The French Pastry School-Week Three - Entremet

                                                           L'Art de la Pâtisserie  Week 3

Monday

Entremet began in France as a plated, layered pastry between courses, met.  Over the years it went from savory to sweet.  The french love different textures layered together.  Crunch (feuittine), meringue (very dry), caramelized fruits and nuts, dacquoise (crunch on the outside and soft on the inside) and puff pastry.  Soft genoise (sponge cake), which can be soaked in flavoring, different styles of mousse, gelée and glazes as shiny as glass.  Only a small slice is need to satisfy.

6 Minute Meringue:  

• Set timer for 2 minutes.
• Split sugar into three small containers.
• Put whites in mixer with a whisk.
• Add egg white powder to first sugar to help incorporate it.
• Place the egg whites, cream of tartar, egg white powder and the first sugar into the mixing bowl.
• Start the timer and whip on high for 2 minutes.
• Pour in second container of sugar.
• Start the timer and mix on high for 2 minutes.
• Add last container of sugar.
• Start eh timer and mix on high for 2 minutes.
• Add vanilla.
• Fold in sifted 10X in three stages.

Meringue benefits from whites that are stabilized.  Cream of tartar precoagulates the whites to give them a head start.  Aging, or drying, the whites reduces the percentage of moisture and helps stabilize the whites.  Egg whites should be at room temperature before incorporating air.

Pistachio Dacquoise:

• Set oven to 300ºf.
• Roast pistachio flour until fragrant.
• Prepare pan with light coating of butter, parchment, butter.
• Reset oven to 400ºf
• Mix nut flours and 10X in a large bowl.  Pour into sheet pan for later.
• Mix whites on low, add a little sugar.
• Increase speed.
• Add a little more sugar.
• Whip to medium peak.  Do not over mix.
• Move meringue to big bowl.
• Sprinkle nut/10X mixture over meringue in five stages.
• Fold very gently.  Batter is very fragile.
• Pour batter and smooth batter into prepared pan.
• Bake for 5-7 minutes.
• Once the dacquoise is cool, clean edges with a knife.
• Lift out of pan.
• Flip over into clean, parchment lined pan.
• Top with second layer and parchment.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for later use.

Deflating the batter will cause dacquoise to be dense and chewy.  It should be crispy on the outside and moist in the middle.  Toasting the pistachio brings out its flavor so that it is more pronounced than the almond flour.  

Whipped Cream:

• Refrigerate or freeze bowl.
• Use cold cream.
• Whip at medium speed.  This creates many equally sized, small bubbles.  Mixing to fast creates uneven bubbles which are large and unstable.  Big bubbles make a bad texture in mousse.  
• Less volume in the beginning the better.
• It is better to under whip cream than to over whip it.  If it is over whipped it can not be used for pastry.  Continue whipping until it becomes butter.  Use as butter.
• Properly mixed cream is loose around the edges.
• Over whipped cream turns off-white and becomes grainy.  The fat has separated from the water.

Glazing a plaster dummy cake:

• Prepare sheet pan by covering it in plastic wrap.
• Place a cooling rack on covered pan.
• Pour glaze into tall skinny container.
• Heat up glaze to no more than 35ºc.
• Stir glaze gently.  Do not create bubbles.
• Burr mix the glaze.  Tilt the burr mixer at an angle to create fewer bubbles.  Do not lift the burr mixer above the glaze while mixing or it will create many bubbles.  These bubbles will show on the glazed cake.
• Unmold frozen cake and place on cooling rack.Glaze quickly so that it sets up evenly on the top and the sides of the cake.
• Start at center top of the the cake, pour in circles until all sides are covered.
• Place frozen pistachio dacquoise in a parchment lined half sheet pan.
• Press  cake frame firmly down onto cake.

Tuesday

Stage:  Whimsical Candies

9:00am - 12:30pm at the loop kitchen and candy store location.  Owner: Chris

 I boxed and labeled La Dee Dahs, which are handmade swirls of chewy nougat and creamy caramel dipped in premium chocolate.   I was then allowed to help scale and make a batch of caramel.  We used a table top cooker that stirred automatically.  The basic caramel making rules applied.  I added sucrose slowly, butter slowly and finally, the cream.  Slowly.  Chris poured it into prepared, parchment lined pans with caramel bars.  I bought a Wow Bar, which has peanut butter, salty caramel, chocolate nougat, pretzels and is dipped in dark chocolate, to share with my classmates.  It was wonderful.  

     Her business is in the basement of an office building and is very organized and clean.  It's a candy store with handmade, high quality candies.  They are available at the SoHo location of Dean & DeLuca in New York, online and in her store.

Gelatin:  FPS uses sheet gelatin.  This can be ordered on Amazon.  There are different strengths of gelatin. Generally, one sheet weights 2g but it should be scaled and cut for accuracy.  Gelatin can absorb ten times its weight in water.  Scale five times the amount of water to weight of gelatin.  30g of gelatin to 150g water.

Class:

Apricot/Passion Gelée:

• Warm 25% of purée. 
• Add sugar and bring to a simmer.
• Add gelatin.  
• Whisk until even and no lumps of gelatin remain.
• Mix warm mixture into remaining purée.
• Pour the whole thing over the dacquoise.
• Place in freezer.
• Layer second dacquoise over the gelée layer before it is frozen solid or it will not adhere.
• Place back in freezer.

Coconut Dacquoise:

• Preheat oven to 204ºc (400ºf).
• Prepare two half sheet pans with a light coating of butter, parchment, butter.
• Place whites into mixer bow.
• Combine sifted 10X, almond flour, flour and coconut flake in large bowl.  Whisk.
• Pour it into sheet pan.  Reserve.
• Make meringue.
• Place meringue into large bowl.
• Sprinkle flour mixture over meringue in five stages.
• Gently fold.  Do not deflate.
• Divide into two half sheet pans and spread evenly with offset spatula.
• Sprinkle top of batter with sifted 10X or coconut rape.
• Bake 5-6 minutes.  Do not over bake.  

Clear Glaze:

• Mix clear gel, 30 baume, and glucose in pot,  Gently heat, strain, place plastic wrap on surface and allow it to cool with loose lid so steam can escape.  Store in cooler.

This recipe can be used cold.  It does not need to be warmed each time.  It can also be frozen and will not lose its shine.  Don't store it too much or bubbles will be left on the surface of the dessert.  

Apricot glaze is difficult to make and cheaper and easier to buy pre made.

Candied Pineapple:

• Small dice a fresh pineapple.
• Place in airtight container and cover with simple syrup. 
• Leave in cooler overnight.
• On the second day, drain syrup and cover pineapple with Kirshwasser.
• Use between layers of coconut mousse and coconut dacquoise.

By osmosis, sugar replaces water molecules in the structure of fruit.  A small dice is best for entremet that will be cut with a knife. 

Nougat Mousse:

• Whip cream and place in cooler for later.
• Chop and mix together the dried apricots, dried cherries, tasted pistachios and toasted pecans.
• Line half sheet pan with acetate and place frame over acetate.Sprinkle half the fruit and nut mixture over acetate.
• Soak gelatin sheets in water.  Check to make sure they are hydrating. 
• Whisk egg whites in mixer.  When the begin to foam, add the sugar in one shot.
• Heat honey to 125ºc (357ºf).
• Pour honey down the side of the bowl into the mixer.
• Add the gelatin.
• Mix until cool 37ºc (body temperature).
• Fold one third of meringue into whip using a whisk.
• Fold second third of meringue into whip cream using a whisk.
• Fold the final third of meringue into whip cream using a spatula.
• Pour half of mousse over fruit and nut mixtures.  Spread evenly.
• Sprinkle remaining fruit and nut mixture over mousse and cove with remaining mousse.
• Take frozen pistachio dacquoise out of the freezer and place over the top of mousse.
• Push down with hands or push tool to evenly distribute all of the components.  
• Wrap entire cake and frame with plastic wrap.
• Place in freezer.

Wednesday:

Caramelized Hazelnuts:

• Put water in pot first followed by sugar.
• start low and slow. 
• Melt sugar granules and then turn up heat.
• Cook sugar to 115ºc.  Use a probe for accuracy.
• Dump tempered hazelnuts into sugar and stir.
• Stir, stir, stir.  This activates the crystallization.
• Sand the sugar and then caramelize slowly.
• The hazelnuts will start to make a popping sound.
• If using for garnish, go dark, if using in a baked item, go lighter.
• Stir cocoa butter into finished hazelnuts.
• Pour onto silpat to cool.

Caramelized hazelnuts taste wonderful on their own, look beautiful as décor and can be crushed (using a heavy pot) for topping dacquoise and cakes.  Do not use cold hazelnuts.  If straight out of freezer or cooler, warm them briefly in the microwave.  Cocoa butter prevents sogginess.  Extends crispiness.  Praline is made by taking caramelized hazelnuts, crushing or creaming them and adding sugar.  60/40 (caramelized hazelnuts to sugar) is considered the best ratio.  50/50 is okay but anymore than that and the praline will be too fatty.  For expedience, some pralines are made by caramelizing sugar and roasting hazelnuts separately and then crushing or creaming them together.  This would be considered an inferior tasting product with less depth of flavor.

Chocolate Biscuit:

• Double tray two sheet pans.  They work as an insulator.  
• Place 2 cake rings on silpat.
• Sift flour and cocoa powder together.
• In one mixer bowl; make a meringue using egg white, sea salt cream of tartar and sugar.
• In another mixer bowl: make a pate a bomb using yolks, trimoline and sugar.
• gently melt butter and cocoa paste together.  
• Fold half of meringue into pate a bomb.
• Fold melted cocoa into the meringue/pate a bomb mixture.
• Fold in the remaining meringue.
• Sprinkle flour/cocoa powder mixture over meringue mixture in two stages.
• Fold.
• Divide batter into two cake rings.  Do not butter sides of rings.
• Bake 30-35 minutes. 176ºc (350ºf).
• When still warm, unmold and wrap with plastic to keep biscuit warm.

Biscuit is a little dense but very moist cake.  It does not need syrup.  Trimoline emulsifies the yolks and acts as a moisturizer.  If butter is used on the sides of the cake rings, the cake will rise quickly on the edges and without structure, will collapse in the middle.  The cake needs to build structure evenly throughout the baking process.  

Hazelnut Dacquoise:

• Prepare a parchment lined sheet pan for two 8" circles of dacquoise.
• In a mixing bowl; whisk egg white and fleur de sel.
• Slowly add sugar until a medium peak meringue is produced.
• Place meringue into large mixing bowl.  
• Fold TPT into meringue in three stages.
• Pipe or spread batter into circles on parchment.  Do not deflate.
• Sprinkle caramelized hazelnuts over batter.
• Bake at 204ºc/400ºf for 30-35 minutes.

The cake is inverted when it is stacked so the nuts end up on the to of the bottom layer of the finished cake.  This makes it easier to cut through with a fork.

Chocolate Mirror Glaze:

• Hydrate the gelatin.
• Sift cocoa powder.
• In one pot: bring glucose, trimoline, salt and cream to a simmer and remove from heat.
• In second pot: put water in first and then sucrose.  Cook to 121ºc.
• Combine sugar mixture and cream mixture. 
• Stir a little liquid into the cocoa powder to create a nice paste.
• Put the paste into the cream.
• Bring mixture to a boil briefly.
• Stir so cocoa powder doesn't burn.
• Add gelatin.
• Strain final product.
• Burr mix without creating bubbles.
• Put plastic wrap on surface of glaze.
• Place in cooler.

Thursday  

Coconut Mousse:

• Warm, to 40ºc, 25% of coconut puree by bringing to a low simmer.
• Melt gelatin in microwave very gently.
• Put remaining 75% of coconut puree in a large bowl.  Add rum.
• Add gelatin to pot of warm coconut puree.
• Pour gelatin/puree mixture into 75% of the coconut puree.
• Mix half of the whip cream into meringue.
• Whisk/fold a little whip cream into the coconut puree.
• Whisk/fold a little more.
• Whisk/fold the rest of the Italian meringue/whip cream mixture.
• Finish folding with spatula.

This is poured into a cake frame, mold or container, refrigerated and layered with cake, gelée, dacquoise, fruit, etc..  Egg yolks would turn this mousse off white, or yellow, and the flavors would not pair well.

Passion Fruit Mousse:

Prepare a bowl with a strainer and an ice bath in a larger bowl.

• Warm all of the passion fruit on low heat.
• Whisk in milk powder immediately.
• Whisk in sugar.
• Whisk in vanilla paste.
• Whisk in yolks.
• Whisk in milk.
• Stir, stir, stir.
• Cook to 82ºc.
• Pour over strainer.
• Add gelatin to the mixture.
• Place bowl over ice bath.
• Whisk continuously until mixture cools to 22-23ºc.
• Add a little whip cream into the passion fruit mixture.
• Add meringue to the remaining whip cream.
• Add all of the meringue and whip cream to the passion fruit mixture.
• Begin by whisk/folding and finish with a spatula.
• Pour half into cake frame.
• Sprinkle with candied pineapple.
• Pour remaining mousse over pineapple.
• Place in freezer or cooler.

The inclusion of egg yolks in the version of a mousse makes it very creamy and rich.  This must be cooked low and slow.  Cooking yolks quickly dries them out and creates a very "eggy" flavor.

Pâte À Bombe:

egg yolks + sugar = pâte à bombe

• Make sure the water bath is not steaming or boiling.  
• Use a towel in the table for collecting condensation from the bottom of the bowl.   
• Use a thermometer for accuracy.  
• Scrape the edges during whisking to keep the temperature even and the sides of the bowl from cooking the eggs.  
• Steam rising from the crème anglaise means that it is 70ºc.  
• Pâte à bombe gives a really nice texture to a chocolate mousse.  

Chocolate Mousse:

Pâte à bombe + melted chocolate + whip cream = chocolate mousse

Whip cream, scale and reserve in cooler.

Have ready a mixer bowl with strainer.

• In a medium bowl, whisk milk powder into water until completely dissolved.
• Add yolks, vanilla paste and sugar while whisking.
• Place bowl over hot water.
• Whisk until mixture reaches 78ºc 
• Take off heat.
• Pour through strainer over bowl.
• Whisk on medium speed.
• Melt chocolate over water bath or in 50% power microwave  (shouldn't be over 45-50ºc).
• Pâte à bombe has to be completely cool before folding in whip cream.
• Add one third of the whipped cream to chocolate.
• Whisk/fold.
• Add a one third more whip cream.
• Whisk/fold.
• Add the rest of the whip cream to the pate a bombe.
• Fold.
• Fold all of the pâte à bombe/whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.
• Whisk/fold gently.
• Finish folding with spatula.

Chocolate mousse does not need gelatin as a stabilizer because when the chocolate cools it firms up and gives the mousse its structure.  

Hazelnut Mousse:

• Warm cream slightly in microwave.
• Warm gelatin slightly in microwave.
• Mix gelatin and cream together.
• Combine hazelnut paste and praline in a bowl.
• Add warmed cream to the praline mixture by whisking from the middle outward.  It should become shiny and elastic.
• Add a little whip cream to the praline mixture.
• Whisk
• Fold the remaining whip cream into the pâte à bombe.
• Whisk/Fold all of the pate a bombe into the praline mixture. 
• Use spatula to finish folding mixture completely and gently.

Friday

I made the chocolate mousse and hazelnut mousse today.  I assembled it with my chocolate biscuit and glazed it with the chocolate glaze.  I brought this home to eat and to share.

I covered the top of the nougat cake with clear glaze, trimmed the edges, cut it in half and brought a quarter of it home to taste and share.  

I baked a chocolate biscuit, wrapped and froze it for next week.

Fridays are deep clean days and our class did not get high praise from Chef Patrice.  There were many dishes left for the end of class and many simple tasks were not done efficiently.  We are going to work harder on being organized during class and getting the cleaning done much faster.

This week was somewhat of a struggle for me.  Working alone is good for autonomy and and learning all of the recipes independently but it is bad for dish washing and cleaning.  Many people were aware of my situation and helped with dishes and offered to help. 

Saturday

I met two classmates at the Green City Market in Lincoln Park this morning.  I found Michigan peaches, Wisconsin heirloom tomatoes and a jar of spicy kimchi.  We watched a canning demonstration by Eric Mansavage from Farmhouse Chicago. 

Final Thoughts

My partner has been away all week and the entire class has helped me with dishes and my cleaning duties.  I greatly appreciate this and hope to repay them when I'm back up to speed.

Pâte à bombe, Italian meringue and whipped cream can be made in large batches and then scaled to order.  We each made one batch of each, reserved them and executed four different mousses.

If you freeze a cake, put it in the cooler before bringing it to room temperature.

Utensils need to be free of any grease or fats in order to properly aerate egg white.  White vinegar cleans works well to remove invisible residue. 

How you make the recipe and the quality of the ingredients is what makes a difference.

The timer tells you when something is in the oven, not that it is ready.

The timer tells you the time not when something is ready.

Beautiful summer sunset.