Day two of pastry station was busy. Chef Anna the restaurant’s night pastry chef was our chef today and she had us moving around every which way. Some how got dragged to an orthodox Hanukkah event last night by none other then Lauren Klein, so waking up this morning was no fun. I was dragging hardcore, but managed to make my poppy seed anglaise. Ever since the level 2 final where I royally messed up my vanilla alanglaise (vanilla sauce) and was about to go Britney Spears busting car windows open with an umbrella on my two chefs (ironically one was chef John who became one of my favorites), I have not messed up the crème anglaise - thank the lord. So, off I went to blanchir the egg yolks with sugar and them temper it with boiling milk/cream. Then I cooked it to the right consistency. After that, chef had me make the pine nut meringues for the fourth time in two days. After the meringues, I had to cut several grapefruits and oranges into supremes (all the cuts on my fingers were burning by the end from the acidity).
I must have gone to the water fountain ten times to refill my water bottle- I blame the Jewish wine for my parch-ness. Ate lunch- basically scarfed down those steak fajitas because I ran out of the house this morning and could only find leftover split pea soup (yup- that was my breakfast). After lunch, chef had us work on the complimentary cookie tray. She didn’t tell us what cookies we were making and when we asked she replied that we were making magic. Ha Chef, aren’t you hilarious! She had me mix butter with confectioners sugar in the kitchen aide machine. Well- NO one warned me that the powdered sugar would go ALL over the place including my entire face and apron… I probably have used this reference before, but it’s my brother Stephen and my favorite scene (not ever, but still) I looked like Tony Montana with cocaine all over his face, but instead I was covered in powdered sugar.
After it was creamed, we added hazelnut and used the cream as a filling for our pound cake. As if we haven’t had a thousand projects going at the same time, chef had me pipe out these tiny little dog bone cookie looking things. We then put raspberry jam inside and made little sandwiches that I later melted chocolate and dipped them in. Chef Anna is a perfectionist and I don’t have the patience to be, so some of them were gorgeous, some looked mediocre, and some were just a hot chocolate mess.
The restaurant wasn’t SO busy today, but there were a few big parties. At one time, we had an order for 8 desserts! The rush you get when you get a ticket comes through and you have to get the food out fast is fun.
If anyone has any delicious or adorable cookie recipes- send them my way pretty please. We have to make more tomorrow.
(Watch out I got the fire torch! Also, we get happy birthday request all the time! It’s funny being on the other side)
Love,
E