cla-foo-tee....

Clafoutis is basically a fruit custard.  Some people are insistent that the fruit be cherries but some frisky bakers will use any fruit that sounds good on a menu.  We used cherries marinated in simple syrup and rum.  This custard has some almond flour as well as brandy mixed in.  As a result, this custard has a little more texture and taste to it.  It's not your typical vanilla, creamy custard but it is still a great dessert.

By the way - I've been in this house for 14 years now but I'll be needing some custard dishes for a house warming gift!!

pass the torch....

We made the Creme Brulee yesterday and let it chill overnight.  Today we got to coat the top with sugar and liquify it with a propane torch.  It then sets up into the crunchy crust we creme brulee lovers love.  

This class could also be called Presentation 101.  This is the first class where plating the dessert is important.  When done in a restaurant, it helps justify that $14 cost for the creme brulee.  giggle..  

That little "cookie" on the plate is a Tuile (tweel).  The batter is equal parts flour, melted butter, sugar and egg whites.  You can put any free form shape on a cookie sheet.  Even though they brown, they are totally flexible when they come out of the oven.  If done quickly, they can be bent and formed into shapes (cones, ribbons, spirals, cups, fortune cookies,  etc).  As they cool, they hold the shape.  Fun...

flan - oops - i mean creme caramel...

My hat goes off to the person that thought it would be fun to heat up some eggs, milk and sugar and pour it into a cup with hardened caramel in the bottom.  Bake it for awhile, chill it overnight and plop it on the plate.  The longer it sits in the cooler, more caramel liquifies and spreads on the plate.  It's magic.

custards last stand...

We're trading in the mixer for a saucepan for the next 3 weeks.  We're in the custards, fillings and creams block.  Today was creme caramel (flan), creme brulee, chocolate pots de creme and finally lemon curd.  I came home with an urge to watch Amelie.

atticus...

The Paramount Theatre has classic movies all during the summer.  The Paramount is an old theatre and it is a great place to see movies.  I always sit in the balcony.  I make a goal every summer to see as many as possible but I always fall short of my goal.  This summer is no exception.  I've purchased my 10 ticket bargain pack and I'm determined to use them all.  The summer kicked off with "Casablanca".  I had never seen it before.  Last night was "To Kill a Mockingbird".  This coming Wednesday night is "Cool Hand Luke" and "The Hustler".  They don't make them like this any more.

barton springs eternal....

Barton Springs is the heart and soul of Austin.  It is a spring fed pool that is about 68 degrees year round.  In recent years, it has become the battleground between developers and environmentalists.  It is about 2 blocks from my house and I can probably count the number of times that I've been there on two hands.  I take it for granted.

I started my week off with a 7 mile run that started in the pool parking lot at 5:45am.  It's been over 100 degrees in Austin for weeks now.  When it gets that warm, it never seems to cool off very much at night.  Even at 6:00am, it was probably in the low 80's.  When I finished, I took off my running shoes, socks and shirt and walked into the pool.  A heartier soul would jump in but I was worried about the shock of the cold water.  It was a good way to start the day.

mmmmm...sprinkles....

Thursday was kind of a knock off day at school.  We made beignets and donuts.  The donuts were the yeast variety as opposed to the cake variety.  If it wasn't for the boiling vat of oil, these would be fun to make at home.  Maybe I could install a deep fryer in the backyard....

Friday was the end of laminated doughs (croissants, danish and brioche).  I have next week off from school.  I see a week of home projects, movies and book reading in my future.  On July 6, we start a block on custards, fillings and creams.  That would include chocolate mousse which is something that I've been looking forward to.