Death by Chocolate

OK so maybe petits fours aren't my favorite things...but isn't that what we are here to learn for? :)
Collectively, I think our class did very well (as we always do :))  Here is a pic of all of our different mini cakes

As well as some of my own...

Petits fours are tough...especially when you are working with others. Not only do they all have to look exactly the same, but you aren't always the only one making a certain treat, so you have to match the other people in the kitchen.

As we moved on to cakes, we all could express our own creativity. And we rocked it!
These are a couple of my practice cakes...a black forest cake

a marzipan cake that i practiced piping on...

An a fondant cake with fondant bow...

Also a Fraiser cake filled with strawberries and delicious pastry cream buttercream

And a Buch de Noel, which is the traditional French Christmas log.  Here is Chef Kir demonstrating the cake, and then my own version

I was so happy with my final cake! It was a Valentine's cake that I made for my love :)

 Here is a pic of Kelly and I with our cakes (her's says "I love you more than cake." how cute is that?!)

My classmate, Sam's, beautiful winter solstice cake...

Hunter's hilarious Bachelor cake

Lindsays gorgeous flower cake...

Angela's adorable Baby shower cake...

Josee's perfect cake... I told her she should own a cake shop! (She already does hehe :))

Kathleen's Marry Me cake (hint hint ;))

And Dru's Valentine's cake with a smooching frog...so cute and creative!!

I told you we all rocked it :)



And now...we moved on to chocolate!! Chocolate is its own beast.  I won't bore you with the details of the history of chocolate or with the specific times and temperatures in which to perfectly temper chocolate.  I will just pretend it is really easy and show you the pictures!

First I need to brag that I got to meet Zac Young from Top Chef: Just Desserts

OK moving on.
We of course needed to taste all different kinds of chocolates as an introduction to this unit...oh poor us!

We learned how to make chocolate leaves...
Step 1

 Step 2

 Step 3

 

See, easy! (ya right)

We made a delicious chocolate fruit cake (which doesn't sound good but it really is, i swear!) that I adorned with tempered chocolate and chocolate leaves

Then we made AMAZING L'orange truffles by hand!  Here is Chef Peter demonstrating hand rolling and hand dipping truffles...

We then made chocolate boxes, which was frustrating and time consuming and annoying....and rewarding!
Here is my box in its many pieces...each side is made separately, each pattern is layered, each flower is made pedal by pedal, and each bow is made in a million pieces. 

But when assembled and filled with truffles it is all worth it!

We are now working on our chocolate showpieces, which are 8 inch stand made entirely out of chocolate that can hold our little chocolate candies that we have created.

Stay tuned!!