El Centro's Dinning Room (beautiful!!!) On the very far left is Jason & Danielle his fiancee

EL CENTRO! Between the dishwash area and a prep area

BILL!!!! THANK YOU so much for the tour!!! Here we are going from the dishwash area to the kitchen/class area.

EL CENTRO'S Bakeshop... It was huge and very nice equiped! Complete with wood top table + dare is say many,many mixers!!!! (SOS to TCCD we NEED Kitchen Aid Mixers!!!!)

Alison and her Fundamentals of Baking class @ DCCCD's "El Centro" / You can tell Alison is happy to see my camera!!!! LOL (Really Many THANKS to Bill & Alison we had a GREAT Time visiting El Centro)

Fundamentals of Baking ,Iced cake / White Cake with Butter Cream Frosting

High Ratio yellow cake with Coconut pecan Icing + Ganache / like German Chocolate Cake

cake walk

Mini Cakes with Butter Cream Icing + Roses

Fundamentals / Jose's, White Cake with butter Cream + Roses

Fundamentals of Baking ,Iced cake / White Cake with butter Cream

Food Qty Class, Today we had to do our event presentations!!! Here is Martell's group.

Brulee!!! Gratin of Fresh Berries with Creme Fraiche... We made like 30 Gratins to sample part of our wedding menu presentation for Food Qty Class

Malinda,Pragna,Andrew and Erinn...Brulee'ing the Gratins!!!!!!!!

Food Qty Class > Our group's table setting for dessert service

Food Qty Class > Close up on Gratin of Fresh Berries with Creme Fraiche

My take one "Gateau Noix de Coco" that we made 2 weeks ago in class. Made this one for my sister in law's B'day. / I made it a bit different than in class...used a joconde border a bit wider 1/4'' in class it was 1/8''. Then, instead of whipped cream + white choco. + cocoa + strawberries....I used all fruit

The fruit made the cake so, so fresh and it lightened it up both visually and on the taste side.

I don't know what is funnier, Alison's will to pose for the camera or Jessica's hat!
Either way at Alison's Request!!!!! L-O-L yes she finally gave in! LOL
Here is Jessica's Toque (hat) which felt into the Petit Fours! decoration she was piping and as you can see her hat is decorated with some lovely chocolate hearts!

This weeks Advanced Pastry Creations! Raspberry Cream Torte, Japonaise and Petits Fours

Raspberry Cream Torte & Japonaise

Assembling the Raspberry Cream Torte

Pipped Italian Butter Cream

Raspberry Cream Torte / Made with Yellow Sponge Cake + Italian Butter Cream + Raspberry Marmelade.

Frangipane Cake to make the Petit Fours

Icing the Petits Fours

Lorie, Aaron, Stephanie and Alison. Alison is demonstrating the correct way to roll a paper pastry bag and pipe.

Stephanie decorating the Petits!

Petits Fours

Petits Fours (France) Small, bite-size, fancy iced cakes. This ones have Frangipane Cake (Almond cake) sandwiched with Raspberry marmelade and topped with a layer of marzipan. Then finished with Fondant Icing.

Making the 'Japonaise' meringue disks (Meringue + ground blanched almonds)

Putting the 'Japonaise' together with the ganache.

Japonaise ('Japanese woman' in French) This Classic French Pastry is usually seen in the the patissier's shop window. This one has 3 flat disks made of blanched and ground almonds. Then then the meringues are sandwiched together with Ganache.

Making the easter eggs

Tu made our pressed sugar easter eggs.. GOOD JOB!

Drying the pressed sugar

Sun glasses anyone? / Coretta and Aaron's Easter Eggs

Tu's and Joses's Easter Eggs (in pressed Sugar)

Chef Katrinas Easter Egg Brownies!

LOL Alison was actually trying to help get the better side of the Angel Food Cake!... it ended up dancing for the camera : )

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Mom!!!
I made this for my Mom's (04/07) B-i-r-t-h-d-a-y ! ! ! and mine (04/09**)
it is a Bombe* style cake.
It is a French recipe called = "Gateau d'Anniversaire, Chocolat - Noix de Coco"
- or - Birthday Cake, Chocolate-Coconut

*Bombe = (A dessert consisting of two or more layers of variously flavored Mousse or ice cream frozen in a round or melon-shaped mold)

** 04/09 = April 9 = Abril 9 in Spanish = This blog's name! LOL :P

Layer by layer recap!

From bottom up . . .

- Moistened with Brandy Syrup reduction, Chocolate Genoise (sponge cake)
- Layer of Ferrero Rocher mousse
- More Chocolate Genoise
- Chocolate Mousse layers encasing a creamy dreamy coconut creme brulee core
- 60 % cocoa chocolate couverture garnished with Creme de Pirouline Cookies

Birthday Chocolate-Coconut Cake

Delicious 60% cocoa chocolate brick of Callebaut's chocolate. Callebaut is the preferred chocolate of chocolatiers, pastry chefs, chefs de cuisine, bakers and ice cream makers AND the basis for this Chocoholics dream dessert! LOL To purchase Callebaut chocolates visit your "Whole Foods Market" they are the only ones I know that sell it by the pound to non professionals.

For more on Callebaut see: www.callebaut.com - AND - www.barry-callebaut.com

Layering the cake / bombe with the chocolate mousse and the Ferrero Rocher!

Last layers.. Crushed Ferrero Rocher chocolates

Bombe must be well lined and wrapped with plastic wrap for easy removal. Now it goes in to the freezer for a good night sleep!

Morning Fresh! Out of the freezer and still in its PJ's... Ready for its chocolate bath!

Birthday Lunch! Made by MY MOM!!!! all for ME!!! it was a very pleasant surprise! THANKS MOM!!! I don't know all the names of the stuff all I can say is... it was d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s--!!!! We all had seconds! (Meat loaf, mashed potatoes with cream cheese, rice and French green beans with bacon! MMM)

Shirred Eggs with Potato Gaufrettes, Belgian Waffles, Starbucks coffee and Iced Hibiscus Tea