out little circles of it to stick into the lemon mousse (which I whipped by hand; it's been a while since I whipped cream by hand, and I forget just how quickly the soft-peak to stiff-peak transition happens and I almost overwhipped it!). I prepared a lemon genoise sponge with a sabayon base because I did not want to risk another weird meringue situation happening with the cake, and I cut them out and brushed them with Cocchi Americano before popping them into the mouse molds after the blueberry. I ended up overfilling the molds a bit, which made the glaze look really messy around the bases, but at least the glaze stayed on the cakes this time! I slipped them onto round lemon shortbreads and let them set in the fridge. <br /></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT-acvcHf5MTpXfbt-aAD39S_CZcty3jpeMh3OORXA6PVpRE98FZosbYnErb4uiHrEAIZ5Dzy6bv5NYkmwxdGiKOCm5wkfCC-8W0aR1qzSR9wiXl1c-0NfO_a6H8WV1j4KV4gymJm_CHfJxN5jmZiTIXgY0S5dzNKQ-n5MaFvqtgcHD4iB5re9XiDnCQ/s1024/IMG-20220530-WA0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT-acvcHf5MTpXfbt-aAD39S_CZcty3jpeMh3OORXA6PVpRE98FZosbYnErb4uiHrEAIZ5Dzy6bv5NYkmwxdGiKOCm5wkfCC-8W0aR1qzSR9wiXl1c-0NfO_a6H8WV1j4KV4gymJm_CHfJxN5jmZiTIXgY0S5dzNKQ-n5MaFvqtgcHD4iB5re9XiDnCQ/s320/IMG-20220530-WA0002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lemon blueberry entremets<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p> Because I made these entremets right before leaving, I didn't actually get a chance to eat any of them (cries), but my parents assured me they made short work of them, bringing some to appreciative neighbors and eating plenty themselves. Here's a cross-section cut from my dad, to whom I taught the knife-dipped-in-hot-water trick, for a clean cut. You can see the top of the mousse is a little thick, and the cake in general is too thick for the height of the entremet, but for a recipe cobbled together with a single mold and a few circle cutters, I'm not too displeased! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTMQWNceym-PayWQgKTZmOe4oMeXGPbvGDYO67Tb583KNSiViS0D-pysLOAsQE7_5lah9BxwdxUcecU0QzPn4rh_OR4yF5uNfDUROeYW5y11MrnA-3TO1EgK96G-EnDD_3pgUU6a7wdE2IWGt-Pyz5QEFU4ByaQj7zOkpV7mTQJKIckY0zwxS1rUcFg/s320/IMG-20220530-WA0001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lemon mousse, blueberry compote, lemon genoise, cocchi americano, lemon shortbread, white chocolate mirror glaze<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p></p><p> I don't have a lot of notes here because there were so many variables and sub-ideal conditions that I can't really replicate or dissect what happened, especially since a lot of these recipes were different than the ones I've been working on, but I'm pleased for my ability to tweak the chouquettes, figure out the right accomodations for the macarons, and improve on my entremet attempt on the fly. I think these last few months of pastry have been paying off; my intuition and ability to troubleshoot are getting better. <br /></p><p></p>Helena Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948134617740274723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3324966668274170747.post-58833428479897275002022-05-06T15:04:00.000-07:002022-06-04T15:05:13.582-07:00Patisserie 15: Orange marmalade and pastry cream macarons<p> I had an abundance of oranges from my produce box that I wanted to use up before heading out for a month of travel coming up, so I decided to make marmalade, and what better use for a tiny batch of marmalade than as filling for another batch of macarons? </p><p>I was also excited to try making macarons in my kitchen this time, without my friend's helpful guidance, to see if I had learned anything from our previous collaboration. </p><p>I don't have a whole lot of photos from the marmalade process, because my focus on this journey is on the patisserie, but the basic gist is that I riffed on <a href="https://www.davidlebovitz.com/seville-orange/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this recipe from David Lebovitz</a> using five oranges and a lemon. Because I was going to be using the filling in macarons, I used a zester instead of cutting up the peel, so the resulting bits of marmalade would be smaller. <br /></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWQex5WD4uXPDoMq5REH0tYEAtUxekI3uHuzryRD-2a5d5WinUhsI4BYBbNkiKeP-HLN7W4ZV9kT__1iIJYg7VV9nbdzqgZA-OWX4w6mg4mIHZBG8YNXWjGF4Qc4g8eVzquGdywz7F_k9zmxxJvOaGBQR-JVvQFUhxyH-Fw6ThbPTafJN6qaNTZc8Oew/s2592/PXL_20220428_174431205.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWQex5WD4uXPDoMq5REH0tYEAtUxekI3uHuzryRD-2a5d5WinUhsI4BYBbNkiKeP-HLN7W4ZV9kT__1iIJYg7VV9nbdzqgZA-OWX4w6mg4mIHZBG8YNXWjGF4Qc4g8eVzquGdywz7F_k9zmxxJvOaGBQR-JVvQFUhxyH-Fw6ThbPTafJN6qaNTZc8Oew/s320/PXL_20220428_174431205.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zested oranges and a lemon for marmalade</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span></span></p><!--more--><p></p><p>I juiced the fruit into the zest, and I put the remaining pulp and seeds in a cheesecloth to simmer with the zest, juice, and 2c water and 1.5c sugar. It boiled down to about half a cup of marmalade, which I then stuck into the fridge to chill overnight.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_5V1oDz-6zfdZET2wtIeTSQZHixv4bStYrLYG0KTgPdaXc1vkK-necSd_KtKXuW4bPBscSUNncD3gsIcrHk7OZXRiKDm2nxXXe4QttFwTecUBHm95_VQJTsxtgL9-8Uej4yUh37fsSQQWJSGZfo61bDZaUEw3nUgf4UGpgus590ZrTIEWXsTuZv3mg/s2592/PXL_20220428_175345125.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_5V1oDz-6zfdZET2wtIeTSQZHixv4bStYrLYG0KTgPdaXc1vkK-necSd_KtKXuW4bPBscSUNncD3gsIcrHk7OZXRiKDm2nxXXe4QttFwTecUBHm95_VQJTsxtgL9-8Uej4yUh37fsSQQWJSGZfo61bDZaUEw3nUgf4UGpgus590ZrTIEWXsTuZv3mg/s320/PXL_20220428_175345125.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juiced the fruit, and strained the pulp and seeds to add in a cheesecloth to simmer along<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The next day, I started on my macarons. In the photo, I've got half the egg whites beating with hot sugar syrup into Italian meringue, while I have my other half of the egg whites ready to mix with the flour and confectioner's sugar sifted together in the back. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiX_L0vwVHHsavbmJA1DNaUMhuQuRqagy7Nuo6ZS15kTlvI7q8hKdyVLQjNX79gPFucaJB0dGh_mk4QWtItixYzWWoIVMVu6vS7qfhXAArAY5QK5gQBva7IBChDbSPYS4sqBhzUM68Ky2rnNlPgALz1Z9DH7UsAi1pXLYnTcFlWJkSPN7zFMCCbMudQg/s2592/PXL_20220501_175346685.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiX_L0vwVHHsavbmJA1DNaUMhuQuRqagy7Nuo6ZS15kTlvI7q8hKdyVLQjNX79gPFucaJB0dGh_mk4QWtItixYzWWoIVMVu6vS7qfhXAArAY5QK5gQBva7IBChDbSPYS4sqBhzUM68Ky2rnNlPgALz1Z9DH7UsAi1pXLYnTcFlWJkSPN7zFMCCbMudQg/s320/PXL_20220501_175346685.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love a simple mise-en-place: meringue, egg whites, and the mixing bowl of dry ingredients<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Here's the egg-white and almond-sugar paste. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEfjalOuIevlj1hhIPIRKRoPMYSciFaqUSyiclD3B3Bb7ZnO8--v6nmzXgjUsx0Xnqh7S6BU7ydkMcrYy8zGaJXCszv_6TUUlCM3LAPEQFjYxbsscynNGCcC8ZiMW0XeGClNI-ziWwKTJbufriot5N9eTjMu41FbT5E2FPyCXI_sxm1Znh2peh67hhyQ/s2592/PXL_20220501_180516298.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEfjalOuIevlj1hhIPIRKRoPMYSciFaqUSyiclD3B3Bb7ZnO8--v6nmzXgjUsx0Xnqh7S6BU7ydkMcrYy8zGaJXCszv_6TUUlCM3LAPEQFjYxbsscynNGCcC8ZiMW0XeGClNI-ziWwKTJbufriot5N9eTjMu41FbT5E2FPyCXI_sxm1Znh2peh67hhyQ/s320/PXL_20220501_180516298.jpg" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The almond paste was a little more liquid this time but still fairly stiff<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I tried to color these macarons lightly orange, but the color came out more pink. My Italian meringue was also quite thick, almost like marshmallow, and I fear I may have overwhipped it. I mixed in the sacrificial third of the meringue to loosen up the almond paste mixture. I'm not exactly sure why this recipe requires making an almond paste rather than just folding in the egg white meringue into the dry ingredients, but I suppose this makes for a more even consistency without possibility of undermixed dry spots. However, the amount of mixing to deflate the stable Italian meringue has kind of de-risked that situation.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgGwx7pnly5vzQFI8qg06ncglZj2FcKgoIjXaBS0HsqBk4k-oa0H4rv6TsA1uogtqPEazHqLUhUWeMTW250f4JGqmWcmBmwZHe3OHnU0JpTolzFDlCWvEVZ6fHeEHzR81Wvwa3qVdyCzca3L1iTgXXtMqcPDAN4gWJTAj52-zcAd70j5f7Pcghdd7zg/s2592/PXL_20220501_181519099.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgGwx7pnly5vzQFI8qg06ncglZj2FcKgoIjXaBS0HsqBk4k-oa0H4rv6TsA1uogtqPEazHqLUhUWeMTW250f4JGqmWcmBmwZHe3OHnU0JpTolzFDlCWvEVZ6fHeEHzR81Wvwa3qVdyCzca3L1iTgXXtMqcPDAN4gWJTAj52-zcAd70j5f7Pcghdd7zg/s320/PXL_20220501_181519099.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First part of the Italian meringue mixed into the almond paste<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>My macaron batter was still pretty fluffy but was falling off the spatula, so I figured it would deflate some more as I piped. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtacTdYG7JE4FWgXUDUsYlXTPF2TzkpQyGrFuERJ8t6pL9XvFTBd84tdzhS3zKxzvBewkYXErnLE1w0O2RixbUhYV5Ycf8mN4ZZMRVYpHulGA_ToeSpyXkFa1rfUr8tCI8dp7nAGm5z8PC7riMrOGC0ozP96NVdE5oBDjRtv4O_D_3dTbfwpN84-OOtQ/s2592/PXL_20220501_181821532.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtacTdYG7JE4FWgXUDUsYlXTPF2TzkpQyGrFuERJ8t6pL9XvFTBd84tdzhS3zKxzvBewkYXErnLE1w0O2RixbUhYV5Ycf8mN4ZZMRVYpHulGA_ToeSpyXkFa1rfUr8tCI8dp7nAGm5z8PC7riMrOGC0ozP96NVdE5oBDjRtv4O_D_3dTbfwpN84-OOtQ/s320/PXL_20220501_181821532.jpg" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Macaron batter, which seemed too glossy and thick to be correct (and more pink than orange)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I printed off some macaron piping templates, which I slipped underneath the parchment paper so I could see them while I piped on the trays. Using the piping method I learned last time, I held the piping bag perpendicular to the tray and held the tip about 5mm from the surface of the parchment, drawing up slightly and making a quick swirling motion at the end to break off the stream of batter. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_uiDdrK-OEGbrzsifZM9rqW7HVeRULln8kZWiSNI4AivxzSrLAdiHP6I6H9NCfb17bzK9_88DSOAFsnYIi--I6pJJ3WyQkuUvF4SL5SvjLnyRVQ_-7aDZY8VbsKjG95zAHO2bAZB9UGXkvQdkIzuwhlb12lF9BHRdY6bvKWmC5mqU252h4hL-PK-4Q/s2592/PXL_20220501_182237372.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_uiDdrK-OEGbrzsifZM9rqW7HVeRULln8kZWiSNI4AivxzSrLAdiHP6I6H9NCfb17bzK9_88DSOAFsnYIi--I6pJJ3WyQkuUvF4SL5SvjLnyRVQ_-7aDZY8VbsKjG95zAHO2bAZB9UGXkvQdkIzuwhlb12lF9BHRdY6bvKWmC5mqU252h4hL-PK-4Q/s320/PXL_20220501_182237372.jpg" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piping macarons using a printed template I placed underneath the parchment<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>You can see two issues with the piped trays below. </p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>The macarons are very close together in their rows! I was suspect of this template, and I think, combined with the flowing of the batter, they spread a little too far. </li><li>There's little peaks on almost all the macarons. I smoothed these down with a damp finger, but I believe this shouldn't really be so pronounced of a feature regardless. <br /></li></ol><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinGw19RP4ZWipx4albR3c91FUEXs1GYevJ_JhA6e3sNAU6dUY-b1pHpOdR5TdbuPSE2Ycq6nubtEVi1qKfwHx_0f4CQu-6azzLkr6YaMHrg3YMMjLelA5KqBwFRKSSCZCKEtXDhfWhoOneV_q3GzlTsm_CgMRU5XKENwGYH9AO5nTcrlT3J7WnIl7u4Q/s2592/PXL_20220501_182622260.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinGw19RP4ZWipx4albR3c91FUEXs1GYevJ_JhA6e3sNAU6dUY-b1pHpOdR5TdbuPSE2Ycq6nubtEVi1qKfwHx_0f4CQu-6azzLkr6YaMHrg3YMMjLelA5KqBwFRKSSCZCKEtXDhfWhoOneV_q3GzlTsm_CgMRU5XKENwGYH9AO5nTcrlT3J7WnIl7u4Q/s320/PXL_20220501_182622260.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The recipe yielded two trays and a few extra macarons, and I had a lot of remaining peaks to smooth down with the tap of a damp finger<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I rapped the trays on the table a few times to get rid of bubbles and popped them in the convection oven for 12 minutes per tray, rotating halfway through the baking time. The second tray ended up resting just by virtue of the baking time. My first batch came out fairly hollow, but with feet. I could have baked them for slightly less long; I think my experience with the insulating silicone mat was coloring my baking time expectations.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3VqmEl8_LS1gpd4FnxdnYDUH-kgSv9S44QTWXXjSg2Isaki02kXtyA8ok9XUWfDuKi18-GUMLV1SJ28jLtm05l3m_i1J4kToQWWolFOl6ejTtIyBhOlTb93p3WgD8kKRlWwEvnu0PqDVov0l85Td-2UL3XN2Iu59povbLy3itefLeI3IzndzwAZUisw/s2592/PXL_20220501_184804864.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3VqmEl8_LS1gpd4FnxdnYDUH-kgSv9S44QTWXXjSg2Isaki02kXtyA8ok9XUWfDuKi18-GUMLV1SJ28jLtm05l3m_i1J4kToQWWolFOl6ejTtIyBhOlTb93p3WgD8kKRlWwEvnu0PqDVov0l85Td-2UL3XN2Iu59povbLy3itefLeI3IzndzwAZUisw/s320/PXL_20220501_184804864.MP.jpg" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cross section view of a nippled macaron from the first batch. Notice that the batter didn't really rupture into the nipple, it just seemed like the air escaped through there.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>You can see on the bottom that my concerns that the macarons would spread and touch was not unfounded. The bigger issue, however, was that there were nipples on a bunch of them! So many more than last time we tried this recipe! This seemed to rule out piping and remaining bubbles as the culprit.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbxn4nXMVwm1OXFHFLYdYYW2Tp3xYlF17UJER_45wbhkfbSKHy321dgPdSMyoyt-b_8Ksxt_3ivvYRSVAnKWlvCF3du1vVpc1wNdsJs_83tLTJBakCfGXMiUMT2GCBBkF9HIrT1kXDXlOMDXgv2FLbcSKJWyE0HCqXDcTr-CrO0m7OCq-YxHi1Is7pQ/s2592/PXL_20220501_185028418.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbxn4nXMVwm1OXFHFLYdYYW2Tp3xYlF17UJER_45wbhkfbSKHy321dgPdSMyoyt-b_8Ksxt_3ivvYRSVAnKWlvCF3du1vVpc1wNdsJs_83tLTJBakCfGXMiUMT2GCBBkF9HIrT1kXDXlOMDXgv2FLbcSKJWyE0HCqXDcTr-CrO0m7OCq-YxHi1Is7pQ/s320/PXL_20220501_185028418.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">About half of the first tray had nipples, and the bottom row was piped too close/spread too much and flowed into each other<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>My second tray was even worse, with very few macarons whose insides had not erupted from a hole on the top. This was a little suspicious, and after thinking about it for a moment, I believe what happened is related to using water to smooth the peaks. The internet confirms this; the additional moisture can disrupt the formation of the shell on top, so as the cookie bakes, the air ends up escaping through the point with the least resistance. A damp finger to smooth the tips of the cookies is a commonly-recommended action, so either I used too much water, or I should just avoid doing it altogether. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_S94jRRQfkr9lJYet5XN0p2iP4rBZoPmFz2YMgruqAaJxg_gJMeQLHDijjrKrD0I9SRa6kfHULsfk7j7jBnE7YCeDqvax---BxeYtybPdPP-C27nS897t8nhovlBrjolEld-fAfnVAvzRvV6K5XxqkB1P2eb2tkZ2qt1mPjpOCnpXyQUfDExCs4saA/s2592/PXL_20220501_190047743.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_S94jRRQfkr9lJYet5XN0p2iP4rBZoPmFz2YMgruqAaJxg_gJMeQLHDijjrKrD0I9SRa6kfHULsfk7j7jBnE7YCeDqvax---BxeYtybPdPP-C27nS897t8nhovlBrjolEld-fAfnVAvzRvV6K5XxqkB1P2eb2tkZ2qt1mPjpOCnpXyQUfDExCs4saA/s320/PXL_20220501_190047743.jpg" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not loving the ratio of nice-to-nipply macarons in the second tray.</td></tr></tbody></table>The second batch tended to be a little fuller, however, which was kind of confusing. Again, the method in the next step of making a thumbprint divot in each shell helps mask the hollowness of any shells, so this was not a high priority for me compared to figuring out the ruptures, but I hope to tackle the fullness of the shells in a future bake. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6e7PUswRdCRUsPnEQtt4OnYzzjTCJ6ZathBa-z1ZJ2FElO9X7heEZepHkCyTfsm0RJAUroKlvzkJWiU3dXkmE4QVRHQ8rTE400oJpq4dVwKYagw4bWDb23jXakQmR60hCB4AnH7yHSstHLhsaqlBSLsymdPq_23rwQy-EyANl1Z3jXKhvskQUw8Nn6g/s2592/PXL_20220501_190217056.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6e7PUswRdCRUsPnEQtt4OnYzzjTCJ6ZathBa-z1ZJ2FElO9X7heEZepHkCyTfsm0RJAUroKlvzkJWiU3dXkmE4QVRHQ8rTE400oJpq4dVwKYagw4bWDb23jXakQmR60hCB4AnH7yHSstHLhsaqlBSLsymdPq_23rwQy-EyANl1Z3jXKhvskQUw8Nn6g/s320/PXL_20220501_190217056.jpg" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The second tray was inexplicably more "full" than the first<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>It was time to fill the cooled shells! You can see that the baking tray may have been a little too low in the oven, as the bottom of many of the shells were browned, and they were a little more crisp than they should have been. I tried to pair them both by size and by having at least one of the two being un-nippled, so that each assembled cookie would be able to lie flat on one side at least! And then I set to the task of pressing the divot into the underside of each cookie to accommodate filling. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTRYyZR0OaJYmRXMx_R1no75NbYi0lmBxb9jqgfsdygM72ib4OQjSZRX0ML5EHj7fMHu0KttzxBeTJfngCVw2mKpaEAL6QOMNF9QIcfnaPqCkWKT2tMSO_NNO7GfbbVh17IBnx2P-rWUAD_a5E0ZPQil2crRyLlbsxEE1M3Jrf5c0S8UHM4FIcnHQw8g/s2592/PXL_20220501_201749801.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTRYyZR0OaJYmRXMx_R1no75NbYi0lmBxb9jqgfsdygM72ib4OQjSZRX0ML5EHj7fMHu0KttzxBeTJfngCVw2mKpaEAL6QOMNF9QIcfnaPqCkWKT2tMSO_NNO7GfbbVh17IBnx2P-rWUAD_a5E0ZPQil2crRyLlbsxEE1M3Jrf5c0S8UHM4FIcnHQw8g/s320/PXL_20220501_201749801.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paired off and pressed with a thumb for filling. The bottoms of the shells are a little brown, indicating too high of a temperature or tray too close to the heating element in the oven.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I used the pastry cream recipe from one of the macaron recipes in the book. Macaron fillings are a little more sensitive to consistency than something like a profiterole or a tart because they have no external support and also are subject to additional pressure from the weight of the cookie. In fact, the filling has to be stable enough to hold the two halves together and hopefully keep them from moving relative to each other! So the thumbprint divots help somewhat in this regard, but this is the reason I chose to use the pastry cream recipe in the macaron recipe, rather than the default one. This recipe included flour as well as cornstarch (because cornstarch will thicken into a gel but flour actually creates structure and thus stiffness). As you can see in the photo, the cream is almost raggedy instead of smooth flowing, and quite stiff when stirred. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEaKUmUhVUrg_JEj5fxW8KiVGwiX6zHpfmaZGnDq3kX35uc6GRC6arTI5v0jh5WCG7BNRxatmapLednbE0b29etWFaiAAtfeRdFwFyMQ-vZyYtNhE-gy2KegKyDj4Y4eojckmPEPjRbedm88dSmqXm5BTaidCqM8X6aYZwjRchyQve0r5yTBA6qafkfA/s2592/PXL_20220501_202543780.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEaKUmUhVUrg_JEj5fxW8KiVGwiX6zHpfmaZGnDq3kX35uc6GRC6arTI5v0jh5WCG7BNRxatmapLednbE0b29etWFaiAAtfeRdFwFyMQ-vZyYtNhE-gy2KegKyDj4Y4eojckmPEPjRbedm88dSmqXm5BTaidCqM8X6aYZwjRchyQve0r5yTBA6qafkfA/s320/PXL_20220501_202543780.jpg" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Made a very firm pastry cream for filling the macarons<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I piped a ring of pastry cream onto one half of the macaron pairs (you can tell I was having a hard time remembering to only pipe onto every other column) and then I piped marmalade into the center of each pastry cream ring. Using a piping bag for the marmalade was a mistake. The marmalade was thinner than I anticipated, and the long shards of zest sometimes clogged the piping tip, so I ended up dribbling a lot of marmalade liquid everywhere and awkwardly pulling out strands of zest with a chopstick to deposit on the macarons. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFoFt-XjziBPngIXiqSEzMDlFRft_3_s_l8Lx5s3oa1vgsPKqhMEUrJNs2fxqUzxY0HMpdJ4tV4W8FpPMzjvEZbn2H_m0FNpNFAv0SHzntReEvYZHg2dsUGkBZgTkSNbwU60wsWxwQIeUX-GCPFmwG4KKMJV0MCLO_e2jKJLL2qFUG0nT99XofzBLwjA/s2592/PXL_20220501_204045704.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFoFt-XjziBPngIXiqSEzMDlFRft_3_s_l8Lx5s3oa1vgsPKqhMEUrJNs2fxqUzxY0HMpdJ4tV4W8FpPMzjvEZbn2H_m0FNpNFAv0SHzntReEvYZHg2dsUGkBZgTkSNbwU60wsWxwQIeUX-GCPFmwG4KKMJV0MCLO_e2jKJLL2qFUG0nT99XofzBLwjA/s320/PXL_20220501_204045704.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Macarons filled with a ring of pastry cream and a center of orange marmalade<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>But at least they looked okay! The feet were pronounced, and when the macarons were flipped over to rest on the nippled sides, they looked pretty presentable. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5C1ch_qxUOK3cvdKIBPVMNEm1s6bYW35-bQBocd6OIdTt7S9mOnCK_fUHTyLqe8eoB0NROMF0IbIu4ukrfgD44E78olvzizj6OV0tepBc0UmfJy9oNToKWUK95kX1ayLIHlODEx9_jU2-OyjFFFtpXHGJNK7LhRZP7EExQifyYHm4xa9WeuAefLfQsQ/s2592/PXL_20220501_205813097.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5C1ch_qxUOK3cvdKIBPVMNEm1s6bYW35-bQBocd6OIdTt7S9mOnCK_fUHTyLqe8eoB0NROMF0IbIu4ukrfgD44E78olvzizj6OV0tepBc0UmfJy9oNToKWUK95kX1ayLIHlODEx9_jU2-OyjFFFtpXHGJNK7LhRZP7EExQifyYHm4xa9WeuAefLfQsQ/s320/PXL_20220501_205813097.PORTRAIT.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Assembled macarons with the nipples facing down (like little abstracted pigs)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>After a day of rest in the fridge, they had mellowed somewhat; the shell was firm on the outside but not crunchy, the body of the shells were moist, and the mild vanilla pastry cream and bittersweet citrus marmalade were like a fancy creamsicle flavor. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCSapvst-F_yegnNCXLkSH4jAUciMEQm7zo7eTia7miGDK1oz55zDgXemGtm5HLuEBh4zKjs8_0-UR5s5ywJ77NFqYWUHHpeJXG8oCbLT4eSNTH0lASBKtaJCD9NnhocgvN9rUPLbLPf8Gxw-pY3PWW9zVEw5XdBKRwMRHRtzcCBe3yYIctj4K_HCwCQ/s2592/PXL_20220501_234347497.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCSapvst-F_yegnNCXLkSH4jAUciMEQm7zo7eTia7miGDK1oz55zDgXemGtm5HLuEBh4zKjs8_0-UR5s5ywJ77NFqYWUHHpeJXG8oCbLT4eSNTH0lASBKtaJCD9NnhocgvN9rUPLbLPf8Gxw-pY3PWW9zVEw5XdBKRwMRHRtzcCBe3yYIctj4K_HCwCQ/s320/PXL_20220501_234347497.PORTRAIT.jpg" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cross section! The marmalade absorbed nicely into the shells and the pastry cream helped set the cookies, so they didn't drip everywhere or squish sideways when bitten<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Some thoughts from my second macaron adventure:</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I think I am still not doing enough macaronage, and a slightly more liquid batter would eliminate needing to depress any peaks remaining in the piped macarons. <br /></li><li>I'm fairly confident the nipples are caused by the wet fingertip depressing the peaks, so my goal next time is to avoid doing that and see what happens.<br /></li><li>I need to find another template, this one just ends up with macarons a little too close for comfort, especially if I'm going to be doing more macaronage for a thinner batter.<br /></li><li>I wonder if the baking sheet position within the oven is part of the reason I'm having hollow shells? But the slow-baked macarons from the silicone mat last time also had the hollow shell issue. Jury's still out on this one, though the internet says that undermixing might also be a culprit, so hopefully improving my macaronage will solve this.<br /></li><li>I'd like to try piping slightly smaller macarons (1.5in, instead of the 2in in the recipe) for single fillings, because the cookies are a little sweet. My first experience with macarons was with Luxemburgerli from the Swiss candy brand Sprüngli, which are tiny 1" macarons that are a delightful bite-size confection. In comparison, the macarons I've been making recently all seem comically large, though I know they are the more standard size. I'll have to be careful about baking times if I reduce size, so maybe I will wait to make the size modification until I've improved my overall result at the size stated in the recipe first. </li><li>The macarons, when fully baked, peel very cleanly off of the parchment if they are able to cool a bit before removal. If I grab the whole parchment sheet of macarons off the tray and let them cool on a rack, then remove the macarons, I'm able to get clean parchment to reuse for the next time I make them, which makes me feel way less bad about not using reusable silicone mats. </li><li>If I make a marmalade filling again, I should make sure to finely chop the zest and get a thicker consistency in the jam to make it easier to pipe. Or I could use a spoon, though the zest should be more finely chopped regardless to be more compatible with the form factor of the pastry.</li><li>I need to figure out how liberal I can be with the gel food coloring application to get the colors I want. I'm not a big fan of the super-vibrant colors of some macaron shells, but since the colors fade a little during baking, I need to at least achieve higher saturation for a pastel final result, rather than this seltzer-flavor-vibe.<br /></li></ul><p>Quote of the week: "these are the best macarons i've had...i've been to laduree in paris" - a pastry-loving friend who has given me reliable feedback for all of my creations despite my humble attempts to deflect praise.<br /></p>Helena Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948134617740274723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3324966668274170747.post-19306245896646785192022-04-26T05:57:00.001-07:002022-05-21T04:12:02.417-07:00Patisserie 14: Blood Orange and Rosemary Macarons<p>Macarons are a type of sandwich cookie that has exploded in popularity in recent years as a dainty snack. Laduree in Paris is largely credited with introducing the cookie to the public as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaron" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Parisian Macaron</a>, where macaron previously referred to the unfilled, singular cookie halves. The cookie portions are meringue with almond flour, and the filling is typically a ganache, buttercream, or other semi-solid flavor component. The cookie is typically smooth on top, with a ruffled brim called the "foot", and flat on the bottom, and assembled macarons are aged for at least a day after filling to allow the cookie interior to moisten. <br /></p><p>So, I've been dreading this section on macarons because their recent popularity has taken the form of the pastry down the same road as the croissant: held to a known standard that prioritizes hyperoptimization of certain features that the public has deemed "ideal". In the case of croissants, I am in major disagreement with several of the ideal features and thus unmotivated to pursue them as a pastry learning endeavor; in the case of macarons, I simply did not think I would like eating them enough to want to make batches over and over to iron out issues that might not even matter in the finished product. They're intimidating because there are a lot of ways they can go "wrong" according to the rubric of the ideal, and perfecting them is tedious (as one can imagine from the multitude of blogs proclaiming strategies for troubleshooting to obtain the "perfect" macaron). Plus, the last time I made them, which was admittedly almost a decade ago in college, they were absolutely a disaster, ideal aside. </p><p>But I didn't start this trajectory of patisserie to just make things I think are adequate, I guess. I want to get good, to figure out why some things go wrong and how to fix them, and to make little cakes I will want to eat more than what I see in a pastry shop window. So I dutifully called up a friend who often makes macarons for gatherings of friends and headed to her kitchen with a bunch of equipment in tow for a guided macaron baking session. <span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>We started by making the filling. The original recipe in The Book was for lemon basil cream, but I had a glut of oranges and blood oranges and tangerines from my produce box, so I decided to try using those and a few sprigs of rosemary instead, remembering also to reduce the amount of sugar in the macarons. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6BXvwzcH41wJ6bx5U2EK9gWbyGtrEusIBuaV_4PbNQagjkUJLI-qKrdjPooc7J9iCzpAZqkEDWUn9q9qx_GCEL-Y2i8JqhiJ-xJxKgF-My7TqJrfPpm9uxzds3zBKw2k_QzUIQOVfJNc4Jgk_LAEkP4D4YteLFWYe9X-cn8R3O3lz9aAgxkPsBOpLwQ/s2592/PXL_20220414_184622751.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6BXvwzcH41wJ6bx5U2EK9gWbyGtrEusIBuaV_4PbNQagjkUJLI-qKrdjPooc7J9iCzpAZqkEDWUn9q9qx_GCEL-Y2i8JqhiJ-xJxKgF-My7TqJrfPpm9uxzds3zBKw2k_QzUIQOVfJNc4Jgk_LAEkP4D4YteLFWYe9X-cn8R3O3lz9aAgxkPsBOpLwQ/s320/PXL_20220414_184622751.MP.jpg" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scheming our way through our mise-en-place<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Setting the gelatin sheets in a bowl of cold water to soften, we split up tasks: she whisked the eggs and sugar, and I juiced the oranges. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA0alXWKC8hesPZ1zm6pmOWH1miiguKXYu8fpv-ms1feOYcjOgoOoYIMUbpepm4WtvIi3MUTVAk0dC4JcoBACnUdRDUPMylKOBgzotTdtCE9JDonqc8da5LgdKYaIxab1sO6lmj4_FsjZ8YOk24cAYjQotVb66gfOTI4TDd_o_RBlJ3hTHnEWeFS8BFA/s2592/PXL_20220414_184730435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA0alXWKC8hesPZ1zm6pmOWH1miiguKXYu8fpv-ms1feOYcjOgoOoYIMUbpepm4WtvIi3MUTVAk0dC4JcoBACnUdRDUPMylKOBgzotTdtCE9JDonqc8da5LgdKYaIxab1sO6lmj4_FsjZ8YOk24cAYjQotVb66gfOTI4TDd_o_RBlJ3hTHnEWeFS8BFA/s320/PXL_20220414_184730435.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A glut of beautiful citrus from my produce box<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The juice of the oranges then got whisked in with the eggs and sugar. This was all cooked, along with the rosemary sprigs, until it thickened like pastry cream. We did not get to the exact thick consistency of pastry cream even after a little simmering, but it was apparently not going to get any thicker, so we pulled the saucepan off the heat and stirred in the softened gelatin.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSzJ40w-gPjRmtLaN0d8Q7rUmkmeDRVgPLwEvJCNXUhvugJv7U6qWakAqHGJEUeyEIipZW1e7BeQTo3OBMJQwuuG74xU2WI8QQsj9lmaHNt_d7z6azCfzWe8tf3Qr5rxfjamwWylYP5GZDg6Z-539Glv-XHw6vF2g30pqdDAHLDh5f_NTMkphOh1jxKw/s2592/PXL_20220414_185140729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSzJ40w-gPjRmtLaN0d8Q7rUmkmeDRVgPLwEvJCNXUhvugJv7U6qWakAqHGJEUeyEIipZW1e7BeQTo3OBMJQwuuG74xU2WI8QQsj9lmaHNt_d7z6azCfzWe8tf3Qr5rxfjamwWylYP5GZDg6Z-539Glv-XHw6vF2g30pqdDAHLDh5f_NTMkphOh1jxKw/s320/PXL_20220414_185140729.jpg" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preparing the custard for heat<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>My friend strained the orange rosemary cream into the bowl of diced butter, and I helpfully held the smol strainer. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUfFSRIgfJas76dxc4GytqIe81HP0MI_7lEWSbD2AALLvjW_jVrFgy71zRzknAe1_1AMRUDzQwy-wzEMAFet2t7oeVC4_05vHQz6-uRi4fA1nlhL55XKE0xVnP69Y-ifWYytjesUpEGlV7supa5hmywe9GW6O4g3A4plZuFf4ZB01W5gKZ8E0A1BM2yQ/s2592/PXL_20220414_190233574.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUfFSRIgfJas76dxc4GytqIe81HP0MI_7lEWSbD2AALLvjW_jVrFgy71zRzknAe1_1AMRUDzQwy-wzEMAFet2t7oeVC4_05vHQz6-uRi4fA1nlhL55XKE0xVnP69Y-ifWYytjesUpEGlV7supa5hmywe9GW6O4g3A4plZuFf4ZB01W5gKZ8E0A1BM2yQ/s320/PXL_20220414_190233574.jpg" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'M HELPING<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The next step was to process with an immersion blended until smooth. I found this to be a little odd, but it's an accepted trick to smooth out pastry cream using an immersion blended to mask any scrambled egg curds, so I suppose it does the double duty here of mixing in the butter and smoothing out the cream. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmhsJQ_w4iJ3MINUh4zEuo8chCp05skB4Z7vBP0HLusehooNiIp2yMs6sX8tBuNdN-9SZY6YMoK4ONeNdZYtZZQHbFzyeRIBz8VFPafS66K-jN6-4JKdtQVP4B6O2cv3K3onFroB6br2Y6CjHgPkMjIonrDhDG4SHWjiWIItg2llyIXFfwRb1ByLEfA/s2592/PXL_20220414_190449272.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmhsJQ_w4iJ3MINUh4zEuo8chCp05skB4Z7vBP0HLusehooNiIp2yMs6sX8tBuNdN-9SZY6YMoK4ONeNdZYtZZQHbFzyeRIBz8VFPafS66K-jN6-4JKdtQVP4B6O2cv3K3onFroB6br2Y6CjHgPkMjIonrDhDG4SHWjiWIItg2llyIXFfwRb1ByLEfA/s320/PXL_20220414_190449272.MP.jpg" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Immersion blending the butter and the custard to eliminate any curdled bits in the final product<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>This next step I also found odd: The Book calls for a little bit of almond flour to be mixed into the filling! I'm not sure whether it's just meant to add body or absorb moisture from the cream, or to give a sense of culinary cohesion between the almond cookies and the filling. We stirred it in and then placed plastic wrap atop the surface of the cream, setting it in the fridge to chill completely while we worked on the cookies. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif99aYwoGOnjeG7fd_EEu8ob6tc07S25B2PoyEEyAFGGdtfoh2dljXycwYDRQ7r8mzYuiA7q-NFUTBsT2mos40m4APkh9LUWZqMh9n8FhoyJ4SmrQ01FBvWQ5ksXO0KtoxktSTIg1XoBKZbwdg-BJT_9NbECke0wKHRbWII_NAdb9QEemEx_jiQ2CRTQ/s2592/PXL_20220414_191129433.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif99aYwoGOnjeG7fd_EEu8ob6tc07S25B2PoyEEyAFGGdtfoh2dljXycwYDRQ7r8mzYuiA7q-NFUTBsT2mos40m4APkh9LUWZqMh9n8FhoyJ4SmrQ01FBvWQ5ksXO0KtoxktSTIg1XoBKZbwdg-BJT_9NbECke0wKHRbWII_NAdb9QEemEx_jiQ2CRTQ/s320/PXL_20220414_191129433.MP.jpg" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mixing in some hair of the <strike>dog</strike> almond flour into the filling<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>For the cookie portion of the macaron, The Book primarily uses an Italian meringue. Note that this does not disqualify the macarons from being French macarons (see pedantic note* at the end)! I weighed out the egg whites for the meringue and my friend set to making the sugar syrup because she hadn't used this method before. I hope this endeavor convinced her that a candy thermometer was a worthwhile object to own for baking. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijIJRVZQZSF5GYYRjuN75B9M_BIq0q1R-3hg5NcdSdBbRNPoQ-2uQ_CgdMW0ozmhsAxF4JkBUbX2V6ZxaKoqgd4F4EYANYYkMOmmZnbEs2fSKSYcKOf7lKb6zix35QJ7W4Ess8MXwbN_NFauBJsHS5QszW0vJJBGTBuBGIqvOlUYLjHTANnSN43wcZWQ/s2592/PXL_20220414_192248959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijIJRVZQZSF5GYYRjuN75B9M_BIq0q1R-3hg5NcdSdBbRNPoQ-2uQ_CgdMW0ozmhsAxF4JkBUbX2V6ZxaKoqgd4F4EYANYYkMOmmZnbEs2fSKSYcKOf7lKb6zix35QJ7W4Ess8MXwbN_NFauBJsHS5QszW0vJJBGTBuBGIqvOlUYLjHTANnSN43wcZWQ/s320/PXL_20220414_192248959.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Egg whites separated for the meringue and for the almond flour, almond flour pre-measured in a bag, and confectioner's sugar<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I didn't take good photos of the Italian meringue process because I've made it umpteen times now, but if you are curious on the details, you can read about my first time making it and what it entails during the buttercream portion of the <a href="https://tinkertailor-hw.blogspot.com/2022/03/patisserie-9-succes-pralinehazelnut.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">hazelnut dacquoise post.</a> We added in a little purple and a little red gel food coloring once the meringue was approaching room temperature, yielding a lavender-tinged light pink.<br /></p><p>The remainder of the egg whites were mixed with the sifted almond flour and powdered sugar, which was also a departure from most macaron recipes, and this resulted in an almond paste. Perhaps relatedly, the next step was the unusual reversal of mixing in a third of the meringue into the almond paste, rather than the more common method of incorporating the almond flour/sugar into the meringue in two batches. After the first third of sacrificial meringue was stirred in, the other two thirds were folded in as well, working until smooth between additions. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvHW5-Gvp-Ee_6_JrAsyExuxKuUywtKvoh0lspWVkd73lgS8-WKL-5LXEzxj_BkDC-BAejYdTOSHZPjj6qaFn80h6djpVBaV1Y0R0m7RFr9Vv9pSDSC3WS3DrZ36qAg-o7FmeoCPUYa1WGVoOzREnSA3mCACgRuyXli1BEtUP72-tyW-1VgcrJBrCaXg/s2592/PXL_20220414_200124119.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvHW5-Gvp-Ee_6_JrAsyExuxKuUywtKvoh0lspWVkd73lgS8-WKL-5LXEzxj_BkDC-BAejYdTOSHZPjj6qaFn80h6djpVBaV1Y0R0m7RFr9Vv9pSDSC3WS3DrZ36qAg-o7FmeoCPUYa1WGVoOzREnSA3mCACgRuyXli1BEtUP72-tyW-1VgcrJBrCaXg/s320/PXL_20220414_200124119.MP.jpg" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stirring the first batch of meringue into the almond paste<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Our resulting batter was very thick. This was to be expected, because Italian meringue is more stable and less prone to deflating than French meringue. We began stirring the mixture gently to deflate the batter until the correct consistency (which many unhelpful sources relate as "lava" or "magma") was reached, a process known as macaronage. When the mixture was liquid enough to drop slowly from the spoon, we stopped and prepared the baking sheets. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3IUPlN3iM-66vyjecJskwOUYqQWx0k95XdLYSaK4u-FGLFKysVjp6jQOpsm7W0FR3or3DiN8H9MwsRO1Y4hy10OCS3pcUW7x21JltmgSBlRBD2lawaHn-a7La4ZqSadbpWv_wXdiXzjuuGNHqJjXaaRTXMQR568uQRLGhUJU4uh3RGoQrU9aoytSXaQ/s2592/PXL_20220414_201420840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3IUPlN3iM-66vyjecJskwOUYqQWx0k95XdLYSaK4u-FGLFKysVjp6jQOpsm7W0FR3or3DiN8H9MwsRO1Y4hy10OCS3pcUW7x21JltmgSBlRBD2lawaHn-a7La4ZqSadbpWv_wXdiXzjuuGNHqJjXaaRTXMQR568uQRLGhUJU4uh3RGoQrU9aoytSXaQ/s320/PXL_20220414_201420840.jpg" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our batter was just barely falling off the spoon, but it was not a drizzle at any point<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Using a 3cm object to trace circles on parchment, we made little templates that we slipped underneath the silicone mats. It basically comes down to a matter of personal style when choosing silicone baking mats or parchment paper. While there are people who swear by either, we found that the macarons baked fine on both, though they needed significantly longer baking time on the silicone mats (the recipe was developed for parchment, in this case). We ended piping almost 1.5 sheet pans worth of macarons, a bit over the stated yield of 30 assembled macarons. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIVncm8VHS1tOxjb7EUHpG24KCZxFUfhbfEB-Q8A0ownJ_VmaeuGgSRa4q0kH4miermEWZooBZxOALLiXcCoRPlBsbaCniUkryAULfEaBWmVUzx9t_m3LrXevLohZBfn5-0mzsKf68W1wUy88XShCogZ89_NCDtdr3GBVsQspR6vR3GgWxKyTyzJbu_g/s2592/PXL_20220414_203130403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIVncm8VHS1tOxjb7EUHpG24KCZxFUfhbfEB-Q8A0ownJ_VmaeuGgSRa4q0kH4miermEWZooBZxOALLiXcCoRPlBsbaCniUkryAULfEaBWmVUzx9t_m3LrXevLohZBfn5-0mzsKf68W1wUy88XShCogZ89_NCDtdr3GBVsQspR6vR3GgWxKyTyzJbu_g/s320/PXL_20220414_203130403.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two sets of macarons piped onto silicone baking mat, and the remainders on a sheet of parchment<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p> Macaron recipes often include a resting time before baking, which allows the top of the unbaked meringue to dry somewhat and form a shell that will encourage tidy foot formation and even baking later. This recipe didn't call for one, but we ended up incorporating it just by way of needing to wait for each sheet to finish baking before putting a new one in. </p><p>To avoid air bubbles, piped macarons are rapped firmly underneath the sheet, or the entire sheet is slammed down on a stable counter a few times, to dislodge air bubbles. After making loud noises with the sheet pans, we used moistened fingertips to smooth down any remaining peaks from our piping. Because the slamming motion causes the piped macaron batter to flatten and spread, we just barely had enough space between each macaron to keep them from touching. </p><p>The first batch took about twenty minutes to bake, which is much longer than the expected 12-14 minutes but reasonable given that the oven was not in convection mode and we had additional thermal mass from the silicone mat. Macarons are done when they can be gently peeled off of the baking surface. We had one cracked macaron in the first batch, but we also had a few "nipples", where it appeared an air bubble or something had not completely escaped. But overall, they were smooth on top, all formed feet, and generally looked much better than my first attempt at macarons. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_pL4ddfn05tu1kOhv4whFS5dQA8tOrwlPGcAkPc7plENXRMCJ-xIzbefsQvwX_QiFPBa2McyLRLJ7vhgi9KpSzq4cu4csxoAjhe2YHVciTxFi4BBpWIJm3ZHHNPLZuNl4HzoLDvThK2is5mC5KBsXQH80Dmw3ptGWfiWjwZVEw5SM9qfYBfo_nx3Pw/s2592/PXL_20220414_204525947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_pL4ddfn05tu1kOhv4whFS5dQA8tOrwlPGcAkPc7plENXRMCJ-xIzbefsQvwX_QiFPBa2McyLRLJ7vhgi9KpSzq4cu4csxoAjhe2YHVciTxFi4BBpWIJm3ZHHNPLZuNl4HzoLDvThK2is5mC5KBsXQH80Dmw3ptGWfiWjwZVEw5SM9qfYBfo_nx3Pw/s320/PXL_20220414_204525947.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First batch of macarons out of the oven! A few nipples and one crack but overall well-formed with feet<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>After they cooled, the macaron shells were fairly crisp and dry, and much to my dismay, they had a significant hollow. All of this in conjunction, based on the troubleshooting guides on the internet, led me to believe we had undermixed the batter (peaked shells with hollow tops) and that the oven temperature might be either too high or too low (probably too high). <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVYXijoSyjvt2o7iJ_cThPiAfN9y6W7OLD_9ShpAk7RSqASTeOYKiRYLuNXbZRy4G3IRD_gY09wDiJGFzergL5Pjcyy4AzRP975HnNipsiKXM4HpsA9WmFhvauTZ1JBz2SwCM5L9KiIibyjMesC9nAn5QMA6aFRATQB54Clw6l0953nVLvIRx9a9VKw/s2592/PXL_20220414_213110447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVYXijoSyjvt2o7iJ_cThPiAfN9y6W7OLD_9ShpAk7RSqASTeOYKiRYLuNXbZRy4G3IRD_gY09wDiJGFzergL5Pjcyy4AzRP975HnNipsiKXM4HpsA9WmFhvauTZ1JBz2SwCM5L9KiIibyjMesC9nAn5QMA6aFRATQB54Clw6l0953nVLvIRx9a9VKw/s320/PXL_20220414_213110447.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A peek at the inside of a few macarons, which came out hollow (bubble between top of shell and the "meat" of it)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>But the good thing about this particular issue of hollow macarons is that the recipe in The Book offers an elegant way to mask it. Using our thumbs, we pressed a little divot into the bottom of each cookie per instruction, which had the side effect of mostly filling the gap between the top of the shell and the interior. We conjectured that this step was to prevent the macaron shells from sliding with respect to each other once filled, which is an issue one can anticipate happening when you have a gel sandwiched by two flat surfaces. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5o4nk0JRwaJv9SSggZOxAI_8eboGz6xuLvhmvsbAdKEgKgGXJnmeIATHDT0cPH7pNGpi_KcKaqY_0tUAWs-tBIv6XmM_vz4C_3AdtJptqbLI_BJocqBPGRXh4OGhsJu5G7UIUnsn3NMpQYPorrEAnsJj2CVat9GQBaQhe2IiK9FIPzS111n6jO5NrQ/s2592/PXL_20220414_213535182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5o4nk0JRwaJv9SSggZOxAI_8eboGz6xuLvhmvsbAdKEgKgGXJnmeIATHDT0cPH7pNGpi_KcKaqY_0tUAWs-tBIv6XmM_vz4C_3AdtJptqbLI_BJocqBPGRXh4OGhsJu5G7UIUnsn3NMpQYPorrEAnsJj2CVat9GQBaQhe2IiK9FIPzS111n6jO5NrQ/s320/PXL_20220414_213535182.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pressing gentle divots into the bottom face of each macaron shell to give the filling some purchase (and conveniently mask some of the hollow inside)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Then we matched them up by circumference, so we wouldn't end up with a pair of unfortunate sizes. I'm glad my friend suggested this, because I never would have thought about doing it on my own. We tried to match each malformed macaron with a smooth one so they would have a surface to sit flat on. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57ClQk03PTMZT8yK0ZT8vcoXOz758c6urAf-eXeL4pjT0kZSRzYIjCh0bPCOscjcYvbb6xvB7u4iUHrwTy_S0yRWNd9eCVD8Eoagf9GyCcemk90AV8hNeqDw1bqGQau4QEhlhI-ucCqrWJNBKVBgd5NmOTpD6MGUwG9Tpo6M_ngipsDyRPBl2GgLRmw/s2592/PXL_20220414_215705443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57ClQk03PTMZT8yK0ZT8vcoXOz758c6urAf-eXeL4pjT0kZSRzYIjCh0bPCOscjcYvbb6xvB7u4iUHrwTy_S0yRWNd9eCVD8Eoagf9GyCcemk90AV8hNeqDw1bqGQau4QEhlhI-ucCqrWJNBKVBgd5NmOTpD6MGUwG9Tpo6M_ngipsDyRPBl2GgLRmw/s320/PXL_20220414_215705443.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We paired macaron shells by size, and also tried to make sure each pair had one unblemished one to rest flat on after assembly. But we had one leftover baby macaron that came out Luxemburgli-sized (Swiss-style tiny macarons) and was beautifully shaped all by its lonesome<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Finally, we pulled the chilled filling out of the fridge and piped it into the macarons. We set this up by setting rows of macaron pairs down on a sheet with space between each row, then taking off the top macaron and placing it opposite its partner in the space between rows. Then we piped down one side of each row, aiming for a quantity roughly one-shell-height, for a final cookie ratio of 2:1 cookie-cream. </p><p>The colors of the macaron shells faded slightly with baking, but they still matched the color of the blood orange cream really well; I joked that we managed to make predictably millenial pink macarons, which was very on-trend. Macarons are meant to rest for a day in an airtight container in the fridge after baking. This allows the meringue-based shell, which is by nature crisp and dry, to absorb some moisture from the filling and mellow out. And, while macarons should be eaten in about three days after assembly at most, we finished off the last of these on day four and they were not very crisp but still delicate and delicious. The orange flavor was juicy but not very tart, so these were still fairly sweet, but the rosemary did a good job of coming through more strongly than we originally assumed based on the taste of the cream alone. And of course, the almond flour was a nice earthy, nutty base for it all.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeHkLEeSoOWPOsDXJpAN0H55RfcZuYIYSQe1wkr7VvTKLHpo3KFAUtTjUhQ_6_Mzs4xTVaYLA4UkfKPyxy7ch19ZqX1Veai0ffofuVAJJLFA_UF4xzHV0SOUgwNDYbgQqDqQzLUjbIE5QVurahdmnUvKGqI7sdC7D28N45d6aWOwxH_JxMJeIWF3Bnuw/s2592/PXL_20220414_220605733.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeHkLEeSoOWPOsDXJpAN0H55RfcZuYIYSQe1wkr7VvTKLHpo3KFAUtTjUhQ_6_Mzs4xTVaYLA4UkfKPyxy7ch19ZqX1Veai0ffofuVAJJLFA_UF4xzHV0SOUgwNDYbgQqDqQzLUjbIE5QVurahdmnUvKGqI7sdC7D28N45d6aWOwxH_JxMJeIWF3Bnuw/s320/PXL_20220414_220605733.PORTRAIT.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Filled macarons, aggressively millenial pink all around<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>At this point, I've become grateful for the macaron-ideal-community because of the wealth of suggestions for troubleshooting. Notes and thoughts: </p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The ritualistic sensations of peeling each macaron off the sheet, matchmaking based on size, carefully pressing the divot without cracking the top, and pressing the cookies together around the slight give of the filling all were very satisfying and meditative. I'm not dreading the month of iteration on these quite as much anymore, except that this recipe made a whole lotta macarons and that's a lot of potential mistakes to eat. <br /></li><li>We definitely should have done more macaronage (stirred the batter more) just based on the consistency. I'd like to defend myself by noting several confounding factors: Italian meringue is stiffer than French meringue to begin with, who has ever actually dripped lava off of a spoon and would even know what that looks like, and honey (another common simile reference for flow rate) comes in a multitude of viscosities! So I guess I need to mix even more in future batches and aim for a more liquidy batter. All this PTSD from the first dacquoise meringue really has me messed up.<br /></li><li>Hopefully increasing macaronage time will aid with eliminating the nipples, but I'm still a little confused why they happen; we slammed the sheets pretty hard and popped all visible bubbles.<br /></li><li>I want to try printing out a template for piping macarons to get them to mostly be the same size and shape and distance apart. </li><li>Speaking of piping, we didn't realize until afterwards that our piping technique of a spiral was "incorrect." Most sources recommend holding the piping bag perpendicular to the sheet, piping directly at the center of the desired macaron circle from macaron-height, and then doing a little twist-and-retreat at the end to break off the piping bag. This should also help eliminate some bubbles. <br /></li><li>Because this recipe was developed for use with parchment paper in a convection oven, I'm surprised it managed as well as it did despite both those, and I'm looking forward to trying this out at home.<br /></li><li>This may be impossible, but I'd really love if there were a way to make the shells less sweet. Unfortunately. sugar is a structural component in meringue, and the tant pour tant ratio of 1:1 powdered sugar to almond flour is going to be difficult to modify. <br /></li></ul><p> </p><p>*Pedantic note: A <b>macaron</b>, pronounced with the nasal "<i>ɔ̃n</i>" French sound and sometimes called a French macaron, is this light almond flour meringue sandwich cookie. The type of meringue, whether French (sugar and egg whites beaten together) or Italian (hot sugar syrup beaten into egg whites) is irrelevant for the nomenclature of the final baked good; both French macarons and Italian macarons exist for this reason. HOWEVER: A<b> macaroon</b>, with an extra O and thus pronounced with the long "<i>un</i>" to rhyme with "soon," is the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaroon" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">dense confection</a> made of egg whites mixed with sugar, nut flour or coconut, and possibly flavorings. They are not pronounced the same way, and thus there should be no confusion between them to begin with; Americans simply started misreading macaron as macaroon because of more familiarity with the latter, making a whole mess out of things. <br /></p><p><br /></p>Helena Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948134617740274723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3324966668274170747.post-20778049068239647022022-04-18T21:19:00.071-07:002022-05-17T05:32:58.649-07:00Patisserie 13: Opera/Glazed chocolate and coffee layer cake<p> We've arrived at last at one of the most ambitious cakes in patisserie: The Opera Cake, or Gâteau opéra. From <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera_cake" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>: </p><blockquote><p>It is made with layers of almond sponge cake (known as <i>Joconde</i> in French) soaked in coffee syrup, layered with ganache and coffee,...French buttercream, and covered in a chocolate glaze. Its namesake originates from the layers resembling the levels of an opera theatre</p></blockquote><p> This cake is meant to be decadent yet delicate, with umpteen variations on its many layers making it a popular cake that presents nicely when sliced to reveal its layers. The version of the cake in The Book has three cake layers, two butter cream layers, a layer of ganache, and a layer of glaze, for a total of six. <span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p> I knew that this cake would be a doozy of a time commitment, so I divided the process between two days, baking the cake layers on the first day and returning to assemble the next day. </p><p>The cake in an Opera is a Joconde, which is a hybrid between a biscuit/sponge cake (whipped egg whites and yolks subsequently added) and a Genoise (eggs are whipped whole for the batter). In the Joconde, whole eggs are whipped, and extra whites are whipped separately and folded into the batter to lighten it further. This recipe used a whopping eight eggs as a result, with four whipped whole with the four remaining yolks, the ground almonds and, sugar. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKTVQSNTCWGy5YbQrd4eFRAmyTm8IFPXT0_6EDkZI0ymiIMRhrDFUV95e1NRkcIIH-3OXESn5pBAOkP5D2Li8_GrD6152yExZmBWea7UT7RHfIIrNlYx85gK2-cSC1cjNQZOpI_3ktUXbg_jnz6oQVgTCTFi_EjtbPOQet-KRLkNGs_w_jtiKrgG5Pg/s2592/PXL_20220408_191259169.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKTVQSNTCWGy5YbQrd4eFRAmyTm8IFPXT0_6EDkZI0ymiIMRhrDFUV95e1NRkcIIH-3OXESn5pBAOkP5D2Li8_GrD6152yExZmBWea7UT7RHfIIrNlYx85gK2-cSC1cjNQZOpI_3ktUXbg_jnz6oQVgTCTFi_EjtbPOQet-KRLkNGs_w_jtiKrgG5Pg/s320/PXL_20220408_191259169.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ingredients for the joconde, including eight eggs<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The egg batter is whipped at high speed for fifteen minutes (!!) until it lightens and becomes very ribbony. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHxX3PYW1dku3B1GliqvonlPwtN4GS85VbuCj0fzNpnC4a0gb0ItK3oHRNDBSY461u9DJjTM70Gh67vTHOC2gczB503tVU4mT71sr20u5lAThOeDF3zzSXjWKDP2PJ-tHrg-uphj3r5VqUxy9d-Vik3XC4zlv5tYtoSZW_qwpP6sxSBywk1mrY6bJ_GQ/s2592/PXL_20220408_192926019.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHxX3PYW1dku3B1GliqvonlPwtN4GS85VbuCj0fzNpnC4a0gb0ItK3oHRNDBSY461u9DJjTM70Gh67vTHOC2gczB503tVU4mT71sr20u5lAThOeDF3zzSXjWKDP2PJ-tHrg-uphj3r5VqUxy9d-Vik3XC4zlv5tYtoSZW_qwpP6sxSBywk1mrY6bJ_GQ/s320/PXL_20220408_192926019.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A long whip for the egg batter<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Because I would be dividing the batter into three layers, I weighed the amount of batter so I could have even cake layer weights. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQ3RljTVyeK4OUMuYR_yoYOkidwLzaZwSqVtog-NUjkmQ-U695sWjxmRHojSR15arnFY3luKzsJE2G-xdbWnxvJq1ELthKnXfFKYNHTSeZddSikda0meUeLBM8fL7S-P1U9G_KzceIV9Ua3uQFHeYQxGN4s9LtOeodRrL_HZ9JGiJ3XD6j_wy7ErY2A/s2592/PXL_20220408_193113670.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQ3RljTVyeK4OUMuYR_yoYOkidwLzaZwSqVtog-NUjkmQ-U695sWjxmRHojSR15arnFY3luKzsJE2G-xdbWnxvJq1ELthKnXfFKYNHTSeZddSikda0meUeLBM8fL7S-P1U9G_KzceIV9Ua3uQFHeYQxGN4s9LtOeodRrL_HZ9JGiJ3XD6j_wy7ErY2A/s320/PXL_20220408_193113670.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weighing the egg batter to make it easier to divide across three pans later<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I whipped the four separated egg whites from earlier with the rest of the sugar to create a French meringue, and weighed it as well after adding it to the batter. In retrospect, I'm sure folding in the meringue caused me to lose some weight as the air escaped, so it may have been better to weigh the egg white after it was folded in. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5oaR4k5cqPftm6zuoj3JIlOx1fOQGdwJ8KC_ZSFsNgR6N2FpgKCEoHPivN4A_-jL28U_6RdiqdEPCTedLfjPdoMUCyakN6IsY-J70vpKf9HaaMu_eQ3rppWhc8O-DQrST3yA3WRyXPnNuvxQcjHzNzCN_nsyue_QttL3SOScxbFUME9r16FHUNpO9ug/s2592/PXL_20220408_194359670.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5oaR4k5cqPftm6zuoj3JIlOx1fOQGdwJ8KC_ZSFsNgR6N2FpgKCEoHPivN4A_-jL28U_6RdiqdEPCTedLfjPdoMUCyakN6IsY-J70vpKf9HaaMu_eQ3rppWhc8O-DQrST3yA3WRyXPnNuvxQcjHzNzCN_nsyue_QttL3SOScxbFUME9r16FHUNpO9ug/s320/PXL_20220408_194359670.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weighing the egg white meringue to aid in division<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Finally, some flour is folded into the batter. As with the Mocha cake, I was fascinated at how the batter became noticeably more structural and tough as soon as the flour began to get folded in and the gluten began to activate, compared to the dacquoise or other almond flour-based cakes which create a smooth batter with no resistance that is constantly threatening to deflate. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMEi4C0qhnHCSpmQedbf3xMqS9TnCN_tbuRuEnNnq90eVnfpWSaEWaaJT3urkEuyiQOEHGdkW0EEXGBF8wvNUlHc3ROHME86HjIum7MMM7WJ7cX_dgiYG9JVpQH8Jgc1ioUffWCrN11TS40JFQuenSw9DTgtPIny_Q889xjz9JAqSJfW3il1VS3SLEpQ/s2592/PXL_20220408_194559474.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMEi4C0qhnHCSpmQedbf3xMqS9TnCN_tbuRuEnNnq90eVnfpWSaEWaaJT3urkEuyiQOEHGdkW0EEXGBF8wvNUlHc3ROHME86HjIum7MMM7WJ7cX_dgiYG9JVpQH8Jgc1ioUffWCrN11TS40JFQuenSw9DTgtPIny_Q889xjz9JAqSJfW3il1VS3SLEpQ/s320/PXL_20220408_194559474.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally, flour folded into the egg components<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I set each pan on my scale and decanted a third of the batter by weight onto each pan, and, after spreading the first one into an even layer, I tried to match the dimensions while spreading the other two sheet pans so my cake layers would be roughly the same size. I spread the layers until they were roughly 8mm thick. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcob0trmn8LYm52PBkGEPCaHlmShETUI1N1pfyP0EG7pj5VEnOfkyTpSnNqWquaKmTNwg1A8aU6midiRKYYKs1Gs3-pCms4G-KTLBlUql_NvFEGGhm6jwspyY5rKhRz6MJERDO96eB2Mr7haTjBhSer0eSXJplMsz5Qj4OIMxWec65KOTL-Y0i-FL0Cw/s2592/PXL_20220408_195649966.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcob0trmn8LYm52PBkGEPCaHlmShETUI1N1pfyP0EG7pj5VEnOfkyTpSnNqWquaKmTNwg1A8aU6midiRKYYKs1Gs3-pCms4G-KTLBlUql_NvFEGGhm6jwspyY5rKhRz6MJERDO96eB2Mr7haTjBhSer0eSXJplMsz5Qj4OIMxWec65KOTL-Y0i-FL0Cw/s320/PXL_20220408_195649966.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Batter divided by weight across three sheet pans, and spread to about 8mm thick, leaving a 1in border on all sides, just about<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I was not watching the oven closely enough and browned the first cake rather severely. Considering this recipe is supposed to make a 12"x16" full sheet pan, and none of my cake layers came close to that size, I'm kind of surprised my layers cooked so quickly (though many of the other recipes have also been a little short on final dimensions when I execute them). You can see the progression in the color of the cake layers as I pulled them earlier and earlier, trying to match the photo of the cake layer in The Book. While the Book says "10-12 minutes", I ended up around 9 minutes for each layer, rotating the pan once in between. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN4dTPVKB34WleHlkO9sA4qXa4bD0DouZl9MpGW2sCSWcw-XFk7HCGrVsEeOQJnzgBKjhVkgDi4P4DRV4nI8v4lvIo7uG3sPTSQaRfWCV99J6-fsYSsiMIw1qiEmd9NPMuSMOYRPujsI-4kmpr-Eh90r0wWYXe_yliG0EVylxcy1Si5cCjq1ktlAqyBQ/s2592/PXL_20220408_202248059.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN4dTPVKB34WleHlkO9sA4qXa4bD0DouZl9MpGW2sCSWcw-XFk7HCGrVsEeOQJnzgBKjhVkgDi4P4DRV4nI8v4lvIo7uG3sPTSQaRfWCV99J6-fsYSsiMIw1qiEmd9NPMuSMOYRPujsI-4kmpr-Eh90r0wWYXe_yliG0EVylxcy1Si5cCjq1ktlAqyBQ/s320/PXL_20220408_202248059.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This could be a modern art triptych titled "Iteration"<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>At this point, I let the cake layers cool, then stacked them, parchment and all, and wrapped them in plastic wrap to chill in the fridge overnight. </p><p>I also prepared the coffee syrup used to soak the cakes, as well as the strong coffee used for flavoring the buttercream, and let them sit at room temperature overnight. <br /></p><p>The next day, I began preparing the assembly structure. I cut and weeded the cake layers, which had softened somewhat in the fridge and were easier to cut sharply without crumbling the edges. I would like to digress for a moment and extol my decision to get an adjustable cake ring. While it has made beautiful assembly a little difficult because the additional height interferes with the movement of the offset spatula, I have been absolutely pleased with my ability to adjust the cake dimensions based on the actual baking size. The Opera cake layers yielded 10.5"x13", which is a nonstandard cake ring size, and had I been using a standard one, I would be wasting a lot more cake scraps. </p><p>However, to deal with the aforementioned height problem, because the Opera cake is shorter even than many other French cakes (which is nonintuitive, considering how many layers there are!), the Book recommends making a base out of cardboard to take up the half inch of height in the pan. Not knowing how my cake would stack up (harhar) in terms of final height, I decided to make a cardboard base to the same dimensions as my cake layers but also add additional height by wrapping up a quarter sheet pan with two cutting boards underneath the base. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznFwt-cyfDrrdaCUtoWXxoQl1aKmDw6-JxahxacjuR1ztA7nR-WYRBKyDKeuikfhZdeUfwwvNld1nbV5XYXyJ2FvfPhAIKnQE7aRL7G-g-Q3X-9tcfQojufD9Y4sGGYs33z1vEqs70jYtru4bqCsM7aZikO8l9WEW6b-WiS-G28A6zV4PDxQn1gKubw/s2592/PXL_20220409_214833930.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznFwt-cyfDrrdaCUtoWXxoQl1aKmDw6-JxahxacjuR1ztA7nR-WYRBKyDKeuikfhZdeUfwwvNld1nbV5XYXyJ2FvfPhAIKnQE7aRL7G-g-Q3X-9tcfQojufD9Y4sGGYs33z1vEqs70jYtru4bqCsM7aZikO8l9WEW6b-WiS-G28A6zV4PDxQn1gKubw/s320/PXL_20220409_214833930.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Made up a platform to take up space in the cake ring underneath the cardboard base, using more cardboard and two cutting boards<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I then fit the cake ring around my franken-platform, for a final height of roughly two inches within the cake ring.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggRdVnBE1AGAeg55oumzwLtni5uJO2rQWVcHGTAMUQiOEw1mJFV_DUpU7NlItQLkhVm38mk4bSgwrs5fdMr-p1zq22MqFMOflYaxnDmM_6uT0LxEFcR9FfkOxVJ9CgURdqdfSkyYotDwDwN1_lTrSoJd_i_epJ3jhOrUio2crduXWle4ohPaTNZ6mdzw/s2592/PXL_20220409_214848142.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggRdVnBE1AGAeg55oumzwLtni5uJO2rQWVcHGTAMUQiOEw1mJFV_DUpU7NlItQLkhVm38mk4bSgwrs5fdMr-p1zq22MqFMOflYaxnDmM_6uT0LxEFcR9FfkOxVJ9CgURdqdfSkyYotDwDwN1_lTrSoJd_i_epJ3jhOrUio2crduXWle4ohPaTNZ6mdzw/s320/PXL_20220409_214848142.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cake ring fitted over the base<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The first cake layer I left on its baking parchment, in order to provide a barrier between the cake and the cardboard. I folded the parchment down along the edges, using the cake ring to keep it in place. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXpnTXtUQeQNaDJZEE1DMtN_pdCg4EpWOgMvzj7kq8pZ0EF2E-T_UI3N1fPTeT-KZIe6cRO_jQ5aTa5e_uq13HMeyX1U1tWguyHP4QGfROO-DPX7i_cwG9RTgqkVmvSw3IGnI-cdfHEeVRxT1W2ovhPO7PRXnXSRGXKWGiP0hclGaEo2hYZeTsTIMHpA/s2592/PXL_20220409_215146493.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXpnTXtUQeQNaDJZEE1DMtN_pdCg4EpWOgMvzj7kq8pZ0EF2E-T_UI3N1fPTeT-KZIe6cRO_jQ5aTa5e_uq13HMeyX1U1tWguyHP4QGfROO-DPX7i_cwG9RTgqkVmvSw3IGnI-cdfHEeVRxT1W2ovhPO7PRXnXSRGXKWGiP0hclGaEo2hYZeTsTIMHpA/s320/PXL_20220409_215146493.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First cake layer, still on parchment, aligned with the cardboard base and snugged up with the cake rectangle<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Now, I've mentioned before how much I hate working with chocolate. The Book mentions that the percentages of chocolate called for in each recipe are fairly exact, because the cacao to butter ratio will affect the behavior of the chocolate. The ganache in the Opera recipe called for 60% cocoa; the glaze called for 52%. And I was unable to find any couverture that met either percentage, so I settled for the next best thing, which was to get some 46%, 55%, and 63%, and buckle down to do some math.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6NpnJHyehs1kcXBU_oFRJ6UFiTGEvL3odS-UYxPzwJ15JLrs4bH8uoOwMXpqwQ6sozfYKV3CAjJyVOTZcrQ1mOaI4OHh3qaXSzchFiZNZSzaxKw0rnsOcBMPNQJ7HpjfwIkOs4rotov6s0XcIeLvWUUE9ZgP4vaDzAbThOm1r32o3ojR2kY_2-_ovg/s2592/PXL_20220409_215443738.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6NpnJHyehs1kcXBU_oFRJ6UFiTGEvL3odS-UYxPzwJ15JLrs4bH8uoOwMXpqwQ6sozfYKV3CAjJyVOTZcrQ1mOaI4OHh3qaXSzchFiZNZSzaxKw0rnsOcBMPNQJ7HpjfwIkOs4rotov6s0XcIeLvWUUE9ZgP4vaDzAbThOm1r32o3ojR2kY_2-_ovg/s320/PXL_20220409_215443738.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These were my chocolate percentage options, and also I cheaped out and got the fanciest baking brand instead of couverture<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I had to dig pretty deep for my arithmetic knowledge to create a system of equations for each of my required percentages of chocolate, using the expected cocoa weight of the full weight, as well as the percentages I had on hand. And you can see I'm already getting rusty at my <strike>day job</strike> old job, based on the number of corrections I had to make to my math. But eventually I had my final proportions by weight for how much of each type of chocolate to mix in order to obtain the final percentage of cocoa by weight called for in the recipe.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFTAoPPd6mdCw4YZGC-Oai5l4VX4NqzqZxALHNAGJOhaYLIp_3eEdiw_fENH83Ol2fi7FTZaoUJItvczJgiFlDVyoEEUkZq0Tgq-e2bKCwRQpk-WcOgBtGj6loQIN3wbKEHycuTDwFzAagsenVxw4P4fFm9I5G5GttKZQq0zxC0B5HBDICbNNbWSVCQ/s2592/PXL_20220409_220823387.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFTAoPPd6mdCw4YZGC-Oai5l4VX4NqzqZxALHNAGJOhaYLIp_3eEdiw_fENH83Ol2fi7FTZaoUJItvczJgiFlDVyoEEUkZq0Tgq-e2bKCwRQpk-WcOgBtGj6loQIN3wbKEHycuTDwFzAagsenVxw4P4fFm9I5G5GttKZQq0zxC0B5HBDICbNNbWSVCQ/s320/PXL_20220409_220823387.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm kind of embarrassed at how many mistakes I made in this math. Can't believe baking has got me out here making goddamn systems of equations...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>To make the ganache, I measured out the proportions of the 55% and 63% necessary to achieve the final percentage of 60% in 170g of chocolate, and chopped it up. Cutting chocolate chips and walnuts are the only reasons I strongly desire a slapchop, and it's baffling to me that there isn't a better method of chopping chocolate chips that I've discovered yet. At least I can buy walnut bits pre-chopped in the store.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9clHzRZLlOVvifpps-M7NvY52W7DVo3ji_zWrOMNkFVN8jH_Xtr3ux_eiikRCMxVvByU7ZINeThzjcTgKZhWoHkdNb7b5fHBKwa8zcAsOSq9C54PMSXJnCgE6DX1Cgfnt8OBJGF758a1gMVGYoGAPlFh4XQvzvnRsEZKJbdZZu2A3ibe-q-P1-B0FQ/s2592/PXL_20220409_221314962.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9clHzRZLlOVvifpps-M7NvY52W7DVo3ji_zWrOMNkFVN8jH_Xtr3ux_eiikRCMxVvByU7ZINeThzjcTgKZhWoHkdNb7b5fHBKwa8zcAsOSq9C54PMSXJnCgE6DX1Cgfnt8OBJGF758a1gMVGYoGAPlFh4XQvzvnRsEZKJbdZZu2A3ibe-q-P1-B0FQ/s320/PXL_20220409_221314962.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I hope I did my math right.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I mixed cream and milk in a saucepan, brought it to a boil, and then poured it into the chocolate, and added the butter and mixed until I got a smooth ganache. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCNMUoBo2VdHtOn_uBuh2m4YpEWRViG-wFx3n59Pe0liDQJriwNsVFyRRqzFu-BYvAB-wq36x9sROHOYRZ0lRhdOpL8SEvu9S-9gyxnGgCIJTDdSY0xNxN-XoGWBD_pcSTg0QtNAAKdx7XLRic-r7d9F2BtUQXI9QprYYWgUmTk8_5GMzr7qEwaHrnA/s2592/PXL_20220409_222504935.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCNMUoBo2VdHtOn_uBuh2m4YpEWRViG-wFx3n59Pe0liDQJriwNsVFyRRqzFu-BYvAB-wq36x9sROHOYRZ0lRhdOpL8SEvu9S-9gyxnGgCIJTDdSY0xNxN-XoGWBD_pcSTg0QtNAAKdx7XLRic-r7d9F2BtUQXI9QprYYWgUmTk8_5GMzr7qEwaHrnA/s320/PXL_20220409_222504935.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cream and chopped chocolate in preparation for making ganache<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I also brought out the buttercream I reserved from the mocha cake and re-whipped it until light, adding the strong espresso from the day before at the end to flavor it. With my coffee syrup, coffee buttercream, and chocolate ganache all ready, it was time to begin layering. As usual, the cake layer gets brushed with an egregious amount of the coffee syrup.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjYAXhcGalP97Hl_CFkPk5SLaswlvp4cFlZUoTC6uwtfTm1Sw6V5WkPqd5JS0JJmhEnOMfjRtGq_b_w9qAyrABV7NSXKq0SX1RehUk0UcYl3SVlqQu29tP7ydGAyXwB2OW-_QEY3SX3DnFqhDHyHXfRC9imx3dYLUPdKU1jh4Z9_k3O02P3cJ5jMbvA/s2592/PXL_20220409_224026692.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjYAXhcGalP97Hl_CFkPk5SLaswlvp4cFlZUoTC6uwtfTm1Sw6V5WkPqd5JS0JJmhEnOMfjRtGq_b_w9qAyrABV7NSXKq0SX1RehUk0UcYl3SVlqQu29tP7ydGAyXwB2OW-_QEY3SX3DnFqhDHyHXfRC9imx3dYLUPdKU1jh4Z9_k3O02P3cJ5jMbvA/s320/PXL_20220409_224026692.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clockwise from bottom: first cake layer brushed with syrup, coffee syrup I made ahead, remaining cake layers, emotional support dining table objects, espresso buttercream, chocolate ganache<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Next, I spread roughly half of the buttercream over the first cake layer. I noticed I was barely able to get even coverage, which alarmed me, especially since I thought I had made a point to reserve as much buttercream as the recipe called for in grams. If you recall, I found out earlier that the recipe in The Book makes about 800g, rather than 1000g, but subsequent recipes that call for half of the buttercream recipe reiterate that they require 500g. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjAYR82qWj52YnFQsAgmFy0c_HuHxQ6udGagOUKWC8aMZ1pnti-KEPDw4lXYTAnGvkVVPmoz4WZLrn1thun7KAhcCPbKccGfh3miMuTHHrJ5LIIsvR2eJGQyxbv3aBPDDDfsw5gcV5OOz5ZXe3J15ZZ2W1wAfbw9AaOukNV0EUmxWJostoN1lARv0CBw/s2592/PXL_20220409_224340534.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjAYR82qWj52YnFQsAgmFy0c_HuHxQ6udGagOUKWC8aMZ1pnti-KEPDw4lXYTAnGvkVVPmoz4WZLrn1thun7KAhcCPbKccGfh3miMuTHHrJ5LIIsvR2eJGQyxbv3aBPDDDfsw5gcV5OOz5ZXe3J15ZZ2W1wAfbw9AaOukNV0EUmxWJostoN1lARv0CBw/s320/PXL_20220409_224340534.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half the buttercream spread onto the bottom layer<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>But I pressed on the second cake layer as soon as the buttercream covered the entire first layer. This second layer also got a dousing in coffee syrup. I used the most browned cake layer for the middle layer, figuring that it could do with the additional moisture availability from being sandwiched between the buttercream and the ganache.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiriv2a-ggHPv6NlFF_uxfZyjv70qEeKWG8ZuoZDiFqjpRJvodDxDh7BaieBgIIFHdmEl8bSLIMWIqzlRUB5cwwQhefgk52X-XJPGocOkXrugh49o81Nf8MzQYMszJpQADG7HEKCRf9drZHcCVTZWuN6gxN7WRo_1UCivKHI4Eiuj7gTIm3SG5Cum7flg/s2592/PXL_20220409_224508262.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiriv2a-ggHPv6NlFF_uxfZyjv70qEeKWG8ZuoZDiFqjpRJvodDxDh7BaieBgIIFHdmEl8bSLIMWIqzlRUB5cwwQhefgk52X-XJPGocOkXrugh49o81Nf8MzQYMszJpQADG7HEKCRf9drZHcCVTZWuN6gxN7WRo_1UCivKHI4Eiuj7gTIm3SG5Cum7flg/s320/PXL_20220409_224508262.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Put the most-baked layer of cake down so it could absorb stuff from both sides, being in the middle<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Next, I spread the ganache on top. I was again alarmed, this time at the way the ganache seemed to be absorbing into the cake!<i> </i>I was at first concerned that I had too much ganache, but upon application and absorption, it became apparent that I had just enough to create a concrete layer of chocolate above the cake. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheKOn27lSJnxryGtvS4jZWgWYJl260UsZjZ98UR_baKn3610cP2amHtXeHs439nWZBdm_BZLwdA3927OdwdI4GNaaHBSg6KFDDsE-oBJZiecBC1qgpy_RhuYVmMmm8GWzcppPERpTEeml9lp9FOReIhIPAsVFiBmf2EzU90H3bO-DRvZ1zHkJyQRPcsQ/s2592/PXL_20220409_225142021.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheKOn27lSJnxryGtvS4jZWgWYJl260UsZjZ98UR_baKn3610cP2amHtXeHs439nWZBdm_BZLwdA3927OdwdI4GNaaHBSg6KFDDsE-oBJZiecBC1qgpy_RhuYVmMmm8GWzcppPERpTEeml9lp9FOReIhIPAsVFiBmf2EzU90H3bO-DRvZ1zHkJyQRPcsQ/s320/PXL_20220409_225142021.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ganache both wanted to escape off the sides and absorb directly into the cake layer, even though the cake was already full of syrup<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>After some squaring of the edges of the cake rectangle to corral the ganache, I set the third and final cake layer on and brushed it with the remaining coffee syrup. I could see at this point that I should not have doubted The Book's estimation on the final height of the cake being 1.25"; I had almost an inch of clearance between the top of the cake and the top edge of the pan. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl_zqxfzHt_LrlCrEbwLmdvBujCjKeOuxEaVk0oPpd5Ut6bIIEUrL4rB_wB8TKyj4qvywOAz5bvfL07rwQkJ3Au0_DMIX9DXaT4STDXYkoLG-aajBD3slJRIKS9poe-vn4u3xXEBNM8uAbuzxfgkMSyDApojvlFm47wW3b9fybFuae7elHbM2P5K-T1Q/s2592/PXL_20220409_225515371.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl_zqxfzHt_LrlCrEbwLmdvBujCjKeOuxEaVk0oPpd5Ut6bIIEUrL4rB_wB8TKyj4qvywOAz5bvfL07rwQkJ3Au0_DMIX9DXaT4STDXYkoLG-aajBD3slJRIKS9poe-vn4u3xXEBNM8uAbuzxfgkMSyDApojvlFm47wW3b9fybFuae7elHbM2P5K-T1Q/s320/PXL_20220409_225515371.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The last cake layer, brushed with the rest of the syrup. In brushing, I seem to have created a table dressing as a homage to Pollock<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>It was a warm afternoon, and I noticed the buttercream wilting, so I stuck it in the fridge and re-whipped it after it had cooled. You can see the very obvious difference between the light whipped buttercream and the dark wilted buttercream on the edges. I learned my lesson from the mocha cake that buttercream just really needs to be whisked into oblivion to work right. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrp8bSVA-wHBm7gkqKp1oVcYKuvznimp8TJ6WroXqdqfJ1c_I5YKYMelnDBZPogDkqUfP0vMJpd_VTT6F00033ZuXHsrZ9qlWrsYKUNtIYRrXglc7tPyRr49EsYxzIW9XwZze9eyZ2FoJqBk_FdCYYBFBCnHxWDfsHNNmwdaQp3mT0qAnpq0WxTA-V5A/s2592/PXL_20220409_225647813.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrp8bSVA-wHBm7gkqKp1oVcYKuvznimp8TJ6WroXqdqfJ1c_I5YKYMelnDBZPogDkqUfP0vMJpd_VTT6F00033ZuXHsrZ9qlWrsYKUNtIYRrXglc7tPyRr49EsYxzIW9XwZze9eyZ2FoJqBk_FdCYYBFBCnHxWDfsHNNmwdaQp3mT0qAnpq0WxTA-V5A/s320/PXL_20220409_225647813.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I learned my lesson from the Moka and let the buttercream chill before rewhipping to full glory before application. You can see the darker, unwhipped buttercream is quite obvious in contrast to the fluffy, light colored buttercream of correct texture.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I basically ran out of buttercream while trying to frost this last layer and had to get really clever with redistributing. This is unfortunate because this layer is pivotal for the smoothness of the final cake, because the thin chocolate glaze is supposed to be able to flow smoothly and not pool thicker at some points than others. That's also why it would have been better for me to get less clearance between the top of the pan and the cake, because it would be easier to smooth the buttercream into a flat layer. I'm concerned that I keep running out of buttercream in all of these recipes (save for the first dacquoise, where it didn't really matter how thick I made the buttercream layer). After this point, I may as well start making a whole quantity of buttercream for each recipe that calls for half, and just use the remaining buttercream to make fairy bread. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HQSgxPAgHi9nBtw2UbgWrZ-Ruw48TGxMdVChRkE5XNIq5uga0kmaPykAQ7dzXwsD8NEjsbGN58BFw3Vp4WtiunnziJn3UAKdUIHTkxHuOPzA7vsPsFMiJx8JKgsiP3fn7sO6Kg6VIzZ6Yjam4D3gKixoHA6H3Ygvi3167JyDPR4T5OEGsdL6Qw3Y0A/s2592/PXL_20220409_230005454.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HQSgxPAgHi9nBtw2UbgWrZ-Ruw48TGxMdVChRkE5XNIq5uga0kmaPykAQ7dzXwsD8NEjsbGN58BFw3Vp4WtiunnziJn3UAKdUIHTkxHuOPzA7vsPsFMiJx8JKgsiP3fn7sO6Kg6VIzZ6Yjam4D3gKixoHA6H3Ygvi3167JyDPR4T5OEGsdL6Qw3Y0A/s320/PXL_20220409_230005454.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why is the buttercream always gone?<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The cake went into the fridge to chill for two hours (and it was hefty at this point! I was concerned I'd drop it!). I returned in the evening to prepare the chocolate glaze. Mixing my afore-calculated ratios of the 46% and 55% chocolate to achieve 400g of 52% cocoa concentration, I mixed this with vegetable shortening and grapeseed oil and set it all over a pot of simmering water to melt together. The oils do the double duty of preventing the chocolate from setting too hard and giving a glossy sheen to the glaze; I assume the heat absorbing capacity of oil also helps the chocolate keep its temper. I did accidentally overheat the chocolate slightly (it was very difficult to clip the candy thermometer to the bowl). <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0ir-8-84loWXCqLt_xwDoPyjh06mo-WSrTJEt1Rg7myhWgSSscM-iB_GE8_EsdjKtd-hIrZdA_HGVvVuAZqOhAAMsWAGFs9AMkQjP2CDO8rD7vCfAsFzzL12enI_LO50VTfVKVoTEqdvBob2GEqIvH3RParmJBOENI5etguPjS-ILPHX-JZAgx59ag/s2592/PXL_20220410_004606872.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0ir-8-84loWXCqLt_xwDoPyjh06mo-WSrTJEt1Rg7myhWgSSscM-iB_GE8_EsdjKtd-hIrZdA_HGVvVuAZqOhAAMsWAGFs9AMkQjP2CDO8rD7vCfAsFzzL12enI_LO50VTfVKVoTEqdvBob2GEqIvH3RParmJBOENI5etguPjS-ILPHX-JZAgx59ag/s320/PXL_20220410_004606872.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmm, delicious oily chocolate bits<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The final glaze seemed liquidy enough, and I allowed it to cool until it was the temperature that I was <i>supposed</i> to have heated it to. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQXbDtLMI62EhUfzcX01A56nsGmqLYpRyhFeDyJyFGGJE4gsbO8HeFV0hFoFeKNSr_NJqsWb2Z9_IoXbAx03Gb7v_BGOw_haSjQEnMUIfP6bVnnkAU7Y4jjmVvbMsIYwL2vMD8vD-hNL56r3QmpEFUBjMVhSlxggO-YjIAPokNggImcW1FLW5LY1_Kg/s2592/PXL_20220410_010814556.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQXbDtLMI62EhUfzcX01A56nsGmqLYpRyhFeDyJyFGGJE4gsbO8HeFV0hFoFeKNSr_NJqsWb2Z9_IoXbAx03Gb7v_BGOw_haSjQEnMUIfP6bVnnkAU7Y4jjmVvbMsIYwL2vMD8vD-hNL56r3QmpEFUBjMVhSlxggO-YjIAPokNggImcW1FLW5LY1_Kg/s320/PXL_20220410_010814556.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The texture of the glaze while hot<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I pulled the chilled cake out of the fridge and gingerly removed the base layers propping it up. The edges were fairly cemented to the cake ring, and I used the old hack of a hairdryer to warm up the sides of the cake ring until I could pull it up vertically with ease. It is very tempting to make the edges of the adjustable ring bigger to extract the cake, but I've noticed it makes for unclean edges and may also bring along more cake than I'm comfortable with along for the ride. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ys3D387ZktvdCCdpFFy6ZDEywiJwGlwSfmzlcdnvBKsa2rAKeBedOFnUSKRoQm2414X_EbkNC4MlPWT5SLzIcR6E-A2o-OzK3mh131MaaQxc3C4gpqXLBvCYssYRh3rKJVHjZwr6guIcCFW7nLkjrWLYPMxpc6OgIHvccT1ZUD0vcibkBr-vOlhnDQ/s2592/PXL_20220410_011259539.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ys3D387ZktvdCCdpFFy6ZDEywiJwGlwSfmzlcdnvBKsa2rAKeBedOFnUSKRoQm2414X_EbkNC4MlPWT5SLzIcR6E-A2o-OzK3mh131MaaQxc3C4gpqXLBvCYssYRh3rKJVHjZwr6guIcCFW7nLkjrWLYPMxpc6OgIHvccT1ZUD0vcibkBr-vOlhnDQ/s320/PXL_20220410_011259539.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The revealed cake after chilling and cake ring/base removal! Not too bad, it's reasonably flat<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I poured all of the chocolate glaze on top and smoothed it as best as I could, stopping as soon as I noticed it was starting to retain my spatula marks for too long. I think it was respectably flat, despite how lumpy my cake was. The whole thing went back into the fridge to chill for another hour until the glaze was set. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlE5iS3btOv4hyHA5KshnWr8S4rmHBjh9NvwYPGzRpFnvEmZ8_gF_islGyPM6jrTRnduaBP7f51AfS4CIjycKd0POqlWBVkDk7qepHSJoT4hgAEYBKe9-uitpIe3JnF651jRECjcNQUieSHi1uZr0CDrAB9sw2UctXehGmj9u3n9IFsNXzmfZ5ua_fzA/s2592/PXL_20220410_011829092.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlE5iS3btOv4hyHA5KshnWr8S4rmHBjh9NvwYPGzRpFnvEmZ8_gF_islGyPM6jrTRnduaBP7f51AfS4CIjycKd0POqlWBVkDk7qepHSJoT4hgAEYBKe9-uitpIe3JnF651jRECjcNQUieSHi1uZr0CDrAB9sw2UctXehGmj9u3n9IFsNXzmfZ5ua_fzA/s320/PXL_20220410_011829092.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smoothed the chocolate glaze as best as I could and set it back in the fridge to chill for a few more hours and set<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I trimmed the edges off to both neaten the sides of the cake and prevent anyone from getting an uneven distribution of components, as tends to happen along the sides. To cut the cake, I stuck my knife in a narrow, tall vessel filled with hot water for a few seconds until the metal heated up, then, after drying the knife briefly with a towel, placed the blade on the cake and allowed it to melt through the glaze, then cut the layers of the cake as normal. Drying the knife between soaking and cutting is essential; water will look incredibly bad if it comes in contact with chocolate. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfXv2GJKoHsoxgyMv9UHTxkh06Euj-v9lFVXaRreOzP_zvaeLsb21dDw8CfH9-yU7mFrf0fYld8BtN0AtPTtW3fOjXxsm7QMCp1kYdYYzIdNMDF5sr3wtBQwIQH8DblmhhMAdNpfJIM7Wtu3GCtGDQnyHsaHHZYh0jz7vGdl6Cv4Hog66r2lpdghdBDg/s2592/PXL_20220410_032610183.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfXv2GJKoHsoxgyMv9UHTxkh06Euj-v9lFVXaRreOzP_zvaeLsb21dDw8CfH9-yU7mFrf0fYld8BtN0AtPTtW3fOjXxsm7QMCp1kYdYYzIdNMDF5sr3wtBQwIQH8DblmhhMAdNpfJIM7Wtu3GCtGDQnyHsaHHZYh0jz7vGdl6Cv4Hog66r2lpdghdBDg/s320/PXL_20220410_032610183.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first slices of cake! Distinct layers, chocolate cut reasonably, cake held together when transferring to plates/tupperwares<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Despite my chocolate math, I'm pretty sure something went wrong with the chocolate glaze. It remained fairly stiff when I was trying to eat it, when I think it was supposed to be more of a soft, forkable texture. Maybe this is related to my choice of chocolate chips rather than purer couverture, and also due to my overheating it? Similarly, the ganache layer seemed to absorb a fair amout into the cake layer underneath. Overall, though, I think the cake came out well, even if the layers are not as distinct as I would have imagined. While the chocolate was powerful, the coffee was also powerful, and there was a surprising balance in that sweetness that was aided by the volume of the cake layers. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6bCo-f7pPpSQ_Yia-dzhL7p7v2i-S4e82A4BPWZPqnIuq3iPnRDuRB0OCGvSLiA5Oozo75G_f4MRQCrB0_4IE50y59xswCrLSds8YieWxyEWFqKy7pXPTCITfWlF57bH6sgM9TFfbbsGRHo88AKqb6OF0pzR3uLTci7sa2uy7ATtUASvzQZIVCHoDbg/s2592/PXL_20220410_041410006.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6bCo-f7pPpSQ_Yia-dzhL7p7v2i-S4e82A4BPWZPqnIuq3iPnRDuRB0OCGvSLiA5Oozo75G_f4MRQCrB0_4IE50y59xswCrLSds8YieWxyEWFqKy7pXPTCITfWlF57bH6sgM9TFfbbsGRHo88AKqb6OF0pzR3uLTci7sa2uy7ATtUASvzQZIVCHoDbg/s320/PXL_20220410_041410006.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I need to get better plating and shots of the final products<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Some thoughts:</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I continue to find working with chocolate an inscrutable task. <br /></li><li>Due to the syrup, there wasn't an appreciable difference between cake layers baked too long, which was useful to find out.</li><li>There were definitely places where the chocolate glaze was thicker than others, causing the ratio of chocolate to cake to be a little disruptive. This could be better with a few of the points I mention below (enough buttercream to smooth, and a lower cake ring). <br /></li><li>What is up with the buttercream quantity! At first I thought I maybe wasn't whipping it enough, but even letting it go for the full ten minutes, it hasn't appreciably increased in volume past the point I've used it at so far. I guess I'm just going to have to double buttercream and use 1.5 times what the recipe calls for, and then reserve the rest for a later date. </li><li>I'm really glad I split this between two days, and as the summer months approach, I'm certain I'm going to have to spread recipes over even more days to keep components cool and in workable condition. </li><li>If I'm to continue making cakes like this in the future, I do wonder if it's worth investing in a 12x10" cake rectangle that's less tall. I think I'll try some of the recipes from the Curley book and then decide what the quantity of cake I prefer to make is going to be, and then buy a rectangle to suit that. </li><li>This cake was not as difficult to make as I imagined! It did have many components, but I'm looking forward to riffing on those as distinct flavor profiles in the future. The syrup, the buttercream, and the ganache could all be independently adjusted, and I understand now why this is a popular cake for variations on flavor. </li><li>...But my life is not ready for this much cake. This made a lot of (intense and decadent) cake, and it took over a week for it all to get eaten, even after I gave away more than half of it to various friends and their roommates. Likely it would be easier with fruit flavors, but there's only so much buttercream one can eat comfortably... <br /></li><li>I'm going to have to sort out getting a replacement fridge for the house soon if I'm going to continue down this road (and eventually make this <a href="https://www.thebutterlab.com/blog/honeycake" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">honey cake</a> that needs umpteen counter and storage space) due to the multi-day assembly and slower consumption time nature of cakes.</li></ul><p>My next set of lessons is going to be macarons, which I enjoy eating but have also heard are difficult to master, and as someone who's had some truly disgusting macarons, I hope I don't have to eat too many mistakes before I figure out a workable method for me. <br /></p><p><br /></p>Helena Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948134617740274723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3324966668274170747.post-16492416742770789412022-04-09T18:33:00.016-07:002022-04-09T18:36:56.055-07:00Patisserie 10.5: Paris-Brest again<p>This is just a short post, but I made the Paris-Brest pastries again, incorporating the following changes that I wanted to improve on from <a href="https://tinkertailor-hw.blogspot.com/2022/03/patisserie-10-paris-brest-praline.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">last time</a>: </p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Pipe the correct diameter circles (OD 70mm)</li><li>Using 10mm piping tip for larger choux width</li><li>Chilling the mousseline prior to piping for sharper results</li><li>Filling the pastries more liberally<br /></li><li>Figuring out the correct piping pattern for the mousseline<br /></li><li>Making a large batch of praline from scratch to eliminate hazelnut chunks that might clog my piping tip</li></ul><p>I did still end up using almost an entire extra egg (3.8) compared to the three that the recipe calls for. The larger piping tip resulted in fewer total pastries (14 total), but also had the unintended effect of needing longer to bake. I removed the first batch from the oven a little too early, and this resulted in a few of the rings sagging slightly, though none deflated entirely. Otherwise, though, these rose fairly well and were not overwhelmingly bagel-like.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC20Lm_bRGpHU4KjLnf56qIJA5eoSqR9QBA7FNrxAkRmQhyPMijUk0OXETAj5yylgZa1IEMz9gPdJD3ty_shv4EuGATL5zXUFnVFsw5I4Nzt8jLkR7COKzzGbTaciZH1m4h-7Ltmg48tMMroeG-c5t6ACo6wHjX6DcTyp_1tHDN_Bj2o3M6TUefzNhRw/s2592/PXL_20220330_170817847.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC20Lm_bRGpHU4KjLnf56qIJA5eoSqR9QBA7FNrxAkRmQhyPMijUk0OXETAj5yylgZa1IEMz9gPdJD3ty_shv4EuGATL5zXUFnVFsw5I4Nzt8jLkR7COKzzGbTaciZH1m4h-7Ltmg48tMMroeG-c5t6ACo6wHjX6DcTyp_1tHDN_Bj2o3M6TUefzNhRw/s320/PXL_20220330_170817847.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ring in the foreground is deflated slightly, while those in the back are round. Should have left them in the oven longer, especially since drying out isn't really a concern with milk in the mix and a filling on top of that.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Since I filled these pastries the same day as I baked them, the choux shells were crisper, but so were the almonds. This resulted in a lot of the almonds chipping off while I was cutting the shells in half. I'm beginning to see why so many modern Paris-Brest variations choose to use pearl sugar as a topping instead. <p></p><p>I piped an initial ring of chilled mousseline into the bottom half of the choux this time, to fill in some of the space. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj2lbooBxIEVbs6TUlyFIJzXCwlPVEunWe7pg-Xlgf9hs0QVkwrZP01-rl1kuClppqQkF2PIaFy215kPAzu8S4txLrfMRt0HqGx27tjKI5vB8lhrNU0eqWJYH7uv6A6opcx63zK6nLdcBS3X3jBe_-_E8SxkKf3AUeN1az39CfDnHQRgZG-HLKlyTVMw/s2592/PXL_20220330_210946511.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj2lbooBxIEVbs6TUlyFIJzXCwlPVEunWe7pg-Xlgf9hs0QVkwrZP01-rl1kuClppqQkF2PIaFy215kPAzu8S4txLrfMRt0HqGx27tjKI5vB8lhrNU0eqWJYH7uv6A6opcx63zK6nLdcBS3X3jBe_-_E8SxkKf3AUeN1az39CfDnHQRgZG-HLKlyTVMw/s320/PXL_20220330_210946511.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I piped an initial ring of mousseline to fill in the cavities in the choux, so the prettier piped ripples would not sink down<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Then, I piped loop-de-loops of mousseline in a circle around the pastry, which is a technique I picked up after browsing Instagram to figure out how the heck I was supposed to pipe the mousseline to get those nice ripples when viewed from the side. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXpKq5BPqR_txds2sNaXbwr9F9m5yaasD-dadh02p4BULweNuzbjxu6dXjxDtSuVXXdRbp5MUTuwgB9iLfepvbFS47qI3ts0Lv9uwg__tHlVnAPe5HppD7PssPnd_LzL1FfnF5YsDH7pGxS2ZRxCfRhdETiHMyW3GOc5_orx46Sl-J5n1ly0ScztBwgg/s2592/PXL_20220330_211001233.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXpKq5BPqR_txds2sNaXbwr9F9m5yaasD-dadh02p4BULweNuzbjxu6dXjxDtSuVXXdRbp5MUTuwgB9iLfepvbFS47qI3ts0Lv9uwg__tHlVnAPe5HppD7PssPnd_LzL1FfnF5YsDH7pGxS2ZRxCfRhdETiHMyW3GOc5_orx46Sl-J5n1ly0ScztBwgg/s320/PXL_20220330_211001233.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mousseline piped using overlapping loops to achieve the scalloped edges when viewed from the side<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The more liberal piping of the mousseline yielded only one dozen Paris-Brest completed, but my, were they picturesque!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxX0SUtIpsOpUv-l46jYSO65_G2AK2b0TT9-8LJOcUAbERjRyDXywhu-3Z55Jr3wB1fy6eqgWxMgECDcC7T-MnuEM66wqpIxzBnT9r4GoC0_L-kP0G8S34daI95DPY1mhgPlITI0zOnwRPQsBvd3oX6nfjwNRw1iA1Zkm4nBn3lo0GAms1NZ4YliJxw/s2592/PXL_20220330_211248888.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxX0SUtIpsOpUv-l46jYSO65_G2AK2b0TT9-8LJOcUAbERjRyDXywhu-3Z55Jr3wB1fy6eqgWxMgECDcC7T-MnuEM66wqpIxzBnT9r4GoC0_L-kP0G8S34daI95DPY1mhgPlITI0zOnwRPQsBvd3oX6nfjwNRw1iA1Zkm4nBn3lo0GAms1NZ4YliJxw/s320/PXL_20220330_211248888.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paris-Brest, attempt two! I think this is a faithful reproduction, but I admit I have never had one of these from a patissier before. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Even though I chilled the mousseline prior to piping, the shapes were not as sharp as pictured in The Book, but the mousseline was airier in general than last time. I think I'm ready to move on from choux/this recipe, though I may come back and visit eclairs soon because I've been seeing a lot of beautiful ones coming in lately with fruit flavors as the weather has warmed (and had a delicious strawberry one a few weeks ago). Now I just have this extra praline paste that I have to resist eating with a spoon. <p></p><p>Quote of the day: </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KU89m1cxWgis9P-bCz2X41dzkmMyCfbd86puDV9Bhoow5BJ89hg4z4q-SQa7VdT2orrbK3uNGAtMN_NjymOio5i6LgOBs_4-hqcO8Kgxj8KrVkxNAXumfIQptb3stSihqBVkh8uvDxmtnl9D0-TAAsSPMJUD9ygM2DIQx-aHmiPJ1EnFAEJAgwYQzA/s1209/signal-2022-03-30-18-38-35-629_2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1209" data-original-width="945" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KU89m1cxWgis9P-bCz2X41dzkmMyCfbd86puDV9Bhoow5BJ89hg4z4q-SQa7VdT2orrbK3uNGAtMN_NjymOio5i6LgOBs_4-hqcO8Kgxj8KrVkxNAXumfIQptb3stSihqBVkh8uvDxmtnl9D0-TAAsSPMJUD9ygM2DIQx-aHmiPJ1EnFAEJAgwYQzA/s320/signal-2022-03-30-18-38-35-629_2.png" width="250" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Helena Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948134617740274723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3324966668274170747.post-16603997407082346902022-03-28T18:11:00.000-07:002022-03-28T18:11:09.202-07:00Patisserie 12: Biscuit Moka/Mocha Cake<p> The <i>moka</i> cake is the first "advanced" recipe I've tried from the cakes section of The Book. At first, it was not immediately apparent why this recipe was marked as being harder than the other cakes, because in comparison, the assembly is a lot easier and there are fewer components overall: a sponge cake (similar to the <i>Fraisier</i> from last time), coffee buttercream, and toasted almonds. I suspect the difficulty rating is due to the risks of baking a tall, circular sponge cake, and also in part due to the assembly process of the final cake. But I think, for my first cake of this form factor, that it all went well. It is an atypical shape of cake because it is apparently an Alsacian festive cake, and various flavor profiles can be used. This recipe used rum and coffee as the chief flavorings.<br /></p><p>Like in the <i>Fraisier</i> sponge, this sponge cake began with egg whites separated from the yolks, to be whipped into stiff peaks with sugar. However, instead of beating the egg yolks into the meringued whites, the egg yolks were also beaten separately with sugar until they were pale and thick. Additionally, the cake contained flour but also the addition of corn starch. I sifted these two powders, though I perhaps should have sifted them together as well. Back in the day, sifting was important to prevent unsavory milled things from getting mixed in with your flour, but now, it's primarily done to eliminate lumps that will either remain undissolved in the batter and bake up as little raw flour pellets, or necessitate additional folding to incorporate that risks overworking the batter and either deflating it or creating excess gluten formation that will make the cake tough. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5Bvh-10TCta_d5xdcQzSTb3lMYB_9RfSmlnNgIh8WU_n5sdm7Pjqarj6MXvBwTYaGGfSFySdA2_9geZ6Arqp_Mw2gnhJiKq0-ka0L8OA1wLOnD2uCRQnon6z3PS4sOU3SuOcHQI5Jr03VvtoHh_gZg4w9yfUd_GtLk5DQvME5T2l2aL3XSzaswwDig/s2592/PXL_20220324_173156103.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5Bvh-10TCta_d5xdcQzSTb3lMYB_9RfSmlnNgIh8WU_n5sdm7Pjqarj6MXvBwTYaGGfSFySdA2_9geZ6Arqp_Mw2gnhJiKq0-ka0L8OA1wLOnD2uCRQnon6z3PS4sOU3SuOcHQI5Jr03VvtoHh_gZg4w9yfUd_GtLk5DQvME5T2l2aL3XSzaswwDig/s320/PXL_20220324_173156103.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ingredients for the sponge: Egg whites ready for whipping, egg yolks and sugar to be whipped simultaneously, more sugar to whip into the meringue, and flour and cornstarch sifted together. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><a name='more'></a></span></div><p>While I let the stand mixer do its thing to the egg whites, I whisked the egg yolks together with sugar as a comrade in arms to my mixer. I used a dish towel underneath my whisking bowl to keep it from moving around, and I had to take a few breaks (under the guise of checking on the status of the egg white peaks) because my arm was getting very tired! Truly my stand mixer is the undisputed VIP of my baking still, after all these years. But eventually, we had glossy, stiff peaks in the stand mixer and thick, pale egg yolks, ready to combine. </p><p>It's worth noting that the ingredients for the batter all eventually go into the egg yolk mixture, so it's important to start with a medium or large bowl to accommodate the folding of a full quantity of batter. <br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp8KMjqt3ASPlqUd67de0ha4Z6RSs4eR3n5A7N4refOFuPm3h8RZwkrIodshGgNpbS3yC9EBCghjqmnxU5W33bH5xeoeBfvKFjM0zJo9atXuADfXH9KMdvdr1al6jKx_9tNqknjjSBHGMmf4pVr2RYST-iIRH9gzpGEN5xXpGIU_SyqoCo7zWIE1M1UA/s2592/PXL_20220324_174505115.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp8KMjqt3ASPlqUd67de0ha4Z6RSs4eR3n5A7N4refOFuPm3h8RZwkrIodshGgNpbS3yC9EBCghjqmnxU5W33bH5xeoeBfvKFjM0zJo9atXuADfXH9KMdvdr1al6jKx_9tNqknjjSBHGMmf4pVr2RYST-iIRH9gzpGEN5xXpGIU_SyqoCo7zWIE1M1UA/s320/PXL_20220324_174505115.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whisking away by hand and by machine<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Here is the batter once the egg whites are folded into the whipped yolks. It has deflated very little, and I should think it's good to keep it that way.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKqAqF7u3FkHXKvbHRpaB1mMMndFwAr2C8_AKexBqBvifp-NZUjNGPFw4B2JSkkrF0KiRxN6rpsidsVkS23M-2qTjc7lUAkBxQqvep-sbGvdN3-_tcZtJtdrJl5bkxO6VVqnlnUD1xvb5v3Ro_vSBmjLYaiR_vfgfV26G8SVVJNgk3Nhxl-2mBniSlzQ/s2592/PXL_20220324_174852711.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKqAqF7u3FkHXKvbHRpaB1mMMndFwAr2C8_AKexBqBvifp-NZUjNGPFw4B2JSkkrF0KiRxN6rpsidsVkS23M-2qTjc7lUAkBxQqvep-sbGvdN3-_tcZtJtdrJl5bkxO6VVqnlnUD1xvb5v3Ro_vSBmjLYaiR_vfgfV26G8SVVJNgk3Nhxl-2mBniSlzQ/s320/PXL_20220324_174852711.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whipped separate eggs folded together into the bowl<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I incorporated the flour in three batches, but found it to be fairly streaky. By the end of the third batch, as I was scraping the bottom of the bowl to make sure I hadn't missed any spots, I was beginning to feel the heaviness of the flour resisting my spatula, even though the batter had not deflated all that much. I decided it was better to quit while I was ahead and not worry about any more streaks. This is one of the reasons I think it may have been good to do a second sifting of the flour and cornstarch once they were both sifted separately, because together the mixture might be less willing to clump upon contact with moisture.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwCTyXy9bmARTVcNmafr8CR48BtefHIbWm2TCBPLwgtI9Ji-hUxVLAwgtDtYNKXA33vj4I5m-lvwo1T2hm9OHJ9b5L3eMxfnBE7PaNliqRi2LdlKnNbsyz--bNXRKuw4Ev9O19IMKk4BUsvBRukmuUaF5pXIYhGzWqc6QR9i5fEhx4ZUD5N9Z_t7J7xA/s2592/PXL_20220324_175116895.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwCTyXy9bmARTVcNmafr8CR48BtefHIbWm2TCBPLwgtI9Ji-hUxVLAwgtDtYNKXA33vj4I5m-lvwo1T2hm9OHJ9b5L3eMxfnBE7PaNliqRi2LdlKnNbsyz--bNXRKuw4Ev9O19IMKk4BUsvBRukmuUaF5pXIYhGzWqc6QR9i5fEhx4ZUD5N9Z_t7J7xA/s320/PXL_20220324_175116895.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flour and cornstarch folded into the whipped eggs<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I had earlier prepared an 8" round pan (2" high) with 3" strips of parchment for lining that I cut off of the ends of one of my pre-cut sheets (one from the long edge, one from the short edge). This left me with enough parchment to rest underneath the round pan and serve as its bottom barrier against the sheet pan I was to bake everything on. I gently shoveled the batter out of the bowl and into the round pan, and I used the back of my mixing silicone spatula to smooth out the top without depressing too much lest it deflate. I didn't bother using an offset spatula here, because I knew it would be a pain to flatten the surface of the batter given the parchment rising up on either side. The batter came up to the top edge of the round pan, but I trusted that the parchment height would keep the sides of the cake in order. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI6v2WLLXL0gSBBrU2KlInDyCCXF_RmOWNTx2Q_m4WcYo48SNfMCudb6QM6LqZSWZeLZ_eKvbKvGe1YdBBCia0uIMHTvCq6ttSC4f6NLJcM6ZJkLJwsrm5KwJqoA9eRFWfgp9f10VfX93tEfow8sZBuQ49VY1Iy1eLBqpw7tUUc1DF7xe_K0yedmKlbg/s2592/PXL_20220324_175333870.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI6v2WLLXL0gSBBrU2KlInDyCCXF_RmOWNTx2Q_m4WcYo48SNfMCudb6QM6LqZSWZeLZ_eKvbKvGe1YdBBCia0uIMHTvCq6ttSC4f6NLJcM6ZJkLJwsrm5KwJqoA9eRFWfgp9f10VfX93tEfow8sZBuQ49VY1Iy1eLBqpw7tUUc1DF7xe_K0yedmKlbg/s320/PXL_20220324_175333870.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The batter came up to the two-inch height of the cake circle, and I hoped the parchment would do its job.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>This cake was then baked at 350deg F for "at least 20 minutes" with convection heat until lightly browned. This is the only recipe thus far to not give an upper bound for the cake baking, which was a little concerning. When I checked the cake at 20 minutes of baking time, one tap of the sheet pan revealed that the center of the cake seemed quite jiggly. In my experience, tall cakes like this struggle to cook all the way through evenly (this is why Bundt cake pans and angel food cake pans have that hole in the middle, to avoid this problem!), but where in a regular cake I might lower the temperature or drop the convection heat, I knew this cake would be brushed in syrup, so I was not concerned for it to come out dry. I let it bake for another 7 minutes, and by the time I pulled it out, the top was springy when gently pressed, and the center was no jigglier than the rest. The cake had also not browned excessively.<br /></p><p>The cake was rather tall when I pulled it from the oven, exceeding the height of the parchment, and several medium-sized cracks had developed on the top surface. But I was glad the parchment paper had held its own and kept the sides of the cake straight. I moved the cake to a rack to cool and slipped the cake ring up and off easily, and once the cake had cooled enough to touch, I peeled off the parchment from the perimeter.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcu9RbZJVzAuF-x1rg5QXhB5TWNNCerAwFbAI-n7nA3PUVZv2oBXYOd8WGPlZsOFhE6sEy_W2uJAt-qoZ2H783nZSYpGgFqSnP8jMxRLiiZ1Q8tFTD1OXIpa97UWqMlnnB0nHFlfjxaHQhGZAeHRYfMl3qX5AkzSbGB7WLbZnNV4g2Oyz8mYw0JIJobQ/s2592/PXL_20220324_182108766.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcu9RbZJVzAuF-x1rg5QXhB5TWNNCerAwFbAI-n7nA3PUVZv2oBXYOd8WGPlZsOFhE6sEy_W2uJAt-qoZ2H783nZSYpGgFqSnP8jMxRLiiZ1Q8tFTD1OXIpa97UWqMlnnB0nHFlfjxaHQhGZAeHRYfMl3qX5AkzSbGB7WLbZnNV4g2Oyz8mYw0JIJobQ/s320/PXL_20220324_182108766.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cake immediately after leaving the oven. It was quite tall!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I kept checking on the cake as it cooled, because it began to sink almost immediately. One of the reasons, I think, why this cake is "advanced" is because of the tendency of tall, round sponge cakes like this to sink in the middle. </p><p>There are a few reasons why cakes might sink, either as they bake or as they cool, and these troubleshooting tips are well documented on various websites and books. The biggest dangers for the sponge cake composition in this recipe were probably: </p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Oven temp (too cool - cake won't set before air bubbles escape. Too hot - cake will be cracked and peaky, but then the outsides will cook way faster than the inside and the cake will collapse once cooled)</li><li>Underbaking (if the batter is not set, it cannot hold the tiny bubbles in its structure)</li><li>Overmixing (deflated batter will not be as airy because the egg mousse matrix is the only thing providing leavening in this cake, and too much gluten formation will create a tough cake)</li><li>Undermixing (not enough gluten formation will also make it hard for the cake to maintain structure, though the recipe said to mix until just combined so I think it's unlikely this was a large concern for this type of cake)</li></ul><p>I think working with the dacquoise early on has more than wizened me up to the dangers of overworking a meringue batter, so I continue to be extremely careful when folding in ingredients. While the extra time on the baking probably meant my cake was not underbaked, I did have to open the oven to jiggle the pan, and ideally that would be unnecessary. But on the plus side, the cracks that had opened up on the top of the cake had disappeared due to the top sinking, and my overall sinking was quite little, resulting in only a slight concavity by the time the cake was at room temperature. Not bad for a first attempt! Unfortunately, The Book does not provide a reference photo for how the cake should look once cooled before cutting, so I have no metric by which to visually evaluate the sinkage of the cake. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsiO4R_4FZhRE2Rml6v9XgXUOsCN9maP-b1D2YY9HOEgoQS6NBMtAn7VxYoe_UoYhBrQZfXABA9Xk-qZj-L52R9-p5_YwDcEbL3-V0ixmcM3GUvnDtk2qoajArhMIiatXg-VgX4lA99G9MC6IopLcHpqmGpgcfXgCIa5tfoiaRofM3BkBMSh-SVMMn3A/s2592/PXL_20220324_190052312.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsiO4R_4FZhRE2Rml6v9XgXUOsCN9maP-b1D2YY9HOEgoQS6NBMtAn7VxYoe_UoYhBrQZfXABA9Xk-qZj-L52R9-p5_YwDcEbL3-V0ixmcM3GUvnDtk2qoajArhMIiatXg-VgX4lA99G9MC6IopLcHpqmGpgcfXgCIa5tfoiaRofM3BkBMSh-SVMMn3A/s320/PXL_20220324_190052312.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Completely cooled cake. There is a little sinking in the center, but overall the cake is a reasonable cylinder.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>While I waited for the cake to cool enough to cut, I first ate lunch, and then brewed a stronger-than-usual coffee in my 2-serving Moka pot, which just meant packing two whole tablespoons of coffee into the canister. I poured three tablespoons of this into a bowl and dissolved a teaspoon of instant coffee into it and let it cool. The Book calls for either espresso or strong coffee, and given that a Moka makes something almost as strong as espresso on the continuum of coffee strength, it seemed like a better option than to try and brew stronger coffee with pourover. </p><p>I would like to shamefully admit at this point that I certainly do not drink enough coffee to have fresh coffee on hand at all times, and I used one-year-old pre-ground cold brew coffee, which was very good when I first bought it, and I had been using it periodically when making coffee for myself. The instant coffee was also very old Folgers (though I don't think it suffers with age, mostly because it's not that impressive to begin with and there's nowhere lower for it to go, really). But I drank the remainder of the coffee in my Moka and it tasted...like coffee, as usual. I don't know! I am not picky about my caffeine flavors! (unless it is west coast third wave coffee, with its "fruity acidity and tart berry notes and stone fruit" i.e. sourness and inexplicable mapping to soy sauce aroma in my brain...but that's a tirade nobody agrees with) <br /></p><p>I placed the cake on a quarter sheet pan and gingerly cut it in half with a serrated bread knife, using the edge of the pan as a rough guide to keep my cut planar. I think I did...okay, though my knife could have been sharper. The cake was very spongy, as the name might suggest, such that a wire cake cutter probably would have been unable to successfully cut through the elasticity. I was relieved that the interior of my cooled cake was completely cooked, and the edges seemed to be as uniformly cooked as the center. I'm chalking this up as a moderate success!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ACfVPsV0mtrZryTBjEUsD5mVQu5ctoXxZaAbHzBL3Fe6cG2FFZqc55niEVqNUZNHLsXlr5WSancqGEiiQM6tslksWdo3gYx7DQXceNM2zTikr5f8zP7pTojy9i88Ctaw_ZlCFKvaCGNbnPiCPHMFm4DqhO0G_Kz81HrQRc9UqQMqJ5l6ipRU7Dn_Ow/s2592/PXL_20220324_194023629.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ACfVPsV0mtrZryTBjEUsD5mVQu5ctoXxZaAbHzBL3Fe6cG2FFZqc55niEVqNUZNHLsXlr5WSancqGEiiQM6tslksWdo3gYx7DQXceNM2zTikr5f8zP7pTojy9i88Ctaw_ZlCFKvaCGNbnPiCPHMFm4DqhO0G_Kz81HrQRc9UqQMqJ5l6ipRU7Dn_Ow/s320/PXL_20220324_194023629.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sponge cake is...spongy. I don't know what I expected. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Having seen the dangers of trying to frost a not-quite-cool cake, I let the newly opened cake layers rest for a bit while I worked on the rest of the recipe. I brought out the reserved half recipe of buttercream from earlier in
the week from the fridge, and dropped it into the stand mixer to whip
for a few minutes. When it had achieved light, fluffy volume and a very
pale color once more, I poured in the cooled coffee flavor from earlier. The buttercream broke briefly, and I scraped down the sides to make sure all the coffee got incorporated, but another minute of whipping brought the buttercream back together and perhaps even a little fluffier than before!<br /></p><p>I brushed the cakes with a syrup made of sugar dissolved in warm water, cooled, and then with rum added. Since these layers were kind of thick, and I knew from the last cake that the sponge would be fairly dry once baked and would likely be able to handle more moisture, I used up all the syrup, split between the two cut faces of the cake. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBbSlVZC8hnVa0vJZX_aVcMbmI1U_ariyTWPeUrp-B-8IzVex18bd6_QSm4nNwumQWl8gvctpxxqomhq5ZT0g02hyxvyLOrENh2MJm4MLEu6lzgTYVDkAHYrCBNArHuHe6bwheCu9P1BTw6yDC77Sr79cRBR77aLVyhjTsk5e1Z3PDwg7Ia9j0uMXKg/s2592/PXL_20220324_201720287.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBbSlVZC8hnVa0vJZX_aVcMbmI1U_ariyTWPeUrp-B-8IzVex18bd6_QSm4nNwumQWl8gvctpxxqomhq5ZT0g02hyxvyLOrENh2MJm4MLEu6lzgTYVDkAHYrCBNArHuHe6bwheCu9P1BTw6yDC77Sr79cRBR77aLVyhjTsk5e1Z3PDwg7Ia9j0uMXKg/s320/PXL_20220324_201720287.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sponge cake layers brushed with syrup, and coffee buttercream being whipped in the stand mixer<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The recipe states to use slightly less than half the buttercream for the bottom layer, but because I knew the amount of buttercream I started with was lower than expected (due to the discrepancy I discovered last time where the recipe for buttercream yielded about 200g less of the 1000g stated yield), I wanted to err on the side of excess for frosting the surface of the cake. So I used about a third on the first layer, spreading gently with an offset spatula.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinBeASitqqIymT1IKB0Sy9TV-1qMn1gNBZANsKofXQbhX4zjTyzBYty1b4VraQbrv4jAHE_rx2xvVlL--Rmv8mF_rN8UWuvupCipFHNCwpMJWN-k4TD0yoE-y9T7HMUIhpg7au8vMbiFvWb2YmJiOwLccX2D3zZdapD4UTyzRQWM_pHb8skAD_o-cIlQ/s2592/PXL_20220324_201917686.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinBeASitqqIymT1IKB0Sy9TV-1qMn1gNBZANsKofXQbhX4zjTyzBYty1b4VraQbrv4jAHE_rx2xvVlL--Rmv8mF_rN8UWuvupCipFHNCwpMJWN-k4TD0yoE-y9T7HMUIhpg7au8vMbiFvWb2YmJiOwLccX2D3zZdapD4UTyzRQWM_pHb8skAD_o-cIlQ/s320/PXL_20220324_201917686.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was sparing in the first layer of buttercream that I spread on the bottom layer of the cake, because it would be far worse to run out of exterior frosting than to have a little thinness between layers.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I placed the second layer on top with the cut side facing up. You can see here that there is barely any noticeable sink in the center by this point. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTd7SwFquMDnOVBoWEG4caAA74Q8HR5v03n4hy6ZHURZ4X5IsBAc4eM5oaYL19tSNs0FJgFfIQ285jpFlkcU1_UxIJXCtDizj9DZh3wtRwJI0niKu9l0vXG5-eMQsv0oUVXRH2iBROUdpEJTlwfTLpNC7AxWBYy301HZlyH-OBHDvp1eoeREXaiaZlg/s2592/PXL_20220324_201947016.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTd7SwFquMDnOVBoWEG4caAA74Q8HR5v03n4hy6ZHURZ4X5IsBAc4eM5oaYL19tSNs0FJgFfIQ285jpFlkcU1_UxIJXCtDizj9DZh3wtRwJI0niKu9l0vXG5-eMQsv0oUVXRH2iBROUdpEJTlwfTLpNC7AxWBYy301HZlyH-OBHDvp1eoeREXaiaZlg/s320/PXL_20220324_201947016.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second layer of the cake assembled atop the first, with the cut side facing up<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I then used another third of the buttercream and smoothed it across the top of the cake, letting excess coat the sides as it fell. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqg-ECfFFMVaZoCl6WkRTC_FsrM-9zHN4DYc7VwdIduNGqzKsmro8ypiL84hbGgHeeTgPdgVkkbuY0oiBV5NFkefOevbubg7cVdbvmPAKod6MqUibRK4cI7WD1MwQVXINWhuPDOLQ7gfSVxdUScDbHNcZ5dWwE1UZbUEoS87PfwAnQyIEvCX8ecOTIBg/s2592/PXL_20220324_202106702.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqg-ECfFFMVaZoCl6WkRTC_FsrM-9zHN4DYc7VwdIduNGqzKsmro8ypiL84hbGgHeeTgPdgVkkbuY0oiBV5NFkefOevbubg7cVdbvmPAKod6MqUibRK4cI7WD1MwQVXINWhuPDOLQ7gfSVxdUScDbHNcZ5dWwE1UZbUEoS87PfwAnQyIEvCX8ecOTIBg/s320/PXL_20220324_202106702.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top of the cake as flat as I could make the buttercream<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Finally, I used about 2/3 of the last third to frost the perimeter of the cake. This was a little harder to do smoothly, both because I don't have a way to keep the spatula at a constant angle to the cake, and because the cylinder isn't completely even. I did a first rough pass just to get most of the large gaps filled in, and then came back with more buttercream to try and get coverage of all cake surfaces. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM3AetlcHwh_6z8VkO5xbJMqLP9H258wy5Jiw9WHkE8dEa7aSAGM-ao1R4X9IExUUfnp58aGq1bObs0wuL3bnr6avO96i7n3dXyH24WCfYJ41JpkQETWGxjVH9zSP8oQzfp02z7HIwTYTjlt3hnmLSqZyKNvOQ2etOrKJSjaHfn6J81pYcU-ZUxOYxJw/s2592/PXL_20220324_202611733.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM3AetlcHwh_6z8VkO5xbJMqLP9H258wy5Jiw9WHkE8dEa7aSAGM-ao1R4X9IExUUfnp58aGq1bObs0wuL3bnr6avO96i7n3dXyH24WCfYJ41JpkQETWGxjVH9zSP8oQzfp02z7HIwTYTjlt3hnmLSqZyKNvOQ2etOrKJSjaHfn6J81pYcU-ZUxOYxJw/s320/PXL_20220324_202611733.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty ok! I was not adamant on a smooth outer face because I knew I would be covering this with almonds later on.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Facing the camera on the center right of the top edge of the cake, you can see a slight depression. This is from one of the blobby edges of the sponge top sinking in, such that when turned upside down, it created a large gap. I filled it in the best I could with buttercream, but it's not a very structural icing. But I straightened all the edges as much as I could and sent the cake into the fridge to chill for a little over an hour to let the buttercream set. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJzqNJBJ0ItbRHPwBYJo0sQasn6JJMzA_GvSUfMT9LqrofLO7IAB1Ao0snKHjAv3grGuBTZXcCAFobU2s9vuMOcgsz_QAgX4mM_SpaPjzc1NQ12_2L3M-vUeNWXFbE_CC-Fpfr-4MUUUnnqREyHLPng9k0BgLGYSPHBEQk-dDwTGYNA_ct4BkEQ3fyjg/s2592/PXL_20220324_202618517.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJzqNJBJ0ItbRHPwBYJo0sQasn6JJMzA_GvSUfMT9LqrofLO7IAB1Ao0snKHjAv3grGuBTZXcCAFobU2s9vuMOcgsz_QAgX4mM_SpaPjzc1NQ12_2L3M-vUeNWXFbE_CC-Fpfr-4MUUUnnqREyHLPng9k0BgLGYSPHBEQk-dDwTGYNA_ct4BkEQ3fyjg/s320/PXL_20220324_202618517.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The divot on the top edge just right of center is due to the way the cake sank and pulled the edges in with it. I tried to patch it with some buttercream, but there's only so much structure you can build with mousse...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The recipe asks to keep the remaining reserved buttercream at room temperature, but it was approaching 75 degrees in my house today, so I stuck it into the fridge. When it was time to do the final pass on the top of the cake, I brought it out and whisked it lightly by hand. This was a mistake; the color was noticeably darker and I was unable to incorporate nearly as much air as was necessary for a glossy, smooth finish. I spread the reserved buttercream on the cake, but when I went to draw the bread knife patterns across the surface, the buttercream became ragged due to the large air bubbles, instead of being smooth in the undulations. </p><p>I had toasted some almonds per the recipe for ten minutes at 350deg F at the beginning of the recipe, and it was time now to use them as decoration on the sides of the pan. The Book contains an audacious photo of the entire cake being held up in the left hand while a spatula first smooths the sides and angles of the cake, and then presses almonds into the sides of the cake. I had no illusions about my likelihood to immediately get my thumbprints all over the cake and ruin the mouse, and probably subsequently drop the entire cake, so I took the slightly less convenient but safer approach of pressing patches of almonds into the sides of the cake while it rested on the sheet pan. I scooped up fallen almonds carefully as they dropped to use in other areas, and as a final touch, I placed choice almond slices around the top of the cake and also stuck them on one by one in areas that looked too bare. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7iOe3Ac0TGQHZ2xoT1cGRLpMtGPEoA_BaZc4qj9YYLAiGfUDiZilT9lnZaToGKrc4h0oJ0C63BgKfThs6PHuMOv0jpyqnerqhdSO64qpu09W6gq6kJv5sitGPEo6KKscUoYX29z47yYPCen4hSG1c7qCuUil1CErylBrmgE861t9Q5DoyPjHgmpOWA/s2592/PXL_20220324_214158114.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7iOe3Ac0TGQHZ2xoT1cGRLpMtGPEoA_BaZc4qj9YYLAiGfUDiZilT9lnZaToGKrc4h0oJ0C63BgKfThs6PHuMOv0jpyqnerqhdSO64qpu09W6gq6kJv5sitGPEo6KKscUoYX29z47yYPCen4hSG1c7qCuUil1CErylBrmgE861t9Q5DoyPjHgmpOWA/s320/PXL_20220324_214158114.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I left the cake on the pan and pressed toasted almonds to the sides, and did a final pass manually sticking almond slices one by one into gaps that remained, as well as along the top edge to try and create a sharper profile.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>After chilling in the fridge for another hour, the cake was ready to cut. I used my chef's knife as before, but found that this cake was much more resilient to cutting, possibly because the sponge layers were so thick and springy (true to name!). Running the knife under hot water to heat it up and then drying it seemed to make the cuts cleaner, though there was nothing to be done about any almonds caught up in the cutting path and immediately getting knocked off of the cake. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-7gk-WYGIDBnInLgLNDI0rC3AANbRqR0-Fz2_ehvqurAcwkvx5OAP3o7n1AVYHKuh8sE9QH7oOXxBYc2_FqmkTWp7nibux1pcWb7vq6H_iNV64YXxgy6RABYlZQKSR_V9jovhsYWTdf9bVZFRrcezHg67kkHzH5fwcOYFuHDpAwOP6YOIvSpFVfZow/s2592/PXL_20220324_235509571.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-7gk-WYGIDBnInLgLNDI0rC3AANbRqR0-Fz2_ehvqurAcwkvx5OAP3o7n1AVYHKuh8sE9QH7oOXxBYc2_FqmkTWp7nibux1pcWb7vq6H_iNV64YXxgy6RABYlZQKSR_V9jovhsYWTdf9bVZFRrcezHg67kkHzH5fwcOYFuHDpAwOP6YOIvSpFVfZow/s320/PXL_20220324_235509571.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's the cake interior! It's kind of uniformly brown, not the most beautiful cake inside. I understand why the Book only has shots of the cake exterior...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The cake was exceedingly hard to photograph because of the similarity in colors between the cake, buttercream, almonds, and parchment (I notice that the Book only contains photos of the cake as a whole and does not show any interior shots). This is the best I could do; you can see that the syrup clearly has soaked into the top half of each layer, that the middle buttercream layer is a little thin, and that the cake has mostly kept its shape through slicing. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-eptX-dp6k5J6Ww2DUaL4q_z9_ThlLIR93yvd9ZhgulS1XR7ULd6nYNuZWtIaeReUjRHimPzhbbgkthcmyH2mH141_A7bgpN_rFa4GpIoJbPqn1KtVEQfmuv5VtMJ0zWvSjo3mMlorgu8hU9NKjuTs0BDjIqU5jUPLtbu-vu8DkA-EEuRJF017eQkJQ/s2592/PXL_20220325_003023544.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-eptX-dp6k5J6Ww2DUaL4q_z9_ThlLIR93yvd9ZhgulS1XR7ULd6nYNuZWtIaeReUjRHimPzhbbgkthcmyH2mH141_A7bgpN_rFa4GpIoJbPqn1KtVEQfmuv5VtMJ0zWvSjo3mMlorgu8hU9NKjuTs0BDjIqU5jUPLtbu-vu8DkA-EEuRJF017eQkJQ/s320/PXL_20220325_003023544.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My best attempt at showing the layers. You can see the halfway point on each cake layer where the syrup soaked to, the thin middle buttercream, and the slightly thicker upper buttercream.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Thoughts:</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I'm so glad I trusted my gut on the wobbling cake and left it in the oven for longer, though I think it will be better for me to use this timing rather than risk opening the oven next time I do this recipe</li><li>The middle buttercream layer was a little scant, and I think having the full 500g of buttercream would have helped fill that out more.</li><li>Using all the syrup was perfect, we got about halfway through each cake layer and it was not lacking in moisture or too soggy. <br /></li><li>I should whip the top buttercream reserve properly in the mixer before spreading it, the improperly whipped texture was very noticeable in the visual product. </li><li>I wonder what untoasted almonds would contribute to the flavor. There's a floral quality to them when they're raw that might work better for a chocolate or fruit flavored version of this cake. </li><li>Because the sponge was ever so slightly concave, I might have tried leveling off the top before cutting the cake into layers. </li></ul><p>Quote of the day: "Another masterpiece, Helena. But it kind of reminds me of popcorn." - my friend and housemate Steven, who found the combination of butter and nuttiness from the toasted almonds to cross some wires in his head. To his credit, he also liked the cake, despite not liking the flavor of coffee. <br /></p>Helena Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948134617740274723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3324966668274170747.post-53118145928677777242022-03-23T20:45:00.002-07:002022-03-23T20:45:50.294-07:00Patisserie 11: Fraisier/Sponge Cake with Strawberries and Mousseline<p>I wasn't intending to make this cake until strawberries came into season, usually in May. So I planned to make the biscuit moka and the Opera and then move onto the macarons section. However, for the biscuit moka, a quantity of dark rum was needed, and I had a feeling that brushing these delicate cakes with whiskey like I had been using as a rum substitute up until now would not be the best plan. But I also don't really drink dark rum and didn't want to buy a bottle just for the few tablespoons I'd need, here and there. So I called up my friend Kevin, a rum enthusiast that I had not seen for a while, and we met up for dinner (at a delightful Italian restaurant called Bottega that had just opened a week ago on Valencia St). On our way back to his place for me to pick up some rum, we saw the woman who is often at 21st and Capp Streets, on the corner under the light of a streetlamp, selling boxes of fruit. </p><p>Among these were boxes of strawberries. Kevin immediately suggested we buy some. "Are her strawberries good?" I asked, skeptical. </p><p>He replied, "Her strawberries are the best." </p><p>And that's how I ended up with a half cup of rum and a pound of strawberries that evening, and plans to make the fraisier cake the next day. <span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>The <i>Fraisier</i> is a classic French layer cake (I hesitate to use traditional because I tend to apply that term to things with cultural significance outside of cooking, rather than just part of a culinary tradition) that usually involves strawberries and some form of cream, sandwiched between layers of sponge cake that are brushed with a (usually spiked) syrup. It derives its name from <i>fraise</i>, which means strawberry in French. </p><p>The recipe in The Book is unusual (or perhaps just simple) in a few ways: </p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>No form of whipped heavy cream is involved (either Chantilly or Diplomat); this recipe uses mousseline instead.<br /></li><li>The inner strawberries are left whole, rather than chopped or turned into a compote</li><li>The top layer is torched French meringue and a glaze of apricot jelly, rather than a layer of marzipan or the recently popular additions of a thin layer of strawberry gelee over a thin layer of the same cream as used in the filling. </li></ul><p>In the introduction to the section on cakes, The Book points out that "French cakes are not the dramatic high-risers of American diners." So I guess it makes sense that their design for their Fraisier is not a tall cake with standing strawberries in cross-cut profile, piled high with cream and wearing many layers of topping. Instead, the recipe is an understated affair that simply highlights the red color of the strawberries under the warmth of torched meringue, and the cream and cake colors fade into the background. </p><p>I began by making the pastry cream because it would need to be chilled completely before incorporating into the mousseline. I have stopped taking photos of the process at this point because I've made it quite a few times already and documented it at length on this blog. Once that was in the fridge, I started on the <i>biscuit</i> (sponge cake). </p><p>A sponge cake, in its simplest form, continues the trend of using only egg components as leavening agents. In comparison to the dacquoise from a few weeks ago, a sponge cake does also start with the egg whites whipped with sugar until firm, but then the egg yolks are added back in and wheat flour is also folded in. I sifted the flour while the egg whites were whipping. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacLDd14auQhB4OznqtWnh7cvF18Pm3o7Zz99TM-mODzEKBFCkqUfNuwqDR36fXUZQVdrR6BKS7JagQE4len2AwybnX9zEtSUdJdNQrC8Yql0TrpqTXda8Fkp3NMGG_tDVzREOCvhUBDHfGbMenUC0Ue-pnCYlHmSqKls7sYVuww0tkSealE69wCobdA/s2592/PXL_20220322_190555864.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacLDd14auQhB4OznqtWnh7cvF18Pm3o7Zz99TM-mODzEKBFCkqUfNuwqDR36fXUZQVdrR6BKS7JagQE4len2AwybnX9zEtSUdJdNQrC8Yql0TrpqTXda8Fkp3NMGG_tDVzREOCvhUBDHfGbMenUC0Ue-pnCYlHmSqKls7sYVuww0tkSealE69wCobdA/s320/PXL_20220322_190555864.MP.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whipping egg whites for the sponge, with the yolks to be whipped in later and the flour sifted and ready to fold in<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Once the egg whites had incorporated all of the sugar and were holding stiff peaks, I added the egg yolks and let the mixer whip them in as well, yielding a final texture that was somewhere just past a soft peak. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZ73Ih-Dyw2QrDArmi5INfrSR4n6bj3orvGcymW0bbetSFcBh2juK0k0JBdFqJka_BNQ-oYIshRTX-1xRlTqfpT6Q1GiFsFHhGtlsz12hsZXOPrXutqmk2-pidhV8hYyNcf1aDapa_08Gs7YtRQ_NhmKUh6I-YmWr6ibdnRHvuXxp43ZBRnbdc9TiCA/s2592/PXL_20220322_190907418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZ73Ih-Dyw2QrDArmi5INfrSR4n6bj3orvGcymW0bbetSFcBh2juK0k0JBdFqJka_BNQ-oYIshRTX-1xRlTqfpT6Q1GiFsFHhGtlsz12hsZXOPrXutqmk2-pidhV8hYyNcf1aDapa_08Gs7YtRQ_NhmKUh6I-YmWr6ibdnRHvuXxp43ZBRnbdc9TiCA/s320/PXL_20220322_190907418.jpg" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Egg yolks whipped into the egg whites<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I folded in the sifted flour as two additions with my silicone spatula, trying not to work the batter too much but also trying not to leave many streaks. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvVX2VZjMRSvrlQ8FtjtwLbhakNNRy6B3aC6HkE7-prXFbzk19r3_DMU61e4ZwQfyM-yACLRnkrVciJrbIXEI7Jf6kgev9w59xSTuvlDRQ2KBvVXaBxg5grXt3kN4RHZ0Kn3FIlL4RVxU804ciwr9OcAOK8sokNzGVuqqaJ8iJHAzAPHzYya8c5F9new/s2592/PXL_20220322_191131930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvVX2VZjMRSvrlQ8FtjtwLbhakNNRy6B3aC6HkE7-prXFbzk19r3_DMU61e4ZwQfyM-yACLRnkrVciJrbIXEI7Jf6kgev9w59xSTuvlDRQ2KBvVXaBxg5grXt3kN4RHZ0Kn3FIlL4RVxU804ciwr9OcAOK8sokNzGVuqqaJ8iJHAzAPHzYya8c5F9new/s320/PXL_20220322_191131930.jpg" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flour folded into the sponge cake batter<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>In order to make sure I was able to achieve the 12"x8" final dimensions of the cake as stated in the recipe, I did something I thought myself quite clever for coming up with. I set my adjustable cake rectangle to the final dimensions, set the frame on my sheets of parchment, traced the outer dimension with pencil firmly on both sheets, and then placed the sheets upside down on the baking trays. This allowed me to see the outline of the shape I was aiming for as I spread the batter.<br /><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8q2GvdxDnAXl0fVTubSI-q1nG3yIE8oYCrRF7XEvNg-ssCt7CtlXk3bI-ZlUjfn9zUmHIUFaQJzCCSLkk3TqG2FH6mu_ba6F2D47CQhSWd9-Vlr71xUVg9lj2tz157ump6whiwPpADsfL53EZC5KmD_2MiM0umVUW3s-RidbeaqEpzAIoAGsYQwZIQ/s2592/PXL_20220322_185854828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8q2GvdxDnAXl0fVTubSI-q1nG3yIE8oYCrRF7XEvNg-ssCt7CtlXk3bI-ZlUjfn9zUmHIUFaQJzCCSLkk3TqG2FH6mu_ba6F2D47CQhSWd9-Vlr71xUVg9lj2tz157ump6whiwPpADsfL53EZC5KmD_2MiM0umVUW3s-RidbeaqEpzAIoAGsYQwZIQ/s320/PXL_20220322_185854828.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Planning ahead by tracing out desired dimensions of the cake for spreading batter! On the left is the parchment as traced, on the right is the parchment flipped so the pencil marks are against the baking sheet and won't touch the cake batter<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The batter, when divided between the two rectangular shapes, spread out to be about half an inch in height, and I was barely able to get it uniform enough to cover all the edges. Because the recipe had me using the spatula to spread from the beginning, I was hopeful that I wouldn't cause any undue deflation if I was gentle. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVS07oSi8hKix0B0MuAHKQF6HhRxUBL0r0VR8E8UG0oS-pi6BiEei4tas8NjCz-9akoWrB12SPYam8CpV1S96_XM1ZJB1skfFlk3tDpUFMhYk9gkQDhRETRp2N2NhuS4skxz188aAGlJD49qKaO7kKS4dnNbruU0yLf7y6dQWwuCfKxo2CVoRGS-P0w/s2592/PXL_20220322_191507149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVS07oSi8hKix0B0MuAHKQF6HhRxUBL0r0VR8E8UG0oS-pi6BiEei4tas8NjCz-9akoWrB12SPYam8CpV1S96_XM1ZJB1skfFlk3tDpUFMhYk9gkQDhRETRp2N2NhuS4skxz188aAGlJD49qKaO7kKS4dnNbruU0yLf7y6dQWwuCfKxo2CVoRGS-P0w/s320/PXL_20220322_191507149.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had barely enough batter to make an even layer on both marked rectangles<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>After I popped the first cake layer in the oven to bake at 350deg F with convection fan on, I realized I had neglected to sift a layer of powdered sugar on top of the batter, and did so promptly with the remaining layer. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60VitKuVTfTHc5EGYBJ2VBR-MkUzUZ65zifBk8w53B9E9f8Nfzc0ttKxDfK4eNtHnOejJ-5DbC9W5am-_akIP_4rZ2X9oat42a5hKc8cv-z2ZGvkhdEeUj49IpXsP3ICf3H_Q2G-j1qf6vG8blnOBxpTQVXwOOW1yvXOPUnEgNLNAo-mzyeT6uAmrpg/s2592/PXL_20220322_192228731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60VitKuVTfTHc5EGYBJ2VBR-MkUzUZ65zifBk8w53B9E9f8Nfzc0ttKxDfK4eNtHnOejJ-5DbC9W5am-_akIP_4rZ2X9oat42a5hKc8cv-z2ZGvkhdEeUj49IpXsP3ICf3H_Q2G-j1qf6vG8blnOBxpTQVXwOOW1yvXOPUnEgNLNAo-mzyeT6uAmrpg/s320/PXL_20220322_192228731.jpg" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oops, forgot to add powdered sugar to the first cake layer<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I baked each layer for a total of 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once at the halfway mark. The cake layers came out uniformly light brown and, much to my surprise, held their height after baking (and even puffed up a bit in the oven!). This is in stark contrast to both my batches of dacquoise, which deflated by about a third of their height after baking. The confectioner's sugar on the second sheet had turned into a thin, crackly membrane, much like the outer surface of a meringue. I brought both sheets onto racks to cool. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWq4wnCizl1kXYHNWQDezckeXBXL36U1pexw8VFrnLiHXl3PLks7-atqQ4iGGFc51YgROvc0x4IHPgQV9SHmGO8KCdXt8QWatNoWBTBPBF0Y6nuVhyGTt_JjqaO5RE_xO8n_0U09t73yiSXLtowO8DRnEoKxQsVJGLg2_KwcXt5wTYIjAb1v-Upd7WNA/s2592/PXL_20220322_193211188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWq4wnCizl1kXYHNWQDezckeXBXL36U1pexw8VFrnLiHXl3PLks7-atqQ4iGGFc51YgROvc0x4IHPgQV9SHmGO8KCdXt8QWatNoWBTBPBF0Y6nuVhyGTt_JjqaO5RE_xO8n_0U09t73yiSXLtowO8DRnEoKxQsVJGLg2_KwcXt5wTYIjAb1v-Upd7WNA/s320/PXL_20220322_193211188.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cake layers browned very gently and evenly, and did not deflate (and maybe even rose a little bit)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Once the sheets were cool, I used the cake rectangle to trim the edges, leaving the cake layer I liked the least (the one without the sugar dusting, somewhat arbitrarily) in the rectangle to serve as the bottom layer of the cake. </p><p>The recipe calls for kirsch to be used in a sugar syrup that is brushed over the cake layers. I am somewhat confused why many of these cakes seem to be dry and then require a syrup soak, but maybe that is the nature of a cake with so little fat. Nonetheless, I was loathe to acquire a quantity of a fairly niche liqueur, so I used some of the Cocchi Americano Aperitif I had in my cocktail stash. I was considering whether to use elderflower liqueur, but decided that the herbal mishmash in the Cocchi Americano, along with its slight bitterness, would lend enough of a floral touch and that the elderflower might be a little too loudly itself. </p><p>I dissolved the sugar in water over the stove, allowed it to cool, and stirred in the Cocchi Americano. I brushed it liberally over the bottom cake layer in the rectangle but stopped once I had even coverage. I hadn't made a cake like this before, and I did not know how much syrup it could handle before it turned to mush; The Book mentions that the recipes make more than I would need, but that I could brush with as little or as much as I liked, but to not "drench them," whatever that means. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQ4icTWZR-1yl70LR1YPrVBOIdJ_n4lO0k0bFxhBRfnK5xPsSbgCJow4joxHCf0V2I9jvYjhDRFmGqi5oLdx9BXRdL_tLfcLoKMgxQaTV7ozRqIySo6qnueJBvw2Shy2b73RSe9YQVS_Cz0H7swwW_uDcC0OSosFuuV9GkP1eLWE6swbG4P4_6PMZjw/s2592/PXL_20220322_204714436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQ4icTWZR-1yl70LR1YPrVBOIdJ_n4lO0k0bFxhBRfnK5xPsSbgCJow4joxHCf0V2I9jvYjhDRFmGqi5oLdx9BXRdL_tLfcLoKMgxQaTV7ozRqIySo6qnueJBvw2Shy2b73RSe9YQVS_Cz0H7swwW_uDcC0OSosFuuV9GkP1eLWE6swbG4P4_6PMZjw/s320/PXL_20220322_204714436.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cut and weeded cake layers, with the bottom one fitted into the rectangular pan for assembly and brushed with the alcohol sugar syrup. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I then set to work on the buttercream, which is also lacking in photos due to the number of times I've now made it. I did, however, get to the bottom of an important discrepancy that I had run into before, and that would cause trouble in this recipe. </p><p>The Book says that this recipe makes approximately 5 cups, or 1000g. Typically, the volumetric quantity has been the estimate throughout the recipes in this book, and the weight in grams is the actual basis. However, I found that when I finally weighed the entire quantity of this buttercream in order to reserve half of the batch for a later recipe, the recipe had only made 800g. This explains why I had less than expected after reserving some of my previous batch for the Paris-Brest! And, at this point, while I was nervous about filling the entire cake rectangle given my 4/5 quantity of buttercream, it was too late to try and make more now, and I set aside 400g for later and powered through with the 400g I had left. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbug7-8z5rwwzt6XFUUc2iqpFUoZQD6QXSsjUnn6ZainRvs0f6MxwEJE-CMQ2J5k4hC0RRD6DjBhc7QoF00ohHTQFYoQqrkYQlSlg_LKvBwcxTdebNeBpVFy6fRBa16k_mVkCV_tV38k_6BzKQ6mBzp42k46QPlH5Qr5efqWdYxQXJiRQh7rbtGFlhzg/s2592/PXL_20220322_210702628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbug7-8z5rwwzt6XFUUc2iqpFUoZQD6QXSsjUnn6ZainRvs0f6MxwEJE-CMQ2J5k4hC0RRD6DjBhc7QoF00ohHTQFYoQqrkYQlSlg_LKvBwcxTdebNeBpVFy6fRBa16k_mVkCV_tV38k_6BzKQ6mBzp42k46QPlH5Qr5efqWdYxQXJiRQh7rbtGFlhzg/s320/PXL_20220322_210702628.jpg" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is half of the recipe of buttercream, but the recipe claims it makes 1000g, so I've been shorting myself some buttercream all along.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>It was nearing 80 degrees F in my house on this uncharacteristically warm day in SF, and, remembering my past experience with buttercream losing structural fluffiness when warming, I decided to stick the buttercream into the fridge to firm up some more before I returned to assemble the cake. </p><p>In the meantime, I hulled the strawberries. Usually, I cut a little cone out of the top instead of just lopping the top off because I think this is pretty wasteful, but for sake of the aesthetics of the ends of the strawberries pressed up against the sides of the cake, I went with the method stated in The Book as pictured. Some of these strawberries were also on the more unripe side, so I guess I was not losing that much as I chopped off the white parts. I placed them roughly in order from largest near the top of the tray to smallest near the bottom, and I cut some of the largest ones in half so they wouldn't disturb the uniform height of the cake when assembled. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTInjajl0vcU4JEP0Jl2CpljtA2unTrgcEvNZAlJ1jtx_WqoUAq6SFlaVhS4UYqb8jNsStkSfu63gnuajtqHQbVcXgAfzOVImi9t9stJ6qq--9WTdBkSzGbPkqifXk_Q4OACVDokoJjvcMWUvTQmV0ogR9FajgcC77GCHLMReYrnRUCEFlP6pitZbTlg/s2592/PXL_20220322_212718629.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTInjajl0vcU4JEP0Jl2CpljtA2unTrgcEvNZAlJ1jtx_WqoUAq6SFlaVhS4UYqb8jNsStkSfu63gnuajtqHQbVcXgAfzOVImi9t9stJ6qq--9WTdBkSzGbPkqifXk_Q4OACVDokoJjvcMWUvTQmV0ogR9FajgcC77GCHLMReYrnRUCEFlP6pitZbTlg/s320/PXL_20220322_212718629.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hulled strawberries in a slightly inefficient way for aesthetics, and sorted from largest to smallest, cutting the largest ones in half in the top of the photo so that they wouldn't make parts of the cake higher than others<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I returned to my slightly-colder buttercream and whipped it back up while I stirred 150g of the chilled pastry cream to eliminate any lumps. Finally, I whipped the pastry cream into the buttercream for the mousseline. The Book mentions that a tablespoon of pistachio paste is an optional addition, but I both a) accidentally bought a pistachio paste from the store that had sunflower oil and sugar and a bunch of other things added so I didn't trust the flavor, and b) did not want to begin making a mess with my food processor for a whole batch of the paste only to use 1tbsp of it. So I just left it out, and I am not sure I missed it. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawYLdPc1IpMtr2nQ8YkkbCgqnvAdJx6spSv1O1xU9S_vvT_UosyyFLqBwWhi2D9c3ontRY1f63LLgpynSnUQkfxjuD5h5b3RkG2Nv-EzBCeY8ksXEzUiLOc7fqzuru0HnVMCA9dYZX2tNC7YMY8DqL1PPWwAV1bEEDm0JYCaxsdgESuQU7I-BrnHvnw/s2592/PXL_20220322_212953148.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawYLdPc1IpMtr2nQ8YkkbCgqnvAdJx6spSv1O1xU9S_vvT_UosyyFLqBwWhi2D9c3ontRY1f63LLgpynSnUQkfxjuD5h5b3RkG2Nv-EzBCeY8ksXEzUiLOc7fqzuru0HnVMCA9dYZX2tNC7YMY8DqL1PPWwAV1bEEDm0JYCaxsdgESuQU7I-BrnHvnw/s320/PXL_20220322_212953148.MP.jpg" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Re-whipping the chilled buttercream and smoothing out the pastry cream to be whipped in for mousseline<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I spread two thirds of the cream into the rectangle on top of the bottom cake layer, though in retrospect I should have maybe only done half. It's becoming clear that my rectangle, while nice for its adjustable size in case my cakes don't come out to the full size of a standard pan, is a little too deep for spreading things in. Even an offset spatula will have issues as the handle runs into the opposite rim of the pan. Mostly it's difficult to move things from left to right in the pan, so I've settled for making sure the filling gets evenly dolloped from left to right, and then it's easy to spread out from the center towards the long edges. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_L9o_cPAYnjHuwaTn7aj7NzvAputRofapw-l9Mt3VUcJ8d-bkOgouXcCJQijqcBWk-tavlvSNaRh9dlPRK1zkJKFROfuOgzWfiOY_E-kwQfuSc11tkTqYpnQHkT8qx6QUPtn5aS8jlBuEFy154ZbCHSeJBbE1g0t-6Iu3Cb4lthrmBUGxE5pZ6mUjg/s2592/PXL_20220322_213600032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_L9o_cPAYnjHuwaTn7aj7NzvAputRofapw-l9Mt3VUcJ8d-bkOgouXcCJQijqcBWk-tavlvSNaRh9dlPRK1zkJKFROfuOgzWfiOY_E-kwQfuSc11tkTqYpnQHkT8qx6QUPtn5aS8jlBuEFy154ZbCHSeJBbE1g0t-6Iu3Cb4lthrmBUGxE5pZ6mUjg/s320/PXL_20220322_213600032.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two-thirds of the mousseline spread onto the bottom layer of the cake<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I arranged the strawberries in a single layer and nestled them into the mousseline by pressing gently. I placed the strawberries on the edges first, placing the whole ones almost next to each other and turning them so they faced the edge of the rectangle before pushing them down. The remainder of the strawberries, halved or otherwise, tessellated so well into the center of the pan that I was surprised. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNN65Mn2VrPAHJcjXXkJ-QZVshUSZ3TvxsTx1dPpjlCIoxXEHA05IuJsvl1LQ7pS7olUQPMm0bW2VK3TNCPgZn925OWXhF1ELsscN87kPjPcF0RbSHSE1gHTuiKgRpA-t9IWAPsbZqHiqPB0aZFm0H1THtw44hhBAo2vGMhY3MF5SCtLb0-EOXzXzO5g/s2592/PXL_20220322_214000390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNN65Mn2VrPAHJcjXXkJ-QZVshUSZ3TvxsTx1dPpjlCIoxXEHA05IuJsvl1LQ7pS7olUQPMm0bW2VK3TNCPgZn925OWXhF1ELsscN87kPjPcF0RbSHSE1gHTuiKgRpA-t9IWAPsbZqHiqPB0aZFm0H1THtw44hhBAo2vGMhY3MF5SCtLb0-EOXzXzO5g/s320/PXL_20220322_214000390.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A shockingly well-packed layer of strawberries<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Here is where that last 100g of buttercream might have come in handy. I had a really hard time trying to get even coverage with the last third of the mousseline. It flowed into the nooks and crannies between strawberries and, coupled with the awkwardness of maneuvering the spatula in a too-deep pan, made it really hard to spread without disturbing the strawberry layer. I think it looks better in the photo than it really was, but the mousseline was gone so I didn't have a choice but to proceed. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhPR8B4D09dsAYFLWQjAUwReHwBpejhKVB1SBdKiMca-hejifEbTgidj7GimBNCDgxKUEqwbBj3vlp8oBXFrzpaMp-c2ovMK68ygSDF4az7Gw8kxnT3bJ4fizk-vr6u1JoOK1t4tQJbKJgRwHY-3d5XK2iFLv2ppkHU6ePHlMuhhWDuRzWOFTa6pDdA/s2592/PXL_20220322_214227208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhPR8B4D09dsAYFLWQjAUwReHwBpejhKVB1SBdKiMca-hejifEbTgidj7GimBNCDgxKUEqwbBj3vlp8oBXFrzpaMp-c2ovMK68ygSDF4az7Gw8kxnT3bJ4fizk-vr6u1JoOK1t4tQJbKJgRwHY-3d5XK2iFLv2ppkHU6ePHlMuhhWDuRzWOFTa6pDdA/s320/PXL_20220322_214227208.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I ran out of top-layer mousseline and had a hard time distributing it across the cake without disturbing the strawberries. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I deposited the top cake layer with the strategy I used in the dacquoise, where I left the weeded cake layer on the parchment, flipped it upside down into the rectangle, pressed it onto the rest of the cake, and then slowly peeled the parchment off at an aggressive acute angle, keeping my hand behind the parchment for a clean peel. The sponge stuck a little to the parchment and left behind a thin but continuous layer on the parchment. But most of it made it into the pan, and I brushed it with almost all of the remaining syrup, imagining that the top would not have as much issue if it became less structural, and that the filling of the cake would be able to handle a little extra syrup. I snugged up the edges of the pan against the cake and put it into the fridge to chill for about two hours, to give the mousseline a chance to set. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHxzFVM5jF9zOF4ioke_Y6hMqmqgN5cdL-yLcf3Albi3QEQ4dqNM8yp_sXvyVgYtDt2_f7tpQ5RVdCC2bhCkW9mcHlmENbqwkWOZnT8fPz1n35TYfeqSyj2x3hx9CzW8P_3pQBbiGyOqcUHzbX95339498fQnBzzJVJORlXWwq2-TWUtZKCiQ9GhdYsg/s2592/PXL_20220322_214454613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHxzFVM5jF9zOF4ioke_Y6hMqmqgN5cdL-yLcf3Albi3QEQ4dqNM8yp_sXvyVgYtDt2_f7tpQ5RVdCC2bhCkW9mcHlmENbqwkWOZnT8fPz1n35TYfeqSyj2x3hx9CzW8P_3pQBbiGyOqcUHzbX95339498fQnBzzJVJORlXWwq2-TWUtZKCiQ9GhdYsg/s320/PXL_20220322_214454613.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Topped up the cake and brushed most of the rest of the syrup on top!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I made myself a nice low ABV cocktail by topping up the remaining Cocchi Americano sugar syrup with sparkling water, which I sipped while enjoying the toasty weather. When about an hour and a half had passed, I started working on the thin layer of French meringue to be spread on top of the cake. I whipped the weight equivalent of two egg whites (60g) with granulated sugar until there were stiff peaks, and then folded in sifted confectioner's sugar. It was actually quite difficult to fold in the powdered sugar because of how little meringue there was in comparison, but eventually I got it all. I spread it as evenly as I could on the chilled cake, knowing that the torching process would highlight any surface imperfections. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRMvc1RG7ooluauCJ-uV7Nl8sA1AeCF62y_Cn0r9JSy-t9wMHWlGmhhNVDEXdAEBoAUfgaKCa3iutMAdDvE9q3wusIbvCp6fRX-q_eSue5qGfsbxfvzHcnYLlGtQt9PqaqZo2LNiTYm_BG2N6JxhDTjI-9xKXF1AZbt2Rx57REQQflJSzVvnT-SJdSNw/s2592/PXL_20220322_231159951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRMvc1RG7ooluauCJ-uV7Nl8sA1AeCF62y_Cn0r9JSy-t9wMHWlGmhhNVDEXdAEBoAUfgaKCa3iutMAdDvE9q3wusIbvCp6fRX-q_eSue5qGfsbxfvzHcnYLlGtQt9PqaqZo2LNiTYm_BG2N6JxhDTjI-9xKXF1AZbt2Rx57REQQflJSzVvnT-SJdSNw/s320/PXL_20220322_231159951.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did my best to spread the French meringue evenly without ripples on the top of the chilled cake...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>And then it was time once more to use a blowtorch! The meringue browned readily and I worked in slow rows. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggI96l9ryA1-To2f4M6gyLTjakfVnXLT4D8XKfK-SjZK39qR_-EWiAPDTKbhwN2CBklF3chOZswR7DmMK8Epy2EkCVnxK7N7ammS7wnC_qkdV8EaacjX45JFTGznURPmmmf9VHWNoRog-b-cZ6i0bmF1ymdlE5j4KVmH5JloZesKi3ABZ0ipAHj4SH6Q/s2592/PXL_20220322_231956594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggI96l9ryA1-To2f4M6gyLTjakfVnXLT4D8XKfK-SjZK39qR_-EWiAPDTKbhwN2CBklF3chOZswR7DmMK8Epy2EkCVnxK7N7ammS7wnC_qkdV8EaacjX45JFTGznURPmmmf9VHWNoRog-b-cZ6i0bmF1ymdlE5j4KVmH5JloZesKi3ABZ0ipAHj4SH6Q/s320/PXL_20220322_231956594.jpg" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and as expected, the torching amplified every ripple. Not too bad, considering I was trying to use an offset spatula to smooth the surface more than an inch under the top of the pan<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>When I was preparing the apricot glaze, I made a big mistake. The grocery store near my is too fancy to stock sugary, clear apricot preserves, and the brand I bought simply...had too much fruit in it. This is normally not a complaint, but for the sake of patisserie, apricot preserves are often strained to use the clear jelly as a relatively flavor-neutral, glossy finish. When I heated up the preserves with some water and realized how little glaze there would be and how much would be chunks of fruit, I decided to try pureeing the mixture with an immersion blender and then straining out the fruit bits. </p><p>The fruit absolutely pulverized and made my glaze cloudy, and could not be strained out. Luckily, the thinness of the layer I poured onto the meringue and spread about helped keep it mostly translucent, and the peach color did lend a warmth to the top that brought it away from brown and more towards amber. The translucency also helped even out some of the uneven browning from ripples in the meringue, so, no harm no foul.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJ-2uZZxCKnZWzyNXW_P-vdp4h_AewDxEw9cXCitzsECXvaCZmyTf7LAB4chyQtxjXpzqXqlMTarO6PgEyugAsvdOIwLnU8mzBMCIBq04WXWhTZXyTn1N2AbROMj6IIcm6iG_UKHev-J__Ps0hJe-jU15nSkuHJFlibZfyE_Oe2tcWMmTZhH3KYL0Ng/s2592/PXL_20220322_233200195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJ-2uZZxCKnZWzyNXW_P-vdp4h_AewDxEw9cXCitzsECXvaCZmyTf7LAB4chyQtxjXpzqXqlMTarO6PgEyugAsvdOIwLnU8mzBMCIBq04WXWhTZXyTn1N2AbROMj6IIcm6iG_UKHev-J__Ps0hJe-jU15nSkuHJFlibZfyE_Oe2tcWMmTZhH3KYL0Ng/s320/PXL_20220322_233200195.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My accidentally-cloudy apricot glaze actually mellowed out the appearance and added some gentle color.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Finally, it was time to demold the cake. I pulled the ring upwards and the cake slid out easily. Ta-da! If I cared more, I could clean up the side strawberries, and you can see that the meringue was much thicker on the edges, but the beautiful ratio of cake to strawberries to cream (surprising, since I ran out of top mousseline), along with the pillowy white meringue layer and the glossy brulee, made for a stunning cake. I stuck it back in the fridge for another hour before cutting and serving any.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigs2mK6P2eqzCnyv4dtH3SiLypisuIEeJ22YealBU-snAwCF5oljYSSyT8yK2PC1lIEKu9v5V6vYHHuEcNicc60rSB2R7DQDs7aARvwTFJXhBtQm6aFxoOzynN3Zv9dQogUiUI2vw52TBvdm2Y90aqfo717cAXhC93i5qj1Ct59EKjOXzar0F-JDxKcw/s2592/PXL_20220322_233321227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigs2mK6P2eqzCnyv4dtH3SiLypisuIEeJ22YealBU-snAwCF5oljYSSyT8yK2PC1lIEKu9v5V6vYHHuEcNicc60rSB2R7DQDs7aARvwTFJXhBtQm6aFxoOzynN3Zv9dQogUiUI2vw52TBvdm2Y90aqfo717cAXhC93i5qj1Ct59EKjOXzar0F-JDxKcw/s320/PXL_20220322_233321227.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the flattest cake, but beautiful nonetheless<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>And here's the cross-section cut! I was very concerned about cutting this cake, because the minefield of whole strawberries inside seemed to spell out doom for a tidy cut. But, much to my surprise, a slight sawing with my sharp chef knife was all it took to make clean cuts through all the strawberries. The cake was soft and did not stick to the bottom parchment, and the slices held their shape well enough to deposit into various tupperwares of my friends that I called for reinforcement in helping eat this cake (it is supposed to be eaten within two days of assembly). <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRdEu65LeVFrmI5T7GUJnjjCr-DH8grhlh360hYK6o4hjjogyrVxmbRhx3kpZpTViFVzHvsEheOCheHEZn0er_7U6QCDidFQTAQRPEgfDJkLf9IGYmO6w29t0AoOpexVUVTg30IHQRA-MQh5x5FoI9ETplxelCKGUfqFN0obfxOJQjV_dqPtCKYlMXA/s2592/PXL_20220323_003523549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRdEu65LeVFrmI5T7GUJnjjCr-DH8grhlh360hYK6o4hjjogyrVxmbRhx3kpZpTViFVzHvsEheOCheHEZn0er_7U6QCDidFQTAQRPEgfDJkLf9IGYmO6w29t0AoOpexVUVTg30IHQRA-MQh5x5FoI9ETplxelCKGUfqFN0obfxOJQjV_dqPtCKYlMXA/s320/PXL_20220323_003523549.jpg" style="outline: red dashed 1px;" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at that set mousseline! That glossy meringue layer! Those strawberries nestled tightly in the cream! The melt-in-your-mouth sponge! I'm pleased with myself!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Thoughts: </p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I have very few complaints! I think this cake is a faithful reproduction of all aspects of the recipe!</li><li>This made a lot of cake. Even though this was smaller than the succes praline, I gave away at least two slices to four different people and we still had a fair amount left for the house. Good thing it's easy to eat. <br /></li><li>I think the presentation went great! As I've struggled with presentation in the past, I'm really glad this turned out basically picture perfect with the reference photos.</li><li>Maybe the one thing is the buttercream being short. I think it would be really annoying to try and do 1.25x the recipe, so maybe I will just take 500g portions whenever I need "half of a recipe of buttercream" and split the other 300g into a 200g and 100g, and eventually I'll be able to put together another 500g from odds and ends of the next recipe. It's a good thing buttercream freezes well. <br /></li><li>I couldn't really taste any of the soaking syrup, which is fine; I'm not sure kirsch would have added much, but I do think I would have liked a little more flavor from the syrup, so maybe elderflower would be a nice addition next time. </li><li>Speaking of syrup, I noticed that the cake layers, while not dry anymore, did seem to only have obvious syrup penetration about halfway through. While I don't want to make the layers completely within the territory of a moist, dense pound cake, I do think I could have sloshed even more syrup onto them. </li><li>The strawberries were quite good! And I liked them even more the day after, when they had a chance to soften a bit and meld their flavors with the cake. </li><li>The meringue layer on top is great, and several people mentioned that it added a lot. While it's fairly sweet, it's like a mini dessert counterpoint to the slight tartness of the strawberries. </li><li>The mousseline was amazingly light. I feel like I did not need the earthy nuttiness of pistachio. </li><li>The entire cake was so easy to eat and well-ratio'd! In combination with the unexpectedly warm day, it's like summer has already arrived. It is just asking me to eat slice after slice...<br /></li></ul><p> Quotes of the day: </p><p><Cake is too pretty. Not going to be the one to cut it> -Ryan<br /></p><p>< cake is not quite as pretty anymore but it is incredibly tasty> -Kai</p><p>-From our house groupchat, as Kai facilitates eating of the cake through commendable self-sacrifice of eating the first slice of the remainder<br /></p><p>"That cake is one of the best-tasting things I've ever eaten. Definitely professional quality." -Ryan, after he finally ate some cake. He is being very nice to me and my baking, even though it is making him have to work out more. <br /></p><p></p>Helena Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948134617740274723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3324966668274170747.post-90498466015157456152022-03-19T17:48:00.008-07:002022-04-09T18:33:09.304-07:00Patisserie 10: Paris-Brest/ Praline buttercream choux pastry<p> Since the previous recipe contained a fair amount of hazelnuts and originated the hazelnut praline in this recipe, I decided it would be reasonable to do this one immediately after to decrease making small batches of niche ingredients. </p><p>The Paris-Brest is a circular choux ring that is covered in almonds and filled with praline cream of some sort. The pastry was commissioned to commemorate the Paris-Brest-Paris bicycle race, which is a long-distance race between the two cities and back, and the circular shape of the pastry is meant to evoke a bicycle wheel. Variations in the filling are common, ranging from diplomat cream (stabilized whipped cream) to pure buttercream and everything in between, though the praline (caramelized hazelnut) is a typical base flavor. The version in The Book uses a mousseline cream, which is what you call buttercream + pastry cream + a flavoring (in this case, praline). <span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>The choux recipe was identical to that of the St Honore gateau from about a week ago. I'm sure y'all are sick of watching me make choux pastry by now, but I assure you, there is a twist this time! Two, in fact! Only one was intentional, alas. The first was that, while the recipe called for 125g of water, I decided to use 25g of whole milk and 100g of water, so that the choux would be more flavorful and tender, especially since I messed up and didn't thaw out the buttercream the night before so I would have to wait to the next day to assemble the pastries. The second twist is that you might notice that those three eggs in the background look mighty small. (Also pictured: my slapdash 70mm/3in round cutter that I 3D printed to eventually make marks on a floured baking sheet as a guide for piping the choux rings). <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj19Xw29un8i_VtEZ5rOjz9wZWDbZIwuFrsL2lRwqoAGfvwkYVLn_wUZjO23qWVFVr3kj8pLuJLYBmubbNtD8pdlF-9vnPWSP3KlPsSwezoeY_w_EZRJ0SQKjak-aAlM0Mn9L8G6JKqU7ejEx5KRO2vNzCf8IRi-t-lE1mixQY-ba276RFAQGiURY4Yvw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj19Xw29un8i_VtEZ5rOjz9wZWDbZIwuFrsL2lRwqoAGfvwkYVLn_wUZjO23qWVFVr3kj8pLuJLYBmubbNtD8pdlF-9vnPWSP3KlPsSwezoeY_w_EZRJ0SQKjak-aAlM0Mn9L8G6JKqU7ejEx5KRO2vNzCf8IRi-t-lE1mixQY-ba276RFAQGiURY4Yvw=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choux pastry prep once again! Trying my theory of a small quantity of milk for flavor/tenderness with a majority of the liquid being water for a taller pastry<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Those slightly smaller eggs (I have a feeling they were medium, instead of large) meant that I ended up using almost four eggs in the choux batter before it became glossy and fell from my spatula. I was really concerned that this meant that I had overcooked the flour ball before adding eggs, and that my choux would be too eggy, but I'm confident in retrospect that it was simply due to the smaller size of the eggs. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg41W30ewVzO01QQNdiKmrxcLeqA8By9H2vH8OvQWlZ2BIV1cZGEdqZ-JeD7VGnbYNnPKafLCp20hbMm9NXaGxg5gF9kIECWLnch6CvQUXVJILzKOel0zEFv1XN8Kb6wAkrOLpbF1eefVbDZzRjQKg0SzqsfC3j7bK2kQSD8M_x91Dh9UWAfkRHUo7Buw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg41W30ewVzO01QQNdiKmrxcLeqA8By9H2vH8OvQWlZ2BIV1cZGEdqZ-JeD7VGnbYNnPKafLCp20hbMm9NXaGxg5gF9kIECWLnch6CvQUXVJILzKOel0zEFv1XN8Kb6wAkrOLpbF1eefVbDZzRjQKg0SzqsfC3j7bK2kQSD8M_x91Dh9UWAfkRHUo7Buw=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This choux batter required nearly four of the medium eggs I had on hand, as opposed to the 2+ the recipe called for.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I floured and buttered two baking sheets, and used the circle cutter to make round marks in the sticky flour to use as guidelines for piping the choux with the 8mm tip. After seeing results that some people had online, I was generous in my piping, but I think I didn't realize The Book wanted me to use the circles as an outer-border, rather than to pipe directly on the diameter. There's an anecdote about ID vs OD vs centerlines in mechanical design in here...</p><p>So, I was a little alarmed at how large and skinny the rings were, but there was nothing to be done about it now. I brushed them lightly with the remainder of my egg wash, and sprinkled them liberally with sliced almonds. I found out it was really hard to aim where I was sprinkling the almonds, and I ended up with a lot more on the pan than I intended, even having to go back for a second pass in some areas. The Book says that this is likely to happen and to not be alarmed, because one is to til the baking sheet and tap off the excess almonds. I was convinced this would make my choux run everywhere, but much to my surprise, when I tilted the pan until it was about 10 degrees from vertical and tapped firmly, the extra almonds fell off and slid to the bottom edge, while my choux rings were now unveiled in their almond-covered glory! <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNoCkxqyMx3f1pD4Q3nuVjig2j_geaSwy0nOUopLnGJrexcvfOsVwEWh-KwV2G1g7Wd6SPMNTQXSXi_Q0VHGVsQ1r8etQbkK6SfOdaxbzcSLjgZyVGbcIuESrL0beUZFiE_PIq2aYZL-ivQinJhAYUMmXOh_riCdDU3HolAQZChJXGqpEZJC7FBzv2hw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNoCkxqyMx3f1pD4Q3nuVjig2j_geaSwy0nOUopLnGJrexcvfOsVwEWh-KwV2G1g7Wd6SPMNTQXSXi_Q0VHGVsQ1r8etQbkK6SfOdaxbzcSLjgZyVGbcIuESrL0beUZFiE_PIq2aYZL-ivQinJhAYUMmXOh_riCdDU3HolAQZChJXGqpEZJC7FBzv2hw=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tilting and tapping the pan worked shockingly well to get rid of excess almonds<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I set the first pan of eight rings into the oven to bake (no convection fan, as you may recall for choux) for about 24 minutes, while I piped the remainder of the batter. The Book says this recipe makes 20 rings; I ended up with just shy of fifteen, though smaller rings might have made this closer to the actual expected quantity. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnBhKXLFiseBudkzeLvlOw02LhrZFi5cfw_DmOWThF4FNkGAHEXABjkXh6vd6U7Gc0c4fkcOvLyqtehwpmIFROSgIxiNXAqAt9ixXrtkPAKCB8I7b-3LAr_Dva_e0TWNPJM8pSIr6A6akEgt-xG5c-DziFkGawbTJlk4fgj9y8R39KVgM4s3A4n8KW8Q=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnBhKXLFiseBudkzeLvlOw02LhrZFi5cfw_DmOWThF4FNkGAHEXABjkXh6vd6U7Gc0c4fkcOvLyqtehwpmIFROSgIxiNXAqAt9ixXrtkPAKCB8I7b-3LAr_Dva_e0TWNPJM8pSIr6A6akEgt-xG5c-DziFkGawbTJlk4fgj9y8R39KVgM4s3A4n8KW8Q=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the second sheet of piped choux, for a total of 14.9 rings.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Here is the first batch of choux rings out from the oven. As you can see, they rose but not dramatically like puffs, and this is due to the surface-area-to-volume difference. I was somewhat chagrined that they were more like rings and less like chubby donuts, but I guess they look more like wheels this way. I set them on a rack to cool, and when both batches were sufficiently cool, I put them in airtight containers to fill the next day. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEpbAAq1vOuA-99ov5rfUQm8Azi8faT2Pn-tXqBggPMZCVhbBQbW3znNfkwWeZSzPffHhMEQ-8JTW69RWq5ygZSEvI5LEWehVCCEKJE9MsYb2LzRRyo8eZ5lm0FJSfcb_0Ynn3ufmEHLVQzJi9MbJfrLTwO7csJdAkagKzz1XdE47Pkyg6o7zp3YRc9g=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEpbAAq1vOuA-99ov5rfUQm8Azi8faT2Pn-tXqBggPMZCVhbBQbW3znNfkwWeZSzPffHhMEQ-8JTW69RWq5ygZSEvI5LEWehVCCEKJE9MsYb2LzRRyo8eZ5lm0FJSfcb_0Ynn3ufmEHLVQzJi9MbJfrLTwO7csJdAkagKzz1XdE47Pkyg6o7zp3YRc9g=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first batch of choux rings, fresh from the oven. They have not risen as much as I would have liked, but I think this is in part due to my piping large rings that are less full in general. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The next day, I prepared a third of a full recipe of pastry cream for the mousseline. This is another one of those things I might stop documenting, because it's going to keep happening the exact same way and I don't plan on making any alterations to this recipe. I was originally skeptical of the cornstarch because it tends to be a little gelatinous or, in the worst case, chalky tasting, but it's proven itself to be a fine addition to the recipe and I have no improvements in mind. I spread this between layers of plastic wrap in a quarter sheet pan to chill in the fridge. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaRh8ir0mt7Q675xXZvnpr8OrvjYnDEEYdtiXg9y1pBmJATv4G4Fn1vaDU95ifx-YOuv66aFnLJldQkyyFO4pxEx7dqSW7AyOGZICXEgtAszRb686k_1Ob3qJ0YWr2pC-PcWGab9AvwvtwUNxw9LyIdubiZI_-c9bD8z4rsv28qqiQ3Oq5PsQocP8HdA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaRh8ir0mt7Q675xXZvnpr8OrvjYnDEEYdtiXg9y1pBmJATv4G4Fn1vaDU95ifx-YOuv66aFnLJldQkyyFO4pxEx7dqSW7AyOGZICXEgtAszRb686k_1Ob3qJ0YWr2pC-PcWGab9AvwvtwUNxw9LyIdubiZI_-c9bD8z4rsv28qqiQ3Oq5PsQocP8HdA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another familiar photo of pastry cream. I should make a library of stock pastry photos<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I brought out the choux rings I had baked the day before and set about splitting them in half. A bagel cutter would have destroyed these guys; they'd softened a bit in storage and were now very tender. I don't understand why The Book insists on using a "sharp finely serrated knife" for cutting pastries; any sawing motion with a serrated knife would have made these tear. Instead, I used my all-purpose sharp chef's knife, and was overall pleased at how cleanly I was able to cut through even the almond slivers, with minimal almond detritus lost from the rings. </p><p>The photo below shows a ring from the second batch above, and from the first batch below. As is the case with most of my choux bakes, resting the batter prior to baking seems to make for a higher choux with less spread, but the shell on the unrested batch is noticeable thinner and there are fewer membrane partitions within the choux itself (not a huge issue for puffs, but noticeable here). <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXyPJENoJefPhOItgQIvoVQemL4AhlWC12zkvedxRwbg1dZFhFgJwIksKjxtnrkAUTyAiD_8dCcl_1_tw8ia3emR1l78LBowiCxaT6ca5Noh30yAAKp281OgNIUfFGT3abjEOU_3UJDC-s6FrkNTSYnEph3rerpS479srdhgRG5GPMdbLRKpn2cZCIOA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXyPJENoJefPhOItgQIvoVQemL4AhlWC12zkvedxRwbg1dZFhFgJwIksKjxtnrkAUTyAiD_8dCcl_1_tw8ia3emR1l78LBowiCxaT6ca5Noh30yAAKp281OgNIUfFGT3abjEOU_3UJDC-s6FrkNTSYnEph3rerpS479srdhgRG5GPMdbLRKpn2cZCIOA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The top photo is from the second batch which rested for the additional 25 minutes while the first batch was baking. The bottom is the first batch, which went into the oven immediately and experienced slightly more spread but also has a thinner wall with fewer sub-pockets.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Here is a photo of all my sliced choux rings, and evidence of how few almond flakes I lost in the process! Shout out to this chef's knife, which I've had for nearly a decade now and has served as my daily driver for countless cooking adventures. I only personally own two knives: this one, and a Chinese cleaver that I used more when I cooked meat. Find yourself a man who can do it all in the kitchen. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihxh_s5ZArqThME89adBRMF90wJG3JI6FCN0q4l5gxtUEVqVRC40G_WCutU7JSH4-FraCQzx181xjNuL_IZX_I9NEvgg44brfgNUXrhBAR40-1YLRdv3ODXAQhCWek-3zpokraETYHkWLlWSs8hfNRlO1rcikgtLULxHtSolfMPdsvf_2eqlbRKoO9WQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihxh_s5ZArqThME89adBRMF90wJG3JI6FCN0q4l5gxtUEVqVRC40G_WCutU7JSH4-FraCQzx181xjNuL_IZX_I9NEvgg44brfgNUXrhBAR40-1YLRdv3ODXAQhCWek-3zpokraETYHkWLlWSs8hfNRlO1rcikgtLULxHtSolfMPdsvf_2eqlbRKoO9WQ=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Baconeggncheese." "Sir, this is a <strike>Wendy's</strike> amateur pastry kitchen."<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>By this time, I assumed the pastry cream had chilled enough for me to start whipping the thawed buttercream. The Book states to do this on medium speed for ten minutes. I found that it had largely reached steady state by about 6 minutes, but kept whipping because I was still waiting for the pastry cream to completely cool. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjV-gW6TAqlE-exfo1q3OsNfnkBcrM2afAz62kb_blU--DA99f_cbIIPxmnIK9jzhTnNLAhu0Jz5NJUiwVQzyhsbfXvjEj8RbLGJXxR02-sNwXfv10IemhbSp-ZE9SQmI3ZMQsvpH5GAi0fEED-s8vLrq8EbrUwEw5-wY49FeHd8MtFb14aHTgiz_aStQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjV-gW6TAqlE-exfo1q3OsNfnkBcrM2afAz62kb_blU--DA99f_cbIIPxmnIK9jzhTnNLAhu0Jz5NJUiwVQzyhsbfXvjEj8RbLGJXxR02-sNwXfv10IemhbSp-ZE9SQmI3ZMQsvpH5GAi0fEED-s8vLrq8EbrUwEw5-wY49FeHd8MtFb14aHTgiz_aStQ=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Re-whipped the reserved buttercream from the batch I made for the second attempt at Succes Praline<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Finally, I whipped in the pastry cream. The cream became a little grainy at this point, even after about two minutes of whipping, but the addition of the hazelnut praline drizzled in actually helped the mousseline cohere and become smoother. Here is the final texture that I achieved, somewhere slightly past a soft peak. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-S3y1qIdKHfOLZ7RNhY1OsXSJYvetTUZEQK6FqNolthRQUjlwa7C1FrdtUkK9QAeYSG_BRIp9u_YBSI4SrdsUqwolCOky4b4AjsH-NktOREzVH9KpxmM8oy0HMQ6px2YBM-DBh9BJYU9sDXJ-ickzZZJB-j2aI5Bh3NeZpovZVFbObzO0mCfaa-MMCA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-S3y1qIdKHfOLZ7RNhY1OsXSJYvetTUZEQK6FqNolthRQUjlwa7C1FrdtUkK9QAeYSG_BRIp9u_YBSI4SrdsUqwolCOky4b4AjsH-NktOREzVH9KpxmM8oy0HMQ6px2YBM-DBh9BJYU9sDXJ-ickzZZJB-j2aI5Bh3NeZpovZVFbObzO0mCfaa-MMCA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mousseline made from whipping the chilled pastry cream into the buttercream and then adding the praline paste<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Remembering that the heat from my hands made the St. Honore Chiboust cream progressively more difficult to pipe, I only put half of the mousseline into the piping bag to pipe the first batch of choux rings. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWKxtXzaKHbQXIijavYJOOXS_BenihOZQZint359_vummoyvY5EwoO9dDr4-BBWAX1hxCdQ372ut77FSacGtXoUUevlDujAouTY4BDZ3My-rhA7M5ikMNaO15p0tU2uwjhhQU3zdfw6MPPoNRCQ3wZ9eIiDoEttdZhtOYPr1ybFjiDDK73L8Ht05e6lQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWKxtXzaKHbQXIijavYJOOXS_BenihOZQZint359_vummoyvY5EwoO9dDr4-BBWAX1hxCdQ372ut77FSacGtXoUUevlDujAouTY4BDZ3My-rhA7M5ikMNaO15p0tU2uwjhhQU3zdfw6MPPoNRCQ3wZ9eIiDoEttdZhtOYPr1ybFjiDDK73L8Ht05e6lQ=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I only put half of the mousseline into the piping bag at a time to keep the heat from my hands from making it too runny while I piped.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>This is perhaps the fourth or fifth ring that I piped; I was unable to completely replicate the pattern the book uses, but I definitely improved over the course of the piping. I did find it difficult to keep it even around the ring; I tried to rotate the ring as I piped instead of needing to reverse directions as I moved my hand around the ring, but this became difficult to avoid touching the already piped cream. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixYNFEU1QKBgxMCSe4RvFwHtisi6TPfGypaqAsO8tRbSmHFL9cp2mrBZP6sWOohdx1rimNxLXpKQRiKH3-9Cvrl17UwcvcljdRg3ljEIho4emm8g7SRAy9A2VCDgQ8G_SE8FGusMPmaWnsoznb0c9oD3QXPc0lP8b-Q-8SUkIxU530Uv6g6okahx4-_Q=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixYNFEU1QKBgxMCSe4RvFwHtisi6TPfGypaqAsO8tRbSmHFL9cp2mrBZP6sWOohdx1rimNxLXpKQRiKH3-9Cvrl17UwcvcljdRg3ljEIho4emm8g7SRAy9A2VCDgQ8G_SE8FGusMPmaWnsoznb0c9oD3QXPc0lP8b-Q-8SUkIxU530Uv6g6okahx4-_Q=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My piping was not half bad!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Here is one of the Paris-Brest assembled by gingerly laying the top back onto the piped mousseline! <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3_-UhuJyRxkg_ECREk03AiJmzvp3LPZ7uW-o86kmJx1gF0lHPqW2ot_wek27_gP7--IKvuddHXOnDhn6rTPkrnbdb8XT7KBheegtB9dQ8AfxNUxXAzOLLRj0sBlMMKEMK9_MhB4Ip0cljYQYLoLwIEvyB1CK00krsYkrkcTiPYPzp1_HV-9prEozMXg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3_-UhuJyRxkg_ECREk03AiJmzvp3LPZ7uW-o86kmJx1gF0lHPqW2ot_wek27_gP7--IKvuddHXOnDhn6rTPkrnbdb8XT7KBheegtB9dQ8AfxNUxXAzOLLRj0sBlMMKEMK9_MhB4Ip0cljYQYLoLwIEvyB1CK00krsYkrkcTiPYPzp1_HV-9prEozMXg=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abusing the heck out of the portrait mode on my phone<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>One last touch by sifting powdered sugar over the top, and my first attempt at Paris-Brest was complete. I put them in the fridge to chill, because the mousseline was quite soft at this point. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjkPAIMeNMlbqqZLbQBkVrKAR-KgF0sJ5ctV-ikOfwNBwfQR-T1NzpaIdFjmVvrsGbYOrx5htKf6Qds7bli0ZwSsN-KLSYDoKy0gDG0ScPc7JTjYhcAJwSqbRRdhR7apn5dahwNRWBFSbh3dFwarZMWPnslPoRAkTfsXAWWrmbCTdg4MrqmcKBsoSuEcA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjkPAIMeNMlbqqZLbQBkVrKAR-KgF0sJ5ctV-ikOfwNBwfQR-T1NzpaIdFjmVvrsGbYOrx5htKf6Qds7bli0ZwSsN-KLSYDoKy0gDG0ScPc7JTjYhcAJwSqbRRdhR7apn5dahwNRWBFSbh3dFwarZMWPnslPoRAkTfsXAWWrmbCTdg4MrqmcKBsoSuEcA=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There it is!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Bonus: Dolled-up fairy bread I had for lunch, using leftover hazelnut mousseline, naturally colored sprinkles, and the Shokupan I baked yesterday ("oh, I'm only doing half of my pastry recipe and the weather is nice so I have time to bake fancy bread that takes four hours and needs to rise multiple times"). <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLEPYlw6HdOXTIvLzCPGFKJ9jzNua8TH2GLG1wl_qkhS4nJdl3HC_sYOlr4YvrePBGAS4G4cLE8aCqoYBqZ-CsxLx_teWfM44hg2l-xIKy_h7UkiE_8Paz2NInbs5OZLyK-LTwoZ1pCWjmGwV50ARESpyqebHHC3LDpK2o0lEK7kDRvWX9d6F_a8v18g=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLEPYlw6HdOXTIvLzCPGFKJ9jzNua8TH2GLG1wl_qkhS4nJdl3HC_sYOlr4YvrePBGAS4G4cLE8aCqoYBqZ-CsxLx_teWfM44hg2l-xIKy_h7UkiE_8Paz2NInbs5OZLyK-LTwoZ1pCWjmGwV50ARESpyqebHHC3LDpK2o0lEK7kDRvWX9d6F_a8v18g=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a balanced lunch, right? There's...at least three food groups.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Thoughts: </p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I think the choice to sub in some milk in the choux recipe was the right call. While this made the texture even less crisp the next day than it already was from being a day old, the sweetness of the mousseline, while light, needed some additional counterpoint from the pastry itself so it wasn't just overwhelmingly nutty from the almond and hazelnut. </li><li>People liked the lightness of the pastry! I think its appearance, with the sprinkled sugar and generous layer of cream, belies the airiness of the choux and the mousseline. It looks like it will be similar to a cannoli or ice cream sandwich in density, but is then surprisingly delicate. <br /></li><li>I am likely to try this recipe again soon and pipe the correct diameter circles, just to see whether the end result will look more impressive when they are compact instead of thin and large. I also wonder if stepping it up to the 10mm round piping tip would help get the full ring aspect ratio. I noticed in the photos in The Book that the splitting cut is actually closer to the top third of the choux rings, which would make a fuller choux bake necessary. </li><li>Large eggs! Always! No other size will quell the voice of doubt in my head!</li><li>This praline mousseline might have been one of my favorite things I've made recently. It's hard to top buttercream and pastry cream, but the combination of all with the praline was just delicious. </li><li>I need to find a way to give these away if I'm to make them again. Finding fridge space to chill these in a single layer until the mousseline was set required a fair amount of creativity.<br /></li><li>I should have trusted my instincts with the mousseline being a little too soft to pipe cleanly. I think I should have chilled it a little bit more after whipping all ingredients together, perhaps even rewhipping if necessary. I have always seen Paris-Brest with sharp, star-tip piped cream, and I think colder cream would make this better. The other option, as The Book mentions, is to omit the pastry cream, which yields a stiffer mousseline. </li><li>I should have been more liberal in piping the mousseline. Part of the appeal of the Paris-Brest is the impressive height of the filling (and thus calories!) and I found that my mousseline began to sink into the holes into the choux pastry rings, yielding a thinner mousseline layer than visually expected. I also had a fair amount of mousseline left (enough for the fairy bread, and then some to pipe into my slovenly waiting mouth in a dark corner of my kitchen). </li><li>On my second to last choux ring, I ran into the unfortunate issue of an unground chunk of hazelnut clogging my straight star tip (sometimes called a French star tip). I prodded it a bit and was able to rotate it to clog my tip less so I could still pipe, albeit with fewer nice star ridges, but I'm not really sure how to fix this problem as it arises in the future. Maybe there isn't a better way to deal with it except to decant the cream and unclog the tip and refill the piping bag. Or, of course, just grinding the crap out of the praline beforehand to avoid the situation entirely. At least my piping bag didn't explode as the pressure increased. </li></ul><p>Quote of the day: "Why do mine look like bagels?" "Hanging out with too many jews." - me complaining about the shape of my choux rings and a (Jewish) friend's text response<br /></p><p><br /></p>Helena Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948134617740274723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3324966668274170747.post-42724455351244663152022-03-17T17:07:00.001-07:002022-03-17T17:07:08.899-07:00Patisserie 9.5: Succès praliné, but more correctly this time<p> I was so angry at how much I'd messed up every step of the cake on Friday that I marched back to the grocery store on Monday morning to buy more hazelnuts and try again. </p><p>And I still didn't buy enough hazelnuts! Turns out hazelnuts are not as heavy as I think they are, and they're also a little expensive. But I hedged my bets this time by also acquiring some hazelnut butter, in case my food processors were unable to handle trying to grind hazelnuts into a paste, especially at the small quantities used in the recipes. So I ground the 160g of roasted hazelnuts for the dacquoise first, and hoped I would be able to caramelize an adequate amount for the praline to be sweet enough.<br /></p><p>But considering how delicious the cake was on Friday despite my mistakes, I was looking forward to doing it much better this time. I duly grabbed my candy thermometer and food processor from storage to try and do things right this time around. </p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>I started by heating the sugar and water like the recipe called for, and brought it to the soft ball stage of 244deg F before adding the hazelnuts. The sugar was bubbling but still clear, and it did in fact crystalize immediately once I tossed the crushed nuts in. Because I was planning to make Paris-Brest later this week, I increased the amount of hazelnuts in this to allow myself some extra praline for that recipe later, rather than making a half batch for it alone. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEji9od6N30z0SFOwtUfZnbNt83Y246czi0HmygUkLcAMuqvqYorxvo6wB-NfjKr5dZe64Jssz0JgMt2HQPPBy7xQi1XhazKdTvXDrW36dEy7ijMXJ_GPLq_2XOWRBg2-Ci3DgAd4hCnL_ynM6gvQWQaYsdf9DSZWjp9l8X2D8CW9QijoEwbHaHW-oR8-g=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEji9od6N30z0SFOwtUfZnbNt83Y246czi0HmygUkLcAMuqvqYorxvo6wB-NfjKr5dZe64Jssz0JgMt2HQPPBy7xQi1XhazKdTvXDrW36dEy7ijMXJ_GPLq_2XOWRBg2-Ci3DgAd4hCnL_ynM6gvQWQaYsdf9DSZWjp9l8X2D8CW9QijoEwbHaHW-oR8-g=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chopped hazelnuts and the sugar which crystallized upon contact around the hazelnuts<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>After a few more minutes of stirring vigorously over low heat to make sure the sugar and hazelnuts did not burn, the sugar was caramelized and starting to create a sticky coating around the hazelnut bits. Eventually, even the largest pieces had their crystallized sugar turn into a caramel coating.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcqyjPAF87k4xQa-XP0LCeeht2A-L6UbaA_0OpBO8HrmFsHn3x_lBuKSZUqIncPpxguRY5kZUTX_HrsRrGvUrEqziA7FxnUH1FAlS2n_6Uon3-cFbjQuS5gfXNJ1s02jKpYvmrBQdoH7_e779sKkDquEuz2EVSLhrZ8N6zog_6wv5iY1t0fzCGSb2o-w=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcqyjPAF87k4xQa-XP0LCeeht2A-L6UbaA_0OpBO8HrmFsHn3x_lBuKSZUqIncPpxguRY5kZUTX_HrsRrGvUrEqziA7FxnUH1FAlS2n_6Uon3-cFbjQuS5gfXNJ1s02jKpYvmrBQdoH7_e779sKkDquEuz2EVSLhrZ8N6zog_6wv5iY1t0fzCGSb2o-w=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eventually the sugar turned to a caramel that coated the nuts, but I stirred frequently because the edges threatened to burn.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I poured these out onto a quarter sheet pan to let them cool. Notice the immediate difference between my last batch of clumpy, sticky hazelnuts, and these caramelized hazelnuts that scattered easily on the pan and were not so much as tacky to the touch once they cooled. Instead, they had a pleasant sweet crunch and nuttiness of toasted hazelnut inside. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrzRZCkZTOYcwFbZ1tknnU5WxSYND2T3Ctfb1ueTxlFwGVPl92fYZ_ptohxfxqBQRIWunG0S_xilDfbgFCQaSCmyDEx3Et3q-kKw7YnCXDKW_BQtFfXaAT-ZA45PVTlYWUV5EGKCuHVUs0UUT7l2TdL3Pg4S_IdpmSMQ9tYKzto7ab2gi-0Lz3Xa-uqQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrzRZCkZTOYcwFbZ1tknnU5WxSYND2T3Ctfb1ueTxlFwGVPl92fYZ_ptohxfxqBQRIWunG0S_xilDfbgFCQaSCmyDEx3Et3q-kKw7YnCXDKW_BQtFfXaAT-ZA45PVTlYWUV5EGKCuHVUs0UUT7l2TdL3Pg4S_IdpmSMQ9tYKzto7ab2gi-0Lz3Xa-uqQ=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These hazelnuts were easy to spread out and cool, compared to the clumpy, sticky mess of last time<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I tossed a few of these into my smaller, faster food processor, and made up the rest of the weight difference in the praline paste called for in both this recipe and that of the Paris-Brest using hazelnut butter from my bulk grocery store. It mostly turned into a smooth paste this time, though there were still visible bits of hazelnuts. I've made peanut butter from roasted peanuts in this food processor before but I presume I was using a larger quantity of peanuts, so maybe I should just look up the shelf life of homemade praline and make a bigger batch to save some for later recipes.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNbfBaH-ItCBI4ZdJ5oQiCLX0LBX-hOr7w-TVcxkSI5jX_7OnkZQZ-cXmrICJp-y6ti2TMc10WE4rNOyT6sBgjoKaMAc3ys-HuCLF6jq2bIkZZRTxASxk3jhpM7zDuzOM7halv7MaQX63bdVO6Uuanh93khKf2BlHgPsbVN-sfCZ6C9Eh-nMZzD8-Ndw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNbfBaH-ItCBI4ZdJ5oQiCLX0LBX-hOr7w-TVcxkSI5jX_7OnkZQZ-cXmrICJp-y6ti2TMc10WE4rNOyT6sBgjoKaMAc3ys-HuCLF6jq2bIkZZRTxASxk3jhpM7zDuzOM7halv7MaQX63bdVO6Uuanh93khKf2BlHgPsbVN-sfCZ6C9Eh-nMZzD8-Ndw=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheating here with some hazelnut butter in addition to the candied hazelnuts<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I brought back the bowl of ground hazelnuts and almond flour that I set aside at the beginning of the recipe, and began whipping the egg whites to stiff peaks. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwcknOi0uqj9yTt2IVxZVogzUfO_RdxnRVumUAdPi9L7OZ2iBrg0NqLBaW_XAhY_O7XWhHzYTQtXzAAo7sBh2dP4BkBI36ZGF1QCDYLHvS6kNElRzNW-LRGR7vFkmJTC5O6VyGBU3eGzGWS4tSJmnryA2q7uKClkmE6LVlzIh5TRDuZoTlpcGfjX84tw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwcknOi0uqj9yTt2IVxZVogzUfO_RdxnRVumUAdPi9L7OZ2iBrg0NqLBaW_XAhY_O7XWhHzYTQtXzAAo7sBh2dP4BkBI36ZGF1QCDYLHvS6kNElRzNW-LRGR7vFkmJTC5O6VyGBU3eGzGWS4tSJmnryA2q7uKClkmE6LVlzIh5TRDuZoTlpcGfjX84tw=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The correct ground hazelnuts this time with almonds, while the stand mixer does its thing to the egg whites<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I poured the ground nuts in to fold with the completed meringue (you can tell how stiff the peaks are by the little stalagmite I accidentally built when tapping the whisk attachment on the edge of the bowl).<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHtaGkF6oSDpVmo-RZ63zMEAObqZVO8hvGB2dwHGjetEluVxclcSMhQNMGhmZXH1uoQLk6NOmmj_rCZMAN1zZub0RPmHTYYTYktePDu7bLw0mQEPf3hf7nFGO_-JNRMkdubpicScy44nbRjFVoDki-rBKbeYg89XA5lc7iNSW5EMEp1sUeqGZgfD0FYA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHtaGkF6oSDpVmo-RZ63zMEAObqZVO8hvGB2dwHGjetEluVxclcSMhQNMGhmZXH1uoQLk6NOmmj_rCZMAN1zZub0RPmHTYYTYktePDu7bLw0mQEPf3hf7nFGO_-JNRMkdubpicScy44nbRjFVoDki-rBKbeYg89XA5lc7iNSW5EMEp1sUeqGZgfD0FYA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preparing to fold the nuts in for the dacquoise<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>When preparing the cake layers this time, I decided to skip straight to spreading instead of the potentially-deflating step of putting it into a piping bag and realizing I didn't have enough batter to fill the sheets. I globbed half of the batter in three blobs along the center line of the sheet and spread it out until it was roughly a centimeter in even thickness. This left me with dimensions about an inch short of the edge of the parchment on all sides, so I estimated my final cake would probably be around 13"x9". <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUQiVMalxKHiX3IDG6jiQaeJnKaJ4puPZnEab99H7Ov1HkizrKYPtT5__JY8NsBwICy-wkS6VmNq46x7c8hO39NGBlbl0TZkBB-b2xOkWvj1DISi2m81UC-BPzzfw4x9irigC0Uiwjqqi1Zr84bUDaP_UcwbmsRDxBZ8UP_64HtKqJdRTF6hGKtCp_Aw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUQiVMalxKHiX3IDG6jiQaeJnKaJ4puPZnEab99H7Ov1HkizrKYPtT5__JY8NsBwICy-wkS6VmNq46x7c8hO39NGBlbl0TZkBB-b2xOkWvj1DISi2m81UC-BPzzfw4x9irigC0Uiwjqqi1Zr84bUDaP_UcwbmsRDxBZ8UP_64HtKqJdRTF6hGKtCp_Aw=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I spread the batter out starting from the center and stopping when it was uniformly 1cm thick or so. I'm not sure how people square up the edges of the cake, though I guess it doesn't really matter since the rectangle is used to cut it to size anyways.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>While the first layer of the cake was baking, I started preparing my buttercream. My photos get a little sparse at this point, partially because I had already done this once before, and partially because this familiarity allowed me to work efficiently in 7-8 minute bursts between rotating and swapping out the cake layers. I'm glad I already made this before and was not so concerned about the sugar syrup creation because the candy thermometer helped me keep a hand free. </p><p>I finished baking the cakes and set them on racks to cool, and I turned my full attention to the buttercream, which at this point was still in separate components of an Italian meringue and the egg yolks that had just whipped to a pale, thick cream. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbvmdgQpqrcdun-cWXE-5egHlAPcjsWa6lh6MIjZB-0nBEY5HuGaqScjB9yAaIlOglmf7T8oG16rdDUbd4bxozkFCaDMDEFyvK50fFj_ynQjp7v4akJ3kuSbKFWoi7pW5t5oy-Ggjsda4nXQQ9EE8gSXqaMOn831Riv2wBaqf7ChSc2jLLi90hrUH17Q=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbvmdgQpqrcdun-cWXE-5egHlAPcjsWa6lh6MIjZB-0nBEY5HuGaqScjB9yAaIlOglmf7T8oG16rdDUbd4bxozkFCaDMDEFyvK50fFj_ynQjp7v4akJ3kuSbKFWoi7pW5t5oy-Ggjsda4nXQQ9EE8gSXqaMOn831Riv2wBaqf7ChSc2jLLi90hrUH17Q=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Italian meringue on the left, egg yolks whipped with hot sugar syrup until pale and ribbony on the right<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I did remember to soften the butter this time, so I whipped it in short order and added the egg components as well, beating after each addition. As I was reading some other sections of The Book, I noticed that it mentioned that buttercream should be beaten at medium speed for quite some time after incorporating the last of the egg whites, in order to achieve the most airy texture. Armed with this knowledge and the experience of little deflation the last time I made this, I whipped on medium for a little longer until the color of the buttercream was quite pale and it was very fluffy. Because this recipe uses 3/4 of a batch of buttercream, and the Paris-Brest requires 400g (almost half a batch), I figured the quarter batch left from last time + half of this batch would be enough for the dacquoise, so I went ahead and set aside 400g for the other recipe. Buttercream apparently freezes well, and just needs to be thawed in the fridge and rewhipped before using, so off to the freezer with this small bowl.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYccAa2uKHlB6Y_qKdrrL5LH4Exes6oXGkMDUeToeqBePpC8-2HujotSOuV3xhyBDCfHiKDOUHj10q4Y7rmZeXJVuXt_gGGkDmuNzCvyBMOcuJg_x3vrHVyMC4ew6mq8_YRGn36NhYwAKGYjvlFJyaf_-eQCuyRs2JJreV1Ob12y_y2HIFDVG3vvC24Q=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYccAa2uKHlB6Y_qKdrrL5LH4Exes6oXGkMDUeToeqBePpC8-2HujotSOuV3xhyBDCfHiKDOUHj10q4Y7rmZeXJVuXt_gGGkDmuNzCvyBMOcuJg_x3vrHVyMC4ew6mq8_YRGn36NhYwAKGYjvlFJyaf_-eQCuyRs2JJreV1Ob12y_y2HIFDVG3vvC24Q=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whipped buttercream, setting some aside for the Paris-Brest I plan to make later this week<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The remaining buttercream was not quite 750g, so I guess I must have used more than estimated on the last version of this cake. Nonetheless, I whipped in the praline (after setting aside another portion of the praline for the Paris-Brest mousseline). I'm sure 100g of buttercream would not break the cake's flavor.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNXZhL0fL_K0VvnK2ykFjlYZcNh7HbTyYWRbZjSRJsDnre5dFaj4WBjSfZhliwEG2DQ6bZSaiHEUVQ0w4P-q62noW-CRBHleyoR2E_uu4jwwPOejHIrz8nFn6WxzgihiUoR0Gco90vgX348lvMXPIkFDSkCK5gUIyFVEgatdYBI5kdDBDPFYAVafKl8A=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNXZhL0fL_K0VvnK2ykFjlYZcNh7HbTyYWRbZjSRJsDnre5dFaj4WBjSfZhliwEG2DQ6bZSaiHEUVQ0w4P-q62noW-CRBHleyoR2E_uu4jwwPOejHIrz8nFn6WxzgihiUoR0Gco90vgX348lvMXPIkFDSkCK5gUIyFVEgatdYBI5kdDBDPFYAVafKl8A=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How do raw ingredients translate into weight? I may never get this right.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Indeed, the final size I was able to cut from the cakes was about 12.5"x9.5". The edges of the cake continue to baffle me; even though they did not seemed burned, the edges were far crisper than the insides (which were moist and almost gummy when being cut). The cake was definitely lighter than last time and not as flat, though it still was deflated in comparison to when it was first put in the oven (though I think this is just how this cake is). I plopped the buttercream down onto the bottom cake layer in the cake rectangle and spread it around. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgay7QIEdVyi01QDJZUHRYPGcAyx94F0tv31yFE7lZhl-2XGa-37_yQxRmZb40KGxnnIsUi_Ri8kseAph90jiDCP9BIyP90cMfsFuSFUp-7JMxaEM_QyazDe33u2A6fN1IHQY9L364zxX1mXtz-C2H5TNwonZ7NcT2jIBN65X1yHMGSV5pucgvctp-S9Q=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgay7QIEdVyi01QDJZUHRYPGcAyx94F0tv31yFE7lZhl-2XGa-37_yQxRmZb40KGxnnIsUi_Ri8kseAph90jiDCP9BIyP90cMfsFuSFUp-7JMxaEM_QyazDe33u2A6fN1IHQY9L364zxX1mXtz-C2H5TNwonZ7NcT2jIBN65X1yHMGSV5pucgvctp-S9Q=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spreading the praline buttercream onto the bottom cake layer<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Here are the candied hazelnuts sprinkled atop the cake. Slightly less ground-beefy, but I don't think it can be helped. Brown crumbles = visual meat. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggafS-Fjia_VyF73QgcQeWZY56xmc7C6zNC1RcPOlGTTJ3myWq2O-9EpZhuRVpsypLqRFiZs2LqZTBwmwVJkQz-3VoQAJ6krCUCjYaPfjVoeGQylBD9MUXD6m6mjD-VHP-TyXkZT6b6JnrSzD6lbG4iIW9o5DSNCjDziZagedbLV1CFXUOtxG90IYBqA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggafS-Fjia_VyF73QgcQeWZY56xmc7C6zNC1RcPOlGTTJ3myWq2O-9EpZhuRVpsypLqRFiZs2LqZTBwmwVJkQz-3VoQAJ6krCUCjYaPfjVoeGQylBD9MUXD6m6mjD-VHP-TyXkZT6b6JnrSzD6lbG4iIW9o5DSNCjDziZagedbLV1CFXUOtxG90IYBqA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I would have liked to have more hazelnuts, but I had to save some for the garnish so this layer was not the most densely-strewn<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Now here was a little trick. Remember the <a href="https://tinkertailor-hw.blogspot.com/2022/03/patisserie-9-succes-pralinehazelnut.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">last time I made Succes Praline</a>, and the top layer of the cake began to tear in a few places while transferring over to the cake rectangle? This time, I got clever. </p><p>I extended the cake rectangle slightly to make sure the top layer of the cake would fit with ample clearance on all sides, and then, with a quick "I hope this works," I grabbed one edge of the top layer parchment, slipped my other hand under the layer, and flipped it upside down into the cake rectangle. The cake remained adhered to the parchment, much to my relief! The parchment overlapping on the edge of the rectangle allowed me some purchase as I gently pressed the cake layer down into the rectangle to nestle against the buttercream, and when all the edges were aligned, I snugged up the edges of the rectangle against the cake again. When I began to peel off the parchment, the cake threatened to stick, so I used my offset spatula and set it on the parchment as I peeled against it at an acute angle, akin to the <a href="https://www.modernfrenchpastry.com/techniques" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unmolding Cakes parlor trick</a>. When I met resistance in the middle, I started at another corner/edge, and eventually all the parchment came off. This had the added benefit of a relatively smoother surface atop the cake as a finish.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtd2IaxGi4yKYpLmn_cawOG535oQt1wAa6LBZRFzfkljvgMddYb6G8DNJqNUXlxBQbzy7aBwvXRi5sGOOiWFz0h99EEnu8m5vv9QTQ2rqGNDolHvO8f08aZwiZGu2jAdLJ6Gf-104rUZN0DCw89Ce_UggdSrTtgMBfyQVUWShK7aQDaA8TvtnG-Xll9Q=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtd2IaxGi4yKYpLmn_cawOG535oQt1wAa6LBZRFzfkljvgMddYb6G8DNJqNUXlxBQbzy7aBwvXRi5sGOOiWFz0h99EEnu8m5vv9QTQ2rqGNDolHvO8f08aZwiZGu2jAdLJ6Gf-104rUZN0DCw89Ce_UggdSrTtgMBfyQVUWShK7aQDaA8TvtnG-Xll9Q=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Successfully demolded the top layer of cake into the pan intact!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>It was time to demold and sprinkle with powdered sugar! I only did one dusting of sugar last time, remembering how sweet the cake was. It is important to pull the cake rectangle upwards while demolding instead of outwards; the buttercream wants to stick to the rectangle, and the edges are cleaner if I pull directly up. I also compressed the cake rectangle lightly like last time to square up the edges a bit before demolding. Then the cake went off to the fridge to wait for the buttercream to set after a few hours. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhC0Jfhd6giHLielMGTuFQW6yvRAcZKqdsQMqmsCnfDGZYpdbfIBr648wJMhSvjUS7_-yzaZcQIdvIcZ8VWdM_dmNM4RlZk24y3WciHcYN6MU3G-llG1nBHYsC25vRgUYfh6EcpH83vcKMaJ-5kUNEVzXvdCnnqRKQLQIEUcOnxlWEBHAao0r0M472FrA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhC0Jfhd6giHLielMGTuFQW6yvRAcZKqdsQMqmsCnfDGZYpdbfIBr648wJMhSvjUS7_-yzaZcQIdvIcZ8VWdM_dmNM4RlZk24y3WciHcYN6MU3G-llG1nBHYsC25vRgUYfh6EcpH83vcKMaJ-5kUNEVzXvdCnnqRKQLQIEUcOnxlWEBHAao0r0M472FrA=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nice square cake. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>At this point, my house had not even finished eating the last batch of cake from Friday, despite having had a party in the meantime and my having given away several pieces of cake. I had to call up some more friends to take away cake pieces. This is where I ran into an unexpected issue: the correctly caramelized hazelnut crunch was less sticky and just rolled around when I sprinkled them on as garnish. They fell off readily and were very difficult to transport. I don't think anyone cared, but it is a useful note for the future to perhaps sprinkle them on a dollop of piped buttercream or something, or otherwise only serve this cake when no travel is involved. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZyuZ51THuwRQSA7zlZbQutTvtSbY200uOm7HcVNgXpGBtQI5kE_BeFAuvhc8R1F0L6B7eRbgOL5hh1DaT7kz0wa1HUOfgUNXX9md8t89pKZSAMZefMdqQzJGvYUE-5TvFuWKW630ZZGkVcosZKdz7HXL_JU1nBqL5jakGUGGRZe9aNlxKMpgbf9mU_A=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZyuZ51THuwRQSA7zlZbQutTvtSbY200uOm7HcVNgXpGBtQI5kE_BeFAuvhc8R1F0L6B7eRbgOL5hh1DaT7kz0wa1HUOfgUNXX9md8t89pKZSAMZefMdqQzJGvYUE-5TvFuWKW630ZZGkVcosZKdz7HXL_JU1nBqL5jakGUGGRZe9aNlxKMpgbf9mU_A=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one was much easier to cut into tidy slices.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Successful glamour shot! You can see that the cake layers are both thicker than last time and less dense. Additionally, the caramelized hazelnuts were delightful pockets of melty nuttiness amid the lightly flavored buttercream (which was lighter than last time, but not by that much). I think last time's cake was still tasty but very different, and while I consider it to be worse, I'm not sure that would be a fair axis to even judge it on. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPrFE2pFmj3TGN35BwlLJRXfX8HEtdyxN0IQPThGAbGG8-kiXGqbT3PsTTrH2V3fA4R9aqI7n8by0LqtJgnpmML6SsdcniZq4j05UCcFTb00hCiw7JTVylZxQJjnIu1zkQCrW6XqAodimnyaTH2Rrn-NAhB_KQLevIwNPLISu-x2w4A9MxFcxFYSS_tA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPrFE2pFmj3TGN35BwlLJRXfX8HEtdyxN0IQPThGAbGG8-kiXGqbT3PsTTrH2V3fA4R9aqI7n8by0LqtJgnpmML6SsdcniZq4j05UCcFTb00hCiw7JTVylZxQJjnIu1zkQCrW6XqAodimnyaTH2Rrn-NAhB_KQLevIwNPLISu-x2w4A9MxFcxFYSS_tA=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glorious cross-section!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I don't have that many thoughts to add this time because it's already my second time doing this recipe. But nonetheless:</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Someone mentioned having more hazelnuts inside the cake would be nice! I think they were a highlight of the cake for many people. </li><li>I found another website that stated their cake also came out to 13"x10", so I don't feel bad about the way I spread out the dacquoise batter. <br /></li><li>I'm slowly but surely changing people's minds on cake/buttercream because of the lightness of the French rendition of both. </li><li>This cake is gluten free!</li><li>I think this cake is supposed to be served fairly cold (it says to remove from the fridge ten minutes before serving) and I agree that the melt-in-your-mouth disappearing act of the buttercream is less pronounced when the cake is closer to room temperature. I have a hard time communicating this to people though, because when it is completely cold, it is somewhat unpleasant as well. </li><li>Apparently these cakes can be frozen quite well? I know what I'm going to do when we replace our broken fridge/freezer...</li></ul><p>Quote of the day: "I did this in 2 hours and 45 minutes! I could be on a bake-off!" -me and my infinite hubris. <br /></p><p><br /></p>Helena Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948134617740274723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3324966668274170747.post-4439744027772450202022-03-16T16:13:00.004-07:002022-03-16T16:13:43.943-07:00Patisserie 9: Succès praliné/Hazelnut Almond Dacquoise (with Italian Meringue buttercream)<p> After tackling the most pastry-like intermediate cake recipes in the cake section of The Book, and seeing as it was mid-March and not a great berry season, I and my abundance of egg whites from various pastry creams decided to try making the hazelnut-almond dacquoise cake with Italian meringue buttercream. </p><p>A <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dacquoise" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">dacquoise</a> can both refer to this style of cake (hazelnut-almond meringue layers with buttercream) or the cake layer itself (nut meringue). Praline is a paste made of caramel and hazelnuts. Buttercream, contrary to the American style of the frosting that contains only butter and confectioner's sugar, typically in the French tradition includes whipped egg yolks, a meringue of some sort, or, in the case of this recipe from The Book, both. Italian meringue specifically refers to egg whites beaten with a hot sugar syrup (as opposed to the French meringue which is egg whites simply beaten with sugar) and has increased stability because the egg whites get cooked. </p><p>I started this cake at 10am on a Friday morning and by the time it was 1pm, I was covered in sugar and meringue and very mad. Mostly at myself, for making a series of mistakes that cascaded into a cake that was not...bad, exactly, but nothing like the recipe intended.<br /><span></span></p><a name='more'></a> <p></p><p>The hazelnuts gave me trouble from the beginning, because I misread the recipe and thought that the caramelized sugar glazed hazelnuts for the praline were the same as the ones used in the dacquoise, because both sections called for 160g of hazelnuts. So I didn't even buy enough hazelnuts to start with. </p><p>On top of this, I decided to use up the leftover caramelized sugar from the St Honore cake to coat the hazelnuts for the praline, not realizing that 244 degrees F is not actually high enough of a temperature to caramelize sugar, so the recipe actually asks for sugar to be slightly above the soft ball stage (240F), not the caramel stage (340F and above). Silly me, assuming that caramelized hazelnut praline would need sugar to start as a caramel. </p><p>I ran the hazelnuts through the food processor briefly and melted down the caramelized sugar with the remainder of the weight in sugar with the water in a saucepan. I should have realized I was going to have issues when the caramel took a very long time to dissolve. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8m_JN1llggeYQHHCRwbR5TC_Dsh_TIGXVjo94CbquP3vb2b50jFEDHj0WdILi4lRlC_FWY0milhZ7KmsmokA0K3KDOuoKGZ0L-cUJN2MQk_EiyabwvwKnIjLjhj4VhGGrqzqDs7jVPKEeI2kwoeBu4GyL3VOJZzFGm3H8saOEJb5hDXXdhQAcz1NMJA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8m_JN1llggeYQHHCRwbR5TC_Dsh_TIGXVjo94CbquP3vb2b50jFEDHj0WdILi4lRlC_FWY0milhZ7KmsmokA0K3KDOuoKGZ0L-cUJN2MQk_EiyabwvwKnIjLjhj4VhGGrqzqDs7jVPKEeI2kwoeBu4GyL3VOJZzFGm3H8saOEJb5hDXXdhQAcz1NMJA=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I tried reusing caramelized sugar from dipping the St. Honore cream puffs<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>My next mistake was being too lazy this early in the morning to go rummage around in our storage area for my candy thermometer in my kitchen items box. Instead, I was using the handheld instant infrared thermometer, which only reads surface temperature, but I figured it should be fine. Ultimately, I don't believe this was a huge issue, but it was less able than a proper submerged candy thermometer to give me a good sense of the bulk temperature of the sugar. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK62aXPR1fKVcjQ_TKrTlSKizKV4uR8Iya43uaDYn-bDyP2mJYQLDUrHzohtZx2PRnlqOn4-iuTCmQILdbu05RZY9lW1wdUyfrJgS0PGCHggYy75vEQX26TtVp8HHxs87GM7KiCj35R7w_ulipmsTz70iHa3CACUElwFrB1_TNsS6hvWvmpkJ8s7U4Qg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK62aXPR1fKVcjQ_TKrTlSKizKV4uR8Iya43uaDYn-bDyP2mJYQLDUrHzohtZx2PRnlqOn4-iuTCmQILdbu05RZY9lW1wdUyfrJgS0PGCHggYy75vEQX26TtVp8HHxs87GM7KiCj35R7w_ulipmsTz70iHa3CACUElwFrB1_TNsS6hvWvmpkJ8s7U4Qg=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is definitely not a candy thermometer<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Nonetheless, I turned off the heat and stirred in the hazelnuts when the temp reached 244deg F. It should have served as a red flag when the sugar did not crystallize at all, and the hazelnuts just globbed around in a sticky caramel sauce, but I duly cooked them for a few minutes longer and, when it appeared they were all coated, I dumped them out onto a parchment covered baking sheet to cool. The Book noted that the sugar would crystallize upon adding the hazelnuts and that they would take some more time on the heat before they became coated with caramel, but I just chalked this up to being lucky. Pro tip: working with sugar is science, never luck. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRHqJJQ9KlQjeOkZRjCsUDDHVe5m0BsWN1--CtICDGowD-QFTz1T1ad_TmwTbgzgCwjmxg7XNmX3C5LWmjRFnG78mQx7C9-RTd9oIp_5ybm-LAXSmjhwZZ3Nu6lIILVt7t9bnlacJdbzy69lVy_XbBoOs2ZlgIeqxL_e_GBZwuTSByN4SZNYElYKYJig=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRHqJJQ9KlQjeOkZRjCsUDDHVe5m0BsWN1--CtICDGowD-QFTz1T1ad_TmwTbgzgCwjmxg7XNmX3C5LWmjRFnG78mQx7C9-RTd9oIp_5ybm-LAXSmjhwZZ3Nu6lIILVt7t9bnlacJdbzy69lVy_XbBoOs2ZlgIeqxL_e_GBZwuTSByN4SZNYElYKYJig=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The clumpiness and stickiness of the glazed hazelnuts did not bode well.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>And the case of the mistaken hazelnut identity begins! I portioned out 75g of the candied hazelnuts aside for a praline paste, and ground the rest with the almond flour. This is not what the recipe wanted me to do; I was supposed to get a different 160g of hazelnuts to grind with the almond flour. In my defense, the book just keeps calling things "the hazelnuts", and both sections call for the same quantity. It's kind of confusing! But by the time I reread the recipe, it was too late, so I resigned myself to using the 75g of reserved hazelnuts later.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjP-94ZuZF55ThWNK6IfbfqsZ_zvzZ80z7G_BnMor6sXUWOxhY9I7ZwyRwTb55pAMeLs6AcPCLtSVJHmq3RYBSBRj0J5_xwBDyUgLiACGU8yOKND-ORzWgheibLsV-gz9YSxlLELOY9XLNvBN_DuUorcll0lV2syPkig1h4p-lC5zJVrTiaff_4WVKGXA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjP-94ZuZF55ThWNK6IfbfqsZ_zvzZ80z7G_BnMor6sXUWOxhY9I7ZwyRwTb55pAMeLs6AcPCLtSVJHmq3RYBSBRj0J5_xwBDyUgLiACGU8yOKND-ORzWgheibLsV-gz9YSxlLELOY9XLNvBN_DuUorcll0lV2syPkig1h4p-lC5zJVrTiaff_4WVKGXA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are the wrong hazelnuts! I should have bought more hazelnuts and ground the unglazed ones! <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I whipped the 320g (11 egg whites!) of egg whites with about a third of the sugar at medium speed (4) until soft peaks formed. I have found that while whipping at a higher speed (6) can build up structure more quickly initially, this structure is a lot of large bubbles, while the lower speed yields a finer bubbled denser foam. So my preference is to do about 5 minutes at speed 4 until the egg whites start to become a foam with uniform visible bubbles, and then kick it up to 6 for another 5 minutes until the bowl is full of soft, opaque egg white foam.</p><p>In the photo below, I'm showing the soft peak that droops over when I turn the beater upside down. The French call this "bec d'oiseaux," or a bird beak, because of the resemblance. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlHM14QHq9lMWs3N4ucN88tfLEDwdUrKHPYj8RvXE5VGFjOIftknI7P8SpZk_VhLIt_RqxAMyvuN7a1fHNxTBz43tnFWtbVhgvBj7OT4M6VoMO4m90lLPJce83KqJaVicG5eJHMoINxQVTHU3h7UFHx100EesizkuFbxkaXIRjbKen5RHIofYxSfQ4vw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlHM14QHq9lMWs3N4ucN88tfLEDwdUrKHPYj8RvXE5VGFjOIftknI7P8SpZk_VhLIt_RqxAMyvuN7a1fHNxTBz43tnFWtbVhgvBj7OT4M6VoMO4m90lLPJce83KqJaVicG5eJHMoINxQVTHU3h7UFHx100EesizkuFbxkaXIRjbKen5RHIofYxSfQ4vw=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bird's beak state of soft peaks whipped egg whites<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>At this point, I added the rest of the sugar (turning the mixer off), and while this deflates the egg whites a little bit, I turned the mixer back onto 6 and let it whip rapidly until stiff peaks were formed, and the meringue was thick and glossy. Sugar helps give the meringue structure; this mixture was quite firm by the time I stopped to swipe a beater to snap the stiff peak photo, and it was very scoopable!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgD3fQcD4S9gAQm5_HvQpmtEjenhZ4NlrgB1AHawWQmHJTFjDuNm07kzv48WcGLsZmD1nw62rlybtl9MFebEiGAIaWqOKE-S9HUxQlz8IvORtNSIC-tWl8XnckAwZOL3loFSxjYigwpyQAZqOW6tQ9pN4XJPnU2kLZwOxvKoPONugy09-tMBbb9e9bzBw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgD3fQcD4S9gAQm5_HvQpmtEjenhZ4NlrgB1AHawWQmHJTFjDuNm07kzv48WcGLsZmD1nw62rlybtl9MFebEiGAIaWqOKE-S9HUxQlz8IvORtNSIC-tWl8XnckAwZOL3loFSxjYigwpyQAZqOW6tQ9pN4XJPnU2kLZwOxvKoPONugy09-tMBbb9e9bzBw=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A stiff peak! And a nice glossy meringue!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I folded the almond and hazelnut ground mixture into the egg white and sugar meringue, making sure to get the bottom scraped to the top to incorporate evenly. It swished as I folded, but overall did not deflate very much. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVHAezUMcpkJWkME_mYiCZ3Xx3-Aafaj6R0xR9dpX765p5-w29ds2QocqivcoN1OMKnysd4inIrRIs2h4Lu8vtMr5Ul_G47s8vusqMsWst5yfIY1rWlbaZxkmbU-bAFt460RSC_cycBtl9g_AK1HT8lkifza68aU4FP6RVixGeQKvF7CWG2Vc8UWuqrQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVHAezUMcpkJWkME_mYiCZ3Xx3-Aafaj6R0xR9dpX765p5-w29ds2QocqivcoN1OMKnysd4inIrRIs2h4Lu8vtMr5Ul_G47s8vusqMsWst5yfIY1rWlbaZxkmbU-bAFt460RSC_cycBtl9g_AK1HT8lkifza68aU4FP6RVixGeQKvF7CWG2Vc8UWuqrQ=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just...fold it in<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I decided to try piping the cake batter, and as you can see in the photo, I'm resorting to ever larger, taller containers to hold my piping bags while I fill them, here using a pitcher. I attempted to fit half of the batter into the piping bag. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0MOy7OV6hfzh2q1EncUhbQ07he5ikHvlWu3xFTa4O6DfrWzdKrElrfDwCyTMTecF-xYhH8bXc8a_yGqjySmSwczMRvRb8alajmHs4YKuibJ0hYCOuEJ2PDirmvmmMQuDT-gvH1TJgdEj_dTDn9CYzDpCNlavurxcjjhtSgcrxJso80vj8EJmQgo2XHA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0MOy7OV6hfzh2q1EncUhbQ07he5ikHvlWu3xFTa4O6DfrWzdKrElrfDwCyTMTecF-xYhH8bXc8a_yGqjySmSwczMRvRb8alajmHs4YKuibJ0hYCOuEJ2PDirmvmmMQuDT-gvH1TJgdEj_dTDn9CYzDpCNlavurxcjjhtSgcrxJso80vj8EJmQgo2XHA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ambitious piping bag filling going on in there. You're supposed to only fill them about 2/3 full<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p>I'm glad I had the foresight to only put half the batter into the piping bag, and to stop when I ran out. As you can see, my frustrations continued as I realized each half of the batter only filled up about two thirds of the two sheet pans I lined with parchment per the recipe. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiT4BTF2Bx1jNO1OjvzmslwqlKqiJ81K8JYhYujYm5E35sYy0x4ZCGPOOTI12O8vSfpQ_dmBbFCTL7LPpn8hFKm3k84d7E_e604h0MVqbgKWf05nBh_vwpj-M1_tLoCqdWGOZFljxbJZI4f-A2BxVZVGY8eFCgeywT9dsulV5yB25ycs1nVuvZzic2wRQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiT4BTF2Bx1jNO1OjvzmslwqlKqiJ81K8JYhYujYm5E35sYy0x4ZCGPOOTI12O8vSfpQ_dmBbFCTL7LPpn8hFKm3k84d7E_e604h0MVqbgKWf05nBh_vwpj-M1_tLoCqdWGOZFljxbJZI4f-A2BxVZVGY8eFCgeywT9dsulV5yB25ycs1nVuvZzic2wRQ=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hmm yes planning ahead is good<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>I used my offset spatula to smooth the batter out as gently as I could, but this caused the batter to be laid out very thinly, plus I think the double action of first being piped and then being smoothed did my lightness no favors. Nonetheless, I stuck the first pan in the oven to bake with convection heat.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqyb_2HINliA63engkG3z_J4QH_3-9NP6j10C1bwr9NCFLfRGoBT4vGapTKLFlzmGUS1owRBlhb-VWGA7iFaAg-jD8rhgThYm4eKNR9_w7bN1bljZDIPQb0AuxoS3UpstnGvGarsM2vGzWpv4jeui7sney4wGQwD3UJfzGqFoDwIU8vCixomRCFqys1g=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqyb_2HINliA63engkG3z_J4QH_3-9NP6j10C1bwr9NCFLfRGoBT4vGapTKLFlzmGUS1owRBlhb-VWGA7iFaAg-jD8rhgThYm4eKNR9_w7bN1bljZDIPQb0AuxoS3UpstnGvGarsM2vGzWpv4jeui7sney4wGQwD3UJfzGqFoDwIU8vCixomRCFqys1g=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I tried to salvage it by spreading them to be roughly the size of the pan, in about a quarter inch for the layer height<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Meanwhile, I tried to make the praline with the reserved candied hazelnuts, but exhausted both our food processor and our nutribullet blender (and some magic smoke even escaped from the nutribullet). The sugar covering the hazelnuts was gummy instead of crisp. I was too lazy to go get my own food processor from the downstairs storage area, so I scooped the results into a bowl. With the oils escaping from the hazelnuts and the clumpy, sticky sugar caramel making blobs of ground hazelnuts, this looked indistinguishable from ground beef crumbles. Joy.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1V0P4a3R3e0XPyJf1o5VDJlJJ1TfiwAcDaSVnnKzirKUBdk0ZcuXpceS9Yy7ygc8ZYYadDgssDQd0C11WRXVMwTEXgqzPwjBjKkYYn6JFaFsLIButqKhI03I9bNClagIqT_sJ-y7M8oAGkqCnW3SbmsfcOGo10cbHrJGAz89hT3wJ-xSvw-9LVAZJPg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1V0P4a3R3e0XPyJf1o5VDJlJJ1TfiwAcDaSVnnKzirKUBdk0ZcuXpceS9Yy7ygc8ZYYadDgssDQd0C11WRXVMwTEXgqzPwjBjKkYYn6JFaFsLIButqKhI03I9bNClagIqT_sJ-y7M8oAGkqCnW3SbmsfcOGo10cbHrJGAz89hT3wJ-xSvw-9LVAZJPg=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ground beef that tastes like hazelnut praline. It's like one of those videos where all these household items are secretly made of cake or chocolate. I guess I could make a hazelnut shepherd's pie lookalike<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>And, of course, I forgot to rotate my first pan of dacquoise halfway through, so the thinner edge got to the verge of burning, yielding a crisp meringue instead of a light sponge.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgb-9qHqPZSU2GD1tqBLoLpe08cMCDoT8EtxHswS4exJeKz5G6ysM5BzJOTqiAT7dgx3DyPeTofZUpDQn9TqUrZMVAgQ7-dW-MfuttqKgym5dp_TKjc109J7D26JpY0s0_2hRltW4Et19bAYwy5WAlo0K-FvvYBDuqDGU1PgoMpMPUu-O3NzMe7RhDduw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgb-9qHqPZSU2GD1tqBLoLpe08cMCDoT8EtxHswS4exJeKz5G6ysM5BzJOTqiAT7dgx3DyPeTofZUpDQn9TqUrZMVAgQ7-dW-MfuttqKgym5dp_TKjc109J7D26JpY0s0_2hRltW4Et19bAYwy5WAlo0K-FvvYBDuqDGU1PgoMpMPUu-O3NzMe7RhDduw=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slightly burned one side of my first dacquoise by forgetting to rotate the pan and spreading it too thin<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>My second pan fared better, and was also spread less thinly, though my sloppiness in going off the parchment on the top and bottom edges made the parchment/cake hard to remove from the pan to a cooling rack. After a few minutes in the pan, I moved each cake layer to a rack to cool completely on the parchment. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEju4kRz0xX854r7JkDYGkiFzOX3584r9wETpEVMvfyUDoZEqkq8olbBWlqq4J61jiUoJ16H2NKsALFcCPsIsgjPdFvG-X4BnfX2o4RWGP-Hb4CQhZIFIRbT7oKgXZVsnVf43o8vwN56Vf-MEmU9yuK2JVHx-V1NUll6HeiPHPxoy_br3qxhM-ZmmF3ngw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEju4kRz0xX854r7JkDYGkiFzOX3584r9wETpEVMvfyUDoZEqkq8olbBWlqq4J61jiUoJ16H2NKsALFcCPsIsgjPdFvG-X4BnfX2o4RWGP-Hb4CQhZIFIRbT7oKgXZVsnVf43o8vwN56Vf-MEmU9yuK2JVHx-V1NUll6HeiPHPxoy_br3qxhM-ZmmF3ngw=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second dacquoise sheet was better. I don't trust my oven to bake both sheets evenly at once on different racks, even with the convection fan on.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>At least the ordeal of the cake and the hazelnuts were done for the time being. I began on the buttercream. I realized at this point that I had failed to bring the three sticks of butter to room temperature, and stuck them in the cooling oven with the door open for a few minutes for some emergency butter softening, hastened by the ire that laced my sighs of frustration.<br /></p><p>As I mentioned before, some buttercreams use only Italian meringue or egg yolks, but the recipe from The Book uses both. This means at least two large bowls are used in addition to the stand mixer bowl, to hold each of the prepared egg components while the butter is whipped last before putting it all together. This is certainly a recipe to put both my stand mixer and my counter space to the test. </p><p>Italian meringue is more stable than French meringue because the sugar is heated with water until it becomes a syrup at the soft ball stage of candy (244deg F), and then whipped into the egg whites. Because I like to whip my egg whites at a slightly lower speed, I started the 2.5 egg whites and 25g of sugar in the stand mixer as soon as all the 100g of sugar had dissolved into the water in my saucepan, and then returned to the saucepan to check the temperature of the sugar as it began to bubble. Some of the sugar stuck to the edges and began to crystallize when we approached the soft ball temp, but for the most part, the candy remained dissolved and syrupy. </p><p>While creating candy from sugar syrup, I noticed two long delays during an otherwise fairly linear increase in temperature under constant heat application. The first happened around 200-210 degrees F, which I assume is around the time that the water was being boiled off from the mixture. Dissolving the water in sugar first, instead of just melting the sugar down, helps prevent the grains of sugar on the edges from otherwise burning, because the meringue should have no caramelization or hint of things other than pure white sugar. The second delayed temperature response began around 230 degrees, which I assume is around the time the sugar begins to reorganize itself in preparation to hit the soft ball crystallization stage. So, there's a little bit of flexibility around keeping an eye on the mixture, because the temperature climb will slow down a little before the soft ball/temp goal is hit, and will also slow down a little bit after because the hard ball stage is around 255 shortly thereafter. </p><p>I pulled the saucepan of sugar syrup off of the stove when the temperature hit 245 degrees, and brought it over to my stand mixer, where my egg whites had achieved the opaque white color of soft peaks. I set up the feeder chute on the rim of the bowl (no idea what this is actually called) because I was both scared of missing the bowl while trying to pour the hot syrup down the side of the bowl but not directly on the egg whites, and also scared of hot sugar meringue flying everywhere. But, as the drip trail you can see in the photo below indicates, I had no trouble keeping the syrup stream mostly on the bowl itself, and the egg whites kept themselves in tidy order while the sugar syrup was whipped in. After all the syrup was poured in, what remained of this step was to simply continue to beat the egg white and sugar mixture until the side of the bowl, currently warm, was room temperature to the touch. It took about ten minutes to cool down. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6Pnr97oMAL9HaMmxnfTvmTZhdKtFE_AkaIboWLvjuHkISVc8myxAN8zBY_5XYenT-JLj4xsm6uJOVx4l7xD6bpGVCOHHZBs-qXqXgiJYgwdbBTfnrLg9S3zyi1itXguX1mRgeswSEefNPTMEki41GS9Y_AUhnHMwbQ5znvCUpNyGJTa4Psdt7AGfKJA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6Pnr97oMAL9HaMmxnfTvmTZhdKtFE_AkaIboWLvjuHkISVc8myxAN8zBY_5XYenT-JLj4xsm6uJOVx4l7xD6bpGVCOHHZBs-qXqXgiJYgwdbBTfnrLg9S3zyi1itXguX1mRgeswSEefNPTMEki41GS9Y_AUhnHMwbQ5znvCUpNyGJTa4Psdt7AGfKJA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was so nervous about the sugar syrup pouring into the egg whites while they were beating, but it turned out fine and there was no splattering.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The resulting meringue was quite stiff, and I scraped it into a bowl and set it aside and washed the stand mixer bowl in preparation for the egg yolk whipping.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigRuJtNngQ7TlZryGiJRvRKFr1r-5nXvVyLWxPknNIVNw7SOx7BGKouKrx1QYyMC0wrVvoLFjbJbZac1M1xQsYO66W6GreSYGC-0fYauS7PFo0Jhf_4Nn2aBwNGuxLDrR7OUZLH-TvkK-Fm-AGbRmLTbA2FUNQn38b2gcZA67MSa3ZCkKVmN50IWpdOQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigRuJtNngQ7TlZryGiJRvRKFr1r-5nXvVyLWxPknNIVNw7SOx7BGKouKrx1QYyMC0wrVvoLFjbJbZac1M1xQsYO66W6GreSYGC-0fYauS7PFo0Jhf_4Nn2aBwNGuxLDrR7OUZLH-TvkK-Fm-AGbRmLTbA2FUNQn38b2gcZA67MSa3ZCkKVmN50IWpdOQ=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful glossy and firm, stiff peaks of Italian meringue<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Here are my five egg yolks to be whipped, and yet another bag of egg whites destined for a stay in the fridge or freezer until they are next needed. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYI0HotSQYiyGDE_MgatOkkL1WX0jZwYYbCCbMYkCuyCnh35cPQapK24c9QBiqeRffe-RqP_JMU07GYshpSZMirD2F-kkckeKjs6Ihj6uY_uGM2NHjnUPoQBr50pvzCad5tKNkte4d29RAAYd0J5253USOU5Xyv2euiqAwhZgarxwibAeALi0M44sRWQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYI0HotSQYiyGDE_MgatOkkL1WX0jZwYYbCCbMYkCuyCnh35cPQapK24c9QBiqeRffe-RqP_JMU07GYshpSZMirD2F-kkckeKjs6Ihj6uY_uGM2NHjnUPoQBr50pvzCad5tKNkte4d29RAAYd0J5253USOU5Xyv2euiqAwhZgarxwibAeALi0M44sRWQ=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happiness is a recipe that uses the same amount of egg yolks as whites.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I heated the sugar syrup for the egg yolks similarly as I did for the whites, with the exception being that egg yolks do not have to be whipped to any peaks so I simply beat them on a low speed until the syrup was ready. Once the syrup had hit the correct temperature, I increased the speed on the mixer and poured the syrup down the side of the bowl into the yolks in a slow stream, and then whipped until the mixture became thick and pale, falling from the beater in a quick ribbon when raised. This also got transferred to a bowl, and the mixer bowl was cleaned YET AGAIN in preparation for whipping the final component, butter.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQ-KjCzYWb_4OT7ysiyOn-LP6OXBqggZSTZSdezSah9OZSJ-IB7Zr-SW5eGdHyElmCi-gLpwg2jmnvD6pMumINh_oZ_M6q7WBpxyNipXMV1HJeSkFKl6Tc1jM014X6lPYzSyp_uWMN10reR9N5vMjqtWo8gtVot9tuHHZ8UB8Fz7A7ESXOQQhtHoPRDA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQ-KjCzYWb_4OT7ysiyOn-LP6OXBqggZSTZSdezSah9OZSJ-IB7Zr-SW5eGdHyElmCi-gLpwg2jmnvD6pMumINh_oZ_M6q7WBpxyNipXMV1HJeSkFKl6Tc1jM014X6lPYzSyp_uWMN10reR9N5vMjqtWo8gtVot9tuHHZ8UB8Fz7A7ESXOQQhtHoPRDA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To think egg yolk candy turns this color when whipped!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>My butter was kind of melted but mostly soft, and I scraped the sticks off of the quarter sheet pan (these things are really dang useful!) and into the stand mixer to whip at medium speed until smooth and creamy. Then, the egg yolk mixture was scraped into the bowl, and it was mixed with the butter until light and smooth again. I had to scrape down the sides a few times to make sure all the butter got mixed in.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFY7jEh6vLmMSTQ-UU-3CRB1_hJfH_zyqptQQpOmTNJhrS0qRoGV890AFiVF7h33tV4iHfN7Ji2tpoUq16jotyYCM1NwzqGHnhmHdQ4X__qKguVu1Evf7S95bmR3n9MHSv5SY0oj6ZJJtqxsfO1ISGr4JOMXJLG5OKXap_XjMtUwjob9jYL-UYWvpvMg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFY7jEh6vLmMSTQ-UU-3CRB1_hJfH_zyqptQQpOmTNJhrS0qRoGV890AFiVF7h33tV4iHfN7Ji2tpoUq16jotyYCM1NwzqGHnhmHdQ4X__qKguVu1Evf7S95bmR3n9MHSv5SY0oj6ZJJtqxsfO1ISGr4JOMXJLG5OKXap_XjMtUwjob9jYL-UYWvpvMg=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I guess even French buttercream has obnoxious amounts of butter in it<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Finally, the Italian meringue is beat in at a very low speed. I only beat the buttercream at a low speed here for fear of deflating the meringue. You can see the difference between the whipped buttercream on the beater versus the unincorporated remnants on the spoon I used to scrape the bowl. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMc1g6DAhEWUJxWAkdc9AddT4SpWKu7D5uJJylcvIiSridhGsnfM-lRRIh7w5OEf8EFXHF35GG8NQNlbOtgsms8aEle1S-q0nBiDnyPnQWEeQNVy6LA3pDzf5XLGEuBRdmdYNlA4EWRv_UV-87WWIp5wbY_Uqal2FQkeSR71QjNZWuoPA6jv_BH6P3Qw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMc1g6DAhEWUJxWAkdc9AddT4SpWKu7D5uJJylcvIiSridhGsnfM-lRRIh7w5OEf8EFXHF35GG8NQNlbOtgsms8aEle1S-q0nBiDnyPnQWEeQNVy6LA3pDzf5XLGEuBRdmdYNlA4EWRv_UV-87WWIp5wbY_Uqal2FQkeSR71QjNZWuoPA6jv_BH6P3Qw=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whipping in the other two buttercream ingredients into the butter<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>With the buttercream more or less complete (minus the praline because that just...didn't happen), I set to work cutting the cakes. I tried to place my adjustable cake rectangle on the smaller of the cakes so that all of the edges sat on the cake. I decided to use the smaller/overbaked dacquoise for the bottom because the harder cake would be a better bottom structure. Some of the edges were very crisp and shattered when I cut around the perimeter. This is due to my overbaking; the cake should have been somewhat dry but not hard. Once I cut the first dacquoise, I held the size of the rectangle constant and placed it over the other piece to cut the top half of the dacquoise, and then set the cake rectangle back around the first piece to create a border in which I would spread the buttercream,<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0KLOBkky6V-HXMY-zo6mltzrhH2mz4LU8kmrmmHV_gC_LQsOTbsGZOD0JVIYX493N-PmnRQhAX-5fEiwTCcSBGyNX7gAQ9M34SadORybjVZ4PKNlNyXcHvqxXxtCUdfpyPuHbXvNi4dKtPJALdAtSRyHXF3F5h17BXYnBv9zjhCDdqh6_wRKigLqrVg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0KLOBkky6V-HXMY-zo6mltzrhH2mz4LU8kmrmmHV_gC_LQsOTbsGZOD0JVIYX493N-PmnRQhAX-5fEiwTCcSBGyNX7gAQ9M34SadORybjVZ4PKNlNyXcHvqxXxtCUdfpyPuHbXvNi4dKtPJALdAtSRyHXF3F5h17BXYnBv9zjhCDdqh6_wRKigLqrVg=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cutting the bottom dacquoise layer from the crunchier of the two<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>My cake rectangle is a little deep, which made spreading the buttercream difficult even with my large offset spatula. But I made a layer as evenly as I could and sprinkled most of the failed praline experiment hazelnuts on top evenly, before placing the top layer on. </p><p>I made yet another mistake here in trying to remove the entire cake layer from the parchment before laying it on. The cake was floppy and tore in a few places under its own weight as I transferred it over and pressed it on top of the buttercream inside the cake ring. I was then able to remove the cake ring, which I did by sliding it up after giving a few compressions to the sides to square up the edges.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiA24ITir7uoEIz-ztv7ujFhe4IEEEx7WdKBZ1gfgDDCmwEtY3vLpCLUzk-DQcipgbfG-6ovrm-BPSm-Iew7bepLardhRRXJ47_htJqe7Yh7J31iSDEtFSoKkY88VgekFZEEg_n4aFiDo_5m2AenqJsgylto3SUaNzyombX8wLKTiuVbPMKiai0cMRgeA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiA24ITir7uoEIz-ztv7ujFhe4IEEEx7WdKBZ1gfgDDCmwEtY3vLpCLUzk-DQcipgbfG-6ovrm-BPSm-Iew7bepLardhRRXJ47_htJqe7Yh7J31iSDEtFSoKkY88VgekFZEEg_n4aFiDo_5m2AenqJsgylto3SUaNzyombX8wLKTiuVbPMKiai0cMRgeA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making a nice shepherd's pie in the cake ring over there<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The final size of the cake was around 13"x10", and I covered it with plastic wrap and set it in the fridge to let the butter cream set for a few hours. This also serves to soften the cake somewhat by letting it absorb moisture from the cream and the flavors to blend; The Book recommends bringing the cake out 10 minutes before serving.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3vCTo--proVkgQNNMJUkD6ZYKg2_Ej6yv0CpfUM1w6cJzDOb13liNpQJUZUiP-qpY-TONYM8_WQHW99Cr_t1fiCeMATw06WUvZfg_yANOq-e6ZVSnklciNkoPNlaLcjiXTDHKkimhvc_I1CkJrf0xizksKOqV9ZMxu85KYPGCUuHZ1shhP6qdZfTSmw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3vCTo--proVkgQNNMJUkD6ZYKg2_Ej6yv0CpfUM1w6cJzDOb13liNpQJUZUiP-qpY-TONYM8_WQHW99Cr_t1fiCeMATw06WUvZfg_yANOq-e6ZVSnklciNkoPNlaLcjiXTDHKkimhvc_I1CkJrf0xizksKOqV9ZMxu85KYPGCUuHZ1shhP6qdZfTSmw=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ta-da! A giant smore!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Here is the cake as it was cut later that evening with a sharp knife. You can see that my dacquoise layers are quite compressed, but the ratio of buttercream to cake is about right (buttercream is about twice as thick as one cake layer). I sifted powdered sugar over the top once, brushed it around, and then sprinkled more on top to achieve the velvety texture, and then I sprinkled what was left of the <strike>ground beef</strike> praline crumbs on top before serving. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyrQCGhHQTqITk-h46F2bTdtwA_AhW9jwb2UNp9leMgP2-n7GR89i-EDJ7icDGUl2YHG3Z3eySGC7K6IfD8lf6PfwXhGOKushC4g_UnLStmcw2RDPdow7Lq2YMYFQfBIUIj5NiulypI34w9H_QXLxzJi5Xvc7r-QvumWgH_X2ovrg_hUQraBUlxa6cMA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyrQCGhHQTqITk-h46F2bTdtwA_AhW9jwb2UNp9leMgP2-n7GR89i-EDJ7icDGUl2YHG3Z3eySGC7K6IfD8lf6PfwXhGOKushC4g_UnLStmcw2RDPdow7Lq2YMYFQfBIUIj5NiulypI34w9H_QXLxzJi5Xvc7r-QvumWgH_X2ovrg_hUQraBUlxa6cMA=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It looks like a solid "hell yeah!" of a cake, despite all my struggles making it happen<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>People mentioned that they liked the crispness of the bottom dacquoise for the textural contrast it provided, though I think properly caramelized hazelnuts would have done the trick in the recipe if I had made it as intended. All told, I'm shocked this turned out as well as it did as I messed up something in nearly every step of this recipe. This is my first time making a layer cake the French way (short, sponge- or meringue-based, french buttercream) and it was delicious and very professional looking. </p><p>Thoughts:</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The sugar level was just right but should not be sweeter. If I do the full quantity of caramelized hazelnuts next time, I'm going to only do one sifting of powdered sugar on top (so hopefully I also won't keep choking on inhaled sugar)</li><li>I should just go get my candy thermometer; I don't know enough about sugar to be making hot swaps like this and playing with surface temperature guns. <br /></li><li>I hope my other food processor is up to the task of grinding up candied hazelnuts into praline</li><li>I think I could have whipped the buttercream harder once the Italian meringue was completely incorporated. It was not under risk of deflating and would have been pretty good if it were lighter.</li><li>I will try directly spreading the batter for the dacquoise next time instead of piping, and also spreading to a smaller final dimension, trying to keep about a centimeter of layer height prior to baking. No need for this to become a larger cake than it is already. </li><li>How in the world do they turn these out in baking shows in less than four hours without a recipe? Every step is so consuming and takes so long!</li><li>Removing the dacquoise from the parchment is a delicate process; I'm going to try inverting the top layer of the cake into the square before peeling off the parchment, since the paper backing gives it more integrity while transferring over. <br /></li><li>French buttercream is delicious, there is buttery sweetness but also an additional rich mouthfeel from the eggs that fills out the taste without being greasy like butter, and the melting quality from the air whipped into the buttercream is divine. </li></ul><p>Quote of the day: "I see you're making lasagna." -my roommate Steven upon walking into the kitchen as I'm sprinkling the hazelnuts onto the buttercream layer <br /></p>Helena Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948134617740274723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3324966668274170747.post-8009541881603084662022-03-15T16:11:00.002-07:002022-03-15T16:11:43.746-07:00Patisserie 8: St Honore Cake/Gâteau St. Honoré<p> So, I'm a little early on this because St. Honoré’s feast day is on May 16, but this seemed like a good recipe to try due to my previous logic that a lot of good fruit ingredients are not in season yet, I had a small amount of puff pastry still left from my first batch, and this "cake" is more like a composition of puff pastry, choux pastry, and caramelized sugar, filled with pastry cream, and thus a good bridge as I transition from making small pastries into the cakes. </p><p><a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/make-st-honore-cake" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">St Honore</a> is the patron saint of bakers and pastry chefs, who did some miracles in French lore, and this cake is apt because of its composition, which showcases several french pastry basics: puff pastry/lamination, choux pastry, pastry cream, caramel, and meringue. The presentation varies, but these components are always somewhere included, and there is an additional traditional component: <a href="https://www.bakedeco.com/a/ateco-st-honore-dec-25014.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The St Honore piping tip</a>. This tip is used to create the elegant waves in the Chiboust (combination pastry and meringue) cream filling, and the shape is something like a quenelle with a mohawk. After reading reviews that most people liked the medium sized 882 tip from Ateco, but not wanting to make a web order for a single piping tip, I decided to use my 3D printer to print a piping tip. </p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>Typically, 3D printing for foodstuffs is not recommended without some careful surface finishing of the final product. This is not due to material safety issues; PLA is PolyLactic Acid and a popular material for compostable plastic dishware, and PETG is similarly food-safe. Rather, the nature of FDM printing and other layered 3D printing methods creates a surface texture of fine ridges, which can trap food particles despite cleaning and cause eventual problems with bacterial growth and other sanitation woes (especially since most FDM plastics are chosen for their low melting point for extrusion and are thus sensitive to high-heat and cannot be industrially sanitized). Various sites recommend sanding and sealing with a food-safe epoxy for 3D printed food instruments. As a piping tip is fairly thin and delicate, and I was planning to add this tip to a future website order, I decided it would be safe to create this tip and leave it unfinished because I was using it as a one-time stopgap measure. </p><p>I fired up Solidworks and, after making some quick estimations based on the dimensions of my existing piping tips and scaling the features according to photos of the tip I found online, I modeled the tip with a 1.2mm wall thickness and saved it as an .STL for printing, which <strike>you can find on Thingiverse here</strike> I will post once their email confirmation link stops leading me to a 500 Internal Server Error. I'll update the model once I buy the actual tip and can take some measurements, since the only tip model I could find online was not the shape I wanted. I printed this tip with a .15mm layer height (a little shy of the 0.1mm ultradetail mode) to see how it would come out, in a blue silk PLA. The finish was pretty good, so I decided to just roll with this one. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjz6du-ytNTDuEr4D5gIWW0Qve3If2x8l864BiFyGbOJISBoSc-5qRHgiCtMPwM0zTlimJ3v_2QlMhiekfLWC5Lmd5DZUlcRSoohaoChMo4uGRnHXshoQ_WZrFCivqN6EbsFo_SoRRlkdy6NQeYhqWBW1bHhnxVue0VX1BebMrMlyNaLG2yXBStjqV6rQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjz6du-ytNTDuEr4D5gIWW0Qve3If2x8l864BiFyGbOJISBoSc-5qRHgiCtMPwM0zTlimJ3v_2QlMhiekfLWC5Lmd5DZUlcRSoohaoChMo4uGRnHXshoQ_WZrFCivqN6EbsFo_SoRRlkdy6NQeYhqWBW1bHhnxVue0VX1BebMrMlyNaLG2yXBStjqV6rQ=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calculations for the diameter and length of the piping tip opening thanks to holding my calipers up to the image of a St Honore tip on my computer screen and calculating the appropriate scale to match one of my plain piping tips<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUJbm17jyt23A3_6xmJSqDnrfGFCepDYwE38BqgQaTfIb88FYKnc0uhukQx2l_IEeeTRBF0LZ8rP95ZnqayjEPr1_t53i4mKHAoMveHfZBfAjkhU8D5jZlqGO87jfffQk94bkl5JTlYzM8IxHKoojZYIqniLSvZI5fc--FXmEDA6A3_VHCar4i0TtWxA=s1704" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1606" data-original-width="1704" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUJbm17jyt23A3_6xmJSqDnrfGFCepDYwE38BqgQaTfIb88FYKnc0uhukQx2l_IEeeTRBF0LZ8rP95ZnqayjEPr1_t53i4mKHAoMveHfZBfAjkhU8D5jZlqGO87jfffQk94bkl5JTlYzM8IxHKoojZYIqniLSvZI5fc--FXmEDA6A3_VHCar4i0TtWxA=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quick 5 minute construction in Solidworks (you can tell that this, as opposed to baking, is my actual job that people pay me money to do)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> The recipe for the choux pastry this time differed from those on the tarts in my earlier posts in that it only contained water as a liquid, rather an equal parts water and whole milk. There was also significantly less salt than sugar. I melted the butter with the above in a saucepan and stirred in the flour when it was fully melted, and I noticed that it took this flour a much longer time to cook dry. It's worth mentioning that my flour was different than my usual baking flour; I decided that I was using enough raw materials that I had to stop shopping for flour and eggs at my organic coop grocery store and buy from a big chain store instead, and I think this flour brand was just slightly less fresh. But it did still come into a ball eventually, and I cooked it until it left a thin film around the saucepan.<br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAuPvM0pR9esRqHP5TPHioeo7J47SWeFCSHK65JdhSYC4zP4A1m986kvQjXeg_tiK7VgDCwkpN_Ph9ZhhKvNubTyU_sDTn18o_5W87FEZ34gsPnVZ-GqjJ2zyBb6D5IXcOMb_GCrg9VFP64-TsevtJGqZFmfq3Arbp-O01xgq4AA4zzF72TWEhkumKRg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAuPvM0pR9esRqHP5TPHioeo7J47SWeFCSHK65JdhSYC4zP4A1m986kvQjXeg_tiK7VgDCwkpN_Ph9ZhhKvNubTyU_sDTn18o_5W87FEZ34gsPnVZ-GqjJ2zyBb6D5IXcOMb_GCrg9VFP64-TsevtJGqZFmfq3Arbp-O01xgq4AA4zzF72TWEhkumKRg=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butter, water, salt, sugar, and flour for the choux, with marked omission of milk<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I beat two eggs into the choux, and then titrated the third egg in until the batter was glossy and fell in one glop from the spoon, leaving the V-shape on the spoon. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXsbMo1j64REVuDSbGbAwZPoEO-vRmWzJpz5E9szS6bxdE84bkfxCSnyzEET98wY_qZMjORDCj02k4dyTpHY7jiXm6FE5fydQoqsbZaUvO-mX463jUIhNorP9lopQ0NoGj93RyEU96bfjv5c9Kh6Ms8IIgPws1LnGe49Od5pbo_5Za20HXW1G7GGrDmg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXsbMo1j64REVuDSbGbAwZPoEO-vRmWzJpz5E9szS6bxdE84bkfxCSnyzEET98wY_qZMjORDCj02k4dyTpHY7jiXm6FE5fydQoqsbZaUvO-mX463jUIhNorP9lopQ0NoGj93RyEU96bfjv5c9Kh6Ms8IIgPws1LnGe49Od5pbo_5Za20HXW1G7GGrDmg=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a very glossy choux batter! So shiny!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I prepared two quarter-sheets for the choux puffs by buttering lightly and then dusting with flour, but I found that, only using a conservative half of the batter for this step to make sure I had enough for the cake rims later, that I only used up one sheet. I piped the puffs pretty small (around 3/4" each) so they had a little room to spread to their full inch size, and I was aiming for a few more than the 13 I counted in the photos in The Book. I applied a little egg wash from the convenient remainders of the third egg that did not get incorporated into the choux batter, which I think I'm also improving on applying more delicately with a silicone brush than I was before, and popped them into the oven with the convection fan off for about twenty minutes. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGDKkB2fdHxSZxIbvYtnI3pmqVTnPUdCo9ecRJA5SWDOViadLLvl12wvmGivMXHxmu_uVwgYBPHAHG1qLfmYQCgQJMHKa7-kAOar0mbiZHqxanGWLhFN4MTvAlQ4_ZsPOfbYQAf8zvuYbmXqBn6aTLMUtRTcqNFN2xTAJYdbkvEuhpPCvDTvuEZYrHFA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGDKkB2fdHxSZxIbvYtnI3pmqVTnPUdCo9ecRJA5SWDOViadLLvl12wvmGivMXHxmu_uVwgYBPHAHG1qLfmYQCgQJMHKa7-kAOar0mbiZHqxanGWLhFN4MTvAlQ4_ZsPOfbYQAf8zvuYbmXqBn6aTLMUtRTcqNFN2xTAJYdbkvEuhpPCvDTvuEZYrHFA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piped small choux puffs on a quarter sheet and dabbed them lightly with egg glaze<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Meanwhile, I didn't take photos of how I rolled out the puff pastry, but there's plenty of content on the blog about that before this. I knew it would shrink a little, so, in order to aim for the 10" final diameter, I actually rolled it out to 12", after a fair amount of resting between rolls. I cut off the meager scraps and dusted them with sugar, and pricked holes in the puff pastry circle. I used the remaining choux batter to pipe two concentric circles around the puff pastry, one on the rim and one about halfway to the center. I had a little bit of choux left over and piped them into small puffs on the borders, and dusted them with sugar as well to see what would happen. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMouVCBeJ_1zVDTeiES-6j5zDrnUPUHrmwzQdCA_FPOtSLUzZaeOhnY04xXn1xLiCbCpPjyikhkVDjknTFzOaVK7vyfV5AcW7nJNA0IUh0WJvftEee1-vVrMwu74x0gxbopQn4sOKVboqszsyFwuFBPGKs2eI7TPHlYobqeZVJZH8PXZdQh_VsWZdIwA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMouVCBeJ_1zVDTeiES-6j5zDrnUPUHrmwzQdCA_FPOtSLUzZaeOhnY04xXn1xLiCbCpPjyikhkVDjknTFzOaVK7vyfV5AcW7nJNA0IUh0WJvftEee1-vVrMwu74x0gxbopQn4sOKVboqszsyFwuFBPGKs2eI7TPHlYobqeZVJZH8PXZdQh_VsWZdIwA=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puff pastry rolled out to 12" diameter circle with piped choux borders, along with extra puff pastry and choux scraps<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>By this time, the batch of choux puffs was ready to leave the oven. These turned out really well! They are orb-like with shiny golden egg-washed tops, slight crackled surfaces with (almost) no holes in the membrane, are hollow all the way, and have little to no deflation. I think the extra fat content from the milk in the previous recipe might have made for a more tender puff but were then unable to achieve the same lift and cracking as in this water-only recipe. I also think the buttering-and-flouring the sheet pans kept them from spreading quite as much, though I am not as certain on this part. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjg-fp1t2Z-H6qs2DgZ5jACtlpLOlbWjH9_2xtZg3BwoDE_wTUwIZ24gV85GgJYvYp9N5bdcNeutwCt9K5XzngbVS82YPkPP9Qn4L1i0O9txOozgl6CU5gXuOsqudcmvuwgD0IMvdS59ivzg_Uhs5GZovwsHd5N8_ISqAhGhtvcZ49Vrv8QVDu5SczJbQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjg-fp1t2Z-H6qs2DgZ5jACtlpLOlbWjH9_2xtZg3BwoDE_wTUwIZ24gV85GgJYvYp9N5bdcNeutwCt9K5XzngbVS82YPkPP9Qn4L1i0O9txOozgl6CU5gXuOsqudcmvuwgD0IMvdS59ivzg_Uhs5GZovwsHd5N8_ISqAhGhtvcZ49Vrv8QVDu5SczJbQ=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now this is the shape I am looking for in choux puffs!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>While the puff pastry and choux base were baking, I began making the Chiboust cream. I separated out the egg whites into the bowl of my stand mixer, and the egg yolks into the mixture of sugar and cornstarch that The Book uses for pastry cream. I am so grateful that this recipe uses all five eggs it calls for in its totality, instead of leaving me with more odd quantities of whites or yolks in my freezer. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_r4PBqLKK-63AAyQAO7uvqKsmGiq_p4RGqrDqSrmbwr2ien2278eAWQ8p5NYSz4ppWkwIf6AMCJSrznymS0xTjxh6yJt8us9D5s-Zpdi4d_cZSuYAtzziw-CO-8_gXfQokp2BvAIfDU06NUVN9_Wxz73NuNzGaELZ3ldIn2TXvEPs2CyKeA5IFjR6cA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_r4PBqLKK-63AAyQAO7uvqKsmGiq_p4RGqrDqSrmbwr2ien2278eAWQ8p5NYSz4ppWkwIf6AMCJSrznymS0xTjxh6yJt8us9D5s-Zpdi4d_cZSuYAtzziw-CO-8_gXfQokp2BvAIfDU06NUVN9_Wxz73NuNzGaELZ3ldIn2TXvEPs2CyKeA5IFjR6cA=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at those big ol' egg yolks from conventional eggs<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I added about two teaspoons of vanilla bean paste to the milk for the pastry cream and set it to simmer in a saucepan on the stove. Meanwhile, I measured out 5g of gelatin sheets (I think the sheets I bought in Germany are a little smaller than the French regulation, so instead of just using 3 sheets, I added them by weight) and immersed them in a bowl of water to soak for about 10 minutes while I finished the pastry cream. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9EyBtywyhTJZzLz-WCklM44480xm4PXSCs1AHEGXG5ovZmPJsBpqXJrWLNoUXlm9oIaPDoIqLjQozMFk_FC9a57NxRtH5pY3jIbQiX9eR7bRiRZO8BJ9YnxgCz7pWdZPTAwOgVDHrYWJUP4G0uv1-haHB4NMmMPgHeGtViA54exJAhGFiU2h_un3Rew=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9EyBtywyhTJZzLz-WCklM44480xm4PXSCs1AHEGXG5ovZmPJsBpqXJrWLNoUXlm9oIaPDoIqLjQozMFk_FC9a57NxRtH5pY3jIbQiX9eR7bRiRZO8BJ9YnxgCz7pWdZPTAwOgVDHrYWJUP4G0uv1-haHB4NMmMPgHeGtViA54exJAhGFiU2h_un3Rew=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gelatin sheets having a soak in some cool water<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I think the egg yolks from my hippy coop are smaller than the ones in the big store, and I think the latter are more akin to what The Book uses. Every time I've made pastry cream thus far, the instructions state to whisk the mixture until the sugar just dissolves, but up until now, the mixture has been very thick and hard to even incorporate/whisk. But this time, the egg yolks, though much paler than those from the organic farm, were able to whisk the sugar into a silky liquid that maps well to the photos of this step in The Book.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7ybhlGaZKeUicEVJJcG-ss99oNwqE0JpZXkKa4wa2KWC4n7_waONBUXUL3Q9G1o7WASEeVMlnYfEYxxnQIsz2dXVCjh2krdTQfNiNZRRfwi94oV2Xhal8-JNnNUqvuJcTHLVrbVTjZvU0lVh9fHzRm7RAwq68CRkKRjIzY-lYXpECEAhD9iJfeVeiAg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7ybhlGaZKeUicEVJJcG-ss99oNwqE0JpZXkKa4wa2KWC4n7_waONBUXUL3Q9G1o7WASEeVMlnYfEYxxnQIsz2dXVCjh2krdTQfNiNZRRfwi94oV2Xhal8-JNnNUqvuJcTHLVrbVTjZvU0lVh9fHzRm7RAwq68CRkKRjIzY-lYXpECEAhD9iJfeVeiAg=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apparently it's supposed to look like this every time? I never managed to dissolve the sugar in the egg yolks before. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>I might have mentioned before that I've found one of the telltale signs that my pastry cream is close to thickening is the foam from whisking beginning to dissolve and the yellow cream color starting to peek through the surface. Here's a shaky-one-handed video of that point in the process; you can see the foam pulling away from the edges and eventually dissolving altogether and the pastry cream begins to thicken shortly thereafter. The video is cut short because I had to grab the pan off the heat and start whisking hard to prevent lumps once it began to thicken. <br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw1-sIMwZ1FuPVyF-eXq6z48S4lTPsDqtfyN3JGDtYHdtSuTHChK_jXheNK_C7rp5HbTfvsja3Qsl5U-lLx_w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p></p><p>The last step to preparing the pastry cream was to whisk in the gelatin sheets that were soaked earlier. To drain them, you grab them from the water and squeeze them, and while I was scared they would dissolve and fall apart, they remained intact with no sign of breakage, although the rubbery squeaky feeling of squeezing the water out of them was distinctly unpleasant. I whisked them into the hot pastry cream, where they became invisible immediately and I had to keep whisking for a few minutes just to make sure they had completely dissolved because I had no way of seeing if that was the case!</p><p>Here, I committed the cardinal sin of choux pastry: I opened the oven. I was scared, you see, that the puff pastry scraps and extra choux puffs would brown too quickly. In retrospect, I should have just baked them on a separate sheet after. But, as you can see in the next photo, the primary reason choux deflates is being allowed to decrease in temperature before the dough matrix has fully set in its steam-inflated shape. So, despite my haste in popping the sheet back in the oven after I removed the extraneous pastries, the damage was done, and my puffed choux rings deflated. Fortunately, they do not require filling with cream in the recipe, so while this was a sacrifice of some volume and texture, it ultimately did not affect the structure of the cake that they became flat. I did notice that my puff pastry did not brown as much as in the book, though this may well also have been due to the mid-bake removal. </p><p>Another interesting thing I noticed was that while the puff pastry shrank predictably to almost exactly the 10" diameter called for in the original recipe (I'm glad I decided to roll out an inch of extra on all sides), the puff pastry ring did not shrink alongside the base! So the puff pastry, once deflated, kind of made an extra half inch border of its own extending outside the puff pastry. I'm sure this would be less obvious if it hadn't deflated, but I do think it would become the outside border of the pastry nonethless.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqGxBDdP607jGtGLZO1YkZe7bx___hIpaqyX-4uCjbEftJGQTIS6vwej3DZLZSrNBbT2zRsE1mev-UgxLaRjbhYD0blkL2GOSS_9RgGrvvv8EA2lij-pvmcfxSv3ZTW7xJZw417EnjX3flpn4StdKDBeV-hRlmiYNLiqg3JBNzDCtjXGduywFwfT6n0w=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqGxBDdP607jGtGLZO1YkZe7bx___hIpaqyX-4uCjbEftJGQTIS6vwej3DZLZSrNBbT2zRsE1mev-UgxLaRjbhYD0blkL2GOSS_9RgGrvvv8EA2lij-pvmcfxSv3ZTW7xJZw417EnjX3flpn4StdKDBeV-hRlmiYNLiqg3JBNzDCtjXGduywFwfT6n0w=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sadly deflated choux rings on the puff pastry base. I baked this without convection fan on, thinking that it was better to not risk the choux deflating, but I guess it happened anyways due to my poor judgement<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I set the pastries all aside to cool, and started whipping the egg whites to a soft peak in my stand mixer at medium speed. While I was waiting for the approximately 10 minutes it would take to do this, I inserted my 3D printed St. Honore tip into a plastic bag and filled it with leftover matcha pastry cream from the napoleon earlier, in order to practice piping with the tip. I found it fairly intuitive to use, although it got noticeably less sharp waves once the pastry cream started warming up more in my hands. I've heard that pastry schools also instruct students to practice piping with margarine; I might just keep this pastry cream in my fridge for the next week and keep reusing it to practice piping.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCGBjn3Ddmvkz_qO1JLN8fMPzfSV6akTniK4LQI1eJMGzT9eqpLTn4KRpG_L4FPqjLdnZGurlY3FoWzOTDE6umzJgg-VuHLQw3tmBqZNmXzrpW_SQZIOV4E6eoA8ij0rm1DDny7huU_oMiv7a9lYQgZS7YxYdeLFK7qnRTJhhM73iQfEMuzgmRHcYDGg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCGBjn3Ddmvkz_qO1JLN8fMPzfSV6akTniK4LQI1eJMGzT9eqpLTn4KRpG_L4FPqjLdnZGurlY3FoWzOTDE6umzJgg-VuHLQw3tmBqZNmXzrpW_SQZIOV4E6eoA8ij0rm1DDny7huU_oMiv7a9lYQgZS7YxYdeLFK7qnRTJhhM73iQfEMuzgmRHcYDGg=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Practicing piping using the St Honore tip and a lazy ziploc piping bag with the leftover matcha pastry cream from the napoleon<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Once the egg whites got to soft peaks, I increased the speed and began whipping for about 8 minutes until they got to a stiff peak (as seen in the photo below, a little spiky point is distinctly held on the end of the whisk attachment even after turning it right side up). I think I am on the cusp of overbeating at this point, actually, since you can see the small blob of coagulated egg white on the side of the whisk. But, as this was my first time doing this, I wanted to err on the side of too much volume rather than too little structure <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLK8lvXgx-qjB1nN6ixSpvHap01D2_NOmUpTZ6_cKN_56rAreHPX_neylmYxmV_O5oGksxrqnLVKfhfEpMZQNHau79576iiJt__Ua1kEqEGEXsVIhkyvuVfqyOOWgxG4MKIFf0bUhCrHhzgi3pkLFoDYRdXFnYYk6Sr-n45xktA0553j7uwEpox0AwEA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLK8lvXgx-qjB1nN6ixSpvHap01D2_NOmUpTZ6_cKN_56rAreHPX_neylmYxmV_O5oGksxrqnLVKfhfEpMZQNHau79576iiJt__Ua1kEqEGEXsVIhkyvuVfqyOOWgxG4MKIFf0bUhCrHhzgi3pkLFoDYRdXFnYYk6Sr-n45xktA0553j7uwEpox0AwEA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very stiff peak on the end of my whisk attachment. I can't imagine doing this without a stand mixer.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I folded about a third of the egg whites into the big bowl of pastry cream. This is done as a sort of sacrificial portion of egg white, because it will deflate a lot but makes the cream lighter and more liquid such that folding in the rest of the egg whites will be easier and cause less deflation. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiE32tGGg9QN9dMo0WmFPRJ0Q5vU_rjxUo1NtpTsWMoJ0-AB0jeGWyZhdEhQoPxXaZGbHZIdxFGemI710M4gULv_onYDmcFphNLQ8njtbslgyg4OU6PrZy4ujyn7pTb_pMG0mg9aPrc750y8055aYd67bn_Fx_EBqexZEfMxqNzhjUo7XD2abgYX3S4bg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiE32tGGg9QN9dMo0WmFPRJ0Q5vU_rjxUo1NtpTsWMoJ0-AB0jeGWyZhdEhQoPxXaZGbHZIdxFGemI710M4gULv_onYDmcFphNLQ8njtbslgyg4OU6PrZy4ujyn7pTb_pMG0mg9aPrc750y8055aYd67bn_Fx_EBqexZEfMxqNzhjUo7XD2abgYX3S4bg=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pastry cream has lightened in color after the incorporation of the first batch of sacrificial egg white meringue.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Here is a photo of the completed Chiboust cream with all the egg whites folded in. I confess this is the first time I've ever done anything like this (folding whipped egg whites in), and I cringed with every motion as I heard the fizzle of the bubbles in the egg whites popping, but even by the end of the process, the cream was light and perhaps my ginger motions were simply gentle enough as a result. Also, every time I do this, all I can hear is just <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NywzrUJnmTo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this scene</a>. For reference, I found it easiest to fold by shoving my spatula vertically down to the bottom along one of the sides, scooping upwards slightly, and depositing towards the center, and turning the bowl a little clockwise to repeat the process again, progressing in a circular way along the edge of the bowl, digging to the bottom, and folding the stuff from below onto the top in the middle of the bowl. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiM6UdARz16oYuGX52swXgz8N_iZmYFpG6tAqBO0aKCff37uGjpMwsXq3NWHpZ31ffqiYKiqGCoJHLFuvp-ywX8aA9z5INC_DzdiXVNo476XNHCVSL54-aA9UmmwlojIGB9lCdt8FykLngJhT3G4dYa11nu_jZGlZtGDA3PtmXr9w0VyHtacOEgJO6DzA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiM6UdARz16oYuGX52swXgz8N_iZmYFpG6tAqBO0aKCff37uGjpMwsXq3NWHpZ31ffqiYKiqGCoJHLFuvp-ywX8aA9z5INC_DzdiXVNo476XNHCVSL54-aA9UmmwlojIGB9lCdt8FykLngJhT3G4dYa11nu_jZGlZtGDA3PtmXr9w0VyHtacOEgJO6DzA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Just...fold it in."<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p> I spread some of the filling into the cooled puff-pastry-and-choux base, stopping at the inside of the choux perimeter. I then loaded up my piping bag with a coupler and as much of the remaining chiboust cream as would fit comfortably. <br /></p><p>I piped the filling into the choux puffs first, after I poked a hole in the bottom of each with a chopstick. It was kind of odd to fill these because the lightness of the Chiboust made it difficult to gauge how much more filling they required (pastry cream is quite a bit heavier so it's easier to estimate when you're done filling). If you overfill, one of two things might happen: The cream will ooze back out of the hole on the bottom once you set the puff down and gravity causes the weight of the puff to rest on that bottom face, or you might find that there is a secret hole on the top of one of your puffs along the steamed cracks (as you can see in a few of these in the photo below, where pinpricks of cream are escaping along the seams). The one on the right with half of it covered in cream was when I dropped it into the bowl of cream by accident. I used about a third of the cream to fill all the puffs, knowing I had plenty left for the rest of the cake. I set the bag aside to work on adding the cream puffs.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvaCGqirW6xsx5yrLF2eXWKx0DzIRgLsIJRgNvfHFYc_dD-V0MjK_BwupfKAJnL6nMY9YNL5EWP5VEoL2OV-QXvIapleNXbsmkp0IlOQV70ZFQcbCr9Hcu-n3SKDkCtH806Y5jpx3swK1F4CGdW9QSdk23uGp0NtU5m7Y7uSWOoTQAiImMS__Z3dpP6A=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvaCGqirW6xsx5yrLF2eXWKx0DzIRgLsIJRgNvfHFYc_dD-V0MjK_BwupfKAJnL6nMY9YNL5EWP5VEoL2OV-QXvIapleNXbsmkp0IlOQV70ZFQcbCr9Hcu-n3SKDkCtH806Y5jpx3swK1F4CGdW9QSdk23uGp0NtU5m7Y7uSWOoTQAiImMS__Z3dpP6A=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Filled choux puffs, with some evidence of holes along the seams (and one set of butterfingers)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I chose to make the topping in a shallow pan so it would be easier to dip the cream puffs without touching the rim of a deeper saucepan. The Book asks for the sugar caramel topping to be made in two steps. First, a portion of the sugar is melted with water until it caramelizes, and then the rest of the sugar is added in. I'm not sure the purpose of this, but I found it very difficult to get the second addition of sugar to dissolve. It took a lot of stirring, and I kept being paranoid I would burn the sugar on the edges from the first batch. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjHHsHEY6GyD-RUj8PnqHefVL-R-1g6B2k6IFoRDZcwCCAnkqHuJVPdhXvR3kmSXMp7ZpRJXSybx50Vn_pNkLPpAWU3UqwsE0D6i94jS00Xo5xYqomI_jk4XmhkUuDKva-LZzVLgdwS0ToVafnmQlKTFOWGNv332WXYc7G05EzcNzBfcHQ6e10EB47Kw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjHHsHEY6GyD-RUj8PnqHefVL-R-1g6B2k6IFoRDZcwCCAnkqHuJVPdhXvR3kmSXMp7ZpRJXSybx50Vn_pNkLPpAWU3UqwsE0D6i94jS00Xo5xYqomI_jk4XmhkUuDKva-LZzVLgdwS0ToVafnmQlKTFOWGNv332WXYc7G05EzcNzBfcHQ6e10EB47Kw=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was panicking trying to dissolve the second batch of sugar in the already caramelized sugar of the first batch<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Eventually, all of the sugar dissolved and the caramel clarified to a glossy dark amber instead of being a slightly murky light amber. It held its shape briefly after a spoon swipe but would flow back into a puddle readily. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi60WaOsloqfxDyBUSa9ngJ5nlKalxNXmpgr0HxmwFRVuFcb26myrEGRWCJLpxAV2nMB0w2MEEyE44TUt-HlwOgHBYYmB8sjm3ZKOphYlf1ZLyGJzjtV1ZpF0puQB-RKjC96yapB2w9IIAWqeFoPmVAVXqoa-pc-6sG1varhRVSCEA6u8kYxID3WcejTQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi60WaOsloqfxDyBUSa9ngJ5nlKalxNXmpgr0HxmwFRVuFcb26myrEGRWCJLpxAV2nMB0w2MEEyE44TUt-HlwOgHBYYmB8sjm3ZKOphYlf1ZLyGJzjtV1ZpF0puQB-RKjC96yapB2w9IIAWqeFoPmVAVXqoa-pc-6sG1varhRVSCEA6u8kYxID3WcejTQ=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We got there, eventually. Look at that delicious color!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Then it was time to dip all the puffs in the hot caramel, first on top, then on bottom, and then moving quickly to use the bottom caramel to glue the puffs to the outer choux rim on the cake base. I burned my fingertips a lot in the beginning but eventually figured out that because the sugar would be runny when I first dipped the top, I could prevent it from dripping onto my fingers when I dipped the bottom by simply holding it up and letting it roll around to form an even cap before I attempted dipping the bottom. It was also important to not dip the top too far in, and leave enough of a band around the bottom hemisphere of the puff for me to hold onto when dipping the bottom. The bottoms of the puffs tended to have some of the cream squeeze out as I worked, and the cream would sizzle when it touched the hot sugar, but this was mostly not a problem unless they obscured too much of the bottom face for the caramel to stick to it. Finally, I had to reheat the caramel once during the process when it became too thick to coat the bottom of the puffs properly. I had a lot of leftover caramel, as I imagine the recipe wants to prevent burning fingers too much or needing to scrape up caramel from the pan with a delicate cream puff.<br /></p><p>I squeezed a final puff onto the border to create a final perimeter of sixteen caramel glazed cream puffs around the pool of chiboust cream in the center. There were quite a few wispy strings of caramel floating around, so I snapped them off to clean up the appearance and put them back into the saucepan. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOG-N55ffiLxywqANGG2zXZOQDa2FL2TUUKcHNy3APsMwDpGWEXdc9a0lYUTH7j5lYTLkTSH3EK3ZonDW4sthznHbbkDQq4V8jllq2DWP5qBkGPANl0wcs7-z3thwX09LU9mv7tA-qDrexyTkj8b9k6lGFWn8JPlGrGaOhLsFRUFrgAif1THoSz60h8w=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOG-N55ffiLxywqANGG2zXZOQDa2FL2TUUKcHNy3APsMwDpGWEXdc9a0lYUTH7j5lYTLkTSH3EK3ZonDW4sthznHbbkDQq4V8jllq2DWP5qBkGPANl0wcs7-z3thwX09LU9mv7tA-qDrexyTkj8b9k6lGFWn8JPlGrGaOhLsFRUFrgAif1THoSz60h8w=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I only burned my fingers about ten times dipping these. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Here is the coupler I mentioned earlier, where I have just swapped out the plain piping tip for the St Honore tip that I cleaned of practice pastry cream. A coupler is two pieces, one that is inserted inside the piping bag and has a threaded outside surface, and the other part is a nut with a hole slightly smaller than the base of a piping tip. The piping tip gets placed on the bag (over the bag and the inner coupler piece) and the outer piece is screwed over the piping tip onto the threads of the inner component, locking the piping tip in place. The benefit of a coupler is that it allows you to switch to a different piping tip for the same contents of the bag, so you don't have to empty the bag and fish out the tip before plopping in the new tip. This is perfect for a situation like this Chiboust cream, where the same filling is used in the cream puffs and in the top layer of waves, but one wants to avoid transferring the cream too many times to prevent deflating the delicate meringue before it gets a chance to set. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwgNdyF-gSRRcqS_aSnGQZqebulOW8pILBrHWkJho8E3cUXLmQAWA_iWu4RlXRsfDSwUQyOPeflLow19nQZR6cZo7yXOcfbyM-M7hUkLYW2RVfPzKVS5Uaas1EwEugfViKu4V4TeXaRmb86441F1RduI0m9FrCpCuIAx2S9nwwJuQncew7xe4gqFPoMQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwgNdyF-gSRRcqS_aSnGQZqebulOW8pILBrHWkJho8E3cUXLmQAWA_iWu4RlXRsfDSwUQyOPeflLow19nQZR6cZo7yXOcfbyM-M7hUkLYW2RVfPzKVS5Uaas1EwEugfViKu4V4TeXaRmb86441F1RduI0m9FrCpCuIAx2S9nwwJuQncew7xe4gqFPoMQ=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Used a coupler to let me swap out the two different piping tips I would need for the Chiboust<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>I piped the waves in small curves to create several rows of interlocking chevrons, so it looks like a few rows of braids running down the surface of the cake. The waves did not hold a peak as cleanly as the pastry cream did, or as in the example photos in The Book, and I suspect, while the recipe did not call for it, I should have refrigerated the cream for just a little bit of set before I tried piping. My cake base was completely cool by this time, so I doubt this was the problem, although my kitchen was a very comfortable temperature from all the baking. But the waves held their soft shape so I set the cake into the fridge overnight to chill, and set upon the monumental task of cleaning nearly every surface and tool in my kitchen that had been used for this baking whirlwind on a Sunday evening starting at 8pm (the caramelized sugar saucepan was the hardest to clean, even after I reheated the caramel and poured most of it onto a sheet of parchment to make caramel candy). <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghyhVtIeTROnOcZ18Vzk-XS8kdVJjTxlPhfYqQWhJaydOlMsGHoOKwWjPSCQfpGyqWAb5bn-Qo22ksJ2EfZB96MyIbzbTDMZ52WhHaki7dcjVC1FHIYjdjT_-bU6tKC9pnggGAvO_jbwlptvYBhLOm7eGCoEktu9Mkc3uSuBBiud2wndBStoHNLsAmwQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghyhVtIeTROnOcZ18Vzk-XS8kdVJjTxlPhfYqQWhJaydOlMsGHoOKwWjPSCQfpGyqWAb5bn-Qo22ksJ2EfZB96MyIbzbTDMZ52WhHaki7dcjVC1FHIYjdjT_-bU6tKC9pnggGAvO_jbwlptvYBhLOm7eGCoEktu9Mkc3uSuBBiud2wndBStoHNLsAmwQ=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not bad, not bad at all! Those caramel choux puffs are putting in work for the aesthetic<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>After a night of setting in the fridge, the gelatin had done its work and preserved the light mousse texture of the Chiboust cream. I cut a small slice for breakfast the next morning, and then cut another small slice because I wanted a better cross section view of the inside. You can see that the cream puffs have softened a bit but the caramel is still glossy. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMLX919lZ1t9o3VdpMkG9xVDgYzgZu7HuQow0_NHyEctnIeYsxvHsGvl850j_frFjwle1jxGSmph18eJS3Ad5tTsYsj5189KoM5m4YV1r3rzJKKHOiB3Bd7hBIumP0-0aCvotSAq9uv9hi4eBG5_CicU_I9rLobvy_2CUdBp_sUJqdD6vRHsIWSDOhjQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMLX919lZ1t9o3VdpMkG9xVDgYzgZu7HuQow0_NHyEctnIeYsxvHsGvl850j_frFjwle1jxGSmph18eJS3Ad5tTsYsj5189KoM5m4YV1r3rzJKKHOiB3Bd7hBIumP0-0aCvotSAq9uv9hi4eBG5_CicU_I9rLobvy_2CUdBp_sUJqdD6vRHsIWSDOhjQ=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hard to resist having this for breakfast.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>And here is the closeup of the slice! The cream was lightly sweet with aromatic vanilla and small pops of vanilla bean, the puff pastry was a little moist but still light, and the puff pastry rings underneath, though not inflated, were not overly chewy, though I found their flavor to be much less interesting and rich than that of the recipe with milk and equal amounts salt and sugar. Finally, the cream puffs at the edge were the star of the show; the texture of the crunchy caramel paired with the tender thin choux pillows that yielded a pocket of melt-in-your-mouth Chiboust when bitten was an amazing bite to end the cake. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvRXXUIw3dlYFVJDaCQetFvU4MrpwHwLbgb3fRpPM_tK9-w96tx6bjbX4BsqDuVLSjXDc7tj7UTNRrC9pWC5xNPMbj2O1TuzAYdIXyrD9W2PIR6-ak3RMLoC-xbzs07eIhEJKHNS-0SzFBaN2Kd7MmjMHzYdWgYOF7OyauUEDAAxBapVjSe2Cdh7EZXA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvRXXUIw3dlYFVJDaCQetFvU4MrpwHwLbgb3fRpPM_tK9-w96tx6bjbX4BsqDuVLSjXDc7tj7UTNRrC9pWC5xNPMbj2O1TuzAYdIXyrD9W2PIR6-ak3RMLoC-xbzs07eIhEJKHNS-0SzFBaN2Kd7MmjMHzYdWgYOF7OyauUEDAAxBapVjSe2Cdh7EZXA=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at those puff pastry layers, the mousse texture, the glossy caramel...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>As a first attempt at a mousse cake of sorts, I'm pretty pleased, although, as my roommate pointed out, it was kind of a fake cake and mostly a stack of different pastries I had already made. But it's a notoriously hard cake to make look good and not like a pale kiddie pool, and considering I turned this out in a scant two hours after an exhausting weekend (I ran my first 6k Saturday night!), I am glad to have found this recipe and it is a capstone of sorts to what I have learned in my first chapter of patisserie. </p><p>Some assorted thoughts:</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Choux really does not do well with any interferences during baking. I should have known better! <br /></li><li>Next time I need to make sure to let a cake base bake on its own and deal with scraps later, saving time was not worth the integrity of my cake</li><li>I liked the shape of these choux puffs better but I did not like the occasional holes from the cracking along the seams. I will try using a 3:1 water:milk ratio next time in choux to see if we can make a middle ground between these well-formed choux and the more elastic, flavorful ones from the previous recipe</li><li>I should chill the Chiboust briefly, perhaps for an hour, before piping. Maybe I can set the bowl in the fridge right after I spread some in the middle of the cake. </li><li>The 3D printed piping tip worked great!</li><li>Despite the easier whisking of the larger egg yolks to dissolve the sugar, I could discern no difference in the final pastry cream product. So I think I will continue to use whatever eggs are readily available to me instead of stressing about the size of the yolks. </li><li>The puff pastry being rolled out to nearly a sixteenth of an inch to compensate for shrinkage didn't seem to adversely affect the texture, so I just need to be gentle and chill/rest generously. </li><li>Gelatin is not strictly vegetarian, and I want to experiment with agar in the future for setting the mousse. </li><li>This recipe was not that hard, but it was a lot of equipment, utensils, surfaces, and clean up work. <br /></li></ul><p>Quote of the day: "your cake is so good i'm annoyed at my roommate for eating "his" slice because i wanted to eat it today"- quote from an unnamed friend, who I gave three slices of cake in total (one for them, one for roommate, one for partner)<br /></p><p><br /><br /></p><p><br /></p>Helena Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948134617740274723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3324966668274170747.post-35029428263062863632022-03-13T19:55:00.001-07:002022-03-13T20:06:55.827-07:00Patisserie 7: Mille-feuille/Napoleon with matcha cream<p>Almost exactly a month ago, I made my first batch of <a href="https://tinkertailor-hw.blogspot.com/2022/02/patisserie-3-feuilletagepuff.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">puff pastry</a> without realizing that the recipe made approximately five times the amount I'd need for that recipe. I still had about two-thirds of that recipe left, so I decided I would use most of that quantity for a Napoleon-style cake, based on the Mille-feuille au Rhum from The Book, since this was mostly a sandwich of puff pastry and pastry cream rather than being an actual cake and would let me use up my first attempt at the pastry so I could start anew in future attempts with my newfound lamination experience. And, as I am not a human who enjoys using spiced rum and the closest thing I had on hand was whiskey, I decided to use matcha to flavor the pastry cream and fondant instead for a burst of color. </p><p>In a distressing deja-vu to the beginning of the previous section's tart, I once again ended up with a dessert that looked fairly reasonable, tasted good, but was impossible to serve and eat in a dignified manner.</p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>I prepared the pastry cream first, using some of this vanilla bean paste with seeds because I can't afford to buy a vanilla bean for every single pastry cream batch I make. I used roughly 1.5 teaspoons of paste for the quantity of cream, which was not enough but would be a fine backdrop for the matcha; in the future, I'll probably use closer to 2tsp if the vanilla is to be the star of the show. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6vVxeIJ37xDjKx01VNYqyRG4ztV4F0O-aiQ8V8rSSMrMGN6AaoG7YdrtE6RsucAb0Cz6q0TLpZ2LT8norSc2M7UWu1u4MuLy0LZ7iqaDv84Sso6EOBekKxsDQORHbgmJHNzMoVHYZfe4UgxpO6qQe_af9qbhy2w0bvSOzEaSaZa0cr388LxM89C17xw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6vVxeIJ37xDjKx01VNYqyRG4ztV4F0O-aiQ8V8rSSMrMGN6AaoG7YdrtE6RsucAb0Cz6q0TLpZ2LT8norSc2M7UWu1u4MuLy0LZ7iqaDv84Sso6EOBekKxsDQORHbgmJHNzMoVHYZfe4UgxpO6qQe_af9qbhy2w0bvSOzEaSaZa0cr388LxM89C17xw=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm not rich enough (and just became funemployed) to be using real vanilla beans in each of these practice pastries<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I weighed out my cornstarch and flour and prepared a bowl for collecting the 6(!) egg whites from the separated yolks.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUOFfXT_qsNrRZFW142hVWFFpXXsjV8wZn0R7K-mTYne23b8gRfgKz67f1NNsungJqR4LaVye6J4leOZHbpWILQ3dyxY7wgxszIGWxXy52bc-BgURcMEDajXO1L2QFHCN8LrGNm1YALFQJYs7hH2YvFQgLu-j6qZhTESthZ_9X8Ic6sQgTP2FCJs5-_A=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUOFfXT_qsNrRZFW142hVWFFpXXsjV8wZn0R7K-mTYne23b8gRfgKz67f1NNsungJqR4LaVye6J4leOZHbpWILQ3dyxY7wgxszIGWxXy52bc-BgURcMEDajXO1L2QFHCN8LrGNm1YALFQJYs7hH2YvFQgLu-j6qZhTESthZ_9X8Ic6sQgTP2FCJs5-_A=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's the cornstarch and flour, and a bowl waiting for egg whites to be separated into it and frozen in the bag in the background. One day I'm going to move out and people will be finding odd quantities of frozen egg whites in baggies for years in the freezer<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I think the brand of eggs I buy has a smaller egg yolk-to-egg white ratio than the eggs in the book. The instructions for the creme pat always say "whisk until sugar is just dissolved, without letting mixture lighten in color," but it takes me a long time to even incorporate all the cornstarch and sugar into the small amount of liquidity from the yolks, and the sugar often requires a rest and return to stirring to dissolve, and even then, it is still a little grainy. I froze the six egg whites in the labeled ziploc to use later in the week for a different recipe; now that I've gotten into the cakes section, I'm sure I'll be rolling in egg yolks instead for the next month.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYnN4OsR-Q5FDj80ycfpW60Sowb5vT9vhvN5SYBL6EJpUYnaRu1ZCBB57mMQTkkJ_lJivpOPKUXQG747KBZwKBQ9hHS2UVggxMlk-xdPsYt8_yRZrFymfAjX76NaSPjDYkeSE016MxKUGjvaclqb3mBwN9d4eEmEMSiCX_ISkMo3h2Sgs2H5qu8_LCbg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYnN4OsR-Q5FDj80ycfpW60Sowb5vT9vhvN5SYBL6EJpUYnaRu1ZCBB57mMQTkkJ_lJivpOPKUXQG747KBZwKBQ9hHS2UVggxMlk-xdPsYt8_yRZrFymfAjX76NaSPjDYkeSE016MxKUGjvaclqb3mBwN9d4eEmEMSiCX_ISkMo3h2Sgs2H5qu8_LCbg=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ill-chosen small bowl because I read the recipe wrong, with egg whites separated from the yolks for the recipe<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Now, it was here that I made an annoying mistake. I had neglected to read the recipe correctly where it called for me to whisk the egg yolks with the cornstarch and sugar "in a medium bowl", and as you can see in the above photo, I was using a very small bowl. </p><p>This was a problem because the next step called for not only tempering the yolk mixture with some of the heated milk, but to eventually pour all the heated milk into the yolk mixture to whisk. So I had to transfer the custard base to a larger bowl, wash the little bowl, and then continue on my tempering. For any reader that is unaware, tempering a custard refers to the practice of whisking a small quantity (a quarter to a third) of the heated component into the coagulatory component (in this case, slowly drizzling in the hot milk into the egg yolk-sugar-mixture) so that the coagulatory mixture can increase in temperature gradually and absorb the heat more evenly, rather than cooking upon contact and causing curdling to happen. The picture below shows the color of the tempered egg mixture on the right, and after tempering, I mixed in the remainder of the hot milk at a much slower whisking pace. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUrg7L3DcGOMsK8kc43Atva24a1FhEqsnIiGvH9qlVflD1p4nYRFlmbIH8tG6aAaT-VSybKJ5STfqDIDYlW6PyxvyaoqkX_JT0wJ1g8SunaXM6sNJTxsnhlqlVgX2VU0D8V9tkgihLpFFekezzkNGgbesI-F3TJ5InF9mj_VzsSjqVcpww2W0icthwUg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUrg7L3DcGOMsK8kc43Atva24a1FhEqsnIiGvH9qlVflD1p4nYRFlmbIH8tG6aAaT-VSybKJ5STfqDIDYlW6PyxvyaoqkX_JT0wJ1g8SunaXM6sNJTxsnhlqlVgX2VU0D8V9tkgihLpFFekezzkNGgbesI-F3TJ5InF9mj_VzsSjqVcpww2W0icthwUg=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the right is the bowl of yolk custard tempered with about a third of the hot milk. Notice it's a little frothy.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>I then strained the mixture back into the saucepan, and was surprised to find that despite my frenzied whisking, there was still a fair layer of scrambled yolk bits coating the sieve. I guess the straining was worth it!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwOVaowqUKKdF-kkOTd2jCh_MXaj9ENQ60SWzb3iPa0rBgI89C7YI_S2HqyptnLn-Qz1ZeJEGBfBJYDRmaIYDEFOPANJma_iT_eqWBK8HVAvqC-_Lva0o1VP9DJbs0362Srik9Dkc8aWWfSLwMGsVlPPfuEOoQmruUZ-QmmY5HbelkDwoMKC6pZZuhxA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwOVaowqUKKdF-kkOTd2jCh_MXaj9ENQ60SWzb3iPa0rBgI89C7YI_S2HqyptnLn-Qz1ZeJEGBfBJYDRmaIYDEFOPANJma_iT_eqWBK8HVAvqC-_Lva0o1VP9DJbs0362Srik9Dkc8aWWfSLwMGsVlPPfuEOoQmruUZ-QmmY5HbelkDwoMKC6pZZuhxA=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks like a few bits of scrambled egg happened despite the tempering! <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I returned the mixture to the stovetop to whisk over medium heat until it just began to thicken, then pulled it from the stove and continued whisking as it finished cooking from residual heat. Finally, I whisked cubed butter. I'm pretty comfortable making pastry cream silky smooth at this point, which is good because there's a reason they call it creme pat: it's in almost every pastry recipe in some form or another. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwqLkkjOnUsMUNCUrTyZfOaWOGY4H_vGK1X6qc74PpoP_HzrIkbNaILjPCFwpcllJxqV53fc91XizJGmra57Ec73aVF3JHwx50p2KKnuphc9YeRgrHy7blYVqwcoOAhSPi_NhO--EU-UsPox6tkb5DsVEQ1iIsTrcn9ym-VXQSZvpvJGMVEqYuR4li2Q=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwqLkkjOnUsMUNCUrTyZfOaWOGY4H_vGK1X6qc74PpoP_HzrIkbNaILjPCFwpcllJxqV53fc91XizJGmra57Ec73aVF3JHwx50p2KKnuphc9YeRgrHy7blYVqwcoOAhSPi_NhO--EU-UsPox6tkb5DsVEQ1iIsTrcn9ym-VXQSZvpvJGMVEqYuR4li2Q=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silky creme patisserie. I am letting myself celebrate getting pretty good at doing this without much thought<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I spread it on a plastic-lined quarter sheet pan and topped it with another piece of plastic wrap, smoothing outwards from the center to remove any bubbles because any place that contacts air will create a skin on the pastry cream and result in an unpleasant texture once it has cooled. I stuck this sheet pan in the fridge to chill completely while I worked on the rest of the recipe. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-cQTRy7MfTOvPg9G9xxRVINXNjtbf4SNX-bbopbsaQzQZob22N1BelKAKKUHEvUrJ0v0BFtndBgKu_Y1lenwFyQBj5r84XJAILPxt5jVnXCDiryoZ2uEpA6G6Rd0GSQRm3pDROhd_vplDkWzhKul0CY9pMVqDLwpns4Qbespw4R-VDFFdxkrwSUdJwg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-cQTRy7MfTOvPg9G9xxRVINXNjtbf4SNX-bbopbsaQzQZob22N1BelKAKKUHEvUrJ0v0BFtndBgKu_Y1lenwFyQBj5r84XJAILPxt5jVnXCDiryoZ2uEpA6G6Rd0GSQRm3pDROhd_vplDkWzhKul0CY9pMVqDLwpns4Qbespw4R-VDFFdxkrwSUdJwg=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quarter sheet of creme pat, covered with plastic wrap and ready to chill<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Here is the roughly-800g block of puff pastry from early February, thawed in the fridge overnight. I cut it into quarters, which worked well because this recipe has three distinct layers and this left me a square shape for a later recipe. I took out three of the quarters and put the last one in the fridge for a secret future recipe. I used painters tape again to mark out the desired final dimensions of the puff pastry, leaving space on either side of the 5in mark on the bottom for movement while rolling out. I also noticed during my <a href="https://tinkertailor-hw.blogspot.com/2022/02/patisserie-35-puff-pastry-experiment.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">puff pastry experiment</a> from a few weeks ago that it had shrunk quite a bit while baking, so one of the improvements I wanted to make was to roll it slightly oversize before putting it in the oven to compensate for the expected deviation in final dimension.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgY6tqGbC4_mNylX0tmJCE8MycfIMgt4x7Rxy_iSe9liyPjdNlSfHS7XjZJ-KGw42OwvyZGkjBH4EKva80G0Gh3k-ZiV5f766hItiuXJdWmutdPqBkHi8uLgOuNGpe1uL9tj7Gh3A6P3ft4c5zwjJ8LQHjXxnEJr-lzOQgP0LUNwfAp0bloFk56MfrSKg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgY6tqGbC4_mNylX0tmJCE8MycfIMgt4x7Rxy_iSe9liyPjdNlSfHS7XjZJ-KGw42OwvyZGkjBH4EKva80G0Gh3k-ZiV5f766hItiuXJdWmutdPqBkHi8uLgOuNGpe1uL9tj7Gh3A6P3ft4c5zwjJ8LQHjXxnEJr-lzOQgP0LUNwfAp0bloFk56MfrSKg=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I set up my workstation by marking out the desired dimensions with painter's tape and dusting with flour<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>After the first rolling out, I recognized a fair bit of resistance, and remembering my previous mistakes in smashing it too flat and ending up with gummy puff pastry, I put the three sheets back in the fridge to rest for another fifteen minutes. This would also serve to decrease the amount of shrinkage later during baking.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmtEcUjwvF99SC98_3SKbAWIj-RaCkQKHR5ez-2UwEZoCed6pxXjuoK2Gj7mVfN67bSMTpXAoikzjqrWhg_pnLHCM9AgUXRnfNGqhakcqlos6VxJ5-61IbBya6i_0RJyx3HWQExpIP2uKLG6nw8qpuWnNPoo8EPIkxUZFDyDE8n-O4bCd-eG8oT2mNHQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmtEcUjwvF99SC98_3SKbAWIj-RaCkQKHR5ez-2UwEZoCed6pxXjuoK2Gj7mVfN67bSMTpXAoikzjqrWhg_pnLHCM9AgUXRnfNGqhakcqlos6VxJ5-61IbBya6i_0RJyx3HWQExpIP2uKLG6nw8qpuWnNPoo8EPIkxUZFDyDE8n-O4bCd-eG8oT2mNHQ=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting with three quarters of the puff pastry and rolling them out in turn, rotating to a different piece when I felt resistance<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>By the second rolling out, I was at the expected final width but still a little short of the final length. I gave it a good roll and then stuck it back in the fridge for another rest. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcP_5TKUylbkSxGtJGVMk3RzIjq3Y6L6upUgwBeYt30BdeMEYNQ8AHLNZPmCpJBaeiY5DscZql5evZ2Ujggtb1hLMjNc2TiM-oVulVK6kKo1P8VMfEz7nLO_td7qgTuiFzRFhotOMEwpmW_dsFCp_4m3JLFeuryVhMwpZEQeXqXA9Mo0jZtuZB3CxD5Q=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcP_5TKUylbkSxGtJGVMk3RzIjq3Y6L6upUgwBeYt30BdeMEYNQ8AHLNZPmCpJBaeiY5DscZql5evZ2Ujggtb1hLMjNc2TiM-oVulVK6kKo1P8VMfEz7nLO_td7qgTuiFzRFhotOMEwpmW_dsFCp_4m3JLFeuryVhMwpZEQeXqXA9Mo0jZtuZB3CxD5Q=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Size is almost there after the second rolling but it was starting to warm and resist, so I put them back in the fridge to chill and rest.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>After a third roll, they were roughly 14" long and 6" wide (a standard half sheet pan like in the below photo is roughly 16"x12") compared to the desired final length of 10"x5" for each piece. I placed two of them on one pan and put the third back in the fridge to chill while these baked. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiiDPVA_zUcW3w_NWLurF7LjAOfonBYHBXu35hpm8VsOIYzUhzDGu3t0XkFk8Z1I1jPitQdT2u99gM-MyyTbmA14fav6RRspMoSwlAXmfHzZAN_9nBhKZzyDEAqsB9b31N0LpXIbiV5vg18QccL5Kea0jOi4tjZ9Stna_Oz35DGf3KY2LciyoxMQPWOA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiiDPVA_zUcW3w_NWLurF7LjAOfonBYHBXu35hpm8VsOIYzUhzDGu3t0XkFk8Z1I1jPitQdT2u99gM-MyyTbmA14fav6RRspMoSwlAXmfHzZAN_9nBhKZzyDEAqsB9b31N0LpXIbiV5vg18QccL5Kea0jOi4tjZ9Stna_Oz35DGf3KY2LciyoxMQPWOA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I almost got ambitious and tried to fit all three on one pan, but listened to the recipe instead<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I perforated each sheet a few times with a fork and sprinkled sugar on top. These were baked for 24 minutes on convection heat with a sheet of parchment on top and a second half-pan nested atop to keep the pastry as flat as possible as it baked, and also to help caramelize the sugar on top. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3JFrnxR7IliT8vD9g9_ZS6TdNovF5Y-bLExJFhOM5CZAETpCGSJuAo3eEM26AqoL-yk156Y-isPhmwpsWWBKZuKvrEDDzQAXowBXxHPdQmiMBlGcTWE_1APSUsxzUdIcu60vVv7xv1_02uUfDarpD9z_J22gy9uVTLRi79mxIsPokSIfbPeR9C8FJTg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3JFrnxR7IliT8vD9g9_ZS6TdNovF5Y-bLExJFhOM5CZAETpCGSJuAo3eEM26AqoL-yk156Y-isPhmwpsWWBKZuKvrEDDzQAXowBXxHPdQmiMBlGcTWE_1APSUsxzUdIcu60vVv7xv1_02uUfDarpD9z_J22gy9uVTLRi79mxIsPokSIfbPeR9C8FJTg=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perforated puff pastry with sugar sprinkled on top to caramelize during baking<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>While the first batch of puff pastry sheets baked, I pulled my chilled pastry cream back out and prepared to incorporate the matcha. I was really surprised when the pastry cream sloughed off the plastic wrap in an almost-clean sheet; in past experience, the pastry cream has always stuck to the plastic wrap, and I assumed this was a sacrificial layer to prevent a skin from being formed. But it seems that when properly chilled, the cream likes to stick to itself far more. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRdvNleuiomhnRZ3vWQt4E9Ypewdkw6DLCMQBFprJOfWlLzvbZEvpOrgeSGYbslEJkUokIMjhfALrxJh5dPwpYjNvugnIdt2nl8wBnETq-iSJaV2wzZx8yyl4YVicSB-wuORBfe3pxSRgmeItCimxzKzcktaI9lttXi5-Hwi0eZtWNfdUPiq2Fk1CGIg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRdvNleuiomhnRZ3vWQt4E9Ypewdkw6DLCMQBFprJOfWlLzvbZEvpOrgeSGYbslEJkUokIMjhfALrxJh5dPwpYjNvugnIdt2nl8wBnETq-iSJaV2wzZx8yyl4YVicSB-wuORBfe3pxSRgmeItCimxzKzcktaI9lttXi5-Hwi0eZtWNfdUPiq2Fk1CGIg=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely appetizing congealed pastry cream!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>As I was mixing in the two tablespoons of matcha powder, I noticed quite a few lumps that had not been apparent before because they blended in with the color of the rest of the cream. You can see on that I dug out on the surface of the bowl below. I started to press the matcha cream through a sieve into the piping bag, and was relieved when these lumps just disintegrated with a little pressure. It seems that they were collected cornstarch rather than scrambled bits of egg, and just needed some extra encouragement to get blended. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaSIEaTfCpChRmK1gBL-w_N0yd-ktaW-UTpzhoAU67hqrUmAxOtuRi1-6ZdJuir6So9gcRaYwFni-O2dIoNAoFcYJbq0utk_-FUn3BI6aHZZuFQgyHjRKQNhg_PRTHajT2BBPoq2J1Es-BZJzMOGGjrO5kL-YIm9mxs5vZ7sVu1C118zQUcwbDFpciIg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaSIEaTfCpChRmK1gBL-w_N0yd-ktaW-UTpzhoAU67hqrUmAxOtuRi1-6ZdJuir6So9gcRaYwFni-O2dIoNAoFcYJbq0utk_-FUn3BI6aHZZuFQgyHjRKQNhg_PRTHajT2BBPoq2J1Es-BZJzMOGGjrO5kL-YIm9mxs5vZ7sVu1C118zQUcwbDFpciIg=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As seen in the bowl on the right in the photo, there's a white lump of cornstarch mixture/cooked flour that was not correctly incorporated. They were revealed when I mixed in the matcha. I pushed the cream through a fine meshed sieve into the piping bag to eliminate these. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>When I pulled the first batch of pastry sheets out of the oven, I saw that they had shrunk quite a bit more in length than in width, but thankfully were still pretty similar in size. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimhUU_5EkesquydHV9Zf6HaRkXGBbwslT8pFV4i_fUtEm6YhKwuVsE0vpO1TBL0WHbtbKufa9OuZki6VPisqm4IBk6W_YpGMjVF_0D4n3FjpW1-MG6ty813ohe7JLPKX-dfsuSubn05hsp9ZEboODL4hRfqRZlRDB_8CeL6VaaXJn6sVVWo1Yrb0WUgw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimhUU_5EkesquydHV9Zf6HaRkXGBbwslT8pFV4i_fUtEm6YhKwuVsE0vpO1TBL0WHbtbKufa9OuZki6VPisqm4IBk6W_YpGMjVF_0D4n3FjpW1-MG6ty813ohe7JLPKX-dfsuSubn05hsp9ZEboODL4hRfqRZlRDB_8CeL6VaaXJn6sVVWo1Yrb0WUgw=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puff pastry has shrunk quite a bit, and they browned nicely but were fairly stiff.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>When the third sheet finished baking as well, I stacked them on top of one another and leveled off the sides with a serrated knife. The sugared puff pastry scraps were very delicious and eaten immediately by myself and my friend Cam while I waited for the pastry to cool completely. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOIwuWMZl_eD4QGFU5D7PN0BDqFHgGXOp6fN0H2MKUYt2c9_Z-VBXchdn0VhTLDVGEYAUsa_NRUgL4qfQlB4FTcQHoXEHv92LBiSMe43Sg6Ttwq9voDBlbOVqJsr4wfFw9HzWdXgoTDDvSQgd-fttsL_muGK_JTEzdpUI3OFBJeKcWcDkeuSR02Ri4hA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOIwuWMZl_eD4QGFU5D7PN0BDqFHgGXOp6fN0H2MKUYt2c9_Z-VBXchdn0VhTLDVGEYAUsa_NRUgL4qfQlB4FTcQHoXEHv92LBiSMe43Sg6Ttwq9voDBlbOVqJsr4wfFw9HzWdXgoTDDvSQgd-fttsL_muGK_JTEzdpUI3OFBJeKcWcDkeuSR02Ri4hA=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I stacked these sheets on top of each other and used a serrated knife to even out the left and right sides, but I left the ends rounded because I figured the end pieces always kind of get the short straw. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I filled the bag with half the pastry cream and piped it liberally in large rows across the first layer of pastry using a plain, 10mm tip. I repeated this for the second layer with the second half of the pastry cream, and I still had a little bit of cream left over (though not enough for another layer). <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgC7j-U0xXvyPfnmGGdAIECr1PJET5cCZakqtmZq_HOpw-Fnmry-U9retZAdCc1J-4dtWFV3mcnihcPWCkWo6mLsezm5Rm-Nt7i_kZ19HEQ_oX8imcdIFciMHaJTAZAKYw8gnIzalA1sn34_Pc0XAt557_w2KeAUaJgF7O2KZIpeUWaFl_NI3eH9mxwnQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgC7j-U0xXvyPfnmGGdAIECr1PJET5cCZakqtmZq_HOpw-Fnmry-U9retZAdCc1J-4dtWFV3mcnihcPWCkWo6mLsezm5Rm-Nt7i_kZ19HEQ_oX8imcdIFciMHaJTAZAKYw8gnIzalA1sn34_Pc0XAt557_w2KeAUaJgF7O2KZIpeUWaFl_NI3eH9mxwnQ=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My pastry cream piping looked so neat and professional! It's a pity this cake GOT RUINED when I tried to cut it. But I'm getting ahead of myself. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>For the fondant topping, The Book calls out in several different recipes to simply water down "fondant icing" with a precise amount of water in milliliters. I had no way of knowing what kind of fondant icing to acquire because most of the fondant I've seen is a solid brick that has to be rolled out and draped over a cake, so I went to the kind folks at <a href="https://www.spunsugar.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spun Sugar</a>, which is a baking supply store in North Berkeley close to the BART station there. As soon as I explained that I was looking for fondant to make napoleons, they pointed out a bag of dry fondant powder, and I picked up two pounds and happily made my way home. </p><p>Fondant, for many of us, is that weird chalky, sugary, elastic-but-gummy-paste layer atop cakes that look a little too polished and plastic. This is specifically rolled fondant, as it is rolled out like a dough and wrapped around things. A lot of rolled fondant from home kitchens is made from melting marshmallows with sugar and other things, because this allows one to skip the step of heating up sugar to one of the candy temperatures in order to create structure, then creating a supersaturated solution of it in water prior to inducing crystallization and forming a dough. The problem is that this often tastes awful. In my experience eating non-marshmallow fondant, it is sweet but not cloying, and usually counterbalanced well by the remainder of the pastry if the shop knows what the prevailing opinion of fondant is like. <br /></p><p>Fondant icing is, ostensibly, pre-made fondant, and dry fondant powder is simply fondant that is dried and then ground, and thus easily reconstituted with powder. The instruction on the bag for petit fours, which typically use a poured fondant, said to add a third cup of water to the entire pound bag. I knew this would be way too much icing, but I think I did not add enough water instead; you can see a skin began forming in the pot before I even started to pour, when The Books states that I should be waiting roughly 15 minutes for the fondant glaze to finish setting. I added about half a teaspoon of matcha to get a light green color. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhw5__7lOhUBzY1uMlRgY4xNf2qO9WEUXBeH7HHfW5iPpr1B1AM5gEJ5A6VVisykHSgTd1ZI5gBFyP7LQUwBygCj-CkvJCah1IFp46LNAUEjefoetdX8kdEhOhNRRZdurfoJTnu5ZS422PtPqSpjioPTbqdxd5HqROk7VWNSBVMQVaIWilrj0FBi6TBhA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhw5__7lOhUBzY1uMlRgY4xNf2qO9WEUXBeH7HHfW5iPpr1B1AM5gEJ5A6VVisykHSgTd1ZI5gBFyP7LQUwBygCj-CkvJCah1IFp46LNAUEjefoetdX8kdEhOhNRRZdurfoJTnu5ZS422PtPqSpjioPTbqdxd5HqROk7VWNSBVMQVaIWilrj0FBi6TBhA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm pretty sure poured fondant is not supposed to start forming a skin as soon as you remove it from heat and begin to stir. Alas. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Indeed, I had a hard time spreading the fondant evenly because it began setting way too quickly. But I gave it a few swipes with an offset spatula, got as much coverage as I could on the top layer, and moved onto the elusive parchment cone for doing the chocolate drizzle. </p><p>I used a half-sheet-pan's worth of parchment for the initial triangle this time, allowing me to get a stapler into the cone to seal the edges in shape. And I made sure to melt the chocolate fully and then some so it was liquid enough to pour in and not harden while I piped. But...<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRK9of92OEXL958leIp-dDXvpSDIRM351Xtz63OiaFFt8PLLXdnT9zQmakMZZpJkrZollEG9oMBKOlLHgf7Uo2lywkvurubAL7zx0nXTLikov-lJbmg8isi4tQgrrgCTpR5SorfaeejYFm-pYHmKG5H-Hpdj9bDjm2s0IExZ5xZXl8ZEtF7AAUTmEr0A=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRK9of92OEXL958leIp-dDXvpSDIRM351Xtz63OiaFFt8PLLXdnT9zQmakMZZpJkrZollEG9oMBKOlLHgf7Uo2lywkvurubAL7zx0nXTLikov-lJbmg8isi4tQgrrgCTpR5SorfaeejYFm-pYHmKG5H-Hpdj9bDjm2s0IExZ5xZXl8ZEtF7AAUTmEr0A=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The parchment bag looked so legit this time, and I even had space to staple! But it was still awful to pipe with!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I AM STILL UNCONVINCED THIS IS REASONABLE TO USE! I REFUSE! I'M JUST GOING TO USE A PLASTIC PIPING BAG NEXT TIME INSTEAD! UGH!</p><p>As you can see, the chocolate was still hard to pipe at a reasonable thickness; the open end of the parchment piping bag got wider and wider as I piped, and I'm not sure how one could maintain tension in the rolled structure. It also became more obvious that my fondant was not the right texture, as the chocolate just sat on top instead of falling flush into the fondant. Oh well. I marbled it the best I could, and it looked fairly presentable if you didn't know what a napoleon was supposed to look like. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQ28pFjo2zxrJ6Z7WbXK2p5FjoJ-dztoOhjowmiEjez09guj87rc7duxuNs85uGU7rI_-rjDAcKtTOrilCzhpOK184jObp94eXD74LDK_cBYfNe0TBX73xi_u_A0UYD7WrnfmZU04EDqfmRNcc52LxmS9l1yTltABLoDpN13qCbCHgn5ojVO8Hd7mhZA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQ28pFjo2zxrJ6Z7WbXK2p5FjoJ-dztoOhjowmiEjez09guj87rc7duxuNs85uGU7rI_-rjDAcKtTOrilCzhpOK184jObp94eXD74LDK_cBYfNe0TBX73xi_u_A0UYD7WrnfmZU04EDqfmRNcc52LxmS9l1yTltABLoDpN13qCbCHgn5ojVO8Hd7mhZA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fondant was definitely too stiff, and the (badly piped) chocolate did not settle into the icing at all. But I was too many hours into this recipe to stop now.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>...And then I tried to cut it. Reader, I really did try. The Book told me to use a sharp, finely-serrated knife. As the evidence suggests in the below photo, I tried not one, but three different serrated knives, none yielding any better results that the next. The amount of pastry cream that squeezed out represents all the tears of frustration that threatened to squeeze out of my eyes. I had to put the knife (knives) down between each slice to take several deep breaths and try to calm myself down before I just tore this entire cake apart and threw it in the trash. How am I supposed to cut this? </p><p>I managed to clean up the edges of the slices and sent some off with my friend Cam for his house, and brought a few over to my partner and metamour and her partner for dinner (what a polyamorous clause). And here, after even a few hours of chilling and assumed softening of the puff pastry, I ran into the last consternation of this "cake." </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiczccox-h8SnvFTngiBdZ-e3nS41mjjnR3frqDeIVS48UpaufCa-4-5EHO9akkGXJVGe7wQNLihSSNlwVveACtjnKEm05CfNgYjLx7SmDL7siWavtW3cFDSECm4NCdfkP7zeBZRE6VL32gnOH-eZpLAzp9MiDpbCFSg1UvOUh_CLkj0Iqy-ZCGDpTO8A=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiczccox-h8SnvFTngiBdZ-e3nS41mjjnR3frqDeIVS48UpaufCa-4-5EHO9akkGXJVGe7wQNLihSSNlwVveACtjnKEm05CfNgYjLx7SmDL7siWavtW3cFDSECm4NCdfkP7zeBZRE6VL32gnOH-eZpLAzp9MiDpbCFSg1UvOUh_CLkj0Iqy-ZCGDpTO8A=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Behold: Disaster.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The cake was really hard to eat, because the puff pastry was very hard to cut through, so every stab of the fork just caused the pastry cream to squeeze out everywhere until you could eventually press the pastry against the bottom of the plate, saw it apart, and swipe up some pastry cream to eat it with. Again, really tasty, but absolutely not the way this cake should be eaten. I am really unclear about why this happened, but I don't really care for this cake that much as a class of cakes, so while I have some thoughts about how I would change this in the future, I don't think I will make this again in the foreseeable future unless I use store bought puff pastry. I'll get a few other chances to work with the fondant icing in recipes such as petit fours soon. </p><p>Thoughts on how this went and how to improve: </p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> The layering in my first attempt at puff pastry continues to impress me, despite how poorly I thought I did based on the first usage. It really does just matter a lot to let it rest and be gentle in rolling out.</li><li>The puff pastry did still shrink a lot, but I think I will just continue to compensate for this by rolling out larger than called for, which seems more than possible to get good results in texture with.</li><li>I am wondering if using a sheet pan to weigh the pastry down while it baked was part of why it came out with such a dense, hard surface and didn't crack apart easily. Next time I will use the cooling rack to weigh it down, and while the layers might not be as flat that way, it will better resemble the tender flakiness of the experiment I ran a few weeks ago with the scrap pastry. </li><li>The vanilla bean paste worked well, though I needed to use about double the initial amount I intended to get enough seeds for that nice visual effect and occasional pop of mouthfeel. It is still more cost effective than getting pods at this point, and less annoying, so we'll see how far I can take this before someone calls out the vanilla flavor not being good enough. </li><li>The lumpiness of the pastry cream really makes me wonder what the homogeneous color has been hiding from me all this time. Since the pushing through a sieve took forever, I will endeavor to run an immersion blender through it in the future regardless, just to not have the possibility of lumps. </li><li>Some people on the internet recommended letting the cake chill and "set" for a bit before cutting, and also to use a sharp knife rather than sawing with a serrated knife. I will try this in a future cake, and am annoyed that I didn't think to try either on this iteration before I had already cut the whole thing. </li><li>I'm going to watch a video on the proper temperature and texture for poured fondant before I try my next attempt, so I don't have to just put water in and pray that it will be correct when it's cooled. </li><li>I'M GOING TO GET PLASTIC BAGS FOR PIPING CHOCOLATE, THE PARCHMENT CONE IS UNNECESSARY AND ANNOYING AND IS A WASTE OF MY NICE, PRE-CUT PARCHMENT SHEETS. </li><li>The puff pastry scraps with caramelized sugar continue to be tasty AF. I think that where other people seem to fetishize the perfect croissant as the pinnacle of laminated pastry, or perhaps pain au chocolate, I adore a well-made palmier, and perhaps I should redirect my energies to creating reliable versions of palmiers the next time I decide to make puff pastry. Nobody should have to live with their memories of palmiers being the stale, dry-yet-sticky giant wholesale-cookies of their childhood. The palmier at Arsicault in SF literally changed my mind on the entire pastry and it is now one of my favorite things. <br /></li></ul><p>Quote of the day: Me- "It looks like shit." My friend Cam- "Delicious, delicious shit."<br /></p>Helena Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948134617740274723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3324966668274170747.post-21897096088687374522022-03-03T12:13:00.001-08:002022-03-03T12:13:40.680-08:00Patisserie 6: Apple Almond Danishes<p> As I mentioned at the end of my <a href="https://tinkertailor-hw.blogspot.com/2022/02/patisserie-45-choux-puff-tartlets.html#more" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">post revisiting tartlets</a>, I feel comfortable moving on from this section, but I was concerned about many of the classic cakes having dependency on berries or other soft summer fruit that was not currently in season. I am currently rolling in an abundance of apples, and I still had those cranberries from the fruit tart I made at the beginning of this month, so I have decided to wrap up this first month of patisserie with a spot of viennoiserie in the form of apple danishes with almond cream. This recipe is technically from the brioche and breakfast pastries section, but as I am pretty experienced with brioche at this point from previous projects and have done two lamination recipes this month, I felt it would be reasonable to try this recipe which combines aspects of both. <span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>I measured out the dry ingredients into a large bowl for eventual kneading, with the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl. Into this, I added water and a "jumbo egg" that I made by beating two eggs together and then pouring in beaten egg until I got to 70 grams. Why would this recipe call for a jumbo egg? Large eggs are the standard size in baking, and The Book mentions this in the appendix as well. At least give us how many grams of egg so we can create a reconstituted jumbo size like this, instead of having to ask the internet about egg size classification at 10pm on a Saturday night. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4Xm90WP8rian_vYcuwp1zspTa9jSznsHS8xzaNEaaqg4iyHrAN9SnaBGh1AuNQB-AReP41HtroW7vmY6lpgELjf0t77JFj3lDzthC3k3s6jbrm8MOyPUaj5B07WFeQzn7SFCFKsqWd3JXY5kOz9eCSl1Jfv91TwH_W00Uu4cppXq08ckEeiT0VqON2w=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4Xm90WP8rian_vYcuwp1zspTa9jSznsHS8xzaNEaaqg4iyHrAN9SnaBGh1AuNQB-AReP41HtroW7vmY6lpgELjf0t77JFj3lDzthC3k3s6jbrm8MOyPUaj5B07WFeQzn7SFCFKsqWd3JXY5kOz9eCSl1Jfv91TwH_W00Uu4cppXq08ckEeiT0VqON2w=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the right we have the land of yeast, and on the right we have the salt flats<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>After taking a deep breath and accepting my hand's fate to become gloved in sticky dough, I dove in and began kneading. The dough came together easily, and I kneaded until it all pulled away from the sides of the bowl. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXuqeSr4Jvuwn3DB0fZ55AzQtUFSKMDe-1t8uNHuDfqruRWsXHQ9yQB9nuNTEGsf-NORtctbfPazhJ8GhOMJpH-S8MA3vTjQuW5BA-lYmGG4z0K4qyytaFxn2ZNeDzoSTYkB2nEy7eZF9P8xCp1-lOSMcoK4iByr12aSHufCequ52rScsPYpZ_PyZTlg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXuqeSr4Jvuwn3DB0fZ55AzQtUFSKMDe-1t8uNHuDfqruRWsXHQ9yQB9nuNTEGsf-NORtctbfPazhJ8GhOMJpH-S8MA3vTjQuW5BA-lYmGG4z0K4qyytaFxn2ZNeDzoSTYkB2nEy7eZF9P8xCp1-lOSMcoK4iByr12aSHufCequ52rScsPYpZ_PyZTlg=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the dough from the above ingredients, kneaded smooth before the addition of butter.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>At this point, I'd forgotten to soften the butter, so I cut it into a very small dice and started trying to knead it in. This took quite some time; I definitely got my arm workout in today. The dough was incredibly sticky for a very long time, and I was convinced I was just going to smear buttery dough all over the sides of the bowl for the next hour, but after a solid ten minutes of kneading, it came together into a tacky but firm and elastic ball of dough. I'm never going to take a danish for granted again. The detrempe was not very smooth, but it was as smooth as it was going to get (and looked very similar in texture to the image in The Book). A chill was required to the tune of an hour, but I let it go overnight because in my past experiences, my fridge has been unable to chill things fast enough in that time. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8MuJp9vvjNWFPGRh__982BWYd_6hdi5W7SFGw4_0rk7ygjewWlcMXp3EahdCActAaOkc9BuJkHPEeRKHrc5GccU3fxiQwoBWpuP3t0EqhtmUDDHv7pm3KbpYE0vfKgLBcMP1Zd9JkCrAW0b2cxRMj_Ubv7BowYpZ_BscdVRLeTGQXwnjYQh7qgwKv3Q=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8MuJp9vvjNWFPGRh__982BWYd_6hdi5W7SFGw4_0rk7ygjewWlcMXp3EahdCActAaOkc9BuJkHPEeRKHrc5GccU3fxiQwoBWpuP3t0EqhtmUDDHv7pm3KbpYE0vfKgLBcMP1Zd9JkCrAW0b2cxRMj_Ubv7BowYpZ_BscdVRLeTGQXwnjYQh7qgwKv3Q=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I would hesitate to call this "smooth", but it matches the pictured smooth and elastic step. A product of a lot of hard kneading work.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The next morning, I prepared the beurrage using the suggested method of flouring the sticks, laying them between layers of wax paper, and beating them with a rolling pin. However, I differed slightly from my last preparation by laying the flattened butter sticks atop one another for the final flattening, rather than attempting to butt splice them. I believe this helped me achieve a more uniform beurrage without a seam in the center, although the edges leave something to be desired. But the recipe did not call for a particular shape! I was saved from trying to make rectangles happen in malleable materials once more. You can see that the plastic wrapped dough rose quite a bit in the fridge overnight!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifK1-SPJS5k_6ceDZim9naAwvATV8it-alzrlpYgoQTplukEfTsmuEbHqTrsJRIE_VzJIyBBsx5O7nXizhD3ShxIHwdQwE1uftnA3DT2d6oY8xsAL-jW7Z9BBNLOviskj8Ku6S0-OKktPOHSc2fPd75vgPn4wdzZgCYvoZ9_vZPf2gBdDV4ZMBiqEX5w=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifK1-SPJS5k_6ceDZim9naAwvATV8it-alzrlpYgoQTplukEfTsmuEbHqTrsJRIE_VzJIyBBsx5O7nXizhD3ShxIHwdQwE1uftnA3DT2d6oY8xsAL-jW7Z9BBNLOviskj8Ku6S0-OKktPOHSc2fPd75vgPn4wdzZgCYvoZ9_vZPf2gBdDV4ZMBiqEX5w=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks like the yeast in the detrempe got enthusiastic in the fridge<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I shaped my beurrage into a slightly more symmetric shape, and then rolled out the dough to be roughly twice the size with an inch of border all around. The dough was relaxed and easy to roll out. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGCBVsJCF5hTI_g88RaIuLFatKGd8xhwS0Nw_2cewVqQ2lAwCKDUXYorK-WC1Efoq5e82FtKJNdT6RJhTPlexgg8valVST-p6uQyBiFCpPaWHqXbxoPc3A1zutlSOdGOsqaJ30BNE18NxbPbqamQI0oc-jFckK4S3cis6pDSUwfJyXogsjxN9YooHYIA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGCBVsJCF5hTI_g88RaIuLFatKGd8xhwS0Nw_2cewVqQ2lAwCKDUXYorK-WC1Efoq5e82FtKJNdT6RJhTPlexgg8valVST-p6uQyBiFCpPaWHqXbxoPc3A1zutlSOdGOsqaJ30BNE18NxbPbqamQI0oc-jFckK4S3cis6pDSUwfJyXogsjxN9YooHYIA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was nice not agonizing about squaring all the edges<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I used my fingers to press the butter down around the edges, smearing it onto the dough as instructed. I'm not sure how this is different from sealing the butter well into the dough, except that it leaves less of a dough border! That might be important because a danish, unlike puff pastry, gets only two complete turns (albeit once with a double fold), instead of the six letter folds in puff pastry, so the butter has less of an opportunity to make it into the seams. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGo3tExHuuzmQ8-H8kOUYA7V2dfrs3zxuA5jg61hrb8bAfSWXk1X2PI3_FzXj9eLfw2xBaxxTJCcSf68F4QlTJD_NU23eEvyQ8HpNLgfddbvGH0LWkr4zbpvcnpq4g5hAqJIgOKnmhezaJIGesx3jFet5C4gD_Ql3yMDbmh-nob8rJyA5ZRtZg9bsFIA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGo3tExHuuzmQ8-H8kOUYA7V2dfrs3zxuA5jg61hrb8bAfSWXk1X2PI3_FzXj9eLfw2xBaxxTJCcSf68F4QlTJD_NU23eEvyQ8HpNLgfddbvGH0LWkr4zbpvcnpq4g5hAqJIgOKnmhezaJIGesx3jFet5C4gD_Ql3yMDbmh-nob8rJyA5ZRtZg9bsFIA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm imagining a small version of myself scaling this butter mesa<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I folded the top half of the detrempe over the beurrage and sealed the edges of the dough shut, and then I began making a turn by rolling the dough out until it was roughly a quarter of an inch/6mm thick. Then, in a departure from the lamination methods I've seen thus far in The Book, I folded both ends towards the center, and then folded over at the center seam, creating a scroll-like fold of four sections, or 9 layers in total. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSPlrViHFt4v-nyZCOFD1FQogW6awPdjarc0gw7l2R4hFBLldbmGarWz-q-itbCmZF4elfkXWv6rQaUYKFrfsVCF44lCYB6TBwakmRKYDBXLeuY0x1eb2oyATqvdNIFRfv41TJUbyG2DqX3YjkcZOZUpefarvilpIajHrgYF9T_cbuBCvA6-g2Qp_TUA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSPlrViHFt4v-nyZCOFD1FQogW6awPdjarc0gw7l2R4hFBLldbmGarWz-q-itbCmZF4elfkXWv6rQaUYKFrfsVCF44lCYB6TBwakmRKYDBXLeuY0x1eb2oyATqvdNIFRfv41TJUbyG2DqX3YjkcZOZUpefarvilpIajHrgYF9T_cbuBCvA6-g2Qp_TUA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the first time we are doing a "book fold" for the turn, and it yields 9 total layers in the first turn<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I then rolled this out in a second turn and folded it into thirds, such that we had 25 layers in total (two short of the technical 27, but who's counting? I for sure am not going to start trying to do math based on layer requirements). It was now time to set the dough in the fridge to chill for an hour while I prepared other parts of the recipe and called my parents. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfCp2iGaiJDJsGhBImwPzhWRdPmv3xY5x4tXInIOs-xSB_nvOGVI6ZCq_gEv-w9hRA7KexRPgoNgl0iXROrItRlaHRi8z2Dmi4rm-9WyBon87N3M5_ZvTEAdDkPgzJ50oHqzc_jX_4CXRHdgDyyzfpZYzTiMcNjzO8Pe4zHGahVpvCjb0CB39xdn8-vA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfCp2iGaiJDJsGhBImwPzhWRdPmv3xY5x4tXInIOs-xSB_nvOGVI6ZCq_gEv-w9hRA7KexRPgoNgl0iXROrItRlaHRi8z2Dmi4rm-9WyBon87N3M5_ZvTEAdDkPgzJ50oHqzc_jX_4CXRHdgDyyzfpZYzTiMcNjzO8Pe4zHGahVpvCjb0CB39xdn8-vA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And the second turn is the familiar letter fold<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The almond cream filling for the danishes consists of ground almonds mixed with confectioner's sugar and two egg yolks, as well as two tablespoons of milk. I don't think I've ever seen a reason for our 2tbsp measuring spoon until now. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6JhNYyNQiPXV5XwyySyDmIaQpGm_VtTSAFOCR8rNq2Rw6pmXRsOxKjL9mIamMC4mk-AkeiKaev9WccSw82G4btPcfnIH-anl_OYA_PYFcgE1DRYCV6WmGJF_2nAdXL803IpSq1Gy3GOGNWOUojVwlxzP4s5nRDG5tTsTGdDwxKIfKlgg1TunN8ixcgQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6JhNYyNQiPXV5XwyySyDmIaQpGm_VtTSAFOCR8rNq2Rw6pmXRsOxKjL9mIamMC4mk-AkeiKaev9WccSw82G4btPcfnIH-anl_OYA_PYFcgE1DRYCV6WmGJF_2nAdXL803IpSq1Gy3GOGNWOUojVwlxzP4s5nRDG5tTsTGdDwxKIfKlgg1TunN8ixcgQ=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally a use for the 2tbsp measure (which is also 1/8 of a cup, I guess)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>All of the ingredients are mixed until a firm paste forms, and it is then set aside. You can see the onion and pasta sauce for my lunch that I was simultaneously preparing for the background. I've decided that three frozen bags of egg whites is enough for now, and I will simply be eating any separated egg whites until I've exhausted that stash.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTZpA1g3ScAi2jCfRB6gt7Wnr-r4whYjem9FfFiknqNGcXPd64yE6pbee0RXoY5pLyDuX29PT_o104SvrMHrXRoylFd43NHoJUj1k1596-Oc1OV7srkKaIezS-9UDQ7e1iOwrGZ38lULwrmtf0uD-PPlVdj5WwGW-3oBptsX3xb_lNnRDU3vaOrvjTUw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTZpA1g3ScAi2jCfRB6gt7Wnr-r4whYjem9FfFiknqNGcXPd64yE6pbee0RXoY5pLyDuX29PT_o104SvrMHrXRoylFd43NHoJUj1k1596-Oc1OV7srkKaIezS-9UDQ7e1iOwrGZ38lULwrmtf0uD-PPlVdj5WwGW-3oBptsX3xb_lNnRDU3vaOrvjTUw=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was very difficult to not sneak tastes of this almond paste<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Although the recipe asks for the danish dough to be cut in two portions to be easier to work with, I saw that the final yield for the recipe was 1.5 dozen danishes. First of all: Who needs 18 danishes? That's so many! And second of all: How was I supposed to roll out a rectangle and cut it into 9 pieces? I cut the dough into thirds instead, intending to roll out each into a rectangle from which I could cut out 6 pieces to match expected yield. </p><p>I was pleased to see the layers of butter and dough in the cross sections of the cuts. I placed two of the sections in plastic wrap and stuck them in the fridge while I worked on rolling out one. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFo9BG1WReFp1i-Sdveaul8THVZhkg5V1tQYseWGQbpSPZ8ncaZLwh_Tb_puEmFVZpqqwqCoSp6Ffyoe2AT0N46Yejnqp9yd6GDFW9eCeA7rptKy08P_wzDJVD7Ud-UXWF_kLDKpNQrzQpcgBHLupzqO430VFNFc1Y9fr9pL4-AX9b9ySjhkeOjEHTnQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFo9BG1WReFp1i-Sdveaul8THVZhkg5V1tQYseWGQbpSPZ8ncaZLwh_Tb_puEmFVZpqqwqCoSp6Ffyoe2AT0N46Yejnqp9yd6GDFW9eCeA7rptKy08P_wzDJVD7Ud-UXWF_kLDKpNQrzQpcgBHLupzqO430VFNFc1Y9fr9pL4-AX9b9ySjhkeOjEHTnQ=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My beurrage finally seems to be doing the thing it's supposed to do! Peep those thin layers of butter pressed between layers of dough.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>It was then that I noticed that my pastry cutter had a handy ruler up to 6" built in. This made it easy to roll out the dough until it was 6"x9", to yield two rows of three 3" squares. When I felt the dough begin to resist before I got to the final size, I swapped it out for a different portion, having learned from my puff pastry experiments that being anything but gentle when rolling out laminated pastry can destroy all your hard earned butter layers. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi2jT-VC_5JuhL89m3NfBGp9MNMUjK7CRFlsbL-tU4hyr1cEAQfKQl7JHqoubqC4a9DfnCBgggbd4f88njEFWLSG-_0NoJHMVfjR74_WbLVM5EdML-AgqwFvPgskyq4Stqumk_-sZvi_JxWjDCQf1rlRR_dYl2FA_qddAwlwMqdvNOszWczdloQ-w1z9Q=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi2jT-VC_5JuhL89m3NfBGp9MNMUjK7CRFlsbL-tU4hyr1cEAQfKQl7JHqoubqC4a9DfnCBgggbd4f88njEFWLSG-_0NoJHMVfjR74_WbLVM5EdML-AgqwFvPgskyq4Stqumk_-sZvi_JxWjDCQf1rlRR_dYl2FA_qddAwlwMqdvNOszWczdloQ-w1z9Q=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little bit of cracking in the beurrage, but nothing like the spotting from my previous attempts. Dough cutter for scale.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Finally, I had all three pieces rolled out to the correct size. I think I've gotten a lot better at rolling things so they end up more square! I cut them into three inch squares and stacked them in preparation for folding. </p><p>Each pastry was supposed to get about a teaspoon of filling, but I found I used about a tablespoon for each, and exactly used up all the filling. The corners were folded in diagonally and pressed down into each other, which caused the filling to smush out a little through the open corners, but nothing disastrous happened since the filling was fairly viscous. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEic664184qyT0YbNLhBIcAefYa9nbbhIDt93OPGCqkKA3sBsgYksFLFb1Ftq92rZt127KhTj12_svGNse2xjfad447Wx82c6a_uQa3yAfvxAtFrSi7HSACyvtAMPz-joxx9aoEtSxW6aJHutsq2Rb0IZFmZk_VFm8zJ9J94o9bqQOGxBWeDzZbNcqZNEw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEic664184qyT0YbNLhBIcAefYa9nbbhIDt93OPGCqkKA3sBsgYksFLFb1Ftq92rZt127KhTj12_svGNse2xjfad447Wx82c6a_uQa3yAfvxAtFrSi7HSACyvtAMPz-joxx9aoEtSxW6aJHutsq2Rb0IZFmZk_VFm8zJ9J94o9bqQOGxBWeDzZbNcqZNEw=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danishes in various stages of filling and folding. These squares are each 3" in side length, so the almond paste blobs are slightly more than the teaspoon indicated in the recipe, but this was necessary to use up all the paste (and I think they came out with a great ratio of filling as a result). <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I distributed the folded pastries onto quarter sheet pans and covered them with plastic wrap, because I was not intending to bake them quite today. The book states that the recipe can be paused and frozen at this point, and the pastries can be thawed overnight in the fridge. As I was planning to bake them on Monday afternoon, I simply placed the trays into my fridge. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglQrVF2isq7_Z2T_QgyQMlsflNCeggSGgYgR11a4PrYRV4ismuAP0J4TlrM4lgWcXe9cYsbPyBCzgmVFXngMdKxlmWrE7Qgo4goBBr79qr1hGpsnO8_lXPgywrbLD8MDmYiqnsdFdxwixJiOyr0LZAj72xOf04YLR_dneAnpWbYaukkqGxz2RHs4CWKw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglQrVF2isq7_Z2T_QgyQMlsflNCeggSGgYgR11a4PrYRV4ismuAP0J4TlrM4lgWcXe9cYsbPyBCzgmVFXngMdKxlmWrE7Qgo4goBBr79qr1hGpsnO8_lXPgywrbLD8MDmYiqnsdFdxwixJiOyr0LZAj72xOf04YLR_dneAnpWbYaukkqGxz2RHs4CWKw=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Filled and folded danishes ready for a rest in the fridge<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The next afternoon, I took some of my abundance of apples (2 small and 2 large) and peeled them. The small ones I cut into quarters, the large ones into eights. I also picked through the last of my cranberries, and measured out sugar and butter. </p><p>The recipe is technically called "Apple Raspberry Danishes," but as far as I can tell, the berries were only used to slightly flavor and color the apples. So I figured my cranberries would also do the trick, and add a bit of nice tartness to my Fuji apples, which are fairly sweet and unsuited for baking. The other component of the coloring for the apples was the sugar, which was heated until medium amber caramel and then mixed with the butter to keep from burning. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1sbT7lF_QGzvETArLC9OC7Grc71IrI9O7dJAVWsn5qGEqhGmfxg36eh_MvWgCCrUA4OL4E438DgxKse4QvbXzUhKzZV1LbINOUSAQvsU5nfs9bsf5_UC2LzKvC4ejvJJWh0y3TJEvoO0KW0Y9aZi-01_uqnJTtLXI49pRWHcv3wuunJhTngqzxZ9mdw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1sbT7lF_QGzvETArLC9OC7Grc71IrI9O7dJAVWsn5qGEqhGmfxg36eh_MvWgCCrUA4OL4E438DgxKse4QvbXzUhKzZV1LbINOUSAQvsU5nfs9bsf5_UC2LzKvC4ejvJJWh0y3TJEvoO0KW0Y9aZi-01_uqnJTtLXI49pRWHcv3wuunJhTngqzxZ9mdw=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apples in a large dice, butter, sugar, and cranberries<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>To the caramel in the saucepan, I added the cranberries, apples, and some water, stirring and smushing the cranberries until they popped, and then occasionally stirring the apples to coat them in the cranberry caramel sauce. After about fifteen minutes, they were tender and light pink. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIPfiVAyPAJpAhtSLnoO5UJZO39X9tz0sjYI-9XADSkRKxpZ8DmUHCk1AFVyvaNB5oNN3IoSmCFaPnRF867A2xwGD5xEILLtcFs2u1sGZ0a0c9sazGuT5TQsPRuxOogsnCGDgJ42S7aVLcYcg_iCVqzcIzaweCYlVD3Xac8fXEt4njQIXvAVxdELOm3g=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIPfiVAyPAJpAhtSLnoO5UJZO39X9tz0sjYI-9XADSkRKxpZ8DmUHCk1AFVyvaNB5oNN3IoSmCFaPnRF867A2xwGD5xEILLtcFs2u1sGZ0a0c9sazGuT5TQsPRuxOogsnCGDgJ42S7aVLcYcg_iCVqzcIzaweCYlVD3Xac8fXEt4njQIXvAVxdELOm3g=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apples and cranberries added to the sugar caramel, ready to cook until tender<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I moved the saucepan of glazed apples to a trivet to cool, and brought the danishes over to the counter for glazing. They had proofed until they were a little puffy, though they had not quite doubled in size, but there's only so much I can do with a warehouse that's roughly 2 degrees above outdoor temp at all times. You can see that the center pinching of the folds started to unfurl as they proofed, and while I tried to pull some of them back together, I ultimately decided to rely on the weight of the apple pressed into the top with some success. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjt8scvZYRCsGiWNCSSn35wCptmKMeHmxdWTfgtsy92XBmHHkhhbczgXBKvYA7GRp-sj0fkOxlvzGdbJ6w73RrKNq23WZ9hiG8ml05K8rND-2clTsaNNL642OwzTyyH23oh4ie5IzZ08TKMyXeshPiGaU4TshW1xaWVIYwyqXWuFB_nsP3uTlCTwgUkHg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjt8scvZYRCsGiWNCSSn35wCptmKMeHmxdWTfgtsy92XBmHHkhhbczgXBKvYA7GRp-sj0fkOxlvzGdbJ6w73RrKNq23WZ9hiG8ml05K8rND-2clTsaNNL642OwzTyyH23oh4ie5IzZ08TKMyXeshPiGaU4TshW1xaWVIYwyqXWuFB_nsP3uTlCTwgUkHg=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proofed danishes brushed with an egg wash comprising one egg beaten with an extra egg yolk<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>After brushing each pastry all over with egg wash, I pressed a glazed apple on top of each and baked in two batches at 350 with convection fan on, rotating the pans once during baking. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhovWHBIUkCd8vQNZOMu371PadfCGGJjOlz_-v8SQG3jLwnWtq2KqUmfD6aiMDYNnhLuNayNVF2Lz479KZtxK0CUmgtiR72ntqckCldS-n8ZHNkgaw7yeYHUvwzu5PGwj8H0-H-aV4lcRR9NwcW5aYWO3JqRXyL-FKBu_YHBLU0Fp5cQQEDvcwBpEGtOQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhovWHBIUkCd8vQNZOMu371PadfCGGJjOlz_-v8SQG3jLwnWtq2KqUmfD6aiMDYNnhLuNayNVF2Lz479KZtxK0CUmgtiR72ntqckCldS-n8ZHNkgaw7yeYHUvwzu5PGwj8H0-H-aV4lcRR9NwcW5aYWO3JqRXyL-FKBu_YHBLU0Fp5cQQEDvcwBpEGtOQ=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An apple piece pressed face down into the center of each danish<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>While the first batch was baking, I prepared a small amount of simple syrup (1:1 sugar to water by weight, 50g each) and when the danishes were pulled out of the oven, I brushed the syrup onto each pastry while they were still warm. Here is the first batch (the half sheet pan) cooling on a rack after their sugar syrup glazing. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikhSfO0bwvss8SUAdhHtethV77SCvDgbW2vlgFhtkIKgyYZFBzOFQHDxHXhlcetCpnGBSN2sv4RSnh_UQmwmILUJx6HGkL_BwNtZaNPbX-9zInMCcuioBHf3YH9Ms7dRM5n8ZdVZ_29MylZPhg8uIYzkCQEtMXFPIwTH3xXsOYCao_Nob8lPeXXu1HGg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikhSfO0bwvss8SUAdhHtethV77SCvDgbW2vlgFhtkIKgyYZFBzOFQHDxHXhlcetCpnGBSN2sv4RSnh_UQmwmILUJx6HGkL_BwNtZaNPbX-9zInMCcuioBHf3YH9Ms7dRM5n8ZdVZ_29MylZPhg8uIYzkCQEtMXFPIwTH3xXsOYCao_Nob8lPeXXu1HGg=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First batch of danishes out of the oven, still shiny with their simple syrup glaze<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I feel like my pastries continue to brown even after they leave the oven. This doesn't make any sense, since browning isn't readily achievable with the temperatures from residual heat, but looking at the below glamor shot of the danishes, they sure look more evenly browned than the ones in the cooling rack above. I'm sure the fact that my oven door is almost entirely too obscured to see the pastries from outside doesn't make it easier to evaluate degree of browning. </p><p>Also, I know that this is what all-natural coloring looks like, and maybe raspberries are a little redder (though the pictures in The Book look basically the same as these), but the apple pieces sure look like little chunks of meat. Yikes. This is why we invented artificial food coloring.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipYdrpBIN1lfm3NCZGnpZCTuQG1IfQn8VTTqsDhzE0Q8x5MDcZ-qYFgb1mEOEqaRrvpvEHNG6QMGIIsahUENWlKHUDt6hqbrIM_Q4XqPwDrMqtGCwaTZKtbdjrNk1JiraJVi1zesyCR9n0uEKx9tZHZEBKLaSA3VzYJ8okpY5O6NSaDX8t7z4NrOUC7w=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipYdrpBIN1lfm3NCZGnpZCTuQG1IfQn8VTTqsDhzE0Q8x5MDcZ-qYFgb1mEOEqaRrvpvEHNG6QMGIIsahUENWlKHUDt6hqbrIM_Q4XqPwDrMqtGCwaTZKtbdjrNk1JiraJVi1zesyCR9n0uEKx9tZHZEBKLaSA3VzYJ8okpY5O6NSaDX8t7z4NrOUC7w=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And the glamour shot! With one of yesterday's kouign amann on the right<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Despite the meaty-looking apples, these are probably the most presentable pastries I've made thus far. I'm really pleased with how the layers came out, and I think this is my best attempt at lamination. Not bad for a month of work! With the abundance of danishes this recipe yielded, I delivered a few to friends and coworkers, who had some bits of feedback (additional proofing time to capture the butter better and have a lighter pastry, thinner dough to decrease bready sections) but on the whole were overwhelmingly impressed by them. The slow-glazed apples in particular were well-received; one of my friends stopped mid-conversation to savor and comment after taking her first bite of the apple piece. I'm really glad people liked them, and I'm encouraged by how quickly the last few disappeared in my house; I'll be happy to revisit this recipe in the future after I've run the gauntlet of the other sections, or whenever I have extra fruit lying around! The recipe mentions that dried peaches or other fruit can be used as well, and my favorite danishes have cheese, so I'm excited to try swapping those fillings out in the future. </p><p>Some thoughts for what went well and what to try next time: </p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> I thought these were actually a little better the next day, when all the moisture from the inside had a chance to soften the crisp outsides a bit.</li><li>I'm unsure why my layers basically don't exist despite the lamination; I am finding a lot of butter leaking out, which the internet says is due to underproofing or butter being too cold during lamination and poking out through the dough, so I will try proofing longer or warmer next time, and not letting the beurrage get too cold before each turn. </li><li>The half-sheet was proofed without plastic wrap, and I think the outsides dried out a bit. The quarter-sheets were wrapped loosely, and I think they had more consistent browning on the outer layer. <br /></li><li>Some people thought the pastry was a little too sweet, some thought it could have used more sweet almond cream. I think I will compromise and, instead of adding the cranberry caramel paste underneath the apple in a potential distraction to add tartness, I will use a tart apple like granny smith next time. </li><li>I almost never egg wash pastries I make on my own before this, but it really goes a long way to making them look professional. Also, I did not know the stickiness on danishes comes from an extra simple syrup glaze!</li><li>These took a long lead time, but the fact that they can be frozen after the filling is added and then thawed, proofed, and topped with fruit for a bake at a later date is a game changer; I could potentially make these and have them ready for a brunch after an overnight thaw.<br /></li></ul><p>Quotes of the day: "omfg this is arsicault level" "you're kidding me...right? You bought them at tartine." -feedback from a friend's roommate and one of my former coworkers. I'm grateful for the high praise and the opportunity to share the results of my baking with my friends!<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Helena Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948134617740274723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3324966668274170747.post-48495823831764204182022-03-01T15:35:00.005-08:002022-03-03T11:03:03.210-08:00Patisserie 5: Kouign Amann<p>I decided to make kouign amann because it's such popular classic pastry in recent years, for obvious reasons. I feel like this recipe was a bit of a softball, because it's hard to go wrong with something that's laminated with butter and sugar. But I have some quibbles nonetheless! </p><p>A kouign amann (pronounced like kween a-'mann) is a type of Breton cake, with a yeasted dough that is laminated with butter and sugar and then baked until the sugar caramelizes and the combined steam from the butter and the yeast doing its thing causes the pastry to puff in layers. They're definitely delicious and definitely not good for you. But I had a suspicion I would be able to find enough people to consume the 15 pastries this recipe was going to make. </p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>I began with my mise-en-place for the detrempe, measuring out water, salt, melted butter, yeast, and flour into separate containers. I used fresh yeast as called for in The Book; I've noticed that this is much more common in Europe, whereas in America we usually buy active dry or instant yeast. The blocks of fresh yeast in my local bulk grocery were definitely wholesale size, as compared to the smaller standard blocks I've seen in Switzerland, so I crumbled it into a bowl until I reached the required weight. The recipe was adamant to not let the salt touch the fresh yeast, and while I believe this is mostly an issue in larger salt quantities that might cause the yeast to die or at least rise a lot more slowly, I was not going to chance it my first time working with fresh yeast in America.</p><p>An interesting thing I've found is that fresh yeast doesn't bloom as easily, or perhaps not at all. A common step in using dry yeast is to "prove" that it works by dissolving it with a little bit of sugar in warm water and waiting for it to foam up (10-15 mins max). This has the dual purpose of dissolving the yeast granules so they incorporate more evenly into the dough, and it also proves that your yeast are still alive and able to metabolize and thus provide leavening. Both times I have tried to proof fresh yeast, it's remained stubbornly cloudy and flat when in warm water for fifteen minutes, and yet the rising action once incorporated is impeccable. Thus far, the only standard I have for evaluating whether fresh yeast has gone bad is if it has discolorations that look black, green, brown, or otherwise moldier or drier than the beigey yellow pink of the usual block. Mmmm, a nice tasty yeast block.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihnfsLGk5DaB9crcJ_8zzLZaP4fC4HpZYqL4gLshXoynZWChihowRmAkl91UqhLaLSJC0jdwQCmwQP9G9u30AW_NU1dS_MsWvzef6V1P4OFob-J1mKtGjOriXOMCW_jhxjaMCsikKwneXoeKF3UB7SAyUTZS6C8EaeASXrSt2H5uvBTVSiT37KIE7c3w=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihnfsLGk5DaB9crcJ_8zzLZaP4fC4HpZYqL4gLshXoynZWChihowRmAkl91UqhLaLSJC0jdwQCmwQP9G9u30AW_NU1dS_MsWvzef6V1P4OFob-J1mKtGjOriXOMCW_jhxjaMCsikKwneXoeKF3UB7SAyUTZS6C8EaeASXrSt2H5uvBTVSiT37KIE7c3w=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All ingredients for the detrempe laid out. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The dough was straightforward, if a little soft and tacky to the point where it needed a little additional kneading to encourage it to pull away from the sides of the bowl, and I patted it into the best oblong square I could before sticking it in the fridge. I'm still not sure of the best way to shape things into squares, and I'm increasingly convinced, after reading about people cutting off edges before cutting croissant dough, that the images in The Book are of rolled out dough with the edges trimmed to be square. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQiPrjyInFvZdNaVXJT5hXGIdMMwVbXpyrtbypku9aFWXUQSi1zACv-Wy4uFPSeaEBleTB_zkZdJNdIgu_cpUObx0uFet9DEzxiFKttEK3bphjdAXjthek5sFQw3wqVrqvH8pkysEAEs3UmiFBKVNY2GZXjbFiHmc3tNWaYjLVZHlu-PMERtp4sep6vA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQiPrjyInFvZdNaVXJT5hXGIdMMwVbXpyrtbypku9aFWXUQSi1zACv-Wy4uFPSeaEBleTB_zkZdJNdIgu_cpUObx0uFet9DEzxiFKttEK3bphjdAXjthek5sFQw3wqVrqvH8pkysEAEs3UmiFBKVNY2GZXjbFiHmc3tNWaYjLVZHlu-PMERtp4sep6vA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One day I'll figure out how to shape an elastic substance into a hard-edged square<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>While the dough chilled, I set out making the beurrage (yeah I know, butter square sounds so much more audacious) using a method I had read online, where the butter is diced and then whipped in a stand mixer until it has become amorphous. Last time I made this, I tried smacking three floured sticks of butter flat side by side, which was both difficult to flatten and difficult to make one even contiguous square of butter. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJuoc55XQ7VV4ol2xrD0_Kxxl8jrVJZwgACvXos-S8JEmDSIehor2LVomw1W1-u0vskUZjVv7h8pHiygvZAZO04dq8efKverdeVKRIvVOMsGrs8NGTP-m47_HaayeC95s-aty810XTRabjJjgYcwCrprLsLN6qcnZyNYKF9jTT5H84NygVJedAAvXTwg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJuoc55XQ7VV4ol2xrD0_Kxxl8jrVJZwgACvXos-S8JEmDSIehor2LVomw1W1-u0vskUZjVv7h8pHiygvZAZO04dq8efKverdeVKRIvVOMsGrs8NGTP-m47_HaayeC95s-aty810XTRabjJjgYcwCrprLsLN6qcnZyNYKF9jTT5H84NygVJedAAvXTwg=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I tried dicing the butter and whipping it in my stand mixer until roughly homogeneous<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I think I was a little too impatient with this method; you can see in the image below that there are still visible chunks of butter. Getting the butter off the attachment also took a lot of painstaking work. If this was a better resulting beurrage, I would return to this method in the future. However, I think it was not to be (more on this later). <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrJIrDKOmDSQkLMJbjToqK0vOplKpLS5ND6_kZF6DBOA1dAH9QXbcMpq62_2JSLiAuYlJhidFh5IU44J6S5zMMuzQMuv6Q5NICPanOVv5AKwnbxKKhTGTtAP2cYw5Lhg-dhppypqIwsmAtCS2cVqNRz1kK50jF5L88hEW6lYqmryo-5bNCwQaKCscAZw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrJIrDKOmDSQkLMJbjToqK0vOplKpLS5ND6_kZF6DBOA1dAH9QXbcMpq62_2JSLiAuYlJhidFh5IU44J6S5zMMuzQMuv6Q5NICPanOVv5AKwnbxKKhTGTtAP2cYw5Lhg-dhppypqIwsmAtCS2cVqNRz1kK50jF5L88hEW6lYqmryo-5bNCwQaKCscAZw=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whipped butter before shaping<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I thought that the smushing into the square would make it more homogeneous, and it was certainly much easier to roll out between sheets of parchment paper than the previous attempt at beurrage had been with a dusting of flour. Once it was a 4"x6" rectangle as called for by The Book, I covered it back up with parchment and set it in the fridge to chill while I prepared the roll out the dough. You can see that the beurrage is quite thick, almost half an inch!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvyFKhBgqrkZJvtT3hCkXKSJki6Gi0IEM7ZcrtyLebv7-i3h-N00J4-fVpmt49eBjk2-TKkKcP-g5NjGPYVGJTYjATcvTDTTyldJkSWsO4MQj5gXtQF3KI34AAvZ7F74mPcSLCWXcqQZUUQPXR7N8LeeO1PL-fP2NgsMfLdJZ7Sg1HhQgCtt4MFsIvqA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvyFKhBgqrkZJvtT3hCkXKSJki6Gi0IEM7ZcrtyLebv7-i3h-N00J4-fVpmt49eBjk2-TKkKcP-g5NjGPYVGJTYjATcvTDTTyldJkSWsO4MQj5gXtQF3KI34AAvZ7F74mPcSLCWXcqQZUUQPXR7N8LeeO1PL-fP2NgsMfLdJZ7Sg1HhQgCtt4MFsIvqA=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beurrage looked so good and square!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I attempted to be clever this time and line my entire counter with parchment, delineating the 24" mark with painter's tape on either end (since this dough would need to be rolled out to that length during each turn). <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSXXokKBz_VePNwjQ0DiPmPDYPVtpe-xvzoEdDwK8yRe_ze0U1yT43dkyLC29JcOFv4A4eQoQsF9ISaziS-b4k3MWgwLvPJRQEp5Ui2DE5iui5s0F9MnBcZQlHDFZ9Qp_4etQ1QmEmr9LmO6gk48_hC2cBdZ8ZPOpYnKviYKyCPGwVs6_wbvDNxHwI-g=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSXXokKBz_VePNwjQ0DiPmPDYPVtpe-xvzoEdDwK8yRe_ze0U1yT43dkyLC29JcOFv4A4eQoQsF9ISaziS-b4k3MWgwLvPJRQEp5Ui2DE5iui5s0F9MnBcZQlHDFZ9Qp_4etQ1QmEmr9LmO6gk48_hC2cBdZ8ZPOpYnKviYKyCPGwVs6_wbvDNxHwI-g=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting engineery with this workstation<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>First, the detrempe got rolled out to 12"x6", or roughly twice the size of the beurrage. You can see the sharpie mark I made at the bottom of the parchment to delineate the halfway point. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbZDkSe-ZQTY9sjl8ZlyKKskBj96mAKSAtqdZonh0z_KCgAhQRxVbs-mykhwxoU9hfyFjQv4IkijQLChwVuSG8zNicn6aXkmuuPgzV1HadBIDWCwCeiorN5UwzgQQ7lwvdze6wZWt2q5Gis_iQ8V7l6ShkD7hxft8UsPqwhjKCKRwNf1RSKbD1MJnFdA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbZDkSe-ZQTY9sjl8ZlyKKskBj96mAKSAtqdZonh0z_KCgAhQRxVbs-mykhwxoU9hfyFjQv4IkijQLChwVuSG8zNicn6aXkmuuPgzV1HadBIDWCwCeiorN5UwzgQQ7lwvdze6wZWt2q5Gis_iQ8V7l6ShkD7hxft8UsPqwhjKCKRwNf1RSKbD1MJnFdA=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detrempe rolled out to 12", as shown by the measuring mark<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The beurrage was placed in the center and the two sides of the detrempe folded up around it, and then pressed on the ends.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgoKnXIkDS39oHFOMtgVglWAn0XTyA414eLLJZSsTzE173K6MEaJSCmRgj-vj1E7HamTfP9WMACJ1BXTuf-RuB6cUGge9iVFKuC5SkxJaygr4mf0jdfQPGGWBaYn6x2kIstY0dcOyETt46kc8SziHSoYHntxUBqWa9lFmq6PYlMseOPOcHSHSoSQylqvw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgoKnXIkDS39oHFOMtgVglWAn0XTyA414eLLJZSsTzE173K6MEaJSCmRgj-vj1E7HamTfP9WMACJ1BXTuf-RuB6cUGge9iVFKuC5SkxJaygr4mf0jdfQPGGWBaYn6x2kIstY0dcOyETt46kc8SziHSoYHntxUBqWa9lFmq6PYlMseOPOcHSHSoSQylqvw=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wish I got points for mid-bake presentation. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>When it came time to roll this out into the 24" length, I was very disappointed to see the way the butter had failed to be properly incorporated in the beurrage. And I'd dirtied my stand mixer bowl and an attachment! These butter splotches did not bode well, and by the time I did my second turn, the detrempe had already worn thin in a few places and pats of butter were threatening to escape. I do also think that the additional hour of chilling for the beurrage may have hardened it too much; next time I will try to just chill it while the dough is being rolled out.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhpWBC2IygmbCDcICTtXSEJXWRmctVtVi7pIhig4Bk4uiKzeosg-Zakgm4yqj2tfsc5FZkCgOJ9VsbmfoF5zsSmd0ZZEU_0QrSLuI-f8K3nDZhFoLSY5D7ow1w9pe1zqvlWUEyRG1RgVrUECVnHR9R5J842pVppgl7EMKsvbANrztHtQSMoJtK_5invBg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhpWBC2IygmbCDcICTtXSEJXWRmctVtVi7pIhig4Bk4uiKzeosg-Zakgm4yqj2tfsc5FZkCgOJ9VsbmfoF5zsSmd0ZZEU_0QrSLuI-f8K3nDZhFoLSY5D7ow1w9pe1zqvlWUEyRG1RgVrUECVnHR9R5J842pVppgl7EMKsvbANrztHtQSMoJtK_5invBg=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am not liking the look of those leopard spots of butter, they mean my beurrage has fallen apart instead of flattening into a nice layer sandwiched between layers of detrempe dough<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I did a letter fold after my second turn and wrapped it in plastic wrap to refrigerate overnight, since the last time I did laminating, the 2 hour chill time was not enough to cool my dough down sufficiently. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhatIVywO_0RO-6X3wal7JU4sGKn1tfdR82lt-sdi2B7LPcg4IGI6TPHEG58H6GzRF5oEkrOYq6UrVfHmOMWoaVzd098_znmZlz-Rwkf2FLB-y48inDSl1l68g6kKJtBr51wDfOgb0HueI-UDEbSXFzsp66SEeiGGUnJ7BUKbQH_WXFNw1mcpyLsi1Oqw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhatIVywO_0RO-6X3wal7JU4sGKn1tfdR82lt-sdi2B7LPcg4IGI6TPHEG58H6GzRF5oEkrOYq6UrVfHmOMWoaVzd098_znmZlz-Rwkf2FLB-y48inDSl1l68g6kKJtBr51wDfOgb0HueI-UDEbSXFzsp66SEeiGGUnJ7BUKbQH_WXFNw1mcpyLsi1Oqw=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alas! Off to the fridge with ye, regardless<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I didn't get to return to this dough until nearly 36 hours later, and while I'm not certain this affected anything in the process, I would love to revisit this again where I maybe make the first two turns in the morning and finish it up in the evening. </p><p>Here is where a kouign amann begins to diverge from a regular viennoisserie; instead of using flour to lightly dust the dough while doing the final two turns, sugar is used instead, both underneath and on top of the dough. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiX-THLNphe_m0JDzQIF4f1jJWbm3vwIUh2Jrw4ZHdjo9vZWU704UVyVK8uG_WoPiYW7LC4tDi9KGBsKcErFoQ5Tj7LgSu6ey2j3XnDUz5gBtlwZZESfrTkoFGfCT54fxL59pTRBSPN5HeIZvOFmfUd0wJFmUwBklyK5SvbnBvEHm9eoXvAzjcgy39adg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiX-THLNphe_m0JDzQIF4f1jJWbm3vwIUh2Jrw4ZHdjo9vZWU704UVyVK8uG_WoPiYW7LC4tDi9KGBsKcErFoQ5Tj7LgSu6ey2j3XnDUz5gBtlwZZESfrTkoFGfCT54fxL59pTRBSPN5HeIZvOFmfUd0wJFmUwBklyK5SvbnBvEHm9eoXvAzjcgy39adg=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The absolutely indulgent genius of using sugar as a barrier to sticking<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>After the first turn, despite the temperature being cool in my kitchen, the water from the dough was beginning to make the sugar sticky and sweaty. By the time I finished the second turn and rolled it out into a 12"x20" rectangle, the dough was coated in a grainy syrupy time. The Book does state to not prepare this step too far ahead of time because the sugar will begin to dissolve, and I also wonder if the additional exposed butter (and American butter having more water than European butter) accelerated this process. </p><p>The dough was about 5mm thick at this point, and I cut it into fifteen squares. Each square was placed on a pile of remaining sugar to be folded, first with all four corners to the center, and then the remaining outer corners to the center, making octagonal-circly pastries. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnMqCTBYWhl_W_Pum8jn3c2cWGEYrFxcMeOO4gtGrsLmKV_PuD8mFxeJpMlPjVg59UwjwhOCHNZLZUzyJ9weI9x10yHFaA4oDxia9Ce2WnylCh-taZeF0Um6iJqmKW50JFZ__84gXB2Nvi1VlxsKpGa5eH-viJapuYDmh8C9brxlbTSLYGMwJDEPuIwg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnMqCTBYWhl_W_Pum8jn3c2cWGEYrFxcMeOO4gtGrsLmKV_PuD8mFxeJpMlPjVg59UwjwhOCHNZLZUzyJ9weI9x10yHFaA4oDxia9Ce2WnylCh-taZeF0Um6iJqmKW50JFZ__84gXB2Nvi1VlxsKpGa5eH-viJapuYDmh8C9brxlbTSLYGMwJDEPuIwg=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rolled-out dough, a pastry in progress after the first corner folds atop a pile of sugar in the bottom left, and completely folded kouign amann on the right<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I placed these in the tart rings I had to rise for thirty minutes, but as you can see, either it was not warm enough in my apartment or these were just destined to be small; they didn't even proof to the diameter of the tart rings. As the recipe had not called for it, and I had suspected it was <a href="https://tinkertailor-hw.blogspot.com/2022/02/patisserie-45-choux-puff-tartlets.html#morehttps://tinkertailor-hw.blogspot.com/2022/02/patisserie-45-choux-puff-tartlets.html#more" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">not necessary per my previous bakes</a>, I did not butter the tart rings. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbF-ZvpqG2LWlliSE0i-4n5DxbIFn7BuiZmqvXW0PIZynOuG5C4WQ7IXNjn6YpnVNFtTaoX8WF_MnFi_tZUGNgOl_FZS_2ZsNtra2RrkZ8gouEYHhG5bBJoF4nRvENDAphfaw74rHuFS8rnET6UQq7QJqTIqYoxNDh979mLDOtCP_lNYq18YlbB-ywWQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbF-ZvpqG2LWlliSE0i-4n5DxbIFn7BuiZmqvXW0PIZynOuG5C4WQ7IXNjn6YpnVNFtTaoX8WF_MnFi_tZUGNgOl_FZS_2ZsNtra2RrkZ8gouEYHhG5bBJoF4nRvENDAphfaw74rHuFS8rnET6UQq7QJqTIqYoxNDh979mLDOtCP_lNYq18YlbB-ywWQ=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After proofing, they didn't rise very much and most did not even touch the edges of the tart rings. But the pleats did unfold and thicken a bit.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Once they baked, however, they did expand to fill the rings, and then they shrank back a little. Based on the photos in the book, I believe these were not intended to be as tall as many of the kouign amann I've seen in bakeries, but maybe this is also somewhat due to my rise. </p><p>There was a positive pool of butter amidst all the caramelized sugar. I removed the pastries and poured out some of the butter off of the parchment to make my lunch while I cooked the remaining three pastries. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIOWg4LXsntA0yhJnCTvIcyLy8M_m0dpGmWRaf9f-mi2QSzPYvr1TJAwHJdCH5Pb3EOcIk8vHoBfErG-wsZpZ-ZpfTPIFsm8_ZM9HTkD4sc8p4HtNGgcALrgvwq1eRAB-qmiElDQcYU3yfmkSDaFJS-pJzA40OoQ9kUgEYkkuJWLNSlTV9BSamI-Mp8Q=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIOWg4LXsntA0yhJnCTvIcyLy8M_m0dpGmWRaf9f-mi2QSzPYvr1TJAwHJdCH5Pb3EOcIk8vHoBfErG-wsZpZ-ZpfTPIFsm8_ZM9HTkD4sc8p4HtNGgcALrgvwq1eRAB-qmiElDQcYU3yfmkSDaFJS-pJzA40OoQ9kUgEYkkuJWLNSlTV9BSamI-Mp8Q=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All of the butter that is pooled at the bottom of the sheet is no longer in the pastries, and that means they're healthier, right?<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Here are the first sheet of kouign amann resting upside down on a cooling rack. The recipe asks for the baking rack to be moved to the upper third of the oven because the bottoms of these pastries tends to burn, and burned sugar is a pretty foul taste and smell. You can see from the variation in coloring that my oven definitely has hot spots near the back, and I rotated the pan for the last five minutes of baking. But thankfully none of the bottoms got burned. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj04L9C6MH1P4TSg8CXirnfnzcco4MZgf4LQoe5GuEjFKyV4FUzzetHFqzjflCdM0diYQurkWr_5ePoZ5YY8AbQuaj-jptteQ2Ah3yA1dw9BgYseenkBedoYoOm0V1bIV8_SgMyxYbxI4oXDSCKaOq9OFiCVJvwReJ9jlVHK_5AQJjoHz0RQrJ-tXGFcQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj04L9C6MH1P4TSg8CXirnfnzcco4MZgf4LQoe5GuEjFKyV4FUzzetHFqzjflCdM0diYQurkWr_5ePoZ5YY8AbQuaj-jptteQ2Ah3yA1dw9BgYseenkBedoYoOm0V1bIV8_SgMyxYbxI4oXDSCKaOq9OFiCVJvwReJ9jlVHK_5AQJjoHz0RQrJ-tXGFcQ=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful caramelized bottoms of the kouign amann, just shy of burnt<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The weather steadily improved in the afternoon, allowing me to take this glamour shot of this sugary buttery pile of kouign amann, with one split open for your perusal. You can see that there are several distinct, fluffy layers inside, despite my beurrage becoming lumpy and separated. These were absolutely delicious the first day, though I found in subsequent days that a quick jaunt in a toaster oven helped crisp up the edges and melt the butter again so they were not as unpleasantly greasy. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0Y0L1CXfk-pvsamytf9saMdsWzT7JAuu2iSd_HXKcGoQzv6PGXvtbeXBjzRnvHa-p_Z3fYlRXlkYHnnVZTHA4t5HY2jRTdWSgHoGzIY0QBg4ih1A8eh3xQuWCwjwsprYkF_val4WtTBQvEU7oVfuM-FYTURy85_9urnrpMhXHBAzAmvoGKQ4hvhGStA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0Y0L1CXfk-pvsamytf9saMdsWzT7JAuu2iSd_HXKcGoQzv6PGXvtbeXBjzRnvHa-p_Z3fYlRXlkYHnnVZTHA4t5HY2jRTdWSgHoGzIY0QBg4ih1A8eh3xQuWCwjwsprYkF_val4WtTBQvEU7oVfuM-FYTURy85_9urnrpMhXHBAzAmvoGKQ4hvhGStA=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I feel like this could be on display in cafe. Not a very good display, but I bet people would pay some amount of money for one of these. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Improvements for next time: </p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Not a huge fan of the diced-whipped beurrage, but I would be willing to give it one more shot. I notice several recipes have the addition of flour, which is technically necessary for a beurrage, and since I did not have to flour the sticks because I did not have to roll them flat, I will add some butter to the mixer next time I'm trying this method. </li><li>I'm going to try to make these in one day as mentioned, just to see what happens.</li><li>Next time, I'm going to preheat the oven and let them proof in there and see if that yields taller pastries. Although I am concerned for the butter leaking out during the proofing, if I'm good about keeping the temperature below 80 and having a consistent beurrage that doesn't puncture the dough at any point, it should be fine. We will see if this is worth the potentially higher pastries. </li><li>Hopefully the beurrage improvement will prevent the sugar from becoming as sticky? <br /></li><li>I'll rotate the pan halfway through baking next time, as it seems the back of my oven is significantly hotter even with convection fan on. </li><li>I really don't have many complaints about how this recipe turned out, but I believe much of that is obscured by the fact that these are just little crispy fluffy pucks of butter and sugar and my brain is not wired to be displeased by it in any way. </li></ul><p>Quote of the day: "This is like engineering, but for baking." -my roommate Kai, seeing me with my taped worksurface diligently rolling out my dough to be 24" and even before turning. This is kind of the point of this whole endeavor, I suppose; I am allowing myself to cultivate my talents in an area other than my chosen profession, in much the way I cultivated the talent for said profession for so many years of my life. <br /></p><p><br /></p>Helena Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948134617740274723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3324966668274170747.post-35556929141196464522022-02-25T15:12:00.003-08:002022-02-25T15:12:47.767-08:00Patisserie 4.5: Choux Puff Tartlets, Revisited<p> Despite my desire to simply move on in my life and avoid another scaling debacle, I decided it was for the best for me to revisit the <a href="https://tinkertailor-hw.blogspot.com/2022/02/patisserie-4-pate-chouxchoux.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">choux puff tartlet recipe </a>as promised, making most of the adjustments I mentioned at the bottom of recipe.</p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a> <p></p><p>The first of these was to chill the cinnamon sugar tart pastry dough for way longer than the 2 hour minimum stated. I made the dough and allowed it to chill overnight. It's worth mentioning that the weather in San Francisco was much cooler this week, and even the dough right after mixing was much firmer and easier to shape into a disc without the aid of a plastic wrap barrier. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhhkkjpLiGcmKtOmns_pTtxlKScOqDpcQujVFyXnQYzOHqi2-BJYKnEnLQZFIgIVlXqlEXkojsetg2FL2Yn8jMmAeiGRjhp40TBzmLCx9ZjcwkyPBmutb3MhZZIOoM-LIekUymMxvQ4Akoe_OIoUfgtwK-v3xaeDl1RnB_0AT1Q8dKxqW00kU0rr_efTA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhhkkjpLiGcmKtOmns_pTtxlKScOqDpcQujVFyXnQYzOHqi2-BJYKnEnLQZFIgIVlXqlEXkojsetg2FL2Yn8jMmAeiGRjhp40TBzmLCx9ZjcwkyPBmutb3MhZZIOoM-LIekUymMxvQ4Akoe_OIoUfgtwK-v3xaeDl1RnB_0AT1Q8dKxqW00kU0rr_efTA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cinnamon orange sweet pastry dough was much firmer now that the weather was back in the mid sixties.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The next day, I pulled the dough out of the fridge and rolled it out with much less difficulty than before. A light dusting of flour was all it took for the dough to flatten with minimal tears and stickiness. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLJSYqEfWRHIhR1UqUrd8wiIhaSB1K9Vd7D4RndoVl81CRSR1NpkOD3PIke0YLnDXRC48LdG1m33Gnpcq6mY80gBwbCZNVLeuBETIKnKAjAgthqjGBgyyKPY2HsFmEOFHAaGUY3hWX5ZBlImcTb2pGYNzNEZ4cxPp8250PTBEiXMTms3VWNI6rYksenQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLJSYqEfWRHIhR1UqUrd8wiIhaSB1K9Vd7D4RndoVl81CRSR1NpkOD3PIke0YLnDXRC48LdG1m33Gnpcq6mY80gBwbCZNVLeuBETIKnKAjAgthqjGBgyyKPY2HsFmEOFHAaGUY3hWX5ZBlImcTb2pGYNzNEZ4cxPp8250PTBEiXMTms3VWNI6rYksenQ=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I started to reach the limits of my cutting board surface area this time while rolling out. The dough was much more cooperative and less sticky. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>You'll notice that I was able to get the tart dough rolled out much thinner and larger than last time, owing to the cooler temperature and resulting increased workability. This is much closer to the 3mm the recipe calls for!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_f3XBwaY_pxf_AlOr18KD8sXT9mQacHa7cqnm1jcjrFW13hEzvPvRNEW1KgbK3MlGZShxPbJXt19ksOtBFPjmDvYHT7U_0Y9hgcefuEKyk0gPhYPjayLTaUeoMncoD9JB3Vpe-tMGwVo0bjmj_JOSTer9Es7nm2hSlzRaywMTBBsa5verNiX-GrUZ-w=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_f3XBwaY_pxf_AlOr18KD8sXT9mQacHa7cqnm1jcjrFW13hEzvPvRNEW1KgbK3MlGZShxPbJXt19ksOtBFPjmDvYHT7U_0Y9hgcefuEKyk0gPhYPjayLTaUeoMncoD9JB3Vpe-tMGwVo0bjmj_JOSTer9Es7nm2hSlzRaywMTBBsa5verNiX-GrUZ-w=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the thickness I was supposed to do last time!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I stuck the entire sheet of tart dough back into the fridge to chill while I prepared the rest of the recipe, because the tart shells are the last thing to bake before assembly. In the meantime, I prepared a batch of choux pastry, using only half the recipe. I made sure to cook the dough until it came together into a ball and then continued to cook until a thin film was coating the inside of the saucepan before putting it into a bowl to dry. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0a1abblLA0uMpBCnrc0LzQMhttqEfwKI9GOzXlVB1MuKmw-T86mRb7M08u6lRaWOsW42ayf18amLl4xpVJ5_3A9Viwr3tBz6RSDFUkBtPfyzK7QCvMyp8ysO8IQ3NkPKn3CFlMeH1tqFEEqOD0KapcC3y69gB1sSTRoQJnd0kNZ-sgOUXgYTv9Tz7qg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0a1abblLA0uMpBCnrc0LzQMhttqEfwKI9GOzXlVB1MuKmw-T86mRb7M08u6lRaWOsW42ayf18amLl4xpVJ5_3A9Viwr3tBz6RSDFUkBtPfyzK7QCvMyp8ysO8IQ3NkPKn3CFlMeH1tqFEEqOD0KapcC3y69gB1sSTRoQJnd0kNZ-sgOUXgYTv9Tz7qg=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delicious choux hot flour-butter-milk ball, pre-egg addition<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Having read from a bunch of online sources that the choux batter is, indeed, supposed to be runny enough to plop off the spoon and leave a "V" shaped tail on the spoon, I resigned myself to adding the first two eggs, beating the third in a small bowl, and then adding bits of the third egg and beating the batter in between each addition, and testing with a drop from the spoon whether I'd gotten the right consistency. When it seemed to look like the photos online (glossy, distinct V tail), I spooned it into a slightly smaller pastry piping bag than last time.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvBbYi7ezgaNu7gz8a82Oa5hU20_-wmjO_zJbTNW5YRyG6SPCe_FN1nAXJy89PIQ3c8_Nhr4-R6l3mD7-mpWSdAM8lVF31fTTekuJZm5Q_y2Bk15weJBQlsXtfLHk2s3lqx0aUyhKA5WWReaV3MjEinICJb0xzJZm_ZKJIr5A9UOY7cyEz10PfdpY59Q=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvBbYi7ezgaNu7gz8a82Oa5hU20_-wmjO_zJbTNW5YRyG6SPCe_FN1nAXJy89PIQ3c8_Nhr4-R6l3mD7-mpWSdAM8lVF31fTTekuJZm5Q_y2Bk15weJBQlsXtfLHk2s3lqx0aUyhKA5WWReaV3MjEinICJb0xzJZm_ZKJIr5A9UOY7cyEz10PfdpY59Q=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choux batter in bag, prepared for piping<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I made sure to butter the pans instead of using cooking spray like last time, in hopes that the increased resistance would prevent as much spreading. I piped two pans, and in order to discern whether it was piping technique or resting time that affected how they baked, I baked the second piped pan first (ostensibly the one with better piping skills), and let the first one rest in the meantime. </p><p>As you can see in the photos, I piped the puffs much smaller than I did in my previous attempt. As the batter wants to spread a bit, I actually piped circles about 0.5" in diameter, and was careful to not overload each circle with too much batter. I still ended up with way more than the minimum 35 puffs, though it was not off by double. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMyOaW7honhtEVEUPeIn6R6Rw9mhDlHgbY3zx9W6JBfcs02ohjxMFFFFWJ_xEP1QYqVZ5ogAFTTLqnzB4vtRakcLz-LclbsGwBR9vmj53ObBAcGGFLA9w3iz_LQgJ66H77rALXT-feNQoCBmQ2aywhi5JR3cRSfXzX_J38mS41u7zab2s2d-g60X6vMg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMyOaW7honhtEVEUPeIn6R6Rw9mhDlHgbY3zx9W6JBfcs02ohjxMFFFFWJ_xEP1QYqVZ5ogAFTTLqnzB4vtRakcLz-LclbsGwBR9vmj53ObBAcGGFLA9w3iz_LQgJ66H77rALXT-feNQoCBmQ2aywhi5JR3cRSfXzX_J38mS41u7zab2s2d-g60X6vMg=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The left pan is the one I piped first, and the one on the right second, though the latter went into the oven first. I definitely got better at spacing.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>While the puffs baked, I prepared the pastry cream, and I'm pleased to announce that there was not a scramble in sight! Just a nice pot of silky whisked vanilla cream, which I set in the fridge to chill. The immersion blender reconstitution method will have to wait until I mess up the cream in a future recipe. (The Modern French Pastry book swears by using a microwave for pastry cream; I'm curious to try this as well, as whisking anxiously is quite a workout)<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilFVtbKnfRUpmGTeeAJpk80nPsJEwgDCRwrqnzgevi8888KXostTbBcMFz4w9hIjw_kw3RZUZFZ_lHCW-9r6wIpXEznNy8asR0skBvOR3SbowMgjI4M06_e9O2bUo_JbpSJO8eo2AE323D3RCz4wEj-I8TN3l-CygtNtI_OrnwCVBpa9pLr_x0Tu28UA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilFVtbKnfRUpmGTeeAJpk80nPsJEwgDCRwrqnzgevi8888KXostTbBcMFz4w9hIjw_kw3RZUZFZ_lHCW-9r6wIpXEznNy8asR0skBvOR3SbowMgjI4M06_e9O2bUo_JbpSJO8eo2AE323D3RCz4wEj-I8TN3l-CygtNtI_OrnwCVBpa9pLr_x0Tu28UA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nice silky unscrambled pastry cream this time!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>It was time to cut out the tart shells. These were a far cry in stability compared to last time; they were distinct enough to even stack atop one another while I prepared the rings! I was still concerned about how quickly they warmed, however, so after I pressed them into the rings, I returned the quarter sheet of shells to the fridge to chill for a bit longer while I baked the second batch of choux puffs. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQRzSVpKp947pc10BHvjYfOT9ukxmyBFrXthki5AaUoC908KFRNhM9xiHma8yHnJbYm_F942NtwCKyyKqn5ArNI1kw7VIfben4EenBB4SViENXnIAXDeDAMKQyRddZfReepW7ojNGf54KMTdsc1P1XUbeJaYE7CKfMaiNwWTQDi3b6EJFMA-RoQZlYIQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQRzSVpKp947pc10BHvjYfOT9ukxmyBFrXthki5AaUoC908KFRNhM9xiHma8yHnJbYm_F942NtwCKyyKqn5ArNI1kw7VIfben4EenBB4SViENXnIAXDeDAMKQyRddZfReepW7ojNGf54KMTdsc1P1XUbeJaYE7CKfMaiNwWTQDi3b6EJFMA-RoQZlYIQ=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So much easier to cut out and work with the tart shells this time, though I did still chill them in their rings prior to baking as they softened quickly at this thickness.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The second batch of puffs did puff up larger, which lends some credence to the resting theory, but I'm not sure it's worth the wait time. However, I did also find that my sheet pans are not as flat as I thought. Several of the cream puffs slithered along the buttered curvature and created these little choux caterpillars, which, cute as they are, are unsuitable for filling. We enjoyed them as a vector for dipping some of the celeriac-cucumber-potato soup I made for dinner. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHy4u5uGfcCkygyd0VMkTpyopSv9lnatkNPLC3jRSKOWAuPGrRz7jH65wSJ4bVLKrMhXoo3GFnEjH_9tmNf1l_p9L6C-q12mJ17ugyVZFFAVgcGvCa-uVu5qeuJyegr1UnQb2_btggQRt9XVjTQY47TsQEVryc-m5A1srdchdlkTBji3bfw1unp9Tbkg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHy4u5uGfcCkygyd0VMkTpyopSv9lnatkNPLC3jRSKOWAuPGrRz7jH65wSJ4bVLKrMhXoo3GFnEjH_9tmNf1l_p9L6C-q12mJ17ugyVZFFAVgcGvCa-uVu5qeuJyegr1UnQb2_btggQRt9XVjTQY47TsQEVryc-m5A1srdchdlkTBji3bfw1unp9Tbkg=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Accidental choux caterpillars. Maybe I could make one long blobby eclair if I was clever about piping next time<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I snapped a photo of the lined tart shells to prove that they were very thinly walled and unpuffed before baking, and that they went all the way up to the top of the rings. However...<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnhf-Np7epz4sjx0XprpxIy-sPctdoOlJi_vaV2UKBZ0ZCzYOA2EltQU1St-jUFJHXBjJN3HUH6ne87OVxIclQYqL1icS90WOQYGcslqqrg9Tb08GsNzgo0zvnQ0hXAB99GKjJjvbnJ95HxJpoHvcjGFj_YcIAaZfwojL8514uGjCA04ok-OKz3hgSBA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnhf-Np7epz4sjx0XprpxIy-sPctdoOlJi_vaV2UKBZ0ZCzYOA2EltQU1St-jUFJHXBjJN3HUH6ne87OVxIclQYqL1icS90WOQYGcslqqrg9Tb08GsNzgo0zvnQ0hXAB99GKjJjvbnJ95HxJpoHvcjGFj_YcIAaZfwojL8514uGjCA04ok-OKz3hgSBA=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tart shells, pre baking<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>...when they emerged from the oven, they were slightly burnt, shrunken down, and very puffy. I'm kind of at a loss for what else to try, except maybe to weight the centers of the tart shells so they don't rise and hopefully don't drag the walls in with them? I might also give up on buttering the stainless steel tart rings altogether, they don't seem to have any issues with the shells sticking and I think the difference in heat conductivity is messing up how fast the edges of the tarts brown vs the center/bottom of the tarts, which are on the aluminum baking sheet. I'm also unclear if they should be cooked with convection fan on, though I am assuming since it is a butter pastry that it would prefer quick, uniform heat rather than the conventional bake.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnXfgMnXk8qzyLXuTt287Yl5gSAnO01ssVO46HLV3NMHEXfr7DWTBW0e-6oawvW8nLOM44zXjPCFXaPtfkP2Q7DWi8JtTTBgpwvkTZJ3swsqkpegZLpZXXmMYtIJki-mNYPbVa-8aAqLI_kTcRM__dvb85G0k_KIwbiGVFzevf-MMxppW6lwZFv0AmMw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnXfgMnXk8qzyLXuTt287Yl5gSAnO01ssVO46HLV3NMHEXfr7DWTBW0e-6oawvW8nLOM44zXjPCFXaPtfkP2Q7DWi8JtTTBgpwvkTZJ3swsqkpegZLpZXXmMYtIJki-mNYPbVa-8aAqLI_kTcRM__dvb85G0k_KIwbiGVFzevf-MMxppW6lwZFv0AmMw=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you tell I have some hot spots in my oven?<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Nonethless, I trudged forward and remembered to fill the tart shells first this time with the pastry cream after everything had sufficiently cooled. I used an offset spatula to spread the cream around, none too cleanly alas. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcnkx_r_MaCoISZfrgdk0OiA80iN8ES14iKPQJxu-6ZWieANQX-2w5IBorBWr3JHHZ5PYxrQ5rDJBBmBXt85i5l0a7MynLeqqCbo_v0OabxS-2ySWLcLEGbqygPtz1C8T4zWHD8hPZI5o7Ag9ujoTeRlLxv_3dp-3CPUlkGSvMbfE-q_OfCGcjVUKFew=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcnkx_r_MaCoISZfrgdk0OiA80iN8ES14iKPQJxu-6ZWieANQX-2w5IBorBWr3JHHZ5PYxrQ5rDJBBmBXt85i5l0a7MynLeqqCbo_v0OabxS-2ySWLcLEGbqygPtz1C8T4zWHD8hPZI5o7Ag9ujoTeRlLxv_3dp-3CPUlkGSvMbfE-q_OfCGcjVUKFew=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I remembered to fill the tart shells first this time, as they were a limiting factor last time for pastry cream consumption<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>And once more, I found myself running out of pastry cream before all the tarts could be assembled with the proper quantity of four choux puffs on each tart. Here are the results of the recipe's stated quantity of tart dough and pastry cream, along with only half the quantity of the choux pastry:<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqHGdSsn-bmWMo7AaSmU25prZgwKNf-fwaIWCUCCRrHk_K_-MIVm3OkLreCqb3iKVhpkawSS_ngpAn4bfMITDgKEokQs5T8iOrAfWXJmCjuZjvSUjdUZRrO4LdaY52dpxN86sCW54FV4uieMwzy6ry5O5lq3huZ5ndlYza8jQ-y-Qs3cQUAx9mCmBj0w=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqHGdSsn-bmWMo7AaSmU25prZgwKNf-fwaIWCUCCRrHk_K_-MIVm3OkLreCqb3iKVhpkawSS_ngpAn4bfMITDgKEokQs5T8iOrAfWXJmCjuZjvSUjdUZRrO4LdaY52dpxN86sCW54FV4uieMwzy6ry5O5lq3huZ5ndlYza8jQ-y-Qs3cQUAx9mCmBj0w=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scaling was still quite a bit off. On the left plate we have all the tarts and choux puffs I had pastry cream for. On the right plate are some of the unfilled puffs (sans choux caterpillars) and leftover tart crust turned into cinnamon orange shortbread cookies<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>By this time, I was several hours into this recipe and quite fed up, but determined to make a nice photo at least. So I heated up some apricot preserves (I could not manage to find any without large fruit chunks; I blame Rainbow Grocery for being too bougie and only having "real fruit" in jars. What if I want to have oddly clear sweet jelly for decorative purposes instead of actual nutrition???) and dipped each of the cream puffs from the tarts that had enough puffs to create a proper pyramid, and then rolled them in Belgian pearl sugar. And even though my chocolate drizzling still leaves much to be desired (paper cone, I will approach you some other day when I am less tired of a recipe), the end result is still very photogenic and much more delicate looking than my previous attempt! I left out the whipped cream because a lot of my housemates were away this weekend, and I knew the whipped cream peaks would become runny if not eaten rather immediately. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggzO0lphAQJTONWLT83YO5xZ_VlgPTVEbGNUcqfnTQ-K9pt7Ir9Ia-pAjP7T5In81x3HcfAK4XbLoBioIaxcwUZS4SFQIJVY3X2aa04YdxjKZYRBMyFjfaqRkiJ-27xbWg-yCDdxa75JDFd7DU8bbwHH1LEkpJSMdT2EEBF8LPJ59Pdx5t00YXIQ05PA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggzO0lphAQJTONWLT83YO5xZ_VlgPTVEbGNUcqfnTQ-K9pt7Ir9Ia-pAjP7T5In81x3HcfAK4XbLoBioIaxcwUZS4SFQIJVY3X2aa04YdxjKZYRBMyFjfaqRkiJ-27xbWg-yCDdxa75JDFd7DU8bbwHH1LEkpJSMdT2EEBF8LPJ59Pdx5t00YXIQ05PA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glamour shot! The sugar and glaze really did make a huge difference in how polished the tarts look.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p>I think I'm ready to leave this recipe. In fact, I believe there are very few recipes in this section remaining before I feel comfortable moving on to...cakes? Unfortunately, it's not a great season for most berries, and I was fortunate to start this section with many winter fruits, so maybe I will continue on with some viennoiserie like danishes or cakes with nuts components before heading onto classics like the frasier. <br /></p><p>Some thoughts:</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I'd like to try weighting down the tart pans for the blind bake next time. </li><li>Probably don't need to keep buttering the SS tart rings. <br /></li><li>Keeping the dough cold definitely helped, but not as much as I thought it would. I might also try leaving some overhang on the tart rings in addition to the weights. </li><li>I got a lot better at piping, both the choux and the cream. </li><li>I'm going to have to practice making a parchment cone for piping chocolate one of these days. Maybe for that rum napoleon? <br /></li><li>I now have a new mystery: why are my choux puffs smooth on top and little domes instead of being slightly crackled puffs? Many people online have troubleshooting questions about their choux puffs being too irregular or not hollow, but mine are kind of unfailingly regular and smooth and hollow with this recipe. Maybe I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth? Or perhaps these smooth-topped puffs are preferable for recipes that include stacking configurations, like this or a St. Honore. I just wish they would "puff" more so the base would not be so wide. <br /></li></ul><p>Quote of the week: "There's really no way to not make the chocolate look like diarrhea, huh?" - my supportive partner Matt after attempting his one chocolate drizzle guest shot. <br /></p><p><br /></p>Helena Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948134617740274723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3324966668274170747.post-40871048912560493692022-02-24T12:32:00.001-08:002022-02-24T12:32:06.389-08:00Patisserie 3.5: Puff pastry experiment<p> You may recall the <a href="https://tinkertailor-hw.blogspot.com/2022/02/patisserie-3-feuilletagepuff.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">pear and almond cream tart</a> from a few weeks ago, where the base was a shell of puff pastry that represented my first venture into that category of pastry. In this tart, I was disappointed that the bottom of the shell was very gummy, while the edges were flaky as expected. </p><p>In an effort to ascertain whether the remaining 950g of the homemade puff pastry I had in the fridge was viable, I took out the 250g quarter from last time and let it thaw in the fridge overnight, with the intent of running a mini experiment on this piece of dough. I had a few different things I wanted to try on this pastry: </p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Bake a piece on its own to figure out whether the lamination itself was a failure to create layers, and thus, whether the remainder of the batch could be used in other recipes<br /></li><li>Be more gentle in rolling out, letting the dough rest if it was starting to stretch</li><li>Keep my workstation colder and not roll out a delicate butter pastry on top of a hot dishwasher counter</li><li>Flour my cutting board so any stretching/sticking would be an immediately obvious sign to stop rolling and let the dough rest/chill</li></ul><span><a name='more'></a></span> <br /><div>It was pretty immediately obvious that this dough, having rested overnight in the fridge after freezing after its last turn, was much more relaxed and easy to work with. Nonetheless, I had to let it rest for two 10 minute intervals while I rolled it out lightly, working outwards from the center with a light layer of flour on both sides. The Book is adamant in its recommendation that the final thickness should not aim to be achieved within a single roll, and that it is much better to work slowly and gently (but not too slow, lest the dough warm!). It was notably easier to keep this dough cold, also because it was very cold in my house... I tried my best to not apply too much pressure as I rolled, and eventually, it was a stable, unstretched piece of dough about 3mm thick. I set it onto a half sheet and let it rest while I preheated the oven. <br /><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEha-nT_7Vu3O41RqVgWzv6jiIB5eMnv5YXTGe2djCjXGR0kPHBhn1CrDetVggcDndL0Js56ZRgXwBd9NKv8RtFtycbSZ-mFXz83QHStn_AMagTuf9ZQFOBWtp4tD4sNGdLbJGpzcbFTihdDol7rvXO8hRwDUQGimGGcLF0I3R_gQyr2nci7ysL-zirLww=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEha-nT_7Vu3O41RqVgWzv6jiIB5eMnv5YXTGe2djCjXGR0kPHBhn1CrDetVggcDndL0Js56ZRgXwBd9NKv8RtFtycbSZ-mFXz83QHStn_AMagTuf9ZQFOBWtp4tD4sNGdLbJGpzcbFTihdDol7rvXO8hRwDUQGimGGcLF0I3R_gQyr2nci7ysL-zirLww=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thawed and rolled out puff pastry dough, resting in preparation for baking<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Taking a hint from the chocolate puff pastry recipe in the book, I set a piece of parchment paper atop the rolled out pastry dough and weighed it down with a cooling rack to keep it flat while baking. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhChBPcoW2rUsF_XiFOvTXL7ub-mgkXLtIog2FtBUyg8W1_01kIVV7YsmQzFtWdl6k7OfOQspTWkY0b4fIRtF5MosPDB-yNMLXJn19LDvhZ0E-YSr_LCffI07AsJ48wRt_XXqlKOgjiULEcZa-XYElJ1-beYVFXUHXiwfAf3dyhv8M97FS5fzduk4jxVw=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhChBPcoW2rUsF_XiFOvTXL7ub-mgkXLtIog2FtBUyg8W1_01kIVV7YsmQzFtWdl6k7OfOQspTWkY0b4fIRtF5MosPDB-yNMLXJn19LDvhZ0E-YSr_LCffI07AsJ48wRt_XXqlKOgjiULEcZa-XYElJ1-beYVFXUHXiwfAf3dyhv8M97FS5fzduk4jxVw=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baked puff pastry underneath a weighted prison grate<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The pastry did still shrink a little bit; I read some tips online that say freezing or chilling before baking might help with this. The heat from the cooling rack's grid also generated a hatch pattern of browning on the finished pastry. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaKguitxEvh4YK8odwUGuDvPDMTh26_96iqoXX3cfBJ1RWOjIBCVQFc0EE0opLGuCR1_ivM84SVMIfFl_7tT_lcpweV3RezVi57iUenihHbm6kbFGkzYEkqDJniNqc5Q0LwjJmnJ91gvxp5wLepOHurjAhCX5nF4615Zg-DF6xiq5XfwjuGEwuw4sIPQ=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaKguitxEvh4YK8odwUGuDvPDMTh26_96iqoXX3cfBJ1RWOjIBCVQFc0EE0opLGuCR1_ivM84SVMIfFl_7tT_lcpweV3RezVi57iUenihHbm6kbFGkzYEkqDJniNqc5Q0LwjJmnJ91gvxp5wLepOHurjAhCX5nF4615Zg-DF6xiq5XfwjuGEwuw4sIPQ=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not much to look at, but that's why this is a half-lesson experiment<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I was encouraged by the layer formation on the ends, but then I remembered the same thing appeared on the edges of the tart last time and were not a good indication of layering within the body of the pastry. So I transferred it to the rack to cool and await a final verdict. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4bPNjnhLFjW4XCJvlzWo6VDMLVCEU4T7tImM6k8u-7YhGWLZrHhAWkPQJugrIw5iKtD3WO_KWFG-kJ6V8VGk5oCRsV_EccHE1Bqt5c_jAPOHVSFIc39XKqku4en-xz_RLdahf_I26TwCWM8F_MFSfuJ3wJdHD7FYHuHaXVy9R4BWnIJ-TX0VbMMYjkw=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4bPNjnhLFjW4XCJvlzWo6VDMLVCEU4T7tImM6k8u-7YhGWLZrHhAWkPQJugrIw5iKtD3WO_KWFG-kJ6V8VGk5oCRsV_EccHE1Bqt5c_jAPOHVSFIc39XKqku4en-xz_RLdahf_I26TwCWM8F_MFSfuJ3wJdHD7FYHuHaXVy9R4BWnIJ-TX0VbMMYjkw=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wish I could just copy-paste this layer texture throughout the pastry<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>While cooling, the center of the pastry caved in a bit as well, which made me concerned for its interior structure. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCgV_yePfZnEpm5hG30yk8mKAeJOF8SIDimceG_BTBGfRkw56ouY-VoEdQbwzWe4TNu_qzHTZ9kzyanSxE61V4POg31slc133rYvke4gZI4Bzgqn0LXGEYi1KReVNCtqu0P83RdyvXWEC9Iq2ByCRCwJobeAmRzJDaIO4w6EwGEudMn8AKzw51tuCKcQ=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCgV_yePfZnEpm5hG30yk8mKAeJOF8SIDimceG_BTBGfRkw56ouY-VoEdQbwzWe4TNu_qzHTZ9kzyanSxE61V4POg31slc133rYvke4gZI4Bzgqn0LXGEYi1KReVNCtqu0P83RdyvXWEC9Iq2ByCRCwJobeAmRzJDaIO4w6EwGEudMn8AKzw51tuCKcQ=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It seems I've made a little puff pastry frisbee<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I may have been a little impatient in cutting before the pastry was completely cool, which may have contributed to the centers looking still a bit gummy. However, my care with the rolling out seems to be somewhat vindicated by the visible layers in the center portions of the pastry on the top and bottom of each slice, despite there being middle gumminess. The pieces from the two ends of the pastry (top and bottom in the stack below) still had the most defined layers, but even the middle pieces had some consistent layering, laying to rest my concerns that I had failed to create a proper butter lamination at all. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioNZcbpgGf8IWFOVhz3hHYBkh449IWVqU--Ky-XMNF5_S55iO4pp8DxT9W8a2I5PZao-j67UDQA9R2t4CdmTgYJXAQPGaZzkFGzQm14Kmxiokd03Lk3lDFW3Xph-YlAZOJzPRfmf30Vg7d-KELot7Glmpj7RlfESwnEYGZ6S_Qf2eGmzKvX_p5W4fakg=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioNZcbpgGf8IWFOVhz3hHYBkh449IWVqU--Ky-XMNF5_S55iO4pp8DxT9W8a2I5PZao-j67UDQA9R2t4CdmTgYJXAQPGaZzkFGzQm14Kmxiokd03Lk3lDFW3Xph-YlAZOJzPRfmf30Vg7d-KELot7Glmpj7RlfESwnEYGZ6S_Qf2eGmzKvX_p5W4fakg=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The most minimalist of all Napoleons<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Look at those layers! I would like to add that, while these were tasty and delightful right after baking, they seemed to become even more distinctly layered the next morning, when I scarfed one down for breakfast and was surprised to have even the "gummy" looking portions flaking apart? I broke a piece in half to investigate and was greeted by layers shearing past each other and flaking away, so maybe I should just be more patient and wait until the pastry is cool before cutting. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIXw1haQQKX1x-RrTKYSJC9iUGluAZdIol1F58P6hdQCdCjsVBi9nGJBoZoGjty9ISeuyplTEVxX-DUiy26sPS__DhPeORosUtBi4xohZMN-5YObTNMTwkFi9HxAGArRlLVw_EfBhiku_K0s-0rofzg6Uw7MjVF-QWlPOcnWO_KKdauj0-7-FLuwSSLQ=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIXw1haQQKX1x-RrTKYSJC9iUGluAZdIol1F58P6hdQCdCjsVBi9nGJBoZoGjty9ISeuyplTEVxX-DUiy26sPS__DhPeORosUtBi4xohZMN-5YObTNMTwkFi9HxAGArRlLVw_EfBhiku_K0s-0rofzg6Uw7MjVF-QWlPOcnWO_KKdauj0-7-FLuwSSLQ=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made these layers! I made them! Me! Wow!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> Looks like the other 700g of my frozen puff pastry can be put to use, then. I am eyeing the Rum Napoleon from the cakes section of The Book for this. Just one more new recipe, and then I think I'm ready to move onto another section!<br /></p><p> </p></div>Helena Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948134617740274723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3324966668274170747.post-45053754888223330012022-02-17T23:21:00.000-08:002022-02-17T23:21:40.834-08:00Patisserie 4: Pâte à choux/Choux Pastry/Cream puff tartlets<p> You would think that my track record with The Book would have me a little more humble in my approach by now. A few months ago, while I was still reading up on how to begin my patisserie journey, I stumbled upon the blog Patisserie Makes Perfect, which was the final inspiration for my method. But very early on, the author has extreme difficulty with <a href="https://www.patisseriemakesperfect.co.uk/tarte-chouquettes-choux-puff-tartlets/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this recipe for Cream Puff Tartlets</a>, and mentions that they have much difficulty with choux pastry in the past. Now, I've made choux pastry to varying success before, but as described in my very first post, I have no idea why or why not some of my attempts worked. So I assumed that, if I followed the recipe by The Book, everything would at least turn out on par to the blogger's attempt. </p><p>I was half-right: I didn't have to really worry about the choux pastry itself. But everything else that could go wrong in this "intermediate" recipe went wrong in some way. </p><p>According to Wikipedia, the name for pâte à choux is mistakenly attributed to its literal meaning and appearance (<i>choux</i>=cauliflower in french), when instead, it stems from <b>pâte à chaud</b>, or "hot pastry," due to its being cooked butter, flour, and water, to allow the flour to absorb more moisture. This moisture is in turn released during the baking process, creating steam which leavens the pastry dough, usually creating a hollow center and a browned but tender crust. This is the pastry dough that becomes both profiteroles (cream puffs) and eclairs (long cream puffs), as well as paris-brest and religieuses (which are just a profiterole with a smaller profiterole on top), and unfilled versions like chouquettes (small unfilled puffs) and gougeres (savory cheese puffs). </p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a> The recipe begins with making the tart shells from pate sucree cannele from earlier in The Book, which is the same as the recipe for pate sucree (sweet pastry) with the addition of an orange's worth of zest and a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, meant for eight 3" tartlets. The softened butter is creamed with confectioner's sugar, and then the remaining ingredients are added (almond flour, flour, an egg, salt, cinnamon, orange zest). <br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_9ptuyQ6f9Ap0B_VTaDlafInItlZkKDoPKNqmQmYX5EJNH6ytrpUzE1o91-trWEaRSJsKlGO9fIpXO8hordDhOjsZcWzq7V7NyVrmEEoUDXKYdxdALbPl8YZoBLGsmSJ_9f8K7Ci197Gk5r3wVv9f0pBE3BuJCWVFTnctEt_HAtvJAy1nLcPIop64qg=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_9ptuyQ6f9Ap0B_VTaDlafInItlZkKDoPKNqmQmYX5EJNH6ytrpUzE1o91-trWEaRSJsKlGO9fIpXO8hordDhOjsZcWzq7V7NyVrmEEoUDXKYdxdALbPl8YZoBLGsmSJ_9f8K7Ci197Gk5r3wVv9f0pBE3BuJCWVFTnctEt_HAtvJAy1nLcPIop64qg=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tart crust ingredients ready to blend together<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>At this point, we were looking pretty similar to the photos in the book, though I had reservations about how sticky my dough was when I tried to form it into a round on plastic wrap. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSNLn0i1wb0iePNho4K92oPN-7rqadsCxQpxYuOmIYyF0Vw1_Jc9UHD7p-2YO-lADi6DjnYPGa5FSu8sqeod03n8q_vp-EBM5eTMEcZw5QSy2sQinUyX5IT8nJRJAxAqDuIBKOl6AuF7xgc6YETc8vUlwVF48dhGSadSf4_4jPtlal1zXU5VIA2L_5Cw=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSNLn0i1wb0iePNho4K92oPN-7rqadsCxQpxYuOmIYyF0Vw1_Jc9UHD7p-2YO-lADi6DjnYPGa5FSu8sqeod03n8q_vp-EBM5eTMEcZw5QSy2sQinUyX5IT8nJRJAxAqDuIBKOl6AuF7xgc6YETc8vUlwVF48dhGSadSf4_4jPtlal1zXU5VIA2L_5Cw=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It looks like it does in the pictures! I promise!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>But shaping it into a disk within the plastic wrap did the trick, and I set it in the fridge to chill for a few hours while I prepared the rest of the recipe. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzkU8ZNTP0JVhPiuSoOA3CZ8_ztRjfe4ZtAxwOodgsm3qkNJeYekCtu2Miub7w1c7X3kDr36jP-H0-hNSDqixs3PyFhV2PpXBbzp1tekA2988cMVUUpoD6bqv5CQLVr_bGHt4d8w5d9XyQbDrJlyXb61rEvNwmy2fugCfJZgmPpVePK8TmN22x7sevJQ=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzkU8ZNTP0JVhPiuSoOA3CZ8_ztRjfe4ZtAxwOodgsm3qkNJeYekCtu2Miub7w1c7X3kDr36jP-H0-hNSDqixs3PyFhV2PpXBbzp1tekA2988cMVUUpoD6bqv5CQLVr_bGHt4d8w5d9XyQbDrJlyXb61rEvNwmy2fugCfJZgmPpVePK8TmN22x7sevJQ=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Disc of tart dough in some familiar plastic wrap. I wonder how many times I can use this before it gives up its transparent ghost<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>As mentioned before, choux pastry is distinct from other pastry doughs because the ingredients are cooked together into a dry paste before adding eggs and baking. I measured the butter, equal parts milk and water, and salt into a saucepan, and I measured the flour into a bowl, setting up some <i>mise en place</i> so I could have everything ready to go as soon as the liquid mixture was simmering. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhn5oxLOCiYCOd01_RVo3PNy_lPEDOS3hgLZXcXBdxvw2GgcZQV0SEa5eLVE9EdNCaSUqNBZW29eDu5T0Qy39tXXYdKlJvU4Coe9j6R6NtQPMXucBILt5y6a_YPtbsDs6wAT7q7Engdf0lc8BDJK7NgWgTmqKsxu5Dy_JLwBUHEUXyh01pg0l8YeTlwaQ=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhn5oxLOCiYCOd01_RVo3PNy_lPEDOS3hgLZXcXBdxvw2GgcZQV0SEa5eLVE9EdNCaSUqNBZW29eDu5T0Qy39tXXYdKlJvU4Coe9j6R6NtQPMXucBILt5y6a_YPtbsDs6wAT7q7Engdf0lc8BDJK7NgWgTmqKsxu5Dy_JLwBUHEUXyh01pg0l8YeTlwaQ=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butter/milk/water/salt, and flour staged, ready to be assembled and cooked into the choux base<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>As soon as all the butter was melted, the mixture was just below a simmer. I dumped in the prepared flour, pulled the pan from the heat, and stirred with a wooden spoon until the entire thing came together into a ball, and then returned it to heat for 30 seconds, smearing it around the pan and back into a ball to cook the flour slightly and fully dry out the dough. It was fairly firm by this point, as it had been in my previous choux experience, and I scooped it out into a bowl to stop cooking.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOJXlbCUz4-H0DIw5yU8LP_4W3eKY3GcSyFiFNLcLD7yPsfTw_00p7nWwOWaKZ2Q3KA4UV8cCgIlK531u9zh1Euz-pHfGXeCwPBBoFASWlKZDoD-M-lR-KUJ0CG-PFsM022KyqOVrx9KkQH0-BtQqcs10KvIkHaeB0w-3NTQAWVp7xRTkUbB8fCutTzA=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOJXlbCUz4-H0DIw5yU8LP_4W3eKY3GcSyFiFNLcLD7yPsfTw_00p7nWwOWaKZ2Q3KA4UV8cCgIlK531u9zh1Euz-pHfGXeCwPBBoFASWlKZDoD-M-lR-KUJ0CG-PFsM022KyqOVrx9KkQH0-BtQqcs10KvIkHaeB0w-3NTQAWVp7xRTkUbB8fCutTzA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cooked choux dough ball<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I began adding the four eggs one at a time, beating between each addition, until the batter was fairly liquid and lustrous. However, the book called for "very shiny and just fall from the spoon," and, against my better judgement, I added half of the fifth egg. I believe this made my batter a little too runny, but not unsalvageable at this point, so I carried on, reserving the unused half of an egg for egg wash later.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyIPrGIBwviu5zuzbLtNgqpby6A3bbjsuQYqsi1VPrbgmq5vZ_R1bzeFeupUat06a-oJH-oDYfDnzTukccj4keHXGPC16FE6vULjqO_UXuq0W0dAzUpCQfebC57PEIekoDSnMYUpQjZoZjWBwcQkkvoMjCw46SuGLyT1RTWl5dnaR5nIXSdr06avfERw=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyIPrGIBwviu5zuzbLtNgqpby6A3bbjsuQYqsi1VPrbgmq5vZ_R1bzeFeupUat06a-oJH-oDYfDnzTukccj4keHXGPC16FE6vULjqO_UXuq0W0dAzUpCQfebC57PEIekoDSnMYUpQjZoZjWBwcQkkvoMjCw46SuGLyT1RTWl5dnaR5nIXSdr06avfERw=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4.5 eggs beaten into the batter, which is now smooth and shiny and falls from the spoon slowly when lifted<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The easiest way to fill a piping bag is to insert the tip, press some of the piping bag material into the wider part of the tip using a thumb to stuff it in, and then set it into a tall container, wrapping the excess over the edges. This holds the piping bag straight for you to fill it, and lets you scrape your spatula cleanly over the edge of the container, with plenty of room to cleanly twist the top closed. I scraped the choux dough into this 18" piping bag fitted with a 10mm plain tip (which, in retrospect, could have been smaller). <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6f0vKtljzxs2IDgcY_np2UazpODfirGa_f8m9vIYYz0XCtttL379sZFUuwMoj49AYXqJ7G-6vwb9E2StzKesPD38dX28kdpCa98yuoCMTnvlYoYK4gpPYOBaRpuTZmZ5RB6l5f_vnp3GpUfwlqJQ8sCK4gm7gTMQlf5UMW-_h0RfyyKVOWzTK7wuvjQ=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6f0vKtljzxs2IDgcY_np2UazpODfirGa_f8m9vIYYz0XCtttL379sZFUuwMoj49AYXqJ7G-6vwb9E2StzKesPD38dX28kdpCa98yuoCMTnvlYoYK4gpPYOBaRpuTZmZ5RB6l5f_vnp3GpUfwlqJQ8sCK4gm7gTMQlf5UMW-_h0RfyyKVOWzTK7wuvjQ=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My roommate was very confused how the nutribullet was going to be used on the pastry piping tube, until I explained I was only using it to hold up the tube while filling<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>And here my troubles began. I used cooking spray instead of butter on my half-sheet, which I believe caused the already-runny dough to spread even more. Additionally, each of the puffs was already wider than the regulation one inch diameter called for in the recipe, but I found that I had enough batter to pipe over fifty puffs, far more than the "at least 35" in the recipe. Concerning. </p><p>While applying the egg wash, the silicone tines of the brush tended to stick on the surface of the piped pastries, and the egg wash was a little messy, causing crispy egg skirts to appear on the final product. In the future, I would like to try adding a tiny bit of water to loosen up the egg wash, and use a bristle brush, despite the concerns of errant bristles dropping, to try and prevent this from happening. But this is mostly aesthetic and did not seem to change functionality of the dough membrane.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjC5gWlryLdb0UXRy2gzMcYtg-VrlQFF4i-pHb1snpvMQzupV8R8wAF9ai0KCFO_xakIQNr6eOP5QjjqS_yycgpik7F4yot6KwY3R62WrBcdDOh_q-mszv3gEa-5uToByK8srjZLTxfID9o4IUufkOxZgjo-KPXEsuH1hOJxf0uIkfzP3O_8Z6fv7BRgg=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjC5gWlryLdb0UXRy2gzMcYtg-VrlQFF4i-pHb1snpvMQzupV8R8wAF9ai0KCFO_xakIQNr6eOP5QjjqS_yycgpik7F4yot6KwY3R62WrBcdDOh_q-mszv3gEa-5uToByK8srjZLTxfID9o4IUufkOxZgjo-KPXEsuH1hOJxf0uIkfzP3O_8Z6fv7BRgg=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First sheet of choux puffs piped. I got slightly better at piping as I went along, but way worse at spacing. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Choux pastry has another unique point according to The Book: it is not cooked on convection heat like other pastries, which would cause them to deflate. Similarly, opening the oven door during baking is absolutely forbidden, as it too will collapse the pastries before they have a chance to set in their inflated state. I baked the first tray for about 4 more minutes longer than the recipe called for, waiting for them to be truly golden brown before pulling the tray out.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLfqxfxIEVI-QsejT0Z4yV7p3NTSFdfzI7t2RTdz40Uotu177le8QUenfxzxUbK6nKwaQTh1xPxbRvTvnZoqFNkj0qmO3sXNkQTByt0dVlvdTokTMW4vtx7-U-WKKQhA36CAllLY1IXznK2BxKocrz6Uz75tvxMMQOrf2hICiFKeLWJcifI52LJUP_sw=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLfqxfxIEVI-QsejT0Z4yV7p3NTSFdfzI7t2RTdz40Uotu177le8QUenfxzxUbK6nKwaQTh1xPxbRvTvnZoqFNkj0qmO3sXNkQTByt0dVlvdTokTMW4vtx7-U-WKKQhA36CAllLY1IXznK2BxKocrz6Uz75tvxMMQOrf2hICiFKeLWJcifI52LJUP_sw=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">While none of these first batch deflated, they also never quite acquired a "foot" in their rising, turning into just larger versions of the hemispheres I piped instead of a round puff.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>While the first tray of puffs baked, I set to unwrapping my tartlet rings, which had just arrived a day prior. I cannot recommend the astounding amount of plastic around each stainless steel ring, and I was secondarily infuriated by the none-too-easily-removable sticker on the surface of each tart ring. Would it really be so hard to swap the order of operations so the sticker at least was on the plastic? <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhObdoRSV0Rhktud9egA_uiYXnrRXSfcFHfgPwYXCAQon3GDY81X8cOF-AiaPqqNJhN5Gv3mUjLuSrX-2rzg6EYBdOVBCXhSPMMFcM8CzdtB9rbEHcmNPqdDCMX_Yn7BrVStQbz04j694g75VHXCZC6QYUmbwu29Yfzowjzc-KiFgDv6kXQBvMRkWUY0g=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhObdoRSV0Rhktud9egA_uiYXnrRXSfcFHfgPwYXCAQon3GDY81X8cOF-AiaPqqNJhN5Gv3mUjLuSrX-2rzg6EYBdOVBCXhSPMMFcM8CzdtB9rbEHcmNPqdDCMX_Yn7BrVStQbz04j694g75VHXCZC6QYUmbwu29Yfzowjzc-KiFgDv6kXQBvMRkWUY0g=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why would you make your packaging like this? Everyone who uses labels that don't have easily releasing adhesive should be reprimanded strongly and beaten with a 3M catalog.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The second tray of tarts seemed to rise a little rounder than the first, and I wonder if this is due to the resting/drying time while the first tray baked. Many people let their piped choux dry out before baking, but there's no good consensus on whether this is necessary, though empirically the second tray was a better rise for me. It's also possible I got better at piping the dough, letting it fall from my piping tip in a blob on the tray instead of pulling upwards from a piped puddle. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqoDu6PvUTqUZ5DLDEQQ9ltCeUwD-IuuIl8AxrnMQ7f9JBeg0lnkwzfqVRKTYiFjVr2_oss0Z0Cf5YGxM_QoE2yz_AGt1ST42REUFAwsRwM7HOLa88MAMbA9AxsjTlvinnWNnxEgjC4KJeLdwubBpJtv4Xuxln0YFed__lPBAOG2tP9OXAbIv-xY5X3Q=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqoDu6PvUTqUZ5DLDEQQ9ltCeUwD-IuuIl8AxrnMQ7f9JBeg0lnkwzfqVRKTYiFjVr2_oss0Z0Cf5YGxM_QoE2yz_AGt1ST42REUFAwsRwM7HOLa88MAMbA9AxsjTlvinnWNnxEgjC4KJeLdwubBpJtv4Xuxln0YFed__lPBAOG2tP9OXAbIv-xY5X3Q=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The second batch, for reasons probably due to my piping technique and not due to drying, though I cannot confirm this until I make the next batch<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>With the choux puffs cooling on a rack, I left the oven on as instructed and brought out my tart dough once more to begin cutting out the dough. I should mention that this Sunday was still part of our heat wave from last week, and it was a balmy temperature indoors that immediately began softening my tart dough as I rolled it out. But the tart dough was pretty soft to begin with, even after three hours chilling in the fridge, and I wonder if chilling for longer would even help. </p><p>Nonetheless, I was able to roll out the dough with liberal amounts of flour, but nowhere near the called-for 2mm of thickness (mine was closer to 4mm). By some trick of nature, I got eight 10cm circles out of the first roll of the dough! Here's proof!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7g8GCNW83TypVScpTOAzJo8Cg9veEuaHZZEXnYEoGLHJ0Wcc8j2aX7V1WHZk6jIuW5gZFXZOsyJ3GJa7qD7SL_6nbve3vIrz-T0qUYgNCGsH8mK6mW3fGJmuXtov-_BYoIKJ2VC2FONGYNXo_n851tLrEMnhgaknRWbDPEja2DpPzT1xU3i5RU27-2g=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7g8GCNW83TypVScpTOAzJo8Cg9veEuaHZZEXnYEoGLHJ0Wcc8j2aX7V1WHZk6jIuW5gZFXZOsyJ3GJa7qD7SL_6nbve3vIrz-T0qUYgNCGsH8mK6mW3fGJmuXtov-_BYoIKJ2VC2FONGYNXo_n851tLrEMnhgaknRWbDPEja2DpPzT1xU3i5RU27-2g=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mug I used as an exactly 10cm outline, and the proof that all eight circles fit on the rolled out sheet on the first go!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The cinnamon sweet tart dough was very soft and sticky, and difficult to press into the tins. I had buttered the tart rings well just in case they were a replication of the aluminum tart pan first time woes, but these stainless steel rings seemed to demold just fine. However, despite how lovingly I'd packed the tart crust into the corners, they shrank away significantly as they baked, and also sagged, and also the bottom puffed up on several, and also the dough itself puffed a lot...the list of consternations goes on and on. Ultimately, these were closer to 2.5" in diameter and half an inch tall, with an inside volume that was even smaller than expected.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEig1KCbDgox_xcR2BB0-TYKNdztHAVDGsJN7KuyAHwSuoFD3hKqgZZoDd6_4AWv8_fC_ZO8fQAGZ0mtYxDCeBxMZCIHIVCXcXvniaH63JlKQ9xJ2wR9dXlPNvrmvjbToBJ0dS2NU0LvXBsG6onf59Fs09lN6IGLM7PUybPFgoiwKbKcskqfzPy-K59VBg=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEig1KCbDgox_xcR2BB0-TYKNdztHAVDGsJN7KuyAHwSuoFD3hKqgZZoDd6_4AWv8_fC_ZO8fQAGZ0mtYxDCeBxMZCIHIVCXcXvniaH63JlKQ9xJ2wR9dXlPNvrmvjbToBJ0dS2NU0LvXBsG6onf59Fs09lN6IGLM7PUybPFgoiwKbKcskqfzPy-K59VBg=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are some ugly tart shells, yo<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Based on the delicate image provided in The Book, I'm going to have to try rolling out the dough while it's much firmer, and possibly even freezing the shells once they are put inside the rings for a few minutes before baking. At least they had no trouble demolding. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZqM3obi3ylcIrL8L5uddj76XZvb34BC-kOeWo4A-19LcqiJR0VK2s5Leq5ctp-mmdw0RlJKgs421UUciUwXRtAchar0lpmT3E8dYNbcrhmAJIx6Gc6nuA-Xl-6IO64ZALbqI1h-XTCAVvwADU33iENA2BqeJXLe9ZcVkBmUCdWNwVlW-DIw93HG8b1w=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZqM3obi3ylcIrL8L5uddj76XZvb34BC-kOeWo4A-19LcqiJR0VK2s5Leq5ctp-mmdw0RlJKgs421UUciUwXRtAchar0lpmT3E8dYNbcrhmAJIx6Gc6nuA-Xl-6IO64ZALbqI1h-XTCAVvwADU33iENA2BqeJXLe9ZcVkBmUCdWNwVlW-DIw93HG8b1w=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They pulled away in all directions from the edges and puffed into the center<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>While the tart shells cooled, I made the pastry cream, which was very straightforward, and stuck it in the fridge to chill with a piece of plastic wrap pressed to the surface to prevent a skin from forming as usual. I did find that my egg yolk scrambled ever so slightly, and I'd heard of a tip to use an immersion blender afterwards, but I risked using it as filling as is because there were so many components to this tart that they would surely distract from the cream's texture (and based on my housemates' feedback, I was totally right). <br /></p><p>I opened a choux experimentally. Success! The inside was one large airy cavity, and the texture was a little eggy but still tender, with a significant savory taste from the equal parts of salt to sugar in the recipe. These would be delicious filled with an herbed ricotta or similar cream cheese.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3UgkmnDpSPkSw5tjIVOrCzgfXaEoBZ4vqjtQeMRLG_2CwZWBMOK97JIDOpLHN-a35xG5GXoWXvpbVOH6F0HfLGTBxuGK9S1BQBS6gHl8jp7MPoKvjXo_Lc6WIqjI4j-KktHhpQ3LhrpR8j9g0XggNXzwbWho8LIA3-L9UdPoP8j_4NrYgwf2669bIBA=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3UgkmnDpSPkSw5tjIVOrCzgfXaEoBZ4vqjtQeMRLG_2CwZWBMOK97JIDOpLHN-a35xG5GXoWXvpbVOH6F0HfLGTBxuGK9S1BQBS6gHl8jp7MPoKvjXo_Lc6WIqjI4j-KktHhpQ3LhrpR8j9g0XggNXzwbWho8LIA3-L9UdPoP8j_4NrYgwf2669bIBA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The puffs were correctly hollow and very easy to eat too many of.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>When it came time to pipe the cream, however, I ran into my second scaling issue: I only had enough cream for about twelve cream puffs and five tart shells (once I realized I was running out of cream and went to fill the tart shells). Not to mention my second scaling issue, which is that the choux puffs were WAY TOO BIG to fit on my slightly shrunken tart shells. I settled for placing one each on a shell, and, with the lack of space for additional whipped cream garnish, just drizzled chocolate on top. </p><p>Drizzling chocolate was also a nightmare. I'm not sure whether I was just too scared to be messy, the chocolate wasn't warm enough, or if I wasn't supposed to try and make a parchment cone for drizzling, but I ended up using a spoon and it was very sloppy work. I've done enough origami that I feel like I should be able to make a better cone next time. <br /></p><p>The below is an image of the spread that exemplifies the scaling issues with this recipe. From left to right: Five tart shells and five filled cream puffs, a plate of extra cinnamon orange shortbread cookies and two empty tart shells, five filled cream puffs, and about thirty unfilled cream puffs still on the rack. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0jC-Ku7reI-Gkc255UJ1ges0A0A0760h2jbILKl9gKsedKYz-gQtWuBhmtVHNq6C-kPXUHPhB103NJ4uBYEGjhzCD1aGCIVDIS-zZPIqM1DWX4aYnjdvIvcZNLsdllcvSXnRUqkR63_Th98PcqYTD_f-8cxgMXNrU2774zZFJuCbH9ufrTHyC93KCEA=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0jC-Ku7reI-Gkc255UJ1ges0A0A0760h2jbILKl9gKsedKYz-gQtWuBhmtVHNq6C-kPXUHPhB103NJ4uBYEGjhzCD1aGCIVDIS-zZPIqM1DWX4aYnjdvIvcZNLsdllcvSXnRUqkR63_Th98PcqYTD_f-8cxgMXNrU2774zZFJuCbH9ufrTHyC93KCEA=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ratios in the parts of this recipe were really messed up. I have no idea how this could possibly have been reconciled through simply better technique.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>The unfilled chouquettes were devoured quite readily by my roommates over the next day, though the cream puff tarts were a bit of a higher commitment to be consumed, and took about 3 days to disappear from the fridge (though I imagine part of that is also Out of sight, out of mind). <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjseuo0jbLuQn1o8uEeL0J4yKJaWikEsQunkpGXP7XjmXcc7TY67d-hal76FgeGKRzVFkP-LrokL-BpVwlXd9mHNr9xtY8A-k78gI3EmCubzhKTQSXKyEGtlLTLAwlx2ra85wxlPFAbNzZbXMtLgrlnAAugAtXawMuBMiTcml5Wz3XViyaBHBc3jkmqfw=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjseuo0jbLuQn1o8uEeL0J4yKJaWikEsQunkpGXP7XjmXcc7TY67d-hal76FgeGKRzVFkP-LrokL-BpVwlXd9mHNr9xtY8A-k78gI3EmCubzhKTQSXKyEGtlLTLAwlx2ra85wxlPFAbNzZbXMtLgrlnAAugAtXawMuBMiTcml5Wz3XViyaBHBc3jkmqfw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>These did not taste bad, though I liked them better a day later after the components had all mellowed out in texture to each other a bit. But a combination of the scales being incredibly off of each component, the quantity of the recipes not working together, and the tart dough being very uncooperative has led me to the conclusion that I have to bake this again in its entirety. The end result is just too far off from the objective. I will be trying this, along with a puff pastry experiment, before allowing myself to move onto the next section of classic cakes. </p><p>Some thoughts for how to improve the imminent iteration: </p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I'm going to halve the quantity of choux pastry the next time I make this. Even with the surface area/interior volume ratio shift if I pipe even smaller puffs, there's no way this much batter can be used for just eight tarts of four tiny puffs each. </li><li>As mentioned, I'm going to try refrigerating the cinnamon shortcrust even longer to allow me to roll it out thinner and freezing before I bake the tart shells to prevent so much puffing/shrinking. </li><li>I'm going to try the immersion blender reconstitution of the scrambled custard (if I scramble it again! haha!)</li><li>I should have trusted my instincts when I felt adding more eggs would make the choux batter too runny. Hopefully a stiffer batter will allow me to pipe more precisely small and hemispherical blobs. </li><li>I'm going to pipe two sheets as closely as I can and let one rest and the other bake immediately. Maybe I will bake the second sheet first so I can prove whether it's my technique or the resting/drying. <br /></li><li>What is up indeed with making a parchment cone for decoration! Both The Book and the Curley patisserie book include a how-to on making a parchment cone for fine decoration, so maybe there's just a preference for it over a disposable plastic cone with the smallest tip cut off? I suppose I shall try this again as well, I fail to imagine how one achieves such tidy chocolate drizzles without secretly piping it on with one of these. </li><li>I bought some pearl sugar, which I'm excited to try decorating with for the first time. </li><li>I feel so validated that the other blog author had similar problems with this recipe, and now, having become quite an accomplished baker of choux pastry among other things, vows that Edd Kimber's recipe for choux is their go-to: https://www.patisseriemakesperfect.co.uk/hazelnut-praline-choux-buns/ I noticed that the recipe there includes no milk, has only a quarter of the amount of salt vs sugar, and contains both AP and "strong" flour (bread flour-ish?), although I am somewhat chagrined to see that the ratio of eggs to flour is roughly the same, so maybe I'll just have to accept that the batter should be runnier than I think. "when it is lifted from the bowl, it should fall from the spatula in a ribbon that forms a "V" shape." But this recipe also asks for the dough to be piped into hemisphere molds and then frozen before baking, which seems like cheating/not how the french would do it. I might bake a separate batch of these alongside the half batch of the ones from The Book, and compare the two. Goodbye, dozen eggs I just bought.<br /></li></ul>Quote of the day: "Hahahaha no. No way. Just no." -My roommate Ryan, when I wondered aloud how I was supposed to fit a tetrahedron of cream puffs on a single tart shell. <br /><p><br /></p>Helena Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948134617740274723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3324966668274170747.post-31386603559898821332022-02-13T16:17:00.000-08:002022-02-17T23:22:38.482-08:00Patisserie 3: Feuilletage/Puff pastry/Tarte aux Poires/Pear tart with almond cream<div><p>I had some pears I wanted to use, so I skipped ahead to an intermediate
recipe from the holidays section for a tart with pears, dried fruits,
and almond cream. The note at the very bottom of the Tarte aux Poires recipe says: "Readymade all-butter puff pastry dough can replace the homemade." Since I had yet to make any of the puff-pastry-type recipes in the tarts section, I decided to make this one from scratch, essentially turning this one recipe into three (candied orange peel being the third component I needed to make from scratch, also from the holiday section). </p><p>Puff pastry is often used in napoleons and more traditional galettes (french open-faced tinless pies), though recently galettes have sort of fused with pie dough as a base. Puff pastry, like other laminated doughs (doughs that are folded and rolled out multiple times to create layers of butter between layers of dough, rather than creaming together sugar and butter and flour), is very reliant on keeping the dough and butter cold while working with it to minimize the amount of butter absorbed into the dough. The distinct layers then separate slightly during baking, with the steam from the butter layer helping the dough layers puff up and the fat from the butter layer gently frying the dough, achieving a bunch of flaky, crisp layers as a final result. </p><p>To keep the dough cold and flaky, there's three common strategies, usually employed together: </p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Use cold workpieces (marble rolling pin, marble worksurface, or iced work surface)</li><li>Use multiple days to prepare the dough, chilling well in between each folding and rolling process</li><li>Use as little flour as possible and a cold dough to prevent sticking</li></ul><p>There's a small fourth rule, for the final rolling out prior to baking, to be gentle and not smush or stretch the dough too much, which I failed to do well, but more on that later.</p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>Once I decided to make this recipe, I began the afternoon before I intended to bake the tart, because puff pastry has at least one overnight chill cycle. San Francisco had a bit of an early summer last week, with highs in the upper 70s, which was honestly terrible for my choice of recipes this week. Additionally, our kitchen island counter where I prefer to work is positioned directly above the dishwasher, and both days that I worked on puff pastry, the dishwasher had just finished running and had dumped as much heat as possible into the marble slab directly above it. So, I settled for the next best thing, which was to use the giant slab of steel we inexplicably have lying around in the kitchen with the cutting boards, with frozen ice packs laid out underneath it to chill the steel while I rolled out the dough. </p><p>The <i>détrempe</i> dough (flour, salt, sugar, melted butter) came together easily, and after letting it chill for 2 hours, I set to making the <<butter square>>. Honestly, I wish I knew a better way to do this; I basically unwrapped the sticks, laid the wax paper back on top, and beat the three sticks of butter with my rolling pin until they flattened out, but they cracked quite a bit and did not completely come together. Next time I try making puff pastry, I will probably try laying all three smushed sticks on top of each other and rolling them out into a square, instead of butt-splicing them. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjdKPoEc1tluJOSJAH0tnqL2PvXrrgfWFjaJQP_yH0FwpT4eMgbwm2xc7y64SglKJsi-T5eff_jYtGwHV0du53N-i9axXuJtke1OvrEJAE07-hlQEFerpoPpnHcZPTB7gL6eXTHrcXjsKFceZXRwl1flE1_V3CCadDMe0eT04yH9m825rh48ZDm99xHig=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjdKPoEc1tluJOSJAH0tnqL2PvXrrgfWFjaJQP_yH0FwpT4eMgbwm2xc7y64SglKJsi-T5eff_jYtGwHV0du53N-i9axXuJtke1OvrEJAE07-hlQEFerpoPpnHcZPTB7gL6eXTHrcXjsKFceZXRwl1flE1_V3CCadDMe0eT04yH9m825rh48ZDm99xHig=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BUTTER SQUARE BUTTER SQUARE butter square? I 'ardly know 'er square<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>After making a butter square and rolling out the chilled dough to be large enough to accommodate the butter diagonally, I wrapped as instructed. Getting flashbacks to all those times my origami creases weren't precise enough in my cootie catchers and the corners didn't meet in the middle...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-WD-3qwD7dk8NIXs9iebL-URJ_ROJs1lkTZ3F3ee02c2D0iBrKlIq8frzhxklhOtAJlihXWsTwWjn_wMoiri01ZQ-CZhKadbBr0pCKTrqPfzXXxPEzqWjdAADYBXcU_C85tt5tUY1hpoloc-gwTAFL1xscEUhvgZSNgXXe6RRCkOaHeyr3XmzBkpLxQ=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-WD-3qwD7dk8NIXs9iebL-URJ_ROJs1lkTZ3F3ee02c2D0iBrKlIq8frzhxklhOtAJlihXWsTwWjn_wMoiri01ZQ-CZhKadbBr0pCKTrqPfzXXxPEzqWjdAADYBXcU_C85tt5tUY1hpoloc-gwTAFL1xscEUhvgZSNgXXe6RRCkOaHeyr3XmzBkpLxQ=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Envelope/butter dumpling ready to be rolled out<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I rolled out the dough+butter packet into a long rectangle nearly the entire length of my cutting board, and folded it into thirds, like a letter. This creates effectively 7 layers where there were once 3, counting butter and dough as separate layers (and minus the 2 layers where the dough meets dough). The French count layers of butter and dough as part of the final layers, where other schools might only count layers of butter. I then set it to chill in the fridge for a bit before doing my first <i>tour</i>, or "turn", which begins being counted as soon as a letter-folded dough is first rolled out, and finishes when it gets letter folded again. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNBNuRkXRqzZWfbsuOQM6jg4Y3ZeTiugkUOKednkhpZ6xRuhnQJ6FgYy_ud8kPrJv7r9i8ZWv2ZfBwMHen0MUchfebq6NonZxjO_KW_dxn_CJXC7QVy_SkRXVWK1Epwyi8JVKnsitJAZOiNsgFU_ycyrPWDVkS8WTSFsypHk1Ud--WYlcmpjNhTydhZA=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNBNuRkXRqzZWfbsuOQM6jg4Y3ZeTiugkUOKednkhpZ6xRuhnQJ6FgYy_ud8kPrJv7r9i8ZWv2ZfBwMHen0MUchfebq6NonZxjO_KW_dxn_CJXC7QVy_SkRXVWK1Epwyi8JVKnsitJAZOiNsgFU_ycyrPWDVkS8WTSFsypHk1Ud--WYlcmpjNhTydhZA=s320" width="240" /></a></div>After chilling and swapping out for new ice packs underneath the cutting board, I pulled out the dough, rotated it so that one of the open edges faced me, and rolled it out again to initiate the turn. The turn called for rolling out between 8-9mm. I am being very extra and proving that I did such using my calipers here. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvbn3Wf5tB2oOpTm5H4cQBKkCJxWtIV7mkgXrkv7LRoVYHsxV3_dxfOAWCY37WnNNzokvVulo-TwfcsRwXXE9KTGo7FkDAmKEnu9KhW0rOtUzdMBIPCmPN3Wji1XLCk67C_gIVKCxMSJCGfRsf_Gtmnzp79VU3N0iRGgrd_NG8cCJLf0OMgAVeUI-_sA=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvbn3Wf5tB2oOpTm5H4cQBKkCJxWtIV7mkgXrkv7LRoVYHsxV3_dxfOAWCY37WnNNzokvVulo-TwfcsRwXXE9KTGo7FkDAmKEnu9KhW0rOtUzdMBIPCmPN3Wji1XLCk67C_gIVKCxMSJCGfRsf_Gtmnzp79VU3N0iRGgrd_NG8cCJLf0OMgAVeUI-_sA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I did wash my calipers before taking this photo<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>After a second turn, it was time to let it chill for "2 hours or preferably overnight." Some quick math: For every turn using the letter fold method, the existing layers are tripled, and then 4 layers of dough-touching-dough are merged into 2 layers. So number of layers = (number of pre-turn layers) * 3 - 2. Traditionally, puff pastry undergoes 6 turns, yielding 1459 layers in the final pastry (hence the name for <i>Mille-feuille </i>cake hinting at its "thousand leaves" of puff pastry and cream). </p><p>Typically, two turns are done in succession, and then the dough is returned to chill in order to prevent the butter from melting or the gluten from toughening the dough. So, I set the dough aside for the evening, coming back the next morning to complete two quick turns and shoving it back into the fridge in preparation for the final turns right before baking. </p><p>I moved onto the tart contents. Lacking lemons but having an abundance of oranges, I candied double the amount of orange peel, blanching three times in simmering water for 1 minute at a time, using fresh water in each blanch to get rid of any bitterness in the peel. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtFIwVkLlt2BZ5OlkkxQOb0JHq-2SN_afkD1u1x3Dj5-SpLrP-NoQyEk6zQsYsjLnfmjGZ-YCQn9B5q9q5IGr1w_vneF8qgaA2Y8EV2bMsFAHu2FdyowdJMchEVloqWdP0h_XZh0AXADZRgsFmqS5jHZpj0QmnA8iwzvvNQ2eRVXyL93E-aPT2Nw8g3Q=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtFIwVkLlt2BZ5OlkkxQOb0JHq-2SN_afkD1u1x3Dj5-SpLrP-NoQyEk6zQsYsjLnfmjGZ-YCQn9B5q9q5IGr1w_vneF8qgaA2Y8EV2bMsFAHu2FdyowdJMchEVloqWdP0h_XZh0AXADZRgsFmqS5jHZpj0QmnA8iwzvvNQ2eRVXyL93E-aPT2Nw8g3Q=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blanched orange peels and naked orange in the back. This company makes good honey, though my choice of Civic Center local honey may be questionable<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I then heated a syrup of 3:5 sugar-water, simmered the blanched orange peels for 2 minutes, and removed from heat and stirred in a teaspoon of honey. Since I was going to be using them later that day, I did not decant the peels into a jar to store and just let them cool to room temperature inside the simmering pot and liquid.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEwXjKJCTVjzdLbe7TUJ9Q4pB_vg-ZDrHYmNc2WbuvSd0TMiG0CtzSOGVKHup6wdcHf42B6V8TRl6QDv_1D6gQ9Bz10AkzXs01NxY7YwQdpFX2K5s2GP6cvO3jY-YBCEmbVEY6_a8g_kdV2InSEXW3h-KNvuXxNhrbQAY7ZWT35VuAYCHKfIpilzsYbQ=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEwXjKJCTVjzdLbe7TUJ9Q4pB_vg-ZDrHYmNc2WbuvSd0TMiG0CtzSOGVKHup6wdcHf42B6V8TRl6QDv_1D6gQ9Bz10AkzXs01NxY7YwQdpFX2K5s2GP6cvO3jY-YBCEmbVEY6_a8g_kdV2InSEXW3h-KNvuXxNhrbQAY7ZWT35VuAYCHKfIpilzsYbQ=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simmering the orange peels in the sugar syrup<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>It was time for the second to last turn (the final turn is done as part of the final rolling out to size). After the turn, I weighed the entire block of dough, since the recipe for the tart only required 250g. THIS IS NOT A DRILL: THE PUFF PASTRY RECIPE MADE 1200G OF PUFF PASTRY. That's...over 2.5lb of pastry, which is a lot. I cut the dough in half, and then halved one of the halves, figuring that I would not be annoyed with a little extra 50g of pastry while rolling out to a large circle, and put the rest in a labeled plastic bag in the freezer for a future use. The small portion I put in the fridge to chill prior to final turn.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizgljHtoBD7bd0a2vUmsdyj_cebLlgqIHC7Gqyrehyh2GnnTEK5AurNVm8DHWxDmMaUGVZ-EtmPz8CDCfl5gQ4kq62xUcd0b3Z5MvU-ULc8jfiYWjbOcm1Qh4991emkSD8wONi2Ww8-BnJLc7fs2JWil--HO6dMxFW0xuQ_D6E2QX5tdmNF8CIhEw37Q=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizgljHtoBD7bd0a2vUmsdyj_cebLlgqIHC7Gqyrehyh2GnnTEK5AurNVm8DHWxDmMaUGVZ-EtmPz8CDCfl5gQ4kq62xUcd0b3Z5MvU-ULc8jfiYWjbOcm1Qh4991emkSD8wONi2Ww8-BnJLc7fs2JWil--HO6dMxFW0xuQ_D6E2QX5tdmNF8CIhEw37Q=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few layers visible on the cut edge of this portion of dough, and more unfortunately loose pats of butter visible through the thin outer layer of dough<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>It was time to return to my old nemesis: segmenting citrus. Oranges being firmer than mandarins allowed clean removal of the outside white pith, and the segments were likewise larger and easier to cut out. I laid them on a paper towel to dry the surfaces. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgTTHYDyBP0KyTKIfSIwK0zAW_K_oMuUygx5R_IM8z6z0_zsvKyo0-OC4xpXtO0dOuENoAktrQqf7VQ1VSKHo1vrCqiTbZR3N_biDUKorkOEYRdCSvSCnX0fP6hPLH3WvkTgLvQ7CS8BQqvBQNJfsg_tuIilbM_LMTKpVSs58hUKPqXmRJakZUXilxkQ=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgTTHYDyBP0KyTKIfSIwK0zAW_K_oMuUygx5R_IM8z6z0_zsvKyo0-OC4xpXtO0dOuENoAktrQqf7VQ1VSKHo1vrCqiTbZR3N_biDUKorkOEYRdCSvSCnX0fP6hPLH3WvkTgLvQ7CS8BQqvBQNJfsg_tuIilbM_LMTKpVSs58hUKPqXmRJakZUXilxkQ=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm getting better at extracting citrus segments!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>At this point, my friend Noah showed up because we were supposed to go
to a show soon, and I was running behind schedule and still in pajama
pants, so photos get a little sparse. </p><p>I rolled out the portioned puff pastry as thinly as I could, but found two issues: </p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The puff pastry was rapidly warming, and since I was hesitant to flour more liberally, it began to stick to the cutting board and stretch. A few places opened up and began leaking butter. </li><li>The dough was not very relaxed and "fought" me a lot, rebounding despite being rolled. </li></ul></div><p>Had I more time, I would have set it back into the fridge to chill and relax more before attempting to roll out to full tart coverage diameter. But I pressed on boldly with quite some pressure to roll out, barely getting to the edges of the tart pan when I finally was able to fit it in. I crimped the edges and then immediately rushed it back into the fridge while I prepped the final ingredients. </p><p>The almond cream was straightforward, and I whisked butter with eggs, almond flour, flour, sugar, cream, and a dash of Dessa's Time and Distance whiskey instead of dark rum. I had three pears, but I suspect the book references smaller fruit than I've ever had on hand, since this is the second time it's asked me to quarter fruit and serve (the first being the upside down caramel apple tart). I cut the pears into sixths, or, for my largest one, eighths. Finally, I drained the candied orange peels from earlier and chopped them up into rough pieces. The recipe calls for dried prunes and figs as well, and I almost stuck in the remaining cranberries from last weekend's tart, but decided against it at last minute and kept it simple. </p><p>I arranged the pears in the tart shell, then the oranges on top, and lastly scattered the orange peels. I then distributed the cream throughout the pan, trying to not exceed "8mm below the rim of the tart), to varying success. I ended up pouring in all but about 2 tablespoons of the cream. I baked with convection heat for 30 minutes at 400deg F with the tart on a supporting baking tray, which was prudent because the cream did overflow in places. <br /></p><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5u8PC0QxD2awWdlPWE-urvsSRjFDych2VgH4Njux-ojZKBWrnxl_GmCwQmwk1wnq0TmRvvvtZP9eNnKAyW6porByk_ME0mi2YXwAZRLCmbraGXeDNOGiz3xU_2wloNAPk0F7CxkirkiwlsIym6951gcZRYTo72mHodH6PwMNN8fDu9wvkF5316MxtwQ=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5u8PC0QxD2awWdlPWE-urvsSRjFDych2VgH4Njux-ojZKBWrnxl_GmCwQmwk1wnq0TmRvvvtZP9eNnKAyW6porByk_ME0mi2YXwAZRLCmbraGXeDNOGiz3xU_2wloNAPk0F7CxkirkiwlsIym6951gcZRYTo72mHodH6PwMNN8fDu9wvkF5316MxtwQ=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tart filled and ready for baking! Shout out to Dessa and her very cleverly named bottle of Time and Distance to cure all my heart's ailments<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>When I returned later that evening (thanks to my roommate Kai pulling the tart out of the oven on time when I had to leave for my event), it honestly looked great! The cream had pulled underneath and around the fruit and puffed up as it baked, evening out the surface, which may have been a little better looking had I added the dried fruits, though the caramelized bits of orange peel and cream are plenty cozy in my opinion. The puff pastry crust had also not shrunk significantly down from the top of the pan, which is always a big concern when doughs seem too stretchy when rolling out (they will tighten and shrink once they bake, and then you get shallow tarts). <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhv-onPuB-j7fVL4YuktnitnUq_5oNuFyjcjfaTb7DnmaBWYVfdApJ7yvl9r6JweJmbZwCYTB8btvCIR40rfVevS-8tPrkTfDSxyyMKMOB5H7azafj4qHvomeq6QlzAhXgTDxLHetPIvkfu_t1ddRAZKtWxC4nXMOvJC5kA5b5PcxeLW8v3PYhSgn-w5A=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhv-onPuB-j7fVL4YuktnitnUq_5oNuFyjcjfaTb7DnmaBWYVfdApJ7yvl9r6JweJmbZwCYTB8btvCIR40rfVevS-8tPrkTfDSxyyMKMOB5H7azafj4qHvomeq6QlzAhXgTDxLHetPIvkfu_t1ddRAZKtWxC4nXMOvJC5kA5b5PcxeLW8v3PYhSgn-w5A=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I would feel good bringing this to a party, I think!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I had high hopes when I demolded the edge of the tart pan, based on the layers I saw of the puff pastry peeking out from beside the cream. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwR6pem4WLfNHAw5VmM7qVSQrXQHkbAXkRSUQ8ZI3AWMhusFJYJxUPbWNR-TBXIWTgN7qVRN9orqYATFkwDegz03ZmOVYaiEULFvtZUT5X28WUU9y0lGJiz6AP6Ysdu-Ho1YaM_Hk9d_9O81hlReqvXD-bgiZ7z8OH2Lm-qa38dUHVL-aXC_a3RbNIzA=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwR6pem4WLfNHAw5VmM7qVSQrXQHkbAXkRSUQ8ZI3AWMhusFJYJxUPbWNR-TBXIWTgN7qVRN9orqYATFkwDegz03ZmOVYaiEULFvtZUT5X28WUU9y0lGJiz6AP6Ysdu-Ho1YaM_Hk9d_9O81hlReqvXD-bgiZ7z8OH2Lm-qa38dUHVL-aXC_a3RbNIzA=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice layers on the border puff pastry, even browning on the edges, and a little bit of overflowing cream on the left side<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>But alas! All was not as well as it seemed upon the surface! Despite a protective layer of brown sugar and almond flour sprinkled upon the base of the tart pan, the bottom of the puff pastry crust was gummy and pale. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaAoeP0vi_ZUVPvjvXFsR9nDwy9rVe4QSglC30aAabRktzwaqUOU8vZ1WIrMhV6Yqgepc63fftfTqHSrhSjcy8i98268A1eiIDrQfZGz1xKoIADSG6QwJnLI3l4HerDtpTbf0Xcn15q24JR49YeZ9cXpEd3zKfkcHVqZHIePBrkAUWdK8jKLnvLqRO7A=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaAoeP0vi_ZUVPvjvXFsR9nDwy9rVe4QSglC30aAabRktzwaqUOU8vZ1WIrMhV6Yqgepc63fftfTqHSrhSjcy8i98268A1eiIDrQfZGz1xKoIADSG6QwJnLI3l4HerDtpTbf0Xcn15q24JR49YeZ9cXpEd3zKfkcHVqZHIePBrkAUWdK8jKLnvLqRO7A=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sad gummy bottom crust, despite a glorious cross section on the vertical sides of the tart<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Some thoughts on what went right and what went wrong: </p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Could have poured in a little less of the filling to preserve an aesthetic border, I did not know it would puff up so much in baking</li><li>Sixths was the right call for the pears, and perhaps even eighths, depending on whether people prefer slightly firmer pears or not</li><li>The tart was really great tasting! I really liked the almond cream and how light it tasted with the fresh pears and the little pings of zest. It, too was consumed by my house and friends in less than 24 hours; we're keeping up better than I thought we would!<br /></li><li>I had a hard time keeping the edges of the puff pastry square as I was doing the turns, and the lack of squareness I suspect was structural due to the butter square in the very beginning. A more homogeneous butter square would make it less likely to crack unevenly during folding. </li><li>If I had the the dough rest more in the final turn, the bottom might not have been gummy. I imagine the borders getting all the flakiness is due to the rolling out pushing the layers of butter towards the edges of the dough as it warmed and I pushed too hard, with the butter layers not having the resilience of the dough layers to spring back into place. </li></ul><p>So, in essence, I think a lot of my problems with puff pastry would be improved if I kept the dough colder, used more flour to keep me honest about the dough needing more rest, and took more time making it. Which I was fully aware of from the beginning, but somehow still managed to be too impatient for. Luckily, I have 3/4 of the puff pastry recipe left, and while I may not be able to salvage all of the mistakes I made thus far, I can at least see if being aggressive with chilling and gentler with rolling out will be able to prevent the issues from happening to the same magnitude. I will try baking with another quarter next week. </p><p>Quote of the day: <br />Noah, helpful: "Be careful, you don't want to cut yourself."</p><p>Me, cocky: "I've been using this knife longer than I've been in San Francisco."</p><p>I have been using my same chef knife for about 8 years now, but I found out later that Noah had just cut himself while cooking the day before. I am still a summer child who has not known the wrath of a knife.<br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Helena Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948134617740274723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3324966668274170747.post-69870103495217668842022-02-10T14:11:00.002-08:002022-02-10T14:11:18.389-08:00Patisserie 2: Pâte à étirer/Apple Strudel Tart<p> One week into my regimented study of patisserie, and I'm already mixing things up a bit. Due to the apple excess in my house and the fact that my smaller tart rings were not slated to arrive until later this week, I thought I would go ahead and skip to an "Advanced" recipe for Tourte Landaise, or an apple strudel tart. </p><p></p><blockquote>Strudel pastry: Thin, unleavened sheets of elastic dough roughly the thickness of phyllo. Usually contains flour, oil, and some salt; this recipe included an egg and cold water as well.</blockquote><p>Firstly, this recipe makes 2 9" tarts. Who needs that many tarts? I set out with the intent to split the dough into halves before the resting step so I could freeze one half for a later date. </p><p>I decided to use my stand mixer for mixing, which was one of the options given in the recipe, because the dough looked like it would be sticky at first and require a fair amount of kneading for the gluten formation to create adequate stretching ability. <span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>A note on flour age: Up to this point, I have mostly been using the leftover flour from the 50lb bag in our pantry. I had no way of knowing how old this flour was, but it was at least 8 months old (and probably more). I've noticed in the past that flour more than a year old definitely has issues with either water absorption or gluten formation (which are related for reasons easily explainable). So, knowing that this recipe would require reliable gluten formation, I opted to use about 2/3 of my newly bought flour from last week, and only use 1/3 "old flour". I'll try to use up the rest of the old flour in recipes like tarts and puff pastry where the dough is not as sensitive or needs as much manual stretching.<br /></p><p>I find that most doughs are ready once they leave my stand mixer bowl clean, grabbing all the bits from the sides as they are kneaded on the hook. I found that this dough relaxed very readily, so I worked it quite hard by hand until it was very stiff before proceeding so it wouldn't stick too much.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgP_N0c966f4QpQNgLF2GSwlbykgHJiX4Q4otG8iu1ZWwnRrwtp7mD0I48cI0h0OTTEtkgW_8vUyHKx1MNNZZhvMiFwc8T20Yhy4zNkQXIMFVSEktbed6a7TW3YdVg_L0XMj-wrz2ObRNCPYH1rUAMywG9CSoX6VevhR6nK1oQPqDVol0xvPnm8AQCDmQ=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgP_N0c966f4QpQNgLF2GSwlbykgHJiX4Q4otG8iu1ZWwnRrwtp7mD0I48cI0h0OTTEtkgW_8vUyHKx1MNNZZhvMiFwc8T20Yhy4zNkQXIMFVSEktbed6a7TW3YdVg_L0XMj-wrz2ObRNCPYH1rUAMywG9CSoX6VevhR6nK1oQPqDVol0xvPnm8AQCDmQ=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kneaded strudel dough looking pretty much like the images in The Book<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Next, the recipe asks for the dough to be shaped into the "roundest possible" ball and covered in oil, allowing to rest for 7 minutes. I used canola oil throughout this recipe instead of grapeseed oil, for no good reason except that's what I had on hand. I used my stand mixer bowl for this soaking step because it was steeper, and even still, you can see that I flattened the dough ball slightly to allow it to submerge in the stated amount of oil. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYQdqg6q6oyPyMB4AAeOAgLNYVNZXayRP7upYndPsxBZWT6379SwDT26TW8HoWqj2bv_89ef_CUoinose-bQGbl7mb6ZElt4_jt02mEvF40zPu2HECeHLBxHSV6SskD8VErD3Fmqcmnocj1BfIsdUOvFZmOmemDJmfayltIJSdVxukEcBi2EMJ-1vqwA=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYQdqg6q6oyPyMB4AAeOAgLNYVNZXayRP7upYndPsxBZWT6379SwDT26TW8HoWqj2bv_89ef_CUoinose-bQGbl7mb6ZElt4_jt02mEvF40zPu2HECeHLBxHSV6SskD8VErD3Fmqcmnocj1BfIsdUOvFZmOmemDJmfayltIJSdVxukEcBi2EMJ-1vqwA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh to be a nice dough ball resting in a bath of oil...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>After the seven minute bath was done, I separated the dough into two balls of the same weight. My precision in separating them came back to bite me, which I will describe later. Suffice to say, it would have been better if I'd made one cut down the middle with a pastry cutter and been done with it, instead of snipping pieces off of the heavier ball to tack onto the smaller one until they were exactly the same weight. I put one ball in a ziploc bag and labeled it with the pastry name and date to stick in the freezer, and placed the other one back in the bowl and covered it with plastic wrap to rest in the fridge.</p><p>Meanwhile, I clarified the butter, which would later be used to brush the pastry sheets. The recipe mentions that while normal butter will work, clarified butter will not burn as it bakes. The book recommends using no less than 250g of butter at a time for clarifying, and after putting only 80g in my smallest saucepan, I could see why: it's much easier to skim the foam off of the top once it's melted if your butter pool is deeper. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmdrN9Xojosd1Xpm8tLNqLTPRHwLFuBM8V3RZvaI8jFsglWidW9glPmSERmdWPFogYeriijuoPm020qHcZTUy6wzlthf9no82wGKqzT4Y5_P5UhjSMU2KkCjOEBaSqeSe8DI_Ln4i0QovG7OlCF2pHq37DOxvag7_kt5bpDsZWIQYWI0alW4bWlh8xKw=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmdrN9Xojosd1Xpm8tLNqLTPRHwLFuBM8V3RZvaI8jFsglWidW9glPmSERmdWPFogYeriijuoPm020qHcZTUy6wzlthf9no82wGKqzT4Y5_P5UhjSMU2KkCjOEBaSqeSe8DI_Ln4i0QovG7OlCF2pHq37DOxvag7_kt5bpDsZWIQYWI0alW4bWlh8xKw=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Melted butter in the process of being skimmed<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I am glad I decided to clarify the entire 80g, thinking it would not be the worst thing if I had extra clarified butter. I lost roughly twenty percent of my butter weight to the clarifying process, leaving me around 67g (the recipe calls for 65g per tart). I was not the cleanest at pouring the butter out of the pan, and I wonder if there's an easier way to leave the milk solids behind next time. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgimqcbT5Nl6AI6BslMe42ooGI7SjKIDoGic9ZtgJcIPe7K0a5JEdlTIFVo599cPvOgW0h4WV4-IxSVCGDXSfheShJMIG6DtT9GMwRLl_w2m-rN8m6wc_urvod5W_W4UWmiXyazskHZA7iwThpqa7lLjOWTr0Seynp7qcqLWh1jqCcxbuxxa63C3oXK4g=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgimqcbT5Nl6AI6BslMe42ooGI7SjKIDoGic9ZtgJcIPe7K0a5JEdlTIFVo599cPvOgW0h4WV4-IxSVCGDXSfheShJMIG6DtT9GMwRLl_w2m-rN8m6wc_urvod5W_W4UWmiXyazskHZA7iwThpqa7lLjOWTr0Seynp7qcqLWh1jqCcxbuxxa63C3oXK4g=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clarified butter poured into a ramekin, leaving the remaining solids in the bottom of the saucepan<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>After the dough finished chilling, I brought it out to come to room temperature on the counter for about 30 minutes as called for in The Book. I sliced the apples while I waited, and tossed them briefly with sugar and Grand Marnier. Has this liqueur always smelled so floral? I typically use Cointreau as an orange liqueur, so this bowl of apples smelled incredibly fragrant and appetizing. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgng3LAtRDg6UCVb4clVLQa8Dq0Q-z1f5M3WD2nGFxGv1TixXS0hpZDNg0LF2Ye_x4CQaQGZ7dzVIAaAVuj8eZD9TYixlOVpRYzBILET3_8L1hZ5dkzSy03Sbr8iPYB4IcToQxP-fEPJsMeTrT-it1bV02BGEOHz91OpD6EmTDzVOmUdiZbIOMtQcywg=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgng3LAtRDg6UCVb4clVLQa8Dq0Q-z1f5M3WD2nGFxGv1TixXS0hpZDNg0LF2Ye_x4CQaQGZ7dzVIAaAVuj8eZD9TYixlOVpRYzBILET3_8L1hZ5dkzSy03Sbr8iPYB4IcToQxP-fEPJsMeTrT-it1bV02BGEOHz91OpD6EmTDzVOmUdiZbIOMtQcywg=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peeled and sliced apples. Shout out to the world's best peeler, a rando plastic Y from the generic grocery store in Switzerland. 4 years and counting baybee<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Setting the apples aside, I prepared my largest cutting board for stretching the dough by spreading a light layer of flour all around it. The Book calls for final stretch dimensions of 48x30". That's really large! The cutting board I had was roughly 24x16", so about half the size of the final dimensions, and I cut the rested dough ball into two pieces to work separately, leaving the other one under plastic wrap while I worked. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhb1wCTlR94hVTHxftMXiTsfBsaKyURghhgxxYJyvE0R9J4x8gHY5lBGhZYc4PRv-QF_qfpBxSPxBuNwctg3-RqcDsZpXmkEnw1tBuFGJF-6cgcVB_7DExXeoDGWxaiLT4EzwYE5iupGAZSnav8_k_1y2GE1TCPpTyDto0urtYZW0JbOim9Yg56dHb0iw=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhb1wCTlR94hVTHxftMXiTsfBsaKyURghhgxxYJyvE0R9J4x8gHY5lBGhZYc4PRv-QF_qfpBxSPxBuNwctg3-RqcDsZpXmkEnw1tBuFGJF-6cgcVB_7DExXeoDGWxaiLT4EzwYE5iupGAZSnav8_k_1y2GE1TCPpTyDto0urtYZW0JbOim9Yg56dHb0iw=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lightly floured cutting board and half (of half) of the dough in preparation for stretching<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I'll be honest: I did not think this would work. I was highly concerned at my ability to stretch that little blob of dough into a translucent sheet covering this entire surface. But this dough is both Strong and Stretchy. Stronchy, if you will. Much more so than I expected. It got easier to stretch as it warmed as well.<br /></p><p>After flattening the dough out into a rough rectangle, I started by stretching the dough in the air, letting it drape down around my fingers like pizza dough, and once it got too large, I set it down and began stretching gently from the middle out towards the edges, lifting up and out from under the dough with my fingers as pictured below. I was very cautious as I first worked, but I was surprised to find the dough very willing to stretch and not tear. I noticed that it was more reliable to try and get an uniform thinness instead of working one spot thin at a time, in order to reduce the possibility of stress concentrations forming in the thinner portions of the membrane as I worked. Avoiding folds or immediately unfolding the dough if it overlaps is imperative; if it doubles back on itself for too long, it will stick to itself and then be nigh impossible to restretch evenly because a very thin region will then be next to a region twice its thickness (or more), and this will create a curbed edge that is likely to tear at the border.<br /></p><p>In the image below, you can see some "webbing" happening. These regions are not entirely due to uneven stretching; rather, they correspond to places where I tacked on the extra dough while I was first splitting the dough into two even balls after the oil soak. I believe the layer of oil prevented these nubbins from reintegrating well into the bulk of the dough. In the future, I suggest a clean cut and a very round ball prior to oiling, to prevent these webbed regions from occurring, as they are difficult to stretch evenly. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTT2YB3AhCRfp1lzNolcwOmmSxrgUmF1K6lARHWTL7vZiBfZADNQFr2uh2WOH0do3EKIPY1XUaT7jVL8pDn5W6Q1Thr9RjfbUu5K_LmZ7csuV8xjOUrorwn8eJqb4eJjPS14RH2scvDqck14KgLprV1j-2LF-n1be6h656lYf_Os5k2Pl8gFMpqw7tNQ=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTT2YB3AhCRfp1lzNolcwOmmSxrgUmF1K6lARHWTL7vZiBfZADNQFr2uh2WOH0do3EKIPY1XUaT7jVL8pDn5W6Q1Thr9RjfbUu5K_LmZ7csuV8xjOUrorwn8eJqb4eJjPS14RH2scvDqck14KgLprV1j-2LF-n1be6h656lYf_Os5k2Pl8gFMpqw7tNQ=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">STRONCHYYY. I am very pleased with the thinness of this sheet.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I brushed a layer of clarified butter onto the stretched dough and sprinkled some granulated sugar across the area. I had to warm the clarified butter prior to brushing, since it solidifies more readily than nonclarified butter. I forgot to spread the butter onto the second sheet before cutting, and this was a Bad Time, as the squares slid around on even the light layer of flour and got dragged into pleats when I tried to brush butter on. So, cook by The Book and don't forget to do everything before cutting. <br /></p><p>When cutting into squares, I had to make sure to cut cleanly all the way to the edges of the dough; any unsevered points would drag the neighboring square along, creating the undesirable sticky pleats. The Book said to not worry about small tears happening, as they would not be visible in the end product, and indeed, everything turned out fine! I cut 10 squares total (6 from the first sheet, 4 from the second), using eight of them, sugared side up, to line a removable bottom 9.5" tart pan with some overhang on the edges. </p><p>By the time I was ready to layer on the apples, they had exuded quite a bit of liquid from macerating, and I tried my best to leave that liquid in the bowl and fish only apple slices out so that no extra sogginess would be introduced (you can bet I drank whatever was left in the bowl though). I folded the overhanging edges of the bottom squares around the apple pile and draped the remaining two squares of dough on top (sugar side down, though The Book did not specify orientation), and I tried to artfully twist the corners together so they created light peaks and pleats like the reference photo. I did not get as structural of peaks as in the sample photo, and while I don't know why, I'm not bothered by it, since it seemed to cook pretty evenly and still be crisp. I sifted a generous amount of powdered sugar over everything, and set it onto a baking sheet to put into the oven. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpKM56NOoQhHvYudzYB9R1GIZsfAb0FDTD_khREYAILzhYJOIDciHW46gPPX19fPFgCFkxo4dG3eH3f0D76wide6SXAOH7QspRkoQ4td5WpsIhJZCP71bjb9JJQikEcaUUtzY-080tri61-U_G5ski544iHAJDBdhjFdtmueBjlC7sQeltCCe8gO7aNw=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpKM56NOoQhHvYudzYB9R1GIZsfAb0FDTD_khREYAILzhYJOIDciHW46gPPX19fPFgCFkxo4dG3eH3f0D76wide6SXAOH7QspRkoQ4td5WpsIhJZCP71bjb9JJQikEcaUUtzY-080tri61-U_G5ski544iHAJDBdhjFdtmueBjlC7sQeltCCe8gO7aNw=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tart filled with apples, draped with dough, and dusted with powdered sugar.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I baked this tart with the convection fan on, having learned from my previous baking, and thirty minutes later, it was evenly golden brown on top. I was surprised the powdered sugar had not entirely melted into the tart; I had been surprised that the recipe called for the dusting prior to baking, but I should not have doubted The Book. I could probably be even more liberal with the dusting next time. As seen in the pan beneath the tart, a significant amount of apple juice and butter had leaked from the pan and was caramelizing happily on the sheet pan. I think my choice of a removable bottom tart pan is pretty vital, both for tart removal and for situations like this, where my tart would indubitably be swimming in sweet juices and soggy on the bottom otherwise. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhm9FB-LtQVCfWbzdCgMQxKuSoopk6pAzFYGTccNLZPYV5sqA_R-rrnKXYN1YqmDxyEQ2f1eLkVUZHbpcfaPAHCSjExR3DItjBoG37nYzG6NRR0X8-gm0rejI9Mb6NtIYX3Ca1L8j8NNVNjb4u0DoBwtBOs6n2dQ1CxPO33qbxhjFO3LV22ep7bzQYCJg=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhm9FB-LtQVCfWbzdCgMQxKuSoopk6pAzFYGTccNLZPYV5sqA_R-rrnKXYN1YqmDxyEQ2f1eLkVUZHbpcfaPAHCSjExR3DItjBoG37nYzG6NRR0X8-gm0rejI9Mb6NtIYX3Ca1L8j8NNVNjb4u0DoBwtBOs6n2dQ1CxPO33qbxhjFO3LV22ep7bzQYCJg=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baked tart; the sheet pan was absolutely necessary for catching all the juices that leaked out.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Concerned that the caramel would glue the tart to the pan, I waited about half an hour and then placed a bowl under the removable portion of the tart pan and dropped the edge down. The tart was supported well even after removal of the edge, and I was pleased to see crisp and golden edges all the way around. There was no sticking to the edge in sight, despite the lack of butter between the dough and the pan, so perhaps it is time to eat my words from last week's inaugural tart adventure. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJieGeseA2N_yNUMFG4vXaJuCAC_pWz-_0YImrwfOaoCOBEV_hD93CwaKAqkivvPdKYqwRxebvW3ASmQR-RKgOYpbmk6oWr84eqtt28o5Wze_fgo4CyKjpC-50bkIlhZhzAfi_CHZ-8YUY2liuRjW_y-oRHelckZyj_Z3Dxx6Aq9Jj8vsgezr9fOzb9w=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJieGeseA2N_yNUMFG4vXaJuCAC_pWz-_0YImrwfOaoCOBEV_hD93CwaKAqkivvPdKYqwRxebvW3ASmQR-RKgOYpbmk6oWr84eqtt28o5Wze_fgo4CyKjpC-50bkIlhZhzAfi_CHZ-8YUY2liuRjW_y-oRHelckZyj_Z3Dxx6Aq9Jj8vsgezr9fOzb9w=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tart demolded from the edge of the pan<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>After letting the tart come to room temperature after a few hours, I cut the first slice after dinner. The apples were tender but not mushy, the bottom dough was structural enough to hold the weight of a slice by hand, and the top crust was crisp and airy. I was really surprised at how light this entire dessert tasted; I could have very well eaten this entire tart myself in an evening. It was really mostly apples (or so I tell myself). My house consumed this tart within 24 hours of it becoming cool. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhM1iH3fSJbcb5qPrQFdObbs7ufyFAny4sEWjK9QWIWoPX6zArmMWmipybLT46qhFyyxkM39gnwDp5gveMw8a63Jlk3oUc33gL9C4D-PBzwIKjC3u8OQ2vEpJJ6ob_l6E_2rAzWrvZz9ttPFMHhbOpJ7UDJenJATmOmpBYFeVQpeATjeRF3LIHw6q1_7Q=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhM1iH3fSJbcb5qPrQFdObbs7ufyFAny4sEWjK9QWIWoPX6zArmMWmipybLT46qhFyyxkM39gnwDp5gveMw8a63Jlk3oUc33gL9C4D-PBzwIKjC3u8OQ2vEpJJ6ob_l6E_2rAzWrvZz9ttPFMHhbOpJ7UDJenJATmOmpBYFeVQpeATjeRF3LIHw6q1_7Q=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cross-cut shot! Look at those layers! Look at that clean cut! Don't look at the bad apple in the background! I only used good apples in this tart, I promise!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>A few more odds-and-ends observations: </p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I should really have cut my nails before attempting stretching. They were on the longer side since I had just removed a manicure and was letting them recover a bit, but there were definitely parts of the dough I stretched thinner than I intended because of the additional tension the nails introduced. </li><li>Remember to label ziploc bags/plastic wrap before handling things to put into them! Oily plastic is really hard to write on with permanent marker, plus for things like egg whites, the surface will be too jiggly once filled. </li><li>Loose pleats and tucks yielded the best air pockets and thus crispiest crust, though I think the juxtaposition of regions of varied crispness was also quite tasty. </li><li>The apple filling, while delicate, might have benefited from a dash of nutmeg or clove? Though it would have to be incorporated either as a ground spice or steeped in the liqueur prior to macerating. Traditional strudel tends to have raisins, or something else to break up the straight apple filling. </li></ul><p>Quote of the day: "Clarified butter? Isn't that just ghee?" - My roommate Rich, when I told him I was busy <strike>being extra</strike> clarifying butter and could not answer the door. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p>Helena Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948134617740274723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3324966668274170747.post-45763155341951687212022-02-08T21:49:00.000-08:002022-02-08T21:49:28.468-08:00Patisserie 1: Pâte Sablée/Orange cream tart/Apple upside down tart<p> I've recently found myself with a surplus of time due to some unforeseen circumstances, so I've decided to spend the next few months working on improving my baking skills in a quantifiable manner. As a fan of fancy looking cakes and entremets, I was drawn towards the beautiful works in <a href="https://www.modernfrenchpastry.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Modern French Pastry</a> by Cheryl Wakerhauser, but I had no doubt in my mind that this would be a different beast than all my previous baking. </p><p>I've been baking what I roughly categorize as "American Pastry" for the last decade or so: quick breads like banana bread or zucchini bread, flaky biscuits, savory scones, large chewy cookies, muffins, and pies. I started with box mixes (in the interest of not turning this into a "my life story" type of blog, I can provide details of my journey upon request) and have gradually improved to the point where a Pulitzer Prize winner once told me, "this pie crust is like crack." It's one of my proudest cooking moments. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUSaU6dO99NBkRon0L4-FQxVSQRQo_XEbbul-oq8Ghgy7UDaS4CQOk3B73HN_cM1ie5ZAAWcAxFjBVSTUyJj6hugB3oqlFloWjvdlbXubRfZV97p_sta0Ws1OdGOSgXRJOJeu_XOs8ney-VbdAGkQIsPBDl7RWBip6MRj9Eujm5VJ6yLnqxw8daOkIsQ=s320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first attempt at a NY style cheesecake, which came out perfect even without a bain-marie<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUSaU6dO99NBkRon0L4-FQxVSQRQo_XEbbul-oq8Ghgy7UDaS4CQOk3B73HN_cM1ie5ZAAWcAxFjBVSTUyJj6hugB3oqlFloWjvdlbXubRfZV97p_sta0Ws1OdGOSgXRJOJeu_XOs8ney-VbdAGkQIsPBDl7RWBip6MRj9Eujm5VJ6yLnqxw8daOkIsQ=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMwOExaWrhk_fbCRwpruhnLqbXzXFpTN02fJzUMbkNuWUTQC0TwcisNyNEyEVCRyX0ztYWxkBhH9qXOMKApcJ2XAx2qh2NqIPGj0yBbu7Whz6ZRyQ74OHcf1HzV4THDgMzuLdCKunh88J2_mGIaD9iDd1aEPMk4UG8tCXgXZpjcTMO6WImZnK30TsM8g=s1944" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="1005" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMwOExaWrhk_fbCRwpruhnLqbXzXFpTN02fJzUMbkNuWUTQC0TwcisNyNEyEVCRyX0ztYWxkBhH9qXOMKApcJ2XAx2qh2NqIPGj0yBbu7Whz6ZRyQ74OHcf1HzV4THDgMzuLdCKunh88J2_mGIaD9iDd1aEPMk4UG8tCXgXZpjcTMO6WImZnK30TsM8g=s320" width="165" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First attempt at chocolate babka, where I threw in some cacao nibs. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> I figure if you're already here on my blog, you're down to see me flex my talent at baking, where somehow I've accumulated enough XP through sheer quantity of the procrastibaking I did in college that I can make pretty good things the first time around.<p></p><p>But I have a terrible habit. <br /></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>I just wing it. Every time. </p><p>I have a few go-to recipes, like for pie crust or challah or seeded brown soda bread, that I use over and over. But I settled upon these using the decidedly unscientific method of baking them once and having them turn out pretty good! I've never made two pie crust recipes side by side, relying instead on the fuzzy memory of what I did last time and how it tasted, and seeing if I liked this current method better. More than once, I've thoroughly enjoyed a baked good I made and then promptly lost the recipe to the sands of the internet again, leaving me forever searching for that white whale of a glorious recipe (looking at you, cinnamon rolls that I cannot for the life of me replicate). And if a recipe does not turn out the way the author insists, I rarely revisit recipes to figure out where I went wrong, nor do I investigate things like why some pie fillings have corn starch vs flour and whether I have a preference (save for a sweep of due diligence through the empirical, scientifically-sound repository of testing that is <a href="https://www.seriouseats.com/the-food-lab-5118015" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Serious Eats's Food Lab</a>). I almost never iterate on recipes, I can't tell at a glance if a new recipe will result in the kind of ___ that I like, and I have no idea how my results measure up with the real deal a lot of times (I first made roti, babka, and cream puffs all without having tasted anything but either a frozen variety, or, in the case of challah, a slice from a college bake sale that may as well have been a puck of sawdust). </p><p>So, I've decided to change that by learning some French pastry, which is fairly structured and well-understood due to its age, and I have the dual standards of a strong public opinion and my own historical experiences to compare my results to. I'm beginning this journey by working my way through <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15797185-patisserie" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patisserie: Mastering the Art of French Pastry</a> by Christophe Felder (The Book). After a fair amount of research on the internet, this book comes up time and time again as a masterful compendium of both recipes and techniques, bolstered by its staggering amount of step-by-step color photos of various stages of each recipe. As a reference work, it's a magnificent, hot-pink 800 page tome that will be useful for any basic recipe from french pastry I'd like to make, and as a source of learning, each of its sections contains Easy, Intermediate, and Advanced categories of recipes designed to walk through both the fundamental recipes and techniques of pastry. </p><p>My plan is to work through two recipes (at least) per week, doing at least one easy, one intermediate, and one advanced from most sections. I will mostly be posting reflections on the process and results here, with no actual recipes. </p><p>Project 1: Pate Sablee</p><p></p><blockquote>Crumbly sweet pastry, melting texture, rich in butter but otherwise light in texture. Used for tarts filled after baking, or shortbread and cake bases. Different from short pastry (pate brisee) due to the addition of sugar and egg yolk.</blockquote><p></p><p>I started this recipe around 3pm on Friday. The recipe calls for one egg yolk in the crust; my egg yolk seemed on the small side, and after "sanding" the flour, butter, and sugar together (rubbing between the fingertips until small crumbs are formed) and adding the yolk, I had to do quite a bit of kneading before the dough cohered, and even then, it was crumbly and left many grains of sugar on my hands. Felder's recipe differs from most in that it does not specify for the butter to be softened to room temperature. I appreciated that this made the sanding easier, since the cold butter didn't form a paste as readily that would have clung to my fingers. <br /></p><p>I chilled it for the requisite 2 hours, after which my dough did not look nearly as smooth as the photo, was extremely difficult/dry to roll out to the stated 1/8" (4-5mm), and cracked massively when I tried to roll it over my rolling pin to put in the pan. At least it did not stick at all to the board or rolling pin (though I'm unclear if this was a good thing. More on that later.) </p><p>While the dough chilled, I made the orange pastry cream, which was mostly straightforward except that it told me to whisk constantly over medium heat until it thickened, and then let it boil (!!!) for 10 seconds. I admit I was a huge wimp, and only let a few small simmer bubbles escape through my cream before I snatched the saucepan off the burner and whisked furiously, hoping I had not scrambled my cream. It seemed fine, and very orangey due to the 2 oranges worth of zest (is there a size difference between american and french oranges?), and I scraped it into a bowl, placed the plastic wrap flush against the custard surface to keep a skin from forming, and put it in the fridge to chill.<br /></p><p>I bought an anodized aluminum tart pan with removable bottom, which I rinsed with soap and water and brushed with a generous coat of melted butter with a silicone brush before setting in my rolled tart dough. I pricked it all over with a fork and set it into the oven for the blind bake.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWSxmibieEAAS9E-GIuJKLyohwqQdUDeN5eiYcOAeCMP4ki1a6Yt2HzXAze4wCPqKVkYmg7kS6kqP-PU07k_87TarMHH4FfQRa79VokCiXyMy9zEtRgxQmXCt_Yzmj-JC_arisx6slf2n_7lanh7zX8YJsj28d8NnNe6Y1_ZjYI5gcOQ7_KAPfncfbyA=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWSxmibieEAAS9E-GIuJKLyohwqQdUDeN5eiYcOAeCMP4ki1a6Yt2HzXAze4wCPqKVkYmg7kS6kqP-PU07k_87TarMHH4FfQRa79VokCiXyMy9zEtRgxQmXCt_Yzmj-JC_arisx6slf2n_7lanh7zX8YJsj28d8NnNe6Y1_ZjYI5gcOQ7_KAPfncfbyA=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tart dough laid in the pan and pricked for blind baking<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>In The Book, it mentions that almost all French pastry, with the exception of Choux (profiteroles/cream puffs, eclairs, etc), is cooked using a convection oven. This makes sense, given the usual high proportion of butter in French pastry and the emphasis on crispness and browning of exteriors, but this was intimidating to me as many American pastries value moistness, and convection is rarely used. </p><p>I chose to use the non-convection side of my oven for this recipe. There are two alternatives to not having a convection oven: Raise the temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or increase the baking time and keep an eye on it until it's done. Based on my oven thermometer (which I'm also not sure is calibrated well), my ovens run hot by about 30 degrees F, so I decided to compensate in both directions by turning my oven down to 325 instead of the stated 350, and opting for the higher end of the 15-20mins suggested. </p><p>By the end of 21 minutes, the tart was just brown around the edges but the center remained fairly pale. It had bubbled in one spot but otherwise risen evenly. While I waited for it to cool, my friend Chris baked some cookies with the pastry scraps rolled out to about 1/4" (6.5mm) thick. He chilled the rolled and cut cookies in the fridge for about 10 minutes before baking, and they turned out into fine shortbread cookies, a little pale yet brown on the bottom (this happens to all my cookies in this new oven, I will investigate this later) but slightly puffed, no spread, and tender crumb. They were slightly crunchy after 14 minutes of baking. I had high hopes for the tart, but having read on the internet to never try and remove it from the pan before completely cool, I waited patiently until after dinner to try and demold the tart. </p><p>Disaster. </p><p>The tart shell was incredibly stuck to the pan. Somebody asked if I had buttered the pan (I had). Someone asked if I'd buttered it with glue (at this point, I wasn't so sure I hadn't). Setting the tart pan on a bowl slightly smaller than the ring had no effect, even as we tapped around the edges. I tried using a blow dryer to warm up the edges, and we tried to pry it out with toothpick shims, to no avail. Eventually, Chris flexed the entire pan back and forth until the majority of the crust released around the edges. You can see in the following photos where the entire perimeter didn't totally make it out intact. </p><p>At this point, I threatened to throw the whole pan into the trash, tart and all. But I was convinced by Chris and my roommates to press onwards, so I filled the tart with the orange cream and sprinkled brown sugar onto the surface to brûlée, too frustrated at this point to freeze the tart for 5 minutes like the recipe called for. Having never torched anything but meat before, my housemate Kendrick offered his brazing torch (I somehow lost mine in the move a few months ago, and the random kitchen drawer torch was trash), and Chris offered to help me brûlée, so I could get an idea of what the caramelized sugar surface would look like without burning the sugar too much or cooking the pastry cream underneath.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNgh6MVNOefIJmRk2mXi0mEn8nckm_gGoUVYU_PGJFbU27uzxx2kblUFroJY9gR4xAVnWPXdSdVvOdQddJiNB5ZdJ3OxxxSUCcMf65JR7q5OeMMBIQduAQHXt3Qe8fGcDxKnMSoMYgoax2oPw3mtIUHYHVd59WmhNdkuZvX6u7lfd1jJe7FuwgkQSL9w=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNgh6MVNOefIJmRk2mXi0mEn8nckm_gGoUVYU_PGJFbU27uzxx2kblUFroJY9gR4xAVnWPXdSdVvOdQddJiNB5ZdJ3OxxxSUCcMf65JR7q5OeMMBIQduAQHXt3Qe8fGcDxKnMSoMYgoax2oPw3mtIUHYHVd59WmhNdkuZvX6u7lfd1jJe7FuwgkQSL9w=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris brûlée-ing the assembled tart<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgv-evRQ5pHA5inm3CG2DrauTRtVoSOngVV0S0E9X41ZwMSUT5yJ0Dy_ztaQwPhViqe9_VFP2tMdCzEGP6D_1WTffdPYFXlY2RymidEDs-4RsTu_1EQaaMBKHSQnJpLtZ7Rrqi27suAOmsBXQyblNXMCFEEYrZo5HF7bZR_kO0kr7Mm5_njFytlD1k_Xg=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgv-evRQ5pHA5inm3CG2DrauTRtVoSOngVV0S0E9X41ZwMSUT5yJ0Dy_ztaQwPhViqe9_VFP2tMdCzEGP6D_1WTffdPYFXlY2RymidEDs-4RsTu_1EQaaMBKHSQnJpLtZ7Rrqi27suAOmsBXQyblNXMCFEEYrZo5HF7bZR_kO0kr7Mm5_njFytlD1k_Xg=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice crisp brûlée surface. My housemate Steven walked in and said "that's the nicest pizza I've ever seen" in a secondary roast to the already-torched tart<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The tart was pretty good, but I noticed that the shell seemed a little crisp, similar to the cookies, and might have benefited from a higher temperature and shorter bake time. I believe it was supposed to be crumblier. And, of course, it was so, so stuck to the bottom of the tart pan. Not a single piece made it off intact, no matter how we chipped away at it with a combination of knives and spatulae.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSUzVc4RhG9IEe0jlY6wgb_aq8tzaEvifBakegA3ifU9BWySzKuB_6O6wyA2OTJx1f0sX6PycfBl2apjZ3ky00fBihMZP68CGIQ46oymKvPXLgi4XZ0xR6pvh4c8XpYbREAyZc4uOLsnOepNrLlwlnyAeRg8g-CzqEVv5tHG8Nj2hkcjhOiTWPREnomQ=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSUzVc4RhG9IEe0jlY6wgb_aq8tzaEvifBakegA3ifU9BWySzKuB_6O6wyA2OTJx1f0sX6PycfBl2apjZ3ky00fBihMZP68CGIQ46oymKvPXLgi4XZ0xR6pvh4c8XpYbREAyZc4uOLsnOepNrLlwlnyAeRg8g-CzqEVv5tHG8Nj2hkcjhOiTWPREnomQ=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I could patent this method as a novel glue.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>As we sat around eating, I was feeling incredibly disheartened. I'd baked tarts before, and none of them had ever stuck to this degree. Nothing I'd ever baked had stuck to this degree! I scoured the internet, but people were convinced that</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Anodized Aluminum or stainless steel pans were the way to go</li><li>Nonstick pans were not useful enough and would lose their coating eventually</li><li>The crust would produce enough butter to lubricate its removal</li><li>Gentle heating with a hairdryer would resolve any solidified butter inhibiting removal.</li></ul><p>I was on the verge of buying a nonstick pan and moving onto a different recipe when Chris reminded me that the whole point of this baking endeavor was to improve my technical understanding of baking via iteration. So I began to make a second batch of tart dough, suspicions on the dryness of my dough bolstered somewhat by the mention in <a href="https://wheelofbaking.com/how-to-make-pate-sablee/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this blog</a> that the author had to add a little of the egg white for the dough to come together. </p><p>All in all, the modifications I made to the second iteration of the crust were: </p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Added half an egg white</li><li>Added 10 more grams of butter (the full 140g in the recipe, since 1 stick and 1tbsp that I used last time only came out to 130g)</li><li>Lightly floured the work surface while rolling out (see image below, where I was remiss in reading the recipe)<br /></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2xLec_VMarSd37TN7q90J1RFw6ok99fSCHLcp66IrMUAghvVb4MkGrJX4jsD_eLQh95lzwns3qbhHsHemiLpt24cMMiZUoL8lz4Btt-uwHW1k11bmI1bhmu8TwhA-gn2Y1rMoJS3jHeyeaYV4y3pMEv7u1OiJ78vuuqjgXVwREI79Y_DUILK8jGOUYw=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2xLec_VMarSd37TN7q90J1RFw6ok99fSCHLcp66IrMUAghvVb4MkGrJX4jsD_eLQh95lzwns3qbhHsHemiLpt24cMMiZUoL8lz4Btt-uwHW1k11bmI1bhmu8TwhA-gn2Y1rMoJS3jHeyeaYV4y3pMEv7u1OiJ78vuuqjgXVwREI79Y_DUILK8jGOUYw=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I sent this text to Chris while preparing to bake the second iteration on Saturday morning<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>After the dough had chilled and rested overnight, it looked notably more like the sample image from The Book in terms of internal texture and external smoothness. I noticed it was softer and smoother while working it together the night before, and now it did require a little bit of flour while rolling out. I rolled it out to slightly thicker than the stated 1/8" because 4-5mm is closer to a quarter and I figured a thicker shell would be less likely to shatter if it stuck again. The dough still cracked significantly while draping over the rolling pin to transfer into the buttered pan, but tart dough is forgiving and easily patched. I cut off the excess by rolling my rolling pin firmly across the top edge of the tart shell. This was very satisfying. The remainders of the dough turned into more shortbread cookies. <br /></p><p>I baked it at the full "350" degree mark on my oven this time, for 20 minutes. It was immediately evident from the moment I pulled it out of the oven that this tart shell would not have the magnitude of sticking as the last. There was a visible gap between the edge of the tart and the fluting on the pan. The tart dough had shrunk down somewhat during baking, because I was hesitant to push it into the corners so much while pressing it into the pan for fear that I had been overzealous in my first iteration's pressing. I think now that I could have done it as thoroughly as the first time.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8J2rbKdA76aT6gASeR0l9nMe-vt3r_uDCHRJZth1WA03hPs76EYXcwB_gqnQG9avMjbSaUBnvb3vphlCr-QNTUxL79xe46EcprWlGThYr6ZOcTQcThkIoYhXTjCDXX40Zj7zTt_TiocDyI_p2NiaMeQH4bJH7PpGvE1ydJQszxIpptlbO5ycm0RG_5g=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8J2rbKdA76aT6gASeR0l9nMe-vt3r_uDCHRJZth1WA03hPs76EYXcwB_gqnQG9avMjbSaUBnvb3vphlCr-QNTUxL79xe46EcprWlGThYr6ZOcTQcThkIoYhXTjCDXX40Zj7zTt_TiocDyI_p2NiaMeQH4bJH7PpGvE1ydJQszxIpptlbO5ycm0RG_5g=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Minding the gap!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>This time, I was able to unmold the entire shell with no difficulty once it was cooled (even from the bottom circle!). <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhE2ApCysHkFP6L4JeAxukgf5suJ3JXG6uF6lfigh4I1T62JR7Hp2C39iieUNlUyLapqUiQE3UQsXZG1N_kiyjsQDJkPQ83ShRGKsuJoLwTeseY-UFtJYgpJI45xTGI28_8mH34gDrHkD1xVwu1T19vFYFv0ph4z-c9rghW0bEav41TsaHSrz6EE7a7dg=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhE2ApCysHkFP6L4JeAxukgf5suJ3JXG6uF6lfigh4I1T62JR7Hp2C39iieUNlUyLapqUiQE3UQsXZG1N_kiyjsQDJkPQ83ShRGKsuJoLwTeseY-UFtJYgpJI45xTGI28_8mH34gDrHkD1xVwu1T19vFYFv0ph4z-c9rghW0bEav41TsaHSrz6EE7a7dg=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Intact tart!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>As my roommates were still busy consuming the remains of the orange cream tart from Friday, I decided that I would repurpose this tart shell for a friend's birthday party on Sunday. I stored the tart shell in a gallon ziploc bag at room temperature (though in all honesty, I wanted to frame it and hang it on the wall as proof that I would not be so easily defeated by a "Easy" recipe!). </p><p>The following morning, I began preparations for the Apple Cranberry upside down tart. I have no photos of anything past this point because I was rushing to finish in time for the party! Though The Book calls for this to be made with Sable Breton (another shortbread pastry, with a higher ratio of butter/sugar to flour and 3 egg yolks, along with baking powder), the similarity between the pastry doughs led me to believe it would work fine for a fruit filled tart, especially because this one had the addition of a compote. </p><p>Because rhubarb was hard to acquire out of season, I substituted a cranberry compote, thinking that the tartness would be similar, and set it into the fridge to chill. Making the sugar caramel was straightforward, and I could have been more aggressive with the heat because it took a long time while I was being cautious not to burn the sugar. Spreading it onto the parchment required several swipes, as the hot sugar tended to warp the aluminum quarter sheet pan I was using, but I eventually got it roughly into the shape of a ragged thin rectangle and let it cool. <br /></p><p>To caramelize the apples, the recipe says to peel/core/quarter them, place them in a skillet with butter and orange juice, and place the caramel on top, sealing tightly with aluminum and baking for twenty minutes. Our house recently had a windfall of Fuji apples, which are both smaller and more watery than the honeycrisp that the recipe calls for (but are honeycrisps <i>really</i> baking apples? They're literally designed to be the best tasting raw apple!), but I had to use them up, which is why I suspect my skillet of baked apples was still a watery mess when I pulled it out of the oven. I had cut the apples into sixths because quarter apples seemed too large to eat as part of a tart in the park later, so I imagine this additional surface area contributed to the watery output. </p><p>To reduce and cook the apples some more, I simmered the skillet on the stove for about ten minutes, reducing the juice to a sauce that coated the bottom of the apples and made them an attractive caramel color. I let them cool while I spread the melted white chocolate on the bottom and sides of the tart shell. The Book tells me that this is to keep the tart shell safe from the juices of the fruit, and I found it also added a little bit of nice sweetness and creaminess in an otherwise fruit-based tart. </p><p>While the chocolate cooled and set in the tart shell, I peeled two mandarin oranges per the instructions, and cut them right before each set of white membranes to extract segments with their orange shiny sides. This was a pain, but all beauty is pain, I suppose. Trust the french to come up with a lovely hassle like such. <br /></p><p>By this time, the cranberry compote had cooled, so I spread it onto the tart as well, and it came tidily up to the edge of the tart's height. I placed the apples on one of their flat sides so that the caramel side faced obliquely out, making two concentric rings of apples. Finally, I placed a ring of mandarin orange segments in a circle that laid between the rings. The recipe calls for an apricot glaze, but, running late, and already several fruits and dirty dishes in, I opted to not add this. </p><p>Observations I made while eating the tart (which everyone enjoyed mightily! People were shocked I made it! I continue to be my worst critic!):</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Cranberries have a distinct bitterness that outpaces that of rhubarb; I should have increased the sugar in the compote due to this quality.</li><li>The thickness of the tart shell was probably not typical, but I liked that the additional thickness made it easier to eat while holding by hand (which is probably not usual, so I will consider this when making tarts to serve on plates in the future)</li><li>Cutting the apples into sixths was the right call, and they probably would have been undercooked had I not simmered them down in the caramel on the stove. </li><li>I did not need the apricot glaze; I will study this mysterious finish at a future time. </li><li>The tart shell was less crisp and more buttery/crumbly than in the orange tart, which worked well with the chunkier toppings. I think this is due to a combination of not overbaking, adding more moisture, less working, and serving it the day after baking. </li></ul><p>To The Book's credit, I learned a lot just by doing these 1.5 recipes! It was well-designed to teach me sanding, had a forgiving pastry cream recipe, started with tart dough which is relatively forgiving in general, taught caramel making, taught a compote, etc. which are all good basic skills to have/refresh. Some specific takeaways and points of improvement: </p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I did not need pie weights for these tarts; pricking firmly to the bottom of the shell was sufficient to prevent bubbles. </li><li>It really is important to lay the dough into the bottom edge of the pan to prevent shrinking. </li><li>I was tempted to let the dough warm up for 10 mins after its chilling to aid in rolling out, but after seeing the shrinkage potential, I think it will be better to patch profusely than to risk gluten formation and thus stretching/shrinking. <br /></li><li>That little bit of additional moisture from the half egg white helped me not overwork the dough the second time. I am glad I trusted my gut on this. </li><li>Still unclear why the tart was so stuck the first time??? Maybe the anodized aluminum needed a sacrificial baking to "season" all its nooks and crannies??</li><li>I will allow the pastry cream its full 10 second boil next time, as well as its 5 minute pre-brulee freeze; it was a little runny when we were eating it. </li><li>Cutting segments out of oranges is much easier when you start with a whole peeled orange; I split the first one into halves but this made the first and last segment on each half kind of gnarly. <br /></li></ul><p>Here is a photo of the daruma my partner's roommate gave us for the holidays, where I have marked the intent of my endeavor and will give it its other eye when I am "done" (have created all recipes in the Modern French Pastry book): <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgb0w3Q8jxOkEFJ63m95Pf23BDYLwi6Oe6C4-PUqCaUaZoBvar6jrEGCvaeSXV7kdetbFHh2-CZ3qtiInYHqPraCeuFJues53DcV_szOdt3pOBq3zx4DM_Bh8r2ahIjFVTNTXI5Kmk6-Sqc3N5YeyBrXOIR2HlgE0NDKLytxEphEMpsA1ehaLZFUNQ9A=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgb0w3Q8jxOkEFJ63m95Pf23BDYLwi6Oe6C4-PUqCaUaZoBvar6jrEGCvaeSXV7kdetbFHh2-CZ3qtiInYHqPraCeuFJues53DcV_szOdt3pOBq3zx4DM_Bh8r2ahIjFVTNTXI5Kmk6-Sqc3N5YeyBrXOIR2HlgE0NDKLytxEphEMpsA1ehaLZFUNQ9A=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daruma, who will get its second eye when I am able to make all the shiny cakes from Modern French Pastry<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Quote of the week: "No, no, this is good. I feel like I'm watching character development." - Chris, when I apologized for deciding that I would make a second tart dough instead of hanging out more focusedly with him on Friday night.<br /></p>Helena Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948134617740274723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3324966668274170747.post-43843169870139896932017-09-17T22:13:00.001-07:002018-10-18T18:18:15.878-07:00Two-stage Cryptex: Fabrication and build<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLAo6hMthK_IOmn630EOQ1aB0tCWN_lyWTVkNMsaXmZGtc-_CIDcLFpHJlSdYJg-3i4VTJ7MmWxNn4pudo9XoeMAMST6Q5dlVjI6MDHinvxvcB0jdzmM5yhSZmTCcyGTirLO7GYXBqgkB/s1600/2017-07-06+21.27.40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLAo6hMthK_IOmn630EOQ1aB0tCWN_lyWTVkNMsaXmZGtc-_CIDcLFpHJlSdYJg-3i4VTJ7MmWxNn4pudo9XoeMAMST6Q5dlVjI6MDHinvxvcB0jdzmM5yhSZmTCcyGTirLO7GYXBqgkB/s320/2017-07-06+21.27.40.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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As it turns out, it's a lot harder to fabricate things when you aren't a student that has a 24 hour machine shop at your disposal (or a free machine shop anywhere, period). Bemoaning my separation from the CSAIL shop/stockroom and the ever-helpful staff of the Pappalardo machine shop, I began my lengthy search for outside resources. </div>
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First up were the two endcaps, which absolutely needed some portion, if not all, of them to be CNC machined. I shopped around at a number of fabrication services (as an aside, why does every place require you to submit a model and then wait around for a quote? It's incredibly awkward to ask for a quote from someone for a tiny one-off personal project, knowing their answer will be way outside your budget and use case). Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with any of the companies I'm going to mention, I'm just a broke recent-grad who designed a thing way beyond her means to produce at a reasonable price. </div>
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Finally, I decided to go with <a href="http://plethora.com/" target="_blank">Plethora</a>, largely because they offer a $250 discount on your first order, and because their prices reduce significantly if you aren't in a rush to get your part made. Plethora is one of the only small-batch machining companies to offer a timeline beyond a few days (with price reduced accordingly), and while this makes sense for rapid prototyping reasons, there are few options for people like me that have a relatively simple one-off part but no machine shop to use, but also aren't in a rush to get it produced in 3 days for $600. I also appreciated the real-time cost and machinability estimates available through the SolidWorks plugin, which also saves me the awkward interaction of having to ask for a quote and then finding a nice way to balk at the price.</div>
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The endcaps turned out beautifully, and I'm a little sad that the spiral toolpath that the endmill left on the inside is covered by the chamber end on one of the caps and barely visible at the bottom of the cryptex on the other. They came on time and the entire ordering process was very straightforward. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYUnBDCyReGTpThYsHcweYcinYXjBgA2pncpIkdVuHZQrqgRTs_LvtOVIkD9IzAHsKJLFbaO2bUPlcBxB56-rhRUM57c5QL6DiBJiscW60X8b3XECpEA7z5hNxRAvKFmD_dbSSTyvoMKm/s1600/2017-05-06+11.04.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYUnBDCyReGTpThYsHcweYcinYXjBgA2pncpIkdVuHZQrqgRTs_LvtOVIkD9IzAHsKJLFbaO2bUPlcBxB56-rhRUM57c5QL6DiBJiscW60X8b3XECpEA7z5hNxRAvKFmD_dbSSTyvoMKm/s320/2017-05-06+11.04.53.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij9Zf0ltWC0LeES-ajFgy-edJD_Ouat0Nu8H9vMN99T6wKorFAK_f7enEatNmpk1mg3IpgqZaS-NuMoOElsR1eP7Rlo1fXHCUTRttoYJyZu_JcI8rw8sjfD7oYVirBSBkVyQAQaWm-xz8m/s1600/2017-05-06+11.04.49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij9Zf0ltWC0LeES-ajFgy-edJD_Ouat0Nu8H9vMN99T6wKorFAK_f7enEatNmpk1mg3IpgqZaS-NuMoOElsR1eP7Rlo1fXHCUTRttoYJyZu_JcI8rw8sjfD7oYVirBSBkVyQAQaWm-xz8m/s320/2017-05-06+11.04.49.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">CNC milled endcaps from Plethora. So shiny!</span></div>
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The middle casing turned out to be the hardest thing to explain to online fabricators. My plan was to mill the slots down the length, since the material thickness and the width of cut would likely not result in the shape of the tube opening up. But every supplier I talked to was unconvinced about the structural properties of aluminum and insisted that the part be machined from a solid cylinder of aluminum, resulting in a total machining cost of approximately one arm and two legs. This was particularly frustrating because I purchased the tube stock myself, knowing that if I just got access to a Bridgeport, I was fully capable of machining the part myself, without the failure modes that everyone kept insisting would happen.<br />
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In the end, one of my coworkers in the machine shop saved my butt, responding to my request for a machining service by graciously offering to machine the part himself, given that it was simple and not particularly in a rush to be fabricated. The one modification I made, because our fancy circular mill was booked for the next few weeks, was to make the lock slots for the retaining ring planar cuts instead of being concentric around the cylinder. I used the projection of the outline on the outer diameter as the planar cut outline, to prevent the slot being too short for the lock tab.<br />
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The middle casing did not in fact open up during machining, and turned out just fine (thanks Sean!). When I tried to piece everything together, however, I realized I'd made a horrible mistake. When I got the tube stock from McMaster, I neglected to ask for it to be turned down to the proper OD; as a result, I had to use the grinding wheel on a Dremel and sand down a significant amount of diameter around the base of the middle casing in order for it to fit in the endcap. I avoided remachining anything on the endcaps in an effort to preserve the nice finishes. After much elbow grease and some hammering (and a little help from an arbor press), the middle casing was pressed into the endcap and it was never coming back out ever again.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpXJesYCGKhZnylFM511ygc5xOgjLAEp9W2j3cmSvSl0L1VBsuzcvaEcJKKsAMPjT77gm4jeuyAQ_DIRnXgfiCbkJuCKnnPnu__6X-OTBQREHFTdDSITP0TVSWJaq07tcx2dp1cuoxeYy/s1600/2017-05-06+11.05.09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpXJesYCGKhZnylFM511ygc5xOgjLAEp9W2j3cmSvSl0L1VBsuzcvaEcJKKsAMPjT77gm4jeuyAQ_DIRnXgfiCbkJuCKnnPnu__6X-OTBQREHFTdDSITP0TVSWJaq07tcx2dp1cuoxeYy/s320/2017-05-06+11.05.09.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Middle casing pressed into the bottom endcap</td></tr>
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For the spacer rings, I wanted to have a contrasting color from the 3D printed letter dials, and continuing the theme of aluminum, I designed the spacers to be waterjet. I sent them to <a href="http://bigbluesaw.com/" target="_blank">Big Blue Saw</a>, who I'd used before for waterjetting a huge 90 tooth sprocket in the go-kart course I took in college, having heard about the company from Charles Guan of Battlebots and silly go kart fame. It was cheaper to get five pieces than the four that I needed, and the online tool gave me an instant quote for my uploaded part, no human interaction or wait time necessary. My first shipment got lost in UPS land, but one email to the Big Blue Saw customer service resulted in a quick resolution, and they were incredibly responsive and helpful, shipping out a replacement order so that I'd receive it before I left the country for travels and walking me through how to proceed with a claim.<br />
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I had never considered the word "tolerances" until this project. The large OD of the middle casing continued giving me issues, and I had to take a file to the inside of each of the waterjet spacers in order to take off material until they fit over the tube. A low-tech way to figure out what to file down (no pictures of this part, unfortunately) is to use sharpie (or any non-water based marker) and color around the entire inside border, and then try to slip it onto the mating part. Once you take the part back off since it doesn't fit, the mating part will have scraped off the sharpie at the points of interference, indicating where there are regions that need to be filed down. Re-sharpie and repeat until the part fits! This is basically a budget version of using <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineer's_blue" target="_blank">engineer's blue.</a> (Additionally, felt tip marker can also be used for the other thing often called "engineer's blue", which is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marking_blue" target="_blank">marking blue</a>, where you cover a surface in a layer of prussian blue mixed with a solvent and then use something sharp to make high contrast marks for communicating machining rough cuts.)<span id="goog_24011886"></span><span id="goog_24011887"></span><br />
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Unfortunately, the problem with waterjetting is that the rough cut surface was visible on the outer diameter of the part, which is the part that would be exposed. I used the sanding band once more to grind away the seam where the jet entered the material to make the cut, and also around the outer perimeter of the band. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxeWWnEAusyedz1SiAIfEW4mnrnloGbqHlKBodC9ir1joF0N2Y5OqTopj9Gf5OK8EgQMXbrK_cMB9F76B57dgi-m6mfIPG2xVWhbYoi9PgycZclIbBN5TkbE65fJuQt6tGKW3byv16Gtkc/s1600/2017-05-06+12.24.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxeWWnEAusyedz1SiAIfEW4mnrnloGbqHlKBodC9ir1joF0N2Y5OqTopj9Gf5OK8EgQMXbrK_cMB9F76B57dgi-m6mfIPG2xVWhbYoi9PgycZclIbBN5TkbE65fJuQt6tGKW3byv16Gtkc/s320/2017-05-06+12.24.11.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rough as-is waterjet finish on the left, dremel sanded on the right</td></tr>
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I used scotch brite metal polishing pad for a final polishing pass because these would be up next to the nice CNC'd endcaps and I wanted them to achieve a relatively close level of shininess.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGc06phOsQtVJd4FzdQ3ABV9Q5Q9pFTs2vDwlRVKAckpBBkZprvJMM1L3AoO3jb2u-58vdHS11fc-2D8jstmiexOKL_IaHfD5icWLlQiSMDANUWq77h30flehGgvCaPmKUhLN7k4oHMO2y/s1600/2017-05-06+12.43.30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGc06phOsQtVJd4FzdQ3ABV9Q5Q9pFTs2vDwlRVKAckpBBkZprvJMM1L3AoO3jb2u-58vdHS11fc-2D8jstmiexOKL_IaHfD5icWLlQiSMDANUWq77h30flehGgvCaPmKUhLN7k4oHMO2y/s320/2017-05-06+12.43.30.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scotch-brite polished spacer on left, compared to dremel sanding only</td></tr>
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I used the Fortus 360MC Stratasys FDM machine at my workplace to print the initial version of the letter dials, but was fairly dissatisfied with the surface finish and crispness of the letters. In the machine's defense, it had the lowest resolution print heads (0.01in layer size), but it was "free" to use so I figured I'd give it a shot at least. In an effort to remedy the finish, I sanded down the outer layer of the rings with increasingly fine levels of sandpaper (60, 100, 220, 600 grit).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpUAKZgLkQv9GgTJYV1bN9wZjIddH6rsffCup6XOWjSWEFp2ZK2nM-SfcmOI_hatYd4psjtEFYTMC2IE7XmRozwJL5-H2kPv99ih9L_KBn4QZdzPC45fn_V1eQyfTXeMjsv7T41RWtsyz/s1600/2017-05-07+08.18.40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpUAKZgLkQv9GgTJYV1bN9wZjIddH6rsffCup6XOWjSWEFp2ZK2nM-SfcmOI_hatYd4psjtEFYTMC2IE7XmRozwJL5-H2kPv99ih9L_KBn4QZdzPC45fn_V1eQyfTXeMjsv7T41RWtsyz/s320/2017-05-07+08.18.40.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sanded letter dial from the Fortus on the left, raw print on the right</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Because the sanding left a rough matte surface finish, I used black touch-up lacquer as a filler and finish on the outside of the sanded rings.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzP4NBE-DrIM1kI6W-a3UMfl6nCA4OfZDzn7PB25kNTCiUdvRtlyd5LtWgo_vKpUYQyCIzNSlBcVKJdDyvgqP72dlm1c1U-k0eLsXbLEle7S5KO-nTIeAEBDgjxC9hcp8v52YnvuLDKYz5/s1600/2017-05-07+08.21.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzP4NBE-DrIM1kI6W-a3UMfl6nCA4OfZDzn7PB25kNTCiUdvRtlyd5LtWgo_vKpUYQyCIzNSlBcVKJdDyvgqP72dlm1c1U-k0eLsXbLEle7S5KO-nTIeAEBDgjxC9hcp8v52YnvuLDKYz5/s320/2017-05-07+08.21.44.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lacquer finished ring on left, versus sanded on right</td></tr>
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The retaining rings needed a little bit of sanding and some shaving with an exacto blade to get them to fit, and I colored in the alignment symbols with thematically appropriate silver paint to make them clearer.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-Smg0SjBDYqwQc2M3BuBvyxy1Ng5ssk-HyCZxQzyhQHusRcj-tnsI0fU6tiUurvm_H7b_2Dj9sV8dpYh7n8xrSlEPGIKFrfeaTiudFTp3uaMpfikM9inrY18FguPWx8YevY9UrErDh_T/s1600/2017-05-07+08.19.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-Smg0SjBDYqwQc2M3BuBvyxy1Ng5ssk-HyCZxQzyhQHusRcj-tnsI0fU6tiUurvm_H7b_2Dj9sV8dpYh7n8xrSlEPGIKFrfeaTiudFTp3uaMpfikM9inrY18FguPWx8YevY9UrErDh_T/s320/2017-05-07+08.19.06.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bottom retaining spacer with contrast painted alignment arrow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The chambers needed some smoothing as well to slide past each other because of the low resolution of the surfaces. Additionally, I had to shave away a significant amount of the material along the sides of the keyed ridges. I had left enough width for the letter dials to rotate freely, but I failed to consider that the waterjet spacers would have a very small tolerance for the width of the key ridge. After a lot of shaving and sanding, I painted the inner chambers as well. It would have cost too much to reprint them on a different printer or with updated dimensions, since both pieces needed either a long print time or a large amount of support material.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQsa_PGO8SjLhl8S4ddp0NvWCOu7YSOC8VHjg_Zc1L8Uhwi5_B1rOr9q5nvZoqCUjQYAVCN0_9suKbll1cb2x9JYg9oa2ETl5lvKm7UR6s97cWRYbQ07ACczDRgaDmZasMbFClpoPmybO9/s1600/2017-05-07+08.19.56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQsa_PGO8SjLhl8S4ddp0NvWCOu7YSOC8VHjg_Zc1L8Uhwi5_B1rOr9q5nvZoqCUjQYAVCN0_9suKbll1cb2x9JYg9oa2ETl5lvKm7UR6s97cWRYbQ07ACczDRgaDmZasMbFClpoPmybO9/s320/2017-05-07+08.19.56.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sanded inner and outer chambers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The only modification I needed to make for the retaining ring was to carve a little bit away from the J-shaped hooks that were used to lock the ring onto the middle casing slots. The resolution of the 3d print meant that everything was slightly fatter than it should have been, so there wasn't enough clearance both axially due to the flat ring face, and in the width of the piece that was meant to slot into the milled casing.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJMP9Fc8jMWqYpzVKww7JeL8iuMEaP_zrXrkJWcebDPp9qs2j8C2qcJ9wRjpRmH0NW7mSgDWBApiuSprY2SvGFraKpIx_Nx57VpBuPyT_5AuO4D6ydOursJtmkHp-qsU2xIgGH3ysE2_MS/s1600/2017-05-07+08.20.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJMP9Fc8jMWqYpzVKww7JeL8iuMEaP_zrXrkJWcebDPp9qs2j8C2qcJ9wRjpRmH0NW7mSgDWBApiuSprY2SvGFraKpIx_Nx57VpBuPyT_5AuO4D6ydOursJtmkHp-qsU2xIgGH3ysE2_MS/s320/2017-05-07+08.20.44.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished retaining ring</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Even after expending my store of elbow grease, the letter dials still didn't turn as easily as I would have been satisfied with, the height of the rings was too large given the tolerance on the thickness of the waterjet spacers, and the surface finish wasn't great either. So I uploaded my parts (after increasing the inner diameter slightly) to <a href="http://shapeways.com/" target="_blank">Shapeways</a> and got the rings printed from strong and flexible black plastic, since the parts were small and relatively cheap. After one mixup where they sent me a duplicate of one of the rings (customer service set things straight by sending me the right ring eventually), and after a long delay, I received my new rings in the mail. Shapeways seems to often be behind schedule even if their material schedule didn't say so; it took my parts 11 days to ship after ordering, despite estimated time of 5 days, and with the printing mixup adding another week to ship after they ok'd the printing of the missing ring, total time before I received all my parts was about 3 weeks, so I definitely don't recommend their services unless you're ok with a nebulous timeline that's unlikely to be on schedule (or if you're willing to pay 1.5x the price for rush production).<br />
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That being said, the resolution on the shapeways rings was much better, with sharper letters and no further polishing or sanding needed to fit. After a tiny bit of rework to deburr the lip from SLS printing, I fed the rings onto the casing and assembled the cryptex.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJimXhENhBaW_ll3qabl5bQPQtulHnvB9YGYPM_GbHFW7XL8EBgADq2AhNLSwhqoi72MPul5YKVE_kUx4RbLJ5SNC2K4yrr5MdMp8jXyIFVYydWDNX4HGpM_M3D5TJoRmCE-5hriDqWUYR/s1600/2017-06-25+13.26.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJimXhENhBaW_ll3qabl5bQPQtulHnvB9YGYPM_GbHFW7XL8EBgADq2AhNLSwhqoi72MPul5YKVE_kUx4RbLJ5SNC2K4yrr5MdMp8jXyIFVYydWDNX4HGpM_M3D5TJoRmCE-5hriDqWUYR/s320/2017-06-25+13.26.06.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Assembled cryptex with shapeways SLS rings on top, compared to the sanded and lacquered FDM rings loose on bottom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I was planning at first to attach the outer chamber top to the lid endcap using some sort of fasteners, but then I decided drilling holes and adding fasteners would look messy and be kind of unnecessary. Instead, I just used some superglue to attach it, since it wouldn't be seeing a huge amount of force (as long as my raccoons didn't try to open the cryptex too hard with the wrong answers).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbl_fig_vhdM1InEt9QNUeVVFhyaKTGNt9tMajauIy2i4j-3g8BupFgsnPsblUEkpvsdxA1Mz9vLUYdZzsc2z_F_EMb2hqlmtluo8E_gU12vcAR9IUKVLoG9f4p30AXh8p625uRexEvYwu/s1600/2017-07-06+21.24.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbl_fig_vhdM1InEt9QNUeVVFhyaKTGNt9tMajauIy2i4j-3g8BupFgsnPsblUEkpvsdxA1Mz9vLUYdZzsc2z_F_EMb2hqlmtluo8E_gU12vcAR9IUKVLoG9f4p30AXh8p625uRexEvYwu/s320/2017-07-06+21.24.53.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top of outer chamber glued into the lid endcap</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Here are some shots of the final product and a video of the cryptex being solved. I left a USB stick with puzzles in the space that existed between the inner and outer chambers when the cryptex was closed, so that the puzzles for solving the inner chamber would only be available once the outer chamber was opened. The present that was locked in the inner chamber will remain a secret; rest assured that it was a small but useful little trinket.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV9WU_vsolUd2vp6olOai2k-37U217DVzEpjJ0dnhAgEnGXE6ONki7l-bNuqJnbhuLd61NRGgPweaqgJVJtWNL_1F5WO_RplglSEwGzUZvClWBcQ2CaesYlebkf76f2m-VQyoDTN9eeexP/s1600/2017-07-06+21.26.29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV9WU_vsolUd2vp6olOai2k-37U217DVzEpjJ0dnhAgEnGXE6ONki7l-bNuqJnbhuLd61NRGgPweaqgJVJtWNL_1F5WO_RplglSEwGzUZvClWBcQ2CaesYlebkf76f2m-VQyoDTN9eeexP/s320/2017-07-06+21.26.29.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final cryptex, with the first stage solved</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDc37lNa3_VsAHCdAouVRfzfi7mOkIbTGy2082rtqKT-0iw-i1iwYldkHhFtFLzty2xzgbZRHbpjqeQNfYV4v9GTmfvHu2S04grA2iJlQgYZ8Ul-qy88SFCR2aRvrNWmmMfIQgY321U4c4/s1600/2017-07-06+21.32.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDc37lNa3_VsAHCdAouVRfzfi7mOkIbTGy2082rtqKT-0iw-i1iwYldkHhFtFLzty2xzgbZRHbpjqeQNfYV4v9GTmfvHu2S04grA2iJlQgYZ8Ul-qy88SFCR2aRvrNWmmMfIQgY321U4c4/s320/2017-07-06+21.32.41.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cryptex with both stages solved and removed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfuwRv-Y36MXxTJ0GftkOuITKgwQ0yR3Okx9S9gWqwTJamSO5wqfaUO0BQuPJqK5-qTUXiKTRXynbtUlOVsE1N3R6wOU1vDnpaiNn0369zUtdX9y3EtAnamly8hJlca2yl0ARPqBmvvEj/s1600/2017-07-06+21.33.12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfuwRv-Y36MXxTJ0GftkOuITKgwQ0yR3Okx9S9gWqwTJamSO5wqfaUO0BQuPJqK5-qTUXiKTRXynbtUlOVsE1N3R6wOU1vDnpaiNn0369zUtdX9y3EtAnamly8hJlca2yl0ARPqBmvvEj/s320/2017-07-06+21.33.12.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the cryptex; note the aligned slots on the left side that allowed the inner chamber to slide out</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyYK0XKjKLuvxlY9Ksl_pssCFkHOA3VuQMkNJBbwtn6FHfmrDxjuLT5dtnjA1a6YFMvwx0L_gVzvOthXw1qSA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Helena Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948134617740274723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3324966668274170747.post-89558854333286460752017-07-31T22:48:00.000-07:002017-09-17T22:16:33.273-07:00Two-stage Cryptex: CAD DesignIt is a truth universally acknowledged that <a href="http://37.media.tumblr.com/e01974a1625fb84b7f125995f44fccf2/tumblr_n7hisblslf1s0mbfho1_400.gif" target="_blank">raccoons like puzzles</a>. Raccoons like, in fact, touching all things:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<br />
<dt class="highlight" style="background-color: #ddd9ca; font-family: Georgia, Garamond, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0.5em 0.5em 0px;"><a href="http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=raccoon&allowed_in_frame=0" style="color: #800020; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: none;">raccoon (n.)</a> <a class="dictionary" href="http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=raccoon" style="color: #800020; font-size: xx-small; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Look up raccoon at Dictionary.com"><img alt="Look up raccoon at Dictionary.com" height="16" src="https://www.etymonline.com/graphics/dictionary.gif" style="border: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" title="Look up raccoon at Dictionary.com" width="16" /></a></dt>
<dd class="highlight" style="background-color: #ddd9ca; font-family: Georgia, Garamond, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px 0.5em 0.5em;">also <span class="foreign" style="font-style: italic;">racoon</span>, c. 1600, <span class="foreign" style="font-style: italic;">arocoun</span>, from Algonquian (Powhatan) <span class="foreign" style="font-style: italic;">arahkun</span>, from <span class="foreign" style="font-style: italic;">arahkunem</span> "he scratches with the hands." Early forms included Capt. John Smith's <span class="foreign" style="font-style: italic;">raugroughcum</span>. In Norwegian, <span class="foreign" style="font-style: italic;">vaskebjørn</span>, literally "wash-bear."</dd></blockquote>
Disgusting. <br />
<br />
Whether I like it or not, I have long suffered (like, for two whole years) an excess of raccoons and abundant inevitable raccooning from my boyfriend, who is absolutely three raccoons in a trenchcoat. And we both love puzzles. One of our first dates was an escape room, which, while having the possibility of turning out horribly, we absolutely destroyed. He introduced me to Myst via Steam gift while I was bedridden after surgery, and I in turn introduced him to the style of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puzzlehunt" target="_blank">puzzle hunts</a>, e.g. MIT Mystery Hunt. For my birthday/christmas last year, he gave me an ingenious Japanese puzzle box, inside which he had hidden a puzzle hunt that he himself wrote. Thus, I was inspired to create my own physical fiddly puzzle box, complete with puzzles and a small gift inside, to satisfy both raccooning and puzzling tendencies. But a single puzzle to fiddle with was too easy, and so I began to investigate a double-stage puzzle box, resulting in the design of this two-stage cryptex.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf6eNin_A6B9Xt6OmUvDwvtNpsYGuEhYZOKMt9_ZLR6PqifrfZGV2HMJnEpolqvsaoJ9t6tsNrMSu5GeMZuR8C7G3igUYlZuWGkbrrC70tE5RzNxezcYXCuiR_sa68jPIrdf7INoG4aav4/s1600/closedcryptex.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="700" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf6eNin_A6B9Xt6OmUvDwvtNpsYGuEhYZOKMt9_ZLR6PqifrfZGV2HMJnEpolqvsaoJ9t6tsNrMSu5GeMZuR8C7G3igUYlZuWGkbrrC70tE5RzNxezcYXCuiR_sa68jPIrdf7INoG4aav4/s320/closedcryptex.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SolidWorks model </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a name='more'></a>The word "cryptex" was coined by Dan Brown in his novel, <u>The Da Vinci Code</u>, as a neologism portmanteau from <i>kryptos</i> and <i>codex</i>. It referred to a stone and brass cylinder with endcaps and discs that had every letter of the alphabet represented, and works much like a word combination lock. Once the user aligns the letters into the correct word, the inner tube can be pulled out to reveal the contents, or, in the case of my two-stage cryptex, an additional tube inside that requires re-solving of the cryptex with a different answer to release the final contents. Many designs for cryptexes (cryptices?) are available online, but I could only find one example of a two-stage cryptex, called a <a href="http://www.cryptex.org/davinci-line-cryptex.html" target="_blank">nested cryptex</a>, starting from the <i>low, low price of $3000</i>. And in a foul twist of transitive property, love can't buy money any more than money can buy love. With the help of the pictures from the Nevins site above and this <a href="https://roomescapeartist.com/2017/02/05/cryptex-review-extravaganza/" target="_blank">useful teardown</a> from a fellow escape room enthusiast, I reverse-engineered the locking mechanism and designed my own two-stage cryptex.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbysGG8dSgLBAwarC1f9l1ZKxxlAIp745tkCQNUnRTdEYNNVscGm2Jk1sNtjopU-fwRPavGL9_uJceLJQ8FRfy_xcLuBtPIpDYQj8S6dG70rQwkd3bt8Vcmsxd5ZxlX_k2hPBP3swStAsn/s1600/opencryptex.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="587" data-original-width="1044" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbysGG8dSgLBAwarC1f9l1ZKxxlAIp745tkCQNUnRTdEYNNVscGm2Jk1sNtjopU-fwRPavGL9_uJceLJQ8FRfy_xcLuBtPIpDYQj8S6dG70rQwkd3bt8Vcmsxd5ZxlX_k2hPBP3swStAsn/s320/opencryptex.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First stage of the cryptex solved and removed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
An explanation for the divergent terminology: the nested cryptex from Nevins is literally a cryptex inside of a cryptex. I wanted to make an easier and more elegant solution, where the same dials from the outer chamber were used to solve for the inner chamber release as well. This resulted in the half-shell outer chamber, in order to allow the teeth of the inner chamber, offset 90 degrees from the teeth of the outer, to have access to the same dial spacing. Because this means double-solving the same cryptex, I decided that two-stage was a more apt descriptor for this puzzle box.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEL5JfRVqZrHkR77Bo5VvLvq3szAeLlIljfeHb3Q20UvkSEIHmlHRcm_OdZ08Ig0pR69Krp55y6SeTpmQ_kP4Y2zxQnMV6_IlMv9adEcQdlug6CQrsvaIuuKWsxti70eSlLPuFS5SuCVD9/s1600/closeup.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="630" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEL5JfRVqZrHkR77Bo5VvLvq3szAeLlIljfeHb3Q20UvkSEIHmlHRcm_OdZ08Ig0pR69Krp55y6SeTpmQ_kP4Y2zxQnMV6_IlMv9adEcQdlug6CQrsvaIuuKWsxti70eSlLPuFS5SuCVD9/s320/closeup.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Internal structure of rings and spacers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4LP4qDEq94Cy6h7GQYJBHfSgEkESaviAxiCpqW-9no_t4oAhYztXnIctKdj6eFm_lQr2bn2iPsYOcxsFbauD601mtaO7b7zuDhc89zJkOFbegadYIyjqim8efO95ZoMe5zhmbTihWeBE4/s1600/closeup2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="771" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4LP4qDEq94Cy6h7GQYJBHfSgEkESaviAxiCpqW-9no_t4oAhYztXnIctKdj6eFm_lQr2bn2iPsYOcxsFbauD601mtaO7b7zuDhc89zJkOFbegadYIyjqim8efO95ZoMe5zhmbTihWeBE4/s320/closeup2.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside of the cryptex casing with stages removed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
The lettered rings rotate freely around the inner chamber, but only one fully correct combination will allow the stages of the cryptex to pull loose. The central casing was designed to be machined from a 3" OD piece of aluminum tubing, with two longitudinal slots for the keyways on the chambers and two radial slots for the retaining ring at the open end to keep all of the rings and spacers constrained. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJ7HFx-nDqFmNl33KfRpRWklFqfHUb0K9EkJdXsm5h5-__H9yxbz_-2iBF3SwH7gHOZG_VIC7XhSPpj-Vjza5IfXR1hY9H-UQPkx6qsk-gY4YAy_WA3p2QGdMbqcKK3sawmHvBU_N9MJA/s1600/casing.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="479" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJ7HFx-nDqFmNl33KfRpRWklFqfHUb0K9EkJdXsm5h5-__H9yxbz_-2iBF3SwH7gHOZG_VIC7XhSPpj-Vjza5IfXR1hY9H-UQPkx6qsk-gY4YAy_WA3p2QGdMbqcKK3sawmHvBU_N9MJA/s320/casing.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Central chamber of the cryptex</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPdlJaMSekGKuVuWi_ebE8uJhd8RCDWJn_ljr-8vvR6ACwNHHq31MYLhpYntVl3sN4zgwdvg3-2B0wCUubfs-6QSdabYuzGdYZx8SSH2G2A-2x4gX5gAMBjezW4K8LbrEeIp9Qt4EXsYF/s1600/retaining1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="647" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPdlJaMSekGKuVuWi_ebE8uJhd8RCDWJn_ljr-8vvR6ACwNHHq31MYLhpYntVl3sN4zgwdvg3-2B0wCUubfs-6QSdabYuzGdYZx8SSH2G2A-2x4gX5gAMBjezW4K8LbrEeIp9Qt4EXsYF/s320/retaining1.PNG" width="275" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closeup of the retaining ring</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutuM8vkPFF9M9GcG2vJLfXcku23A3xh1gxOtFpDArMA7WqbFYSe9lRlJtIb79fF87uNKwG4cGW5Z6CuIzMbgmCVLnD1rsNnkf5XDl-c8aB39ERjG6RtB6v9xGYjOj7o0eZJ11IYuMfUoy/s1600/retaining2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="657" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutuM8vkPFF9M9GcG2vJLfXcku23A3xh1gxOtFpDArMA7WqbFYSe9lRlJtIb79fF87uNKwG4cGW5Z6CuIzMbgmCVLnD1rsNnkf5XDl-c8aB39ERjG6RtB6v9xGYjOj7o0eZJ11IYuMfUoy/s320/retaining2.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Retaining ring</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Due to the precision needed to align the letters properly, each side has a retaining ring with an embedded marker (the small hexagons with triangles) to help line up the tick marks on either side of the lettered rings. I debossed all of the symbols and letters, knowing that I was going to 3D print all of the lettered and retaining rings. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGZfAcHr9TDynsS_7vGcKfVfinCemkUY1tHdDRtkdxaQxC2Atfs0QsRl5FnNd8_fnkPCjXyccuDa3j-FIsURqdPz6L93Eb55YuO1FmJpdBAU9l9_ct4qy9M26zkCwCbSQd5ioU7C6fNRu/s1600/retaining3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="566" data-original-width="461" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGZfAcHr9TDynsS_7vGcKfVfinCemkUY1tHdDRtkdxaQxC2Atfs0QsRl5FnNd8_fnkPCjXyccuDa3j-FIsURqdPz6L93Eb55YuO1FmJpdBAU9l9_ct4qy9M26zkCwCbSQd5ioU7C6fNRu/s320/retaining3.PNG" width="260" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marker/retaining ring for the closed end</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The innermost chamber is a smaller diameter than the outer chamber in order to fit concentrically into the casing, so there is a bottom lip to maintain concentric alignment. The outer end also has a lip; this way, once the first stage is solved, it can't be pulled out all the way and will catch on the lip, forcing the user to solve the cryptex once more in order to pull out the inner chamber along with the outer chamber. The second stage of the cryptex must be solved while the first stage has already been pulled out, in order to not interfere with the locking mechanism.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4wP_Ph4jQwOdl1VydIeaQVH3WCHITgMz-UxQxvwtQ86H-5UTZB_QvVtcQJ8RUs0zOaouGjFPr_Yv7SITPgoNFM0eSiMlPglNseKSJ6YIQTUDdJ-HhlgxrpYVYeyhMxjBY9YHdwMjiS_oA/s1600/inner.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="515" data-original-width="589" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4wP_Ph4jQwOdl1VydIeaQVH3WCHITgMz-UxQxvwtQ86H-5UTZB_QvVtcQJ8RUs0zOaouGjFPr_Yv7SITPgoNFM0eSiMlPglNseKSJ6YIQTUDdJ-HhlgxrpYVYeyhMxjBY9YHdwMjiS_oA/s320/inner.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Innermost chamber (second stage) of the cryptex</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The outer chamber thus has a corresponding lip on the bottom end, so that it will catch on the lip on the inner chamber. The top end of the outer chamber is just a solid circle here, because I needed some way to attach it to the aluminum endcaps.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg4ddPtTtA_s1Vz9NR7243zef1DRGrkmBmumuzqaOBRxS8I9OoFL4ucv6pKf_TI7Hwg66YU4IUE7PvtLsXy6nrJx_G2883DMAdolw4ArbcBTd18giFLQ2d7XzydgJDgxgni5ObVYV_r2d3/s1600/outer.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="487" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg4ddPtTtA_s1Vz9NR7243zef1DRGrkmBmumuzqaOBRxS8I9OoFL4ucv6pKf_TI7Hwg66YU4IUE7PvtLsXy6nrJx_G2883DMAdolw4ArbcBTd18giFLQ2d7XzydgJDgxgni5ObVYV_r2d3/s320/outer.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outer chamber (first stage) of the cryptex</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The lettered rings are aligned with the lower ridges on the keyways on the chambers. Note that each ring didn't just have a keyway under the correct letters. Because the second stage relies on the same physical markers for alignment by the user, the keyways for the second stage must instead be ninety degrees offset from the second stage solution letters, so that they line up with the keyway for the second stage when the letters are aligned at the keyway of the first stage (where the indicators are located).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXRGnxGmmT8oIa75z72rKPvOr0TzGZb5GCd9dgRcAbZHP9sGfC_505CdvQI4CBZict1iG1QSuKgjOhusNFs99hR9HlwwST_JFJp_Aba7D8wVZfZaIMMex8gWZHnbG9bZettPT0OCN4fEb/s1600/ring1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="575" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXRGnxGmmT8oIa75z72rKPvOr0TzGZb5GCd9dgRcAbZHP9sGfC_505CdvQI4CBZict1iG1QSuKgjOhusNFs99hR9HlwwST_JFJp_Aba7D8wVZfZaIMMex8gWZHnbG9bZettPT0OCN4fEb/s320/ring1.PNG" width="279" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The last lettered ring of the cryptex, with first and last solutions being "S" so the second stage key slot must be ninety degrees offset.</td></tr>
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Finally, I designed aluminum spacer rings, intended for waterjet or lasercutting fabrication, as spacers between the lettered rings, matching with the aluminum endcaps which served as grip. The spacer rings are rotationally constrained with flanges that seat into the axially milled slots along the casing, and include a key slot for the ridges atop the chambers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPfVGfamVxpFetEfcyRvkDfXwdIUJtqQfoTIA6S8ktnqT2c66XbqnVTQQTfPMbt39ddpqF1Y6wL95OkIS0ZI9Nm4_ERbLNyN4u1bD6bwiNXFxs2jBVTU6JHDBbl5r21CxGwG_Rvt_tX5pF/s1600/spacer.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="485" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPfVGfamVxpFetEfcyRvkDfXwdIUJtqQfoTIA6S8ktnqT2c66XbqnVTQQTfPMbt39ddpqF1Y6wL95OkIS0ZI9Nm4_ERbLNyN4u1bD6bwiNXFxs2jBVTU6JHDBbl5r21CxGwG_Rvt_tX5pF/s320/spacer.PNG" width="269" /></a></div>
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This project was the first time I ever finished a full CAD model of the thing I was intending to build before I...went and built it. Having a CAD program made this entire design process vastly easier, but there were still a lot of difficulties translating my ideal cryptex into the physical product, only some of which could have been mitigated if I had been smarter about the CAD. I'll talk about those in part 2, the follow-up to this post.<br />
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P.S. If anyone wants the CAD files, I can be convinced to provide them, with the caveat that I had to make many changes after receiving the physical parts and I can only remember some of these changes to advise on improvements if you want to make your own version. And, of course, the letter rings will have to be modified to provide your custom answers :]<br />
<br />Helena Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948134617740274723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3324966668274170747.post-48939000432843908112016-08-22T15:46:00.000-07:002017-09-17T22:18:56.437-07:00Burning Man Jacket <div style="text-align: justify;">
I've wanted to go to Burning Man for many years. Unfortunately, living on a student budget on the east coast made this mostly impossible. But after I moved to Berkeley for grad school, the community and opportunities were hard to escape. I applied for a Low Income ticket in April, after a longtime burner friend of mine convinced me to go, and, to my immense surprise and gratitude, was granted one. In July, this friend got in contact with the people who built Dr. Brainlove, and suddenly, I was on board as one of the core crew to build an art car (post on that forthcoming). </div>
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Two weeks in the desert loomed up in a month and a half, when I'd never been to a festival before or even gone camping for more than a weekend. And in the desert there are no coat checks; my usual strategy of multiple layers for warmth under a leather jacket against wind would probably be suboptimal for long nights that wavered between biking and dancing and sitting out in the open. I looked online for a while and hit up thrift stores, but didn't find a jacket that really met my needs and aesthetics. So I dusted off the Singer sewing machine my father gave me and made a custom jacket. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFGKCTqDW2nlNnz3ZeS_yWvegVJEKZnxKYyuCccIi9ac7euMIVLoQztv0MbptuQ2iBoMq_gpBKRT2Az4ItutC8FGAEJ7Lhc48gyFFg9D1b4B5cFqCPY3nXRYx-FEFHrcITvt5dw7UWYd6t/s1600/image-20160816_162326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFGKCTqDW2nlNnz3ZeS_yWvegVJEKZnxKYyuCccIi9ac7euMIVLoQztv0MbptuQ2iBoMq_gpBKRT2Az4ItutC8FGAEJ7Lhc48gyFFg9D1b4B5cFqCPY3nXRYx-FEFHrcITvt5dw7UWYd6t/s320/image-20160816_162326.jpg" width="202" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished product first. Appropriately cyberpunk (shaved half hawk? check. Weird shapes? check. Military inspired lines? check. 120 degree angles? check. Asymmetry? check. Low life? uh, do the PJs and dirty bathroom count?)</td></tr>
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I started by sketching what I wanted the final jacket to look like, going through several iterations and drawing inspiration from a number of online resources. The qualities I wanted were sharp lines, asymmetry, a warm inner shell, and a stiff outer lining. Large sleeves, no hood, fur and silver accents.<br />
Then I hit up the Goodwill and fabric stores. I found a short jacket that was way too large but had the collar and front hook closures that I wanted, and purchased matching canvas and an accent fabric in metallic silver Lycra. For the lining, I bought a secondhand black fleece pullover that was thick and fairly unworn and a thin fur jacket with large unseamed swaths. I tried to find articles of clothing that were oversized, because I was basically using them as fabric.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOn7t66GCqquyeIlJpe_kmiRHcCwzK62XTuYz7CDMPzwqSFgWQm-iIdDf2Ds0YmbboEMQgL_wg5NhyUa1s6YPY48DNfrT4PEoN5BbP5MqKYJkTpw8k9ZSEBzMO19KTPBnw5RLYjDcMsGsk/s1600/IMG-20160729-WA0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOn7t66GCqquyeIlJpe_kmiRHcCwzK62XTuYz7CDMPzwqSFgWQm-iIdDf2Ds0YmbboEMQgL_wg5NhyUa1s6YPY48DNfrT4PEoN5BbP5MqKYJkTpw8k9ZSEBzMO19KTPBnw5RLYjDcMsGsk/s320/IMG-20160729-WA0001.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the materials laid out and the lines drawn on the base jacket.</td></tr>
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After transferring my sketched lines to the base jacket and trying it on for fit, I laid butcher paper over the chalk lines and used a pin to perforate as a method of tracing. Then I connected the pinholes (harrowing connect the dots) and cut out the templates from paper, tracing them onto the black canvas fabric and leaving about half an inch for seaming allowance. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outer shell pieces laid out, with lapel pieces overlapping the left side of the jacke</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silver accent fabric laid out alongside outer shell panels</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtO5mayqFmhF_1LlmatMrW7x-kMvAyhIyy9Vuve0UdcCqmsUv1_BNjTcnvV2xWWe1UUXUbtxd9sYLLDxoV6Q2wShATLcUE75wIK1qqz3YKGuQm7uAiXCZTvheIawxrZn3yVtf7yB4ALFj_/s1600/IMG-20160812-WA0000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
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After cutting out all of the torso shell panels, I stitched them together, leaving the seams visible from the outside for a more ragged apocalyptic look. The final torso piece became a very stiff vest with stretchy side and shoulder panels.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4expIulr86pemg1bCebtn0NEXO763qKoY3KUDZxLsYZ6dfK5js61ECAD-o_EO5nKsDSaC5HdP2bb215b1TVYxaCYWC_7lsSoMiDhz2tWIkTS7NLPZWlGJykNTLmMMNm3MrbKL1LO0Ydv/s1600/IMG-20160812-WA0003.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4expIulr86pemg1bCebtn0NEXO763qKoY3KUDZxLsYZ6dfK5js61ECAD-o_EO5nKsDSaC5HdP2bb215b1TVYxaCYWC_7lsSoMiDhz2tWIkTS7NLPZWlGJykNTLmMMNm3MrbKL1LO0Ydv/s320/IMG-20160812-WA0003.jpeg" width="232" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outer torso shell complete, and conforming well to curves due to the lycra</td></tr>
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I attached the outer shell/vest to the original jacket, following the arm and collar seams as closely as possible to camouflage my additions.<br />
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For the sleeves, I went an even lazier route; I really hate sewing shoulders, because they are unreliably shaped and very difficult to match seams on, so I cut the sleeves of the original jacket off near the armpit, leaving a t-shirt looking structure, and tacked on sleeve tubes that I sewed.<br />
A tip for sewing lycra; because the stretchy fabric will be pulled by the foot of the sewing machine and pucker, a strip of paper can be laid down over the lycra and sewn over (making a canvas/lycra/paper sandwich). Then, just tear the perforated paper off, leaving a nice flat seam with smooth fabric.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ1yZjaA49OrZNydj16wEeQ6_YObLIAPhMOYJbO_NzK-1TdflfTtAV5DbD3ZRHXjUArcolor4_LQVMauN4vNh7CR2_Xq-djnUVqo7Gkp0qwOXs2htMACVdglUKY6k_vVEmOvS9b2Gz14RW/s1600/IMG-20160814-WA0001.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ1yZjaA49OrZNydj16wEeQ6_YObLIAPhMOYJbO_NzK-1TdflfTtAV5DbD3ZRHXjUArcolor4_LQVMauN4vNh7CR2_Xq-djnUVqo7Gkp0qwOXs2htMACVdglUKY6k_vVEmOvS9b2Gz14RW/s320/IMG-20160814-WA0001.jpeg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So flat! So straight!</td></tr>
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Next came the lapel panels. I cut matching sizes of fur and stitched little squares of fur-interfacing-canvas, picking the fur out of the seams once I flipped them right-side-out to make the edges fluffy. This was my first time using the buttonhole functionality on my sewing machine (the interfacing is to lend structure to the buttonholes), and they turned out well, after some de-MOOPing of fur and loose threads after cutting them open. I hand-stitched the lapel panels together, and then attached the strip to the original jacket shell. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty proud of my first buttonholes</td></tr>
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As for the buttons, I couldn't find silver triangular buttons to match the accent fabric, so I drew up some buttons in SolidWorks and sent them to a waterjet. After some grinding off of tabs and finishing with scotchbrite polishing, I countersunk the holes to prevent the thread from being worn down by the aluminum edges. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjalsyWpiRhvJ9v0Ljafl-ITyERpjuZQiZAS2psS04Xh0gx92sTVHIKzJtIVx3VAhhp0OpnWimOBxGfrKCOozDTscSqM4vpYmiQcWcN3mtuxucUw422XPfLBkSbtp_5JeJ0Ji5UwrNQOaQ/s1600/button.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjalsyWpiRhvJ9v0Ljafl-ITyERpjuZQiZAS2psS04Xh0gx92sTVHIKzJtIVx3VAhhp0OpnWimOBxGfrKCOozDTscSqM4vpYmiQcWcN3mtuxucUw422XPfLBkSbtp_5JeJ0Ji5UwrNQOaQ/s320/button.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drawing for waterjetting buttons</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK4i8RVuhfXZI4AolqdzC5U7_pVScukVJ7xW0z_GLejzgBLDYFCFvrxquMIGOK2CtPTtRGKtp0YYOaqnr1dJcsKEK2lz0R0T-FgFTQdw5VSxgOuRQ04u_SDgL274h-1KBudi23WKjyc_xt/s1600/image-20160805_124219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK4i8RVuhfXZI4AolqdzC5U7_pVScukVJ7xW0z_GLejzgBLDYFCFvrxquMIGOK2CtPTtRGKtp0YYOaqnr1dJcsKEK2lz0R0T-FgFTQdw5VSxgOuRQ04u_SDgL274h-1KBudi23WKjyc_xt/s320/image-20160805_124219.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished button. The design may or may not have been somewhat influenced by my recent obsession with <a href="http://playstationenthusiast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/The-Witness_20160227045740.jpg" target="_blank">The Witness (incredibly vague and only barely spoilers)</a></td></tr>
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Finally, I added an inner shell by cannibalizing the fleece pullover I bought. I ripped apart the torso seams and laid it into the inside of the jacket shell to trace places to cut, and then stitched it to the existing side and shoulder/collar seams. For the sleeves, I left the original fleece sleeves intact, and attached the lining at the inside shoulders. After pressing open the outer shell seams with an iron and picking out any loose threads, I sewed fairy lights to the arms and back tail of the jacket. </div>
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The rainfly on the back of the jacket was purposefully left unsewn on the bottom edge. This, plus the extra width on either side, allowed me to freely move my arms forward so that I could reach the handlebars of a bike comfortably. While I was designing the back, I also decided to add double vents to the tailpiece, for ease of movement. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj436_TCk76IVsTvooOTEu7wSMyM7hM5oXHPug_h3yQupgCmmFweUCGklqJ9QMRJ5loFK1dlKhi_2pskMjnzzuOXuCotItHyG_dDPIwN2vz_pVu35GPY6fKvBUmE8DnJQAf0xTPq5F5WUTI/s1600/2016-11-09+20.07.25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj436_TCk76IVsTvooOTEu7wSMyM7hM5oXHPug_h3yQupgCmmFweUCGklqJ9QMRJ5loFK1dlKhi_2pskMjnzzuOXuCotItHyG_dDPIwN2vz_pVu35GPY6fKvBUmE8DnJQAf0xTPq5F5WUTI/s320/2016-11-09+20.07.25.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuqN5NzB1BsEdNFeUY90Rb6NlvueQbcJr2gialD6cjXsLXWDycznAEMzmpx10nTo0B5fEejyK7_cdHQ9CnQ2ZttnujKXdBXrVS9UsMnog_8dvXTakrjmkZJ2PbwWsP9ND7Id_hUy3V3G2x/s1600/2016-11-09+20.08.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuqN5NzB1BsEdNFeUY90Rb6NlvueQbcJr2gialD6cjXsLXWDycznAEMzmpx10nTo0B5fEejyK7_cdHQ9CnQ2ZttnujKXdBXrVS9UsMnog_8dvXTakrjmkZJ2PbwWsP9ND7Id_hUy3V3G2x/s320/2016-11-09+20.08.11.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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You can see the original upper arms of the jacket below, as they are slightly different from the new black canvas. But after two weeks of playa, everything was dust colored (but intact!). </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJvP-rMRERo-eh4GeB08T-rc17uUB0wK-6FNvufu5aNP8p_pbbfNXPnxsQTaie64FL3WDRkS4_ZJP33g2AxJUiQDvm5idS5r4YhwjpGIskVau55bCOApg9nD-ADFggqqjLvpSZfJjheC0Z/s1600/IMG-20160815-WA0006.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJvP-rMRERo-eh4GeB08T-rc17uUB0wK-6FNvufu5aNP8p_pbbfNXPnxsQTaie64FL3WDRkS4_ZJP33g2AxJUiQDvm5idS5r4YhwjpGIskVau55bCOApg9nD-ADFggqqjLvpSZfJjheC0Z/s320/IMG-20160815-WA0006.jpeg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The end product, buttoned up to the neck</td></tr>
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Helena Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948134617740274723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3324966668274170747.post-33081572267723395692016-04-27T16:31:00.000-07:002016-11-09T16:34:15.687-08:00COOKIE DECORATING IS ART TOOI baked a lot of things in this past year and learned to work with royal icing. This post is going to be updated as I make more things.<br />
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CLICK READ MORE TO LOOK AT PRETTY COOKIES!<br />
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Christmas 2015 gifts:<br />
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<li>For a classical music nerd: Icing page of Rachmaninoff Prelude in g minor, on spiced shortbread cutout frames.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxdRbatE0ykZ8nzXN283-EUXOxTEMpz3FdEvpHtssCzmz_Qm30Q98Ss2yVAAM0T5m0cw_Z755eOftc8vP1DI8ObKT0R0Uneh2sMwU_xDWWHDb-kRlDH3OYdXca7gpu6Jc_mH5GEVAU6Z3/s1600/2015-12-17+15.55.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxdRbatE0ykZ8nzXN283-EUXOxTEMpz3FdEvpHtssCzmz_Qm30Q98Ss2yVAAM0T5m0cw_Z755eOftc8vP1DI8ObKT0R0Uneh2sMwU_xDWWHDb-kRlDH3OYdXca7gpu6Jc_mH5GEVAU6Z3/s320/2015-12-17+15.55.19.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<li>For the Star Trek fan: Star fleet delta shield insignias from the original series, iced on lemon shortbread cutouts. I made a custom cookie cutter from a ring cut out from a soda can, and piped transfers onto greased parchment paper, tracing pencil templates.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPYFpnhuO91g29AF0mvGYiIXVHfclegVs3IQqIyn-IvQeTvBhgy-hfuBwoZ-jtyKFhCest9RiXxethfSZ9HJ5jGbL39mOimtAh_NLyJ6xn9b07kD_uLhsMbX_C-kdQ1St9WGNnE_DiWU4/s1600/2015-12-18+16.07.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPYFpnhuO91g29AF0mvGYiIXVHfclegVs3IQqIyn-IvQeTvBhgy-hfuBwoZ-jtyKFhCest9RiXxethfSZ9HJ5jGbL39mOimtAh_NLyJ6xn9b07kD_uLhsMbX_C-kdQ1St9WGNnE_DiWU4/s320/2015-12-18+16.07.17.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<li>For my parents: Recent changes in school necessitated the same changes in school spirit, so I made them Cal logo spiced shortbread cookies. I made transfers by piping onto greased parchment paper over traced pencil templates.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQC_IkvJ7aijzyaaKBRbOn3oEO68lgzgiMmaqEHhUeD4pYrG5mZFfIDEMlEWDwmoUiB4h1_GMheFA6xFPFYUOYphs2R8vcXfufcAX2I3DyNm9lDD9Ih_JMRx8qvXlMVp9LBDzf5s4k5g7/s1600/2015-12-20+14.32.26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQC_IkvJ7aijzyaaKBRbOn3oEO68lgzgiMmaqEHhUeD4pYrG5mZFfIDEMlEWDwmoUiB4h1_GMheFA6xFPFYUOYphs2R8vcXfufcAX2I3DyNm9lDD9Ih_JMRx8qvXlMVp9LBDzf5s4k5g7/s320/2015-12-20+14.32.26.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Birthday cupcake fleet:<br />
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<ul>
<li>For the stack of raccoons in my life: A little backstory on this one. A close friend of mine knows that I abhor raccoons and their tiny hands and their rubbing things and washing things and <i>touching everything just too gently and aaaauuuuu (shudders involuntarily). </i>So of course, he takes every opportunity he gets to send me disturbing raccoon images or gifs that highlight their freaky tiny human paw hands. Also, he might actually be a stack of raccoons, based on his behavior. </li>
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<li>For his birthday, I made chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, with raccoon royal icing transfers (gross little hands included):</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG_6LUJxXZZ-l-a9YsnRHXAtHYkTG_sVpodWK0WQNNyqsa0GbbVQ1n3KFGl7tD93XUqmaKkioj1Z_OFSc8izHZwrlT96KQnJJkVru6egbcYbJHZz-WJ3lZOnT9hfGW9c1lK3W_icEqtYbM/s1600/2016-04-26+08.34.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG_6LUJxXZZ-l-a9YsnRHXAtHYkTG_sVpodWK0WQNNyqsa0GbbVQ1n3KFGl7tD93XUqmaKkioj1Z_OFSc8izHZwrlT96KQnJJkVru6egbcYbJHZz-WJ3lZOnT9hfGW9c1lK3W_icEqtYbM/s320/2016-04-26+08.34.53.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can't believe I stayed up until 3am making this tiny army of my worst fears.</td></tr>
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<ul><ul>
<li> And for packaging, it would only be fair that the raccoons lived in tiny trash cans. I flattened foil tin liners with the bottom of a drinking glass and cut a small crosshair to put a candle into as a handle for the lid (which conveniently also kept wax from dripping onto the cupcakes). </li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-hOobFm-TJNXl2Z_3fgBywq1fSq_m-ZMtxMKq_cORJCpBLuCEVj2cJSRPMGehxZrExLbicnwKNOMCF-77FOwjgzIA4M25OKPM-qwePdaDjcUNtQzCywezpnd5cl9__pCPB7XeLZIxvCp/s1600/2016-04-26+23.52.34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-hOobFm-TJNXl2Z_3fgBywq1fSq_m-ZMtxMKq_cORJCpBLuCEVj2cJSRPMGehxZrExLbicnwKNOMCF-77FOwjgzIA4M25OKPM-qwePdaDjcUNtQzCywezpnd5cl9__pCPB7XeLZIxvCp/s320/2016-04-26+23.52.34.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's in the trashcan?</td></tr>
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<ul><ul>
<li>Upon lifting the lid, the would-be consumer was greeted by the sight of a rotund raccoon, sitting atop some sprinkles and oreo crumb "trash". </li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0TKqrfQL7vXpYFzyfnVFfNv8FZVKj22KtzxFEE55KfA4-agLZLJpefqnyqZzgncY25QhEb6uxdCH2h16EXSX0mSFwpnfeqHHQRyF_BS0h3njtihQUnPzbS6HHAQpoWmBRFwR2teBfI_FY/s1600/2016-04-26+23.52.47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0TKqrfQL7vXpYFzyfnVFfNv8FZVKj22KtzxFEE55KfA4-agLZLJpefqnyqZzgncY25QhEb6uxdCH2h16EXSX0mSFwpnfeqHHQRyF_BS0h3njtihQUnPzbS6HHAQpoWmBRFwR2teBfI_FY/s320/2016-04-26+23.52.47.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surprise trash panda! This one is a test cupcake; the tip of the tail broke off.</td></tr>
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<br />Helena Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948134617740274723noreply@blogger.com0