WEEK NO. 4: PLATED RESTAURANT DESSERTS

This week was hectic! With seven classes instead of the usual five, work and an event I did the decor for, I am beyond exhausted. Despite the chaos, my dishes turned out well. The first was a double layered chocolate creme brulee that was covered with berries and topped with fresh raspberry sorbet. It was  encased in an tuile-like box striped with dark chocolate. The chocolate creme brulee in this dish was unbelievably creamy and delicious. I could have eaten a bucketful, it was so good. The second dish was a creamed lemon souffle on a chocolate base with a caramel sauce. It tasted good but I wasn't really happy with the way my plating turned out. The third dish was two identical plates of ricotta cheese bavarian cream with fresh raspberry compote.  We were required to plate two identical desserts, as if we were serving them at a restaurant, because it is part of our final exam (which is coming up in six weeks).

Our final exam is going to be tough! In addition to truffles, sable hollandaise, a sugar sculpture and a brioche, we are required to write our own recipe for a plated dessert using 20 of the 25 ingredients they give us. We must make two identical plated desserts which contain a mousse, bavarian or chiboust and are flavored with either chocolate, fruit puree or fruit juice/zest. It must be encased in one of the following sponges: almond jacond, piped sponge or a nut meringue. In the middle of the mousse we must incorporate a fruit jelly or creme brulee. The top must be glazed in a glacage or ganache. On the side we have to produce a chocolate decoration, tuile and two sauces (one anglaise based and the other a fruit coulis). We have six hours to complete all of this (truffles, sable hollandaise, sculpture, brioche and our plated dessert). It is a lot! I'm happy to say that even this week was so stressful, it is good to know that I can produce two identical desserts. Oh I have a lot of studying to do...

{photos by Julia Ferguson of Room for Dessert}