Pate Sucree - Tarte Creme de Citron (Lemon Curd Tart)

Citrus is so delightful in summertime, and now that it's August, I couldn't wait to try this recipe for Lemon Curd Tart from section one of Chef Felder's book. I was much happier with the crust this time around, as I finally managed to roll it out to the proper thickness (about 1/8 inch thick). The candied lemon peel was so much fun to make, and it was incredibly simple. Water, sugar, lemon! Too cool :)

From Patisserie: Mastering the Fundamentals of French Pastry

For the Candied Lemon Slices:
1 lemon, sliced paper thin
1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz., 100 g) sugar
3/4 cup (200 ml) water

For the Pate Sucree (Sweet Pastry):
1 stick (4 oz., 120 g) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup (3 oz., 80 g) confectioners' sugar
1 vanilla bean, 1 Tbsp. vanilla sugar or 1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsp. (1 oz., 25 g) ground almonds
1 pinch salt
1 egg
1 2/3 cups (7 oz., 200 g) all-purpose flour

For the Lemon Curd:
2 lemons, pealed (yellow zest only, no white pith!)
1/2 cup (120 ml) lemon juice
2/3 cup (4 oz., 120 g) granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 sticks (6 oz., 175 g) unsalted butter, diced

Creme Passion-Banane (Passion Fruit-Banana Creams)

Hello again! As promised, this next recipe is also from section two of Chef Felder's book. When I saw the ingredients, I knew I had to try it immediately, because passion fruit is one of my favorite flavors. Sadly, my husband isn't a fan, so I rarely have reason to cook with it. This time, however, my own preferences overruled group consensus...if only for the sake of my education :) 

Adapted from Patisserie: Mastering the Fundamentals of French Pastry

Passion Fruit Cream 

1/2 cup (125 ml) passion fruit juice

1/2 cup (5 1/2 oz., 160 g) mashed banana

5 eggs

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp (3 oz., 90 g) granulated sugar

1 stick (4 oz., 120 g) unsalted butter, diced

Topping

2 fresh, ripe mango, diced

As I've mentioned before, one of the trickiest things for me at the moment is finding the proper ingredients, and most of the time I have to go to Amazon. However, when it comes to finding shelf stable 100% passion fruit juice, even those with specialty stores in their immediate area may find themselves struggling. I took a chance on this passion fruit concentrate from Amazon, and I have to say the results have been wonderful. It's 100% juice, no sugar added, and very sour in its undiluted state, but when used in baking it provides the perfect amount of tartness and passion fruit flavor. When paired with a bit of fresh mango, this dessert was a tropical and refreshing treat that was lighter than I expected, and one I'll definitely be returning to when I need my passion fruit fix. I just hope I'll find a more inventive way of plating it, next time!

Verrine Chocolat-Framboise (Chocolate Raspberry Custard)

Hold onto your hats, folks! I've already gone off the reservation. Well, sort of. Although the idea of spending several weeks slogging through section one of Chef Felder's book (Les Pates et Les Tartes) filled me with glee, I couldn't help but take a detour through section two (Les Cremes). So much for going in sequential order. Oh well. The happy result is pictured above, a scrumptious and incredibly decadent chocolate custard.

From Patisserie: Mastering the Fundamentals of French Pastry

Verrine Chocolat-Framboise (Chocolate Raspberry Custard Cups)

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp (3 oz, 80 g) granulated sugar
4 egg yolks
7 oz. (200 g) bittersweet chocolate (60 to 70% cocoa)
10 oz. (300 g) raspberries
2/3 cup (150 ml) milk
5 Tbsp (100 ml) heavy cream

I used Ghirardelli's 60% Cacao Bittersweet Baking Chips, and was very pleased with the result. The custard is rich, so you only need a small portion, and the raspberry flavor is quite pronounced. This would be a perfect dessert to make for a dinner party, since it's quick and easy and needs to chill for at least two hours before serving. Dole out individual portions in miniature serving dishes, top off with a few fresh raspberries (our grocery store was out, so I had to opt for frozen) and some chocolate shavings, and voila! The husband and I had our Bastille Day chocolate fix in a flash. Vive la France! Up next from my detour through Les Cremes of Chef Felder, Creme Passion-Banane (Passion Fruit-Banana Cream). Stay tuned!

Adventure is Out There!

Hello! Welcome to The French Pastry Blog. My name is Leslie, and I love dessert. More precisely, I love the world of pastry chefs--the raspberry tarts, the chocolate showpieces, the sugar pulling--but only recently found the time to devote to it. Therefore, I decided to start a blog chronicling my journey through Chef Christophe Felder's new book, "Patisserie: Mastering the Fundamentals of French Pastry." I figured, if I'm ever going to attend pastry school--I hope I hope I hope--then I'd better start learning the basics! So cross your fingers, click your heals, and say a prayer for my waistline, because this is about to get real.

P.S. Before I begin, I'd just like to say "thank you!" to my amazing husband for supporting this idea in the first place. I promise, sweetheart, I won't burn the house down. I'd also like to thank my sister-in-law, Mandy, for being the inspiration for this blog. She has been documenting her travels throughout Europe at Girl in Geilenkirchen, and has such a natural talent for writing, I can only hope to follow in her footsteps. I'll try my best!

~Leslie