Ginger Bread The Finale

We had our big competition tonight. And guess what, we placed first in our categorie! Plus there was an open bar which made all the speeches that more exciting.

We spent 4 days of class time plus a couple nights and a weekend to put on all the finishing touches. I think we calculated about 62 batches of royal icing which is like 70 pounds of icing sugar and whites.

I was in control of the kitchen made a fridge an oven along with little tinker objects like a kitchen aide and spatulas. But we had a fine brick layer who made an excellent chimney. Plus a lake pour-er and window treaters.

Everything was hand made from the fondant to the candy canes and I'm so proud of us. Besides extreme boasting privileges we got a $200 certificate to a restaurant to share between us plus a one night stay split between two people. We're still debating how to split it fairly but I'm trying to convince them a jumbo slumber party with a ton of room service.

Christine the AMAZING

You know those times when upon first meeting someone you instinctively know that they are someone you were meant to have in your life. I was lucky enough to have met that person on the first day of my life and she has been someone that has been around ever since. I always know that she's there for me and loves me no matter my awkward moments or the fact that were a couple provinces apart.

And who knew she was an expertise seamstress. I received a lovely parcel on Friday and hiding inside was a beautiful handmade apron and the funkiest and most functional oven mitts I've ever layed my eyes on. Chris, your beyond words and I absolutely adore you and I can't thank you enough for lending me some of your crafty genes.

If anyone else wants a look into the life of one of the world's greatest check out her blog at http://chris-theedgeoflight.blogspot.com/

Ginger Bread Update

So we've worked three straight days on the ginger bread house and I still think we have a ways to go but at least we're making head way. The frame is put up and one of my lovely classmates spent the day shingling the chimney and it looks great. We've made everything by hand, marsh mellow & candy canes and fondant & gum paste and probably 140 pounds of rolling icing, and it's enormously gratifying.

We've got the house underway inside. I've been dealt the duty of the kitchen and am slowly getting there. I have all the major appliances done and just have to put them in. Along with a couple more hours of fooling around with Marzipan.

The roof is complete but the outside still has a ways to go. We need to pour our lake with sugar, build up our forest and complete the storybook that will go in the front left hand corner. Our teacher blew sugar to make individual bulbs for each light bulb we have and I can't wait to see it all complete.

I need a couple hours of sleep but I promise to keep you up to date. It needs to be handed in on Monday so expect a picture in all it's glory soon.

Haaalifax

Last Wednesday I came home to find a parcel lying in my door and seen the Nova Scotia School of Art & Design logo in the top left hand corner. My heart sunk, within this letter was my next four years and the act of opening it held a kind of heart attack impact. I sat, I debated and I made a cup of coffee with cigarette in tow to calm my nerves than attacked that parcel as if it had an expiration date.

To my relief the first ten words involved pleased to inform you of your acceptance to NSAD for winter 2008. The following day I gave my landlord my months notice and on the 15th of December I will be heading east and I couldn't be happier.

I also watched Say Anything this weekend and have developed a HUGE crush on John Cusack that borders on obsession. I once thought Dustin Hoffman was the only man to steal my heart but Mr. Cusack has now taken that title. Cusack, if your reading, I could spend forever watching you practice your kickboxing while listening to that sappy Phil Collins song on repeat.

Fancy Desserts

At the request from a message on my answering machine I'm going to have to give everyone an update. The last 2 weeks at school have been fairly intense thanks to a little experiment they've been tinkering with called Service Day. Like a mock restaurant, they shout out orders to you that you have to plate and I can honestly say its been the least pleasant experience of the whole program. I think we've all become accustom to doing doing things slowly with a lot of thought put into the product but in this case people are screaming at you and your rush and overwhelmed.

Lets just say I'm glad it's all over. Though a lot of great plated desserts came from service day. It was a bit of a challenge trying to squeeze 5 different components together on one plate harmoniously but it was great to see how everyone approached each dish totally different.

We had to prepare a tiramisu and were given free range to do as we pleased with the molds and plating. One group made it in a wine cup, another into tiny towers and we put ours into a terrine mold. Then some how we had to fit in minted crepes, tea jellies & vanilla ice creams.

Another plate was fresh apple beginets which are a huge thing in New Orleans. Basically an apple fritter served with a creme frachie parfait.

And a very Asian influenced dessert of mango pudding & tapioca sauce. My group added some dried mango slices and palmiers which are made from the same dough as a croissant but rolled differently and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.

It was a great learning experience but like I said, I'm glad it's over so we can return to our pastry thinking mind sets of slow and perfect.

CHOCOLATE

We fooled around with chocolate all last week. There was truffles with fruit ganaches and pistachio gananches. Caramel coated in chocolate. Nougats and the like.

We learned that traditional French style truffles and usually scooped out of the ganache and hand rolled into balls then dipped into tempered chocolate and rolled in either cocoa powder or icing sugar. While those other fancy looking things you pick up at chocolate shops are little chocolate shells that's the ganache is pipped into and then rolled in anything you desire. The latter freak me out a little cause if the shells are not properly filled; air pockets in it, there's room for bacteria and mold growth which would obviously cause the eater some serious diarrhea.

Making the caramel was honestly the most fun I had. Though I could be bias cause I always eat the caramel flavors first out of the Quality Street Chocolates you always seem to receive around Christmas. Adding different goodies like nuts and dried fruits made for some pretty looking chocolates while adding salt to a butter caramel I made tasted the best.

And tempering chocolate is an art in itself. You have to heat your chocolate up to 45 degrees over a bain marie(double broiler) then cool it back down to 25 degrees which proper chocolatiers will call it's crystallization stage. To get t back down to the crystallization stage you either work out chocolate on a marble slab to temper it, add more chocolate to cool it down or what I prefer to do it your chocolate over an ice bath till it reaches your desired temperature. And I hate to bore you but that's not all. You then have to reheat your chocolate back up to 30-32 degrees and that's when you can have fun with it.

I made up little goody boxes for my favorite people so be expecting a parcel sometime soon.