Hi Everyone!
I’m coming back to Bombay in February to teach some new baking classes! I’m really excited about these set of classes because these are recipes I’ve drawn from my recent experiences. Be it creating patisserie for a lovely Michelin-starred restaurant in London or eating pastries in Paris (in the name of research) during my time studying at Alain Ducasse Education. I hope you enjoy the sound of these classes as much as I’ve enjoyed putting together the menu I’m so excited and happy about.
With each new class, I incorporate fresh recipes with a simplified approach so you can feel confident replicating the bakes in your own kitchen. I use only the best ingredients that are locally available and easy to find. All the classes are demo-based, except Dessert in Jar which is hands-on. Each class is 3 – 3.5 hours long. And for those looking for eggless recipes, you can sign up for Posh Pastry, a class on technical recipes that don’t depend on eggs for flavour and texture.
The classes are selling out very quickly. All the hands-on Dessert in a Jar classes were sold-out before this post went online so I’ve added two more days of classes on 4th and 5th March. All the classes will be held at Eighth Kitchen Studio in Bandra.
To check for latest availability and to register for the baking classes, please go to classes.purplefoodie.com
Baking Classes Mumbai, February 2016
I. TEA TIME TREATS 4800
A mix of quick bakes that span a variety of flavours and textures. Nuts, caramel, fruits, chocolates and spices form the basis of these recipes with loads of vanilla thrown in as per the norm. ; )
1. Almond caramel tart
2. Chocolate hazelnut cake
3. Pain d’épices / gingercake
4. Chocolate and pistachio cookies
5. Pear and rosemary pie
II. SWEET BAKES 4800
With Sweet Bakes I share my favourite plum tart made with a roasted hazelnut cream. We’ll also explore alternative sweeteners like maple (SO good with chocolate!) and coconut sugar.
1. Plum and hazelnut cream tart
2. Orange and almond cake
3. Chocolate maple mousse, caramelised pecans
4. Coconut sugar and vanilla cake
5. Caramelised hazelnut thins
III. POSH PASTRY 5800
These pastries are a bit more elaborate, achieving a balance of flavours and textures in a spoonful of dessert. And as it so happens, these recipes are all eggless. I am not one for substituting eggs with other ingredients just to make things eggless. Instead, I’d rather make recipes that don’t depend on eggs, celebrating all the other ingredients.
1. Pommier
Pommier is a layered dessert of caramelised apples and caramel mousse sitting atop a sort of brown sugar shortbread. This is covered in a shiny caramel glaze and some pecan crumble, with honeycomb scattered for crunch.
Layers:
i. Brown sugar breton
ii. Caramel mousse
iii. Apple compote
iv. Mirror glaze (glaçage)
v. Pecan crumble
vi. Honeycomb
2. Le Snickers
Le Snickers is a posh version of its namesake – caramel mousse, caramel sauce, caramelised peanuts sitting atop a chocolate and peanut biscuit base.
Layers:
i. Chocolate and peanut sable
ii. Caramel mousse
iii. Caramel sauce
iv. Caramelised peanuts
Techniques you will learn: mousse, compote, mirror glaze (glaçage), crumble, honeycomb, sablage, liquid caramel, caramelising nuts.
IV. CREATIVE PASTRY 5800
Similar to Posh Pastry, these elaborate recipes are made up of multiple sub-recipes (if I can call it that) that come together to form a harmonious dessert.
1. Sweet Pleasure (Plaisir Sucré)
Sweet Pleasure is a mash up of one of my favourite Cordon Bleu recipes and Pierre Herme’s Plaisir Sucre. It celebrates the lovely pairing of milk chocolate and hazelnuts and it’s a textural delight.
Layers:
i. Dacquoise
ii. Milk chocolate praline feuilletine
iii. Chocolate hazelnut ganache
iv. Caramel
v. Milk chocolate Chantilly
2. Passion
Class participants always joke that I must always have a passionfruit recipe in my class. This inclusion continues the tradition. Sour passion fruit with sweet milk chocolate is addictive, you’ll see.
Layers
i. Joconde
ii. Chocolate and passion chantilly
iii. Passion fruit mousse
iv. Chocolate glaze
Techniques you will learn: mousse, mirror glaze (glaçage), dacquoise, ganache, liquid caramel, chocolate based chantilly, joconde.
V. DESSERT IN A JAR (HANDS-ON) 6500
My answer to your multiple requests for hands-on classes! This is a smaller class size, where we will work in pairs to create three different classical French desserts, layering them beautifully in jars. Strawberries and Cream, St Honoré and Chocolate and Cherry. I can’t decide which one’s my favourite!
1. Strawberries & Cream (Fraisier)
i. White chocolate Chantilly
ii. Pistachio sponge
iii. Strawberries
iv. Light crème pâtissière
2. St. Honoré
i. Caramel
ii. Vanilla Chantilly
iii. Crème pâtissière
iv. Choux
3. Chocolate and Cherry (Forêt Noir)
i. Chocolate meringue sponge
ii. Chocolate crémeux
iii. Vanilla Chantilly
iv. Cherry compote
Techniques you will learn: sponge, creme patissiere, pate a choux, liquid caramel, cremeux, fruit compote, meringue sponge
