If You Can't Stand the Heat..

First full week in the baking class kitchen is DONE. Anyone looking to get into baking (or culinary) school, let me tell ya, it ain’t easy! There’s only so much time and so many days of school, that lots of information is crammed into each day of class. If you miss one day, you miss an entire chapter. We have been baking at least two different dishes everyday. I still have to get into the rhythm of it all and learn the kitchen better. The whole class was lost the first few days, trying to remember where ingredients were kept and which refrigerators were ours. First day back we made chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies, which I personally have made several times with deliciously crispy yet soft and plump results. But my group’s came out really flat and when we found out that the rest of the class had the same problem, as a whole we determined that it was because everyone was opening and closing the oven doors too many times.

 
Side note: How cute are these? I bought them today – thank you Home Goods!

 
Now things are better, we all know the first thing to do is pre-heat and label our respective ovens. We also try to put in our baked goods around the same time and keep an eye on the clock so we don’t check as often. Just things like that that make it a little challenging in the beginning. Our class is comprised of 15 students, and it doesn’t sound like much, but in the hustle and bustle of a hot kitchen, it is a packed football stadium.

 

While still on the chapter of cookies, we made Meringue Cookies. Has anyone ever eaten these? I have to be honest, I’m not a fan. Excited as I was to make them, because they look so cute when you pipe them out, I was just as unenthused when I bit into one. It has such a weird texture, tough on the outside but chewy on the inside. And super sweet, like cotton candy. It was almost like biting into a piece of styrofoam, if anyone’s ever done that. I have, so I know what I’m talking about.

 

This week we were onto custards and made everything from flan to crème brûlée to this here delicious NY Strawberry Cheesecake. My favorite was definitely the brûlée because I got to play with a blowtorch! It’s kind of riveting to have the power of flames between your hands, and I’m also crazy. I wish I took pictures of the brûlées but next time I’m going to practice them at home and put up a recipe also .

It’s not all fun though, the hardest part of the night, and the part with the most work, is cleanup! Keep in mind that whether you work at a restaurant/bakery or go to culinary school, you’re going to have to scrub down the entire kitchen. From pots and countertops to fridges and floors. After the ordeal you just want to slump down on the floor and go to sleep. Despite this I still look forward to every night class!

Never have I been more tired than I am these days, but also more content then ever. It just feels right to be in this field. But, you shouldn’t commit to something like this unless you have a passion for it, because it’s a lot of work. It’s long hours and a lot of physical labor. A labor of love that is, and I’m in it for the long haul.

 
Love & Sweets,
Mel

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