Pastry Chef or Pâtissier

The first time I knew that there is a separate chef who does pastry in the kitchen was when I watched the Korea Drama “My Lovely Sam Soon” in 2005. It was about the woman who is patissier and trying to found love of her life. Beside the plot, I loved whenever the drama shows the Sam Soon’s baking works. Also the drama showed that because the pastry chef is another head of the menu there could be power dynamic between the main chef. Of course drama is a fiction but still to become a creative and competitive patissier, he/she should be able to present strong character and competitive works to survive in the kitchen.

Since my blog is about baking, I would like to introduce the profession of baking which is pastry chef or patissier. It is professional cook who specializes in making desserts. I think it is not well-known chef and it is kind of vague how to become the pastry chef to most of the people.

As I searched, there are 3 levels of education to become the pastry chef. There are certification, associates degree and bachelor degree. The higher level of education would definitely help to train in more hands-on baking experience and create innovative works. But the education is not crucial to be hired but it could be supportive system to enter the baking profession.

The most important qualification for the pastry chef is the culinary ability and creativity. Pastry chef has to be able to build up their career all by themselves and be able to present their talent whenever they are ready. This is because their salary is based on their work and self-gained reputation as a pastry chef. The skilled assistant salary starts at $25,000/year and expert pastry chef earns about $60,000/year. It is not universal measurement but it is general idea. The number can go up depending on the skill of the pastry chef. The food industry is also considered as one of the entertainment industry that it has fast growth and lots of potential so that pastry chef is high demanded job.

Banana Pudding

Have you been to the Magnolia Bakery? I have visited the one which is at Chicago last month and I finally got a chance to eat their famous banana pudding. It had very rich taste of banana and the cream with it was so sweet, soft and moist. I wanted to make that banana pudding in home so I can save my time going all the way to Chicago, which takes about 2hours and 30minutes. As I searched, it was not difficult recipe and the ingredients were simple enough! The banana pudding had moist little bread in it which can be replaced by Nilla, the vanilla-flavored crackers. This time I shoot the video for all the process and ingredients’ measurements so it would be easier to understand the process! I shoot the video at night and finished editing so I did not include how it was in the morning. You should put in the fridge over night if you want your crackers be moist with cream. I had very sweet breakfast with this banana pudding. Enjoy the video!

 

Banana Pudding

Baking Egg Tart for the first time!

Hello everyone!

As I referenced before, I baked the egg tart. I always wanted to bake one of the tarts dessert but never had a chance before. But Tong Wu, who I interviewed about her baking experience, reminded me to make this egg tart which is her only baking experience. Tart dessert refers to any baked dish that has filling in it over a pastry. Usually it has rough and flaky dough and the filling varies such as blueberry tart, caramel tart, berries tart, cream tart and of course egg tart. I would describe it as something middle of the pie and cake.

Since I never tried to make any tart I searched video recipes and I end up here. To get the successful tart dough is to have strong arm. You have to repeat spreading the dough and and folding the dough. Whenever you finish folding the dough has to be in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes so it is quite a work. I was so tired that I could not take a photo of making the dough so please accept my apology. Now here is the recipe. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 3” Tart mold (12 pieces are recommended)

*Butter Dough*

• 220g Cake Flour
• 1 3/4 Stick of butter

*Water Dough*

• 220g Cake Flour
• 2 Egg Yolks
• 1/4 cup cold water (You can add more water if you need to form the batter)

*Filling*

• 4 Egg Yolks
• 170ml Heavy Cream
• 220ml Milk
• 90g Sugar
• 1Tsp Corn Starch(Optional, if you want your filling like a pudding I recommend it)
• 3Tsp Vanilla extract
• A few salt

 

Recipe:

1. Cut the butter into lots of pieces and add the flour. Remember we want cold dough so butter always has to be cold. If you feel like the butter is melting put back into the fridge and work on the batter later.

2.  I do not have the dough’s picture but as you can see in these picture, form the dough from the batter and wrap it to put into the fridge. The butter dough has to be in fridge for 30 minutes and add with the water dough. You can then spread out the dough and fold it like a blanket and put into the fridge for 15 minutes. You can repeat this as many as you can but when ever the dough is folded it would have flaky texture.

3. Spread out the dough for about 1 inch and cut with the 3 inch cookie cutter. If you do not have the cookie cutter then any cup with the right size will work. Then place it to the individual tart mold. You can spray the non stick oil to the mold but it is optional. 

4. For the filling, mix all the ingredient into the pot with low to medium heat. When it is well mixed add the starch and as it becomes like jelly or pudding add the vanilla extract and set aside to cool.

5. Pour the filling over the dough. The filling should be about 80% high on the dough. Preheat the oven to 390F and when it’s ready insert it by placing on the oven pan.

6. After 25~30 minutes take it out and let it chill. It is best to eat when it is warm.

7. Voila! The filling was soft and the dough was rough and flaky. I think I can improve more by working on the dough but I am still satisfied by the result! Yummy.

 

 

Dessert with “cultural” lenses

We all have different styles of diet. Especially when it comes to the dessert, people are more divided than the entrees. Some likes cake or some likes cookies or some just likes sweet beverages as dessert. Not just styles but if we consider the culture the difference of dessert styles becomes bigger that there are all sorts of different categories.

It is natural flow for America that desserts come when we are finished with entrees. However, my classmate Tong Wu who is from China says “traditionally Chinese people do not eat dessert after meal”. I am from South Korea and she reminded me that Korea is like that too. So, in East Asia, we could surely say that there is generation gap related to the dessert preferences. Because our parent’s generation and older people are not used to the dessert’s menu. It becomes too much for them when they already had plenty of meal. Tong said that older people would not voluntarily try the desserts but only young people would do in China.

It is interesting how in one culture dessert is considered as finale of meal and in another considered as snack that people separately demand it from meal.

I could not ask if Tong tried baking. Tong actually tried baking only once which was making egg tarts. She told me “I want to bake again in the future. I think it is interesting and fun process”. I was happy to hear that because she only tried once but already know how fun it is. From her interview, I decided to make egg tart and it will be on my next blog post! For anyone who wants to know the recipe, I will use this egg tart’s recipe. 

Preview: Spring Break

Hello!

Next week is Spring break that I am traveling Quebec City, Canada. I would not post next week so here are some previews for next week. I selected the national day theme that I provided dessert recipes links and information links you can explore.

 

1.National Blueberry Popover Day on March 10

Popovers are airy rolls that puff up when it is baked. Like the picture it pops out of the tins. It is very light and crispy on the outside. They can be filled with fruits, creams, and custards. For March 10^th blueberry popover is celebrated. Try making some homemade blueberry popovers with this recipe!

2. National Oatmeal Nut Waffles Day on March 11

On March 11^th we are celebrating a healthier version of the classic waffle. If you have the waffle iron patterned then you can make waffle easily. There are various types but the whole grain oats and chopped nuts is this day’s waffle. Check out the recipe to make the batter.

3. National Girl Scout Day on March 12

My previous post was about interesting trivia related to desserts and one of them was that s’mores were invented by the girl scouts. I wanted to inform the national girl scout day because they are pioneer and active leader to spread the sweet desserts. Their thin mints are the most selling girl scout cookie. Check out the s’mores recipe and information about girl scout cookies.

4. Saint Patrick’s Day on March 17

I am from South Korea and I remember I did not understand at first why everyone is dressing up green for the Saint. What is up with Green and the Saint?! But apparently it was very old tradition that it started since the early 17^th Saint Patrick’s death was marked and was chosen as the official Christian feast day by Catholic church. It is also public holiday in Ireland so it is known as Irish day. People wear green, drink green and decorate everything green. I hope you have wonderful Saint Patrick’s Day with green.

5. National Chocolate Caramel Day on March 19

Lastly, I am already high by just introducing the national chocolate caramel day. I love when chocolates have fillings of more sweetness. This can never go wrong since both ingredients are the most popular desserts. It is very hard to resist this combination. I never tried to make the homemade chocolate caramel so I was amazed to see these recipes. Let’s all get sugar high on March 19^th!

5 Interesting Trivia about desserts

Did you know that chocolate chips were invented after chocolate chip cookies? Or that s’mores were invented by girl scouts? Here are some interesting facts about baking and desserts that you can take on and impress your friends.

1. Chocolate chips were invented after the chocolate cookie.

The famous story of chocolate chip cookie goes way back to 1930. The baker Ruth Wakefield improvised by chopping the chocolate chip and added to the cookie dough hoping that it would melt and become the chocolate cookie. However, the chocolate chip did not melt but instead each of the chocolate chip retained their form, softened the dough and gave moist sweetness. It became the first chocolate chip cookie. Ruth’s recipe for the chocolate chip cookie is the famous recipe that is still printed on back of the Nestle’s chocolate chip bag.

Click here for the Ruth’s chocolate chip cookie recipe.

2. Croissant weren’t created in France

You probably think that because of the name, croissant is created by French. However, the delicious, soft, and flakey pieces of buttery croissant is actually made by Austrian. Austria had simpler version of the croissant and August Zang took the idea who founded Viennese bakery in France.

Click here fore the croissant recipe.

3. S’mores were invented by girl scouts

S’mores is a traditional nighttime campfire treat consisting of a layer of chocolate and fire-roasted marshmallow and graham cracker at the top and bottom. S’mores is a contraction of the phrase “some more” that people asked more and more since it was so delicious. The first recipe was from girl scout while they having a summer camp. Girl scout seems to be our pioneer of sweet desserts.

Click here for more creative s’mores recipes.

4. Marshmallow is actually a plant, and was used as an herbal remedy for sore throats

Traditionally marshmallow is from the plant called “Althea officinalis“. It is called marshmallow plant. The leaves and roots were used as herbal remedy for sore throats. It goes way back to the ancient Egyptians using it as herbal remedy with mixture of nuts and honey. In 1800s France took the sap from marshmallow plant and combined it with egg whites and sugar. Now the modern marshmallow consists of sugar, water and gelatin which is a soft candy.

5. The chocolate river in Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory was real chocolate river

I love the movie Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory that was released in 1971. Not only it successfully portrayed the wonderland with desserts but also they were real about it. The chocolate river inside the factory contained 150,000 gallons of water mixed with chocolate and cream. You could have actually drunk it! However, it did not take long to spoil that it is told that the smell was quite awful.

Click here for more trivia of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory.

 

 

Storify

Beauty and the beast theme dessert storify

Coffee Jelly Frappuccino is a hit in Japan

Coffee Jelly Frappuccino is a hit in Japan Starbucks. Check out this new dessert trend. http://ow.ly/Z6WF309ucLn http://ow.ly/i/sl0an

Review: Galaxy Mirror Cake

One of my favorite Youtuber, Rosanna Pansino made this amazing “Galaxy Mirror Cake“. The mirror cake was one of the trend throughout the baking community that it has very reflective glaze covering the cake. Ro added the galaxy theme since her audiences requested and when I first saw the thumbnail I immediately shared with my friends.

I love Ro’s Youtube channel because her creative works based on baking are so innovative. She always has a theme for it and she call it “nerdy” because she is fan of many movies and dramas. She gets idea from it and apply to her baking such as making death star cake from the Star Wars. I noticed that the audiences who are fan of that specific topic gets so excited and  empathize with other audiences which only makes comment section full of joy.

Back to the “Galaxy Mirror Cake”, Ro explains the process very clearly and shows the steps in the video to make it understandable. I appreciate how she specifically instructs and does not miss details where people can easily make mistake. She always gives an opportunity to the viewers to create their own design by giving the wiggle room in the process such as in this case color design. I think as a creator it is always appreciative and thoughtful to share the work and provide another options for it.

Without further ado if you want to check out and witness this amazing galaxy mirror cake process, here is the video: