almost perfect!! baking mid term!

I know, I know!  I have some blog catching up to do – with my daughter here, work and school, I’ve gotten behind, but thought it was a good rainy Sunday morning to tell you that I got a 97 on one of my two baking exams (the other is next week – “mid term” is 2nd to last week here). I may be sorry to see baking class go – imagine that!

so after reproducing the now famous chocolate chip cookies and eclairs, I presented the plate below for the 97!   I must say the cookies were 10x better the last time when cooked less (and declared “perfect” and delicious by everyone who tasted them) – but she took points off for them being underdone, so for the exam I had to cook them “her way”.   The eclairs were AMAZING!   my 3 points off were for cookies a tiny bit small (I gave her a small one to make sure it was really DONE to her expectations) and eclairs a tiny bit too big (I did that intentionally as they broke when I tried to fill them the last time).

note: for grading, a sample of an eclair shell and the cream inside (the BEST!)

Also going to catch up from 2 weeks ago with steak au poivre (peppercorn steak) – which I didn’t realize I really liked (yet again) but that cognac cream sauce is SO yummy! – with tourne potatoes (what IS the big deal with these football shaped potatoes? – I have to do them again next week for a knife cuts exam) and broccoli.  The 2nd plate is grilled teriyaki salmon with couscous, pineapple salsa and a skillet flatbread (mosts of the plate pretty boring actually, but we used the salsa with coconut shrimp I made for the kids over the w/e).

baking that week was focaccia, blueberry muffins and brioche – YES, all super yum!  if anyone ever makes you brioche, be VERY appreciative – it’s a tedious process!!

sneak preview:  just have to go Italian for you in a couple of days and I’ll be all caught up!