Sweet Summer

I'm not much of a sweet person. On any given day, I'd rather dig my fork into a big bowl of noodles than eat a slice of cake.

I like to think that brunch defines whether a person is inclined towards sweet or savory foods. We all know people who order french toast and pancakes lathered in syrup on Saturday mornings; that would never be me. I love eggs Benedict (bring on the smoked salmon), quiches, and plain old bacon and eggs (fried, of course). Did I ever mention how much I love eggs?

Every once in awhile, though, I crave something sugar-laden—and it's usually after dinner. This summer, the fruit was so amazing at the farmer's markets, it inspired me to make dessert.

So here I was, baking sour cherry and almond bread,

a blueberry-lavender crumble,

a peach and blackberry cobbler with almond crust,

and two fig and franginpane tarts.

I'm sad summer has slipped away—not just because warm weather already seems like a distant memory, but also because I won't see the jewel-toned fruits at the market.

Until next year.

Flour Power

What kid doesn't love PB&J?

I'd been waiting for the perfect moment to break out the peanut flour I bought a few weeks ago at a conference surrounding the legume. It was the first time I'd seen it, and I couldn't stop thinking about the ways in which I would use it.

When Ryan and I were invited to a barbecue last weekend, I immediately went into planning mode (per usual). Surely, there would be a ton of little ones attending. What could I make that children would love? Then it came to me: peanut butter and jelly cookies.

I adapted a recipe from a peanut flour website. Because it's pastry—and it was the first time using the product—I wanted to make sure my ratios were correct. You see, you can't use peanut flour just like grain flours. Peanut flour is made by grinding roasted peanuts and pressing out the oil. It's still high in protein (around 30 grams per cup!), but relatively low-fat in fat.

The cookies were a hit. The three dozen I made (minus the four Ryan and I ate before the barbecue) were gone in a flash. However, the kids weren't the cookie monsters like I predicted—turns out the adults were the ones sneaking the sweets this time.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies (adapted from Nabila Covington via www.proteinplusflour.com)

Yield: about 3 dozen

2 sticks butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar (I used dark brown)

3 large eggs, yolks and whites separated

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups AP flour

1 cup peanut flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups chopped peanuts

4 tablespoons or more of jam or jelly (I used strawberry jam)

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter and sugar until creamy. Beat in yolks one at a time, then vanilla.

3. In a separate small bowl, lightly beat egg whites and set aside.

4. In another bowl, stir together AP flour, peanut flour and salt. Gradually add to the butter mixture, blending thoroughly. With your hands, roll dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Dip each ball in the egg whites and then roll in chopped peanuts. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing the cookies about 1 inch apart. With your thumb, make an indentation in the center of each ball; neatly fill with about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon jam.

5. Bake for 12 minutes or until light brown. Cool on baking sheet for a couple minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.

My mind continues to contemplate the uses of peanut flour. There's a bag of carrots in the fridge, so I'm thinking peanut-carrot muffins would be a good option. I could also slice up some chicken breasts and dredge them in chili-laced flour for an Indonesian-influenced dinner. Or make both.

Just call me nuts.

Duck and Cover

Days 111-114

T minus one week. That's it.

I don't think reality has yet hit. It still feels like school isn't close to being over and I've got plenty of time to find a job. I better check myself before I wreck myself. (Thank you, Ice Cube, for the advice.)

I've already completed most of the final rotations. This week, I checked off saucier with some good-looking pork chops and duck breasts. I plan on practicing both dishes at home in the coming week so that I can get them down to a science.

Monday marks the last day of pastry, complete with a mock final. For the practice exam, I'm expected to complete a smaller yield of the Level 6 recipes—pear tart tartin with chartreuse ice cream and chocolate orange parfait—both which have multiple components. I'm anticipating a hair-raising experience.

Come Tuesday, I'll enter my final rotation: entremetier. It will be a nice way to wind down a crazy six months, as my team will put our knowledge and creativity to use for the restaurant's amuse-bouches.

Preparing for that final should be amusing...

Goat for it

Days 95 and 96

I'm not one to gloat. Today, however, I'm gonna gloat about goat.

On Tuesday, I decided to go for it. With limited pastry knowledge, I presented a special dessert to be served during lunchtime. The highlight was my rosemary goat cheese ice cream—a recipe I concocted for my menu project that turned out amazing. And with a much better machine in school than my $99 KitchenAid Stand Mixer attachment at home, the ice cream had an even creamier consistency.

Per the chef's suggestion, I served the ice cream with a butter cake, dunked in rosemary simple syrup, as well as pomegranate seeds and orange supremes. (For my menu project, it stood alongside cabernet sauvignon-poached pears and a reduction of the red wine.)

I'd say it was a hit, considering the pastry chef asked me for my recipe. That's not every day that happens.

Tomorrow I'm trying my hand at another lunch menu special—this time an entree. I can only hope that it goes half as well as the first.

Getting a Rise

Days 93 and 94

Maybe it's just me, but one of the most thrilling things about making pastries (and bread, for that matter) is the way a souffle or dough puffs up when baked.

I have little knowledge of both pastry- and bread-making, so it's even more gratifying when an unfamiliar procedure goes as planned—and equally dissatisfying when there's no doubling in size. I'll admit I cracked a smile during my pastry rotation when I opened the oven and perfect golden-brown domes were staring me in the face. Whoa, wait—did I make those? Yes. Yes, I did.

The domes were baba, small yeast cakes that, post-bake, were soaked in a rum/simple syrup mixture until they couldn't absorb any more liquid. It's pretty much a sweet, doughy shot the restaurant serves cold; I prefer it warm.

Chestnut ice cream (which I made today) is served with the baba, along with pine nuts, chestnut puree, an apple chip and chocolate drizzle. The second pastry recipe for Level 5 is a pumpkin souffle with eggnog sauce.

I'd give the latter a hug if I could for tasting so good.