Day 5: Yes Chef! No Chef! Thank you chef!

These are basically the only three phrases you say in a day as a pastry student...and you barely have time to say them! As I am cutting in my butter for my pâte brisée, I am also weighing out and rolling my viennese vanilla crescent cookies, while simultaneously preparing my mise en place for my beautiful tarte alsacienne. All while I am making sure to keep myself, and my station, sparkling clean!  Oh right, and also all while trying to not pass out from the pressure, sugar high, and pure excitement of it all!

Today we learned how to flambé: a technique that is both classic and exciting! We flambéd apples for the tarte alsacienne by first caramelizing the apples and then adding apple brandy and tipping the pan into the flame in order to catch the liquor on fire and cook it out.  Watching this technique as chef demonstrated was great! But then walking away and realizing that we could potentially burn the school down on our 5th day was, well, completely frightening! However we all walked away with the school in tact, with all of our eyebrows, and with delicious tarte alsacienne.

Here is a picture of the class watching chef  flambé, a picture of my apricot tart, as well as a video of Chef Mike demonstrating rolling the vanilla crescents.
Bon appetit!