CACS Day 4: Pastry Doughs

Group 2's Pastries

I was late for Day 4 since I had a hard time getting up from bed due to a minor illness. But I couldn’t just lie there and not learn anything so I tried to get to class around noon. Sadly, I missed all the lecture part and most of the baking. But I did meet Chef Rhea Castro who had shared really good tips and tricks about baking and handling doughs, as well as presenting and decorating them.

Eclairs and Cream Puffs

I also got to help out and assist my groupmates in finishing our pastries. First off, were the Eclairs and Cream Puffs. I have already made some Italian Cream Puffs before so I didn’t regret that I wasn’t part of the choux pastry baking. We were taught how to fill the pastries with pastry cream, and how to make the chocolate and caramel frostings. Chef Rhea was strict about getting the right color of the caramel. And it was very challenging. Luckily, our group’s choux pastries turned out well and didn’t fall flat. I think it was Bong and Kristopher who made it. Our pastry cream having a good creamy, smooth texture and our chocolate had a nice gloss. Our caramel was a bit pale though.

Chocolate Walnut Pie

My group also made some Chocolate Walnut Pies. I helped assemble the dough and the filling of the second one which was a bit of a fail compared to the first one by Earl. Earl’s had a nicer crust, while mine was a bit ugly since I wasn’t able to stretch the dough properly. Earl’s pie was judged as the best pie. And my eyes and tongue agree. It was very nice to look at and it was very, very, very yummy. SINFUL!

Fruit Tart

All groups had to make a Fruit Tart. And once again, ours was judged as the best one. Rose had prepared and baked our tart base well. It had the right thickness and height and didn’t crumble at all when it was released from the tart pan. She coated the bottom with some chocolate and filled it with pastry cream. It was topped with some delicious fruits and sprinkled with crushed walnuts. The combination of flaky pastry, chocolate, creamy pastry cream, sour fruits and crunchy nuts was YUM! YUM! YUM!

Asparagus and Ham Quiche

The hardest and most demanding pastry of the day was the quiche. It had to be baked just right, released, then re-baked for browning. And even before the baking started, the dough had to be made and the filling had to be prepared well. Our group was assigned to make an Asparagus and Ham Quiche. It was also judged as the best quiche. The color was just right, and the pastry had the right thickness and height. And the taste… super delicious. It was rich and creamy. Even Earl who doesn’t like veggies appreciated the crunchiness and flavor of the asparagus. It went really well with the bechamel sauce base and ham. Kuya Andrew ate my part of the quiche and loved it.

Group 2 with Chef Rhea Castro

I loved the session even if I had limited hands on experience. Big applause to my groupmates who did really well despite my being super late. Maybe they did well cause I wasn’t there? Hope not.