On happiness, CAP pâtissier and a tart - Tarte chocolat au lait et fruit de la passion, ananas rôti

This past Monday. Yesterday, in fact. I made a choice. One of the most critical choices I’ve ever been confronted to. The kind of choices that leaves you in an uncanny state of uncertainty; but definitely one that makes you happy, one that you can’t help but think about – days and nights and every second in between -, one that comes with a CAP (Certificat d’Aptitude Professionelle) pâtissier, chocolatier et glacier.

The tart. What can I say? An insanely delicious passion fruit ganache encased in a crisp pâte sucrée shell and topped with syrupy pineapple dices […]

The ephemeral party - Gâteau fondant au chocolat

Picture a chair. One covered with some kind of pushy-pink fabric. Well, now imagine yourself getting that exact chair for your birthday – or Christmas, I’m not picky. Thrilled, aren’t you?

The state you would be in is probably as exciting as my current social life. You see, ever since I’ve moved to Revel for my stage de fin d’études, I didn’t really get the chance to connect, or even talk to people my age.

But tonight, people; tonight I‘m invited to a birthday party. And before you start thinking I’m an unsocial geek – which trust me, I am not – you should try and understand. One month. Without. Partying.
Okay, now we’re on the same length, I can introduce you to the most decadent dessert ever. Cake that is.

Réussir la pâte feuilletée, pas à pas - Mastering puff pastry, step by step

If you know how to use a rolling pin, then you know how to make pâte feuilletée. This could be the tagline of this pâte feuilletée 101 post.

For those of you who don’t know it yet, pâte feuilletée [literally, layered dough] – pat fe-yeah-teh – is the French for puff pastry, a fine and versatile pastry used in many pâtisseries and baked good: from mille-feuilles to flans. It consists in a basic dough, the détrempe – deh-tramp – spread with a good share of beurre manié – bear man-yeah –, then successively folded and rolled out […]

Best(est) side of homemade pâte feuilletée - Des presque palmiers crousti-caramélisés

Pâte feuilletée [puff pastry] is one of those things that people don’t make, ahem, very often. You might, which you should be blessed for; but so far, I haven’t met anyone who doesn’t rely on store-bought puff pastry. I guess this is okay for most of us; I have to admit that whenever I have a tart craving and no time to make puff pastry, I prefer to quickly put a simple pâte brisée together and get on with the filling comme si de rien était.

However, come over on a Sunday morning and you’re likely to find me making pâte feuilletée […]

Strawberry fields forever - Perfect party cake à la vanille et aux fraises

This is all quite a surprise to me. I originally thought I would have to skip this month’s daring bakers challenge – again – because of my so-not-working internet connection. But what first appeared to be a never-ending story did find an end yesterday, as a France Telecom monsieur dropped by without warning and fixed my ligne télephonique.

I did certainly gave him one of the little perfect party cakes I had made earlier that day; how handy it is to be a daring baker […]