When is my next baking class??

I've been waiting for the newly renovated George Brown Chef school to finish for the whole summer... and I was planning to take my second baking course in the Fall term starting in September...
Unfortunately, I found the Cake course that I want to take has conflict with my HK trip!!!!! =(
Oh well... let's hope my next year's schedule can match the course... I really want to keep learning... and cook in the 'high-tech' kitchen... (SAD....)

Baking class week #12

Today is my last 'Baking Basic' class, I'm so proud of myself that I have completed my first formal cooking course! The 48 hours of happiness flies away so fast! I'm so happy that I've took this course as it brings me lots of things. It helps me to learn lots of baking techniques from a professional chef, it gives me lots of enjoyment and satisfaction, it allows me to experience the beauty of cooking in a professional kitchen with all students who share the same interest, it leads me to understand more about myself and much more... I'm so glad that I've made this move to take this course, honestly I wasn't really sure if I could handle it and if it's worth to drive all the way to downtown every Sunday, but now I'm 200% sure that I'll continue to take another course about Cake! Since the Chef's school is going to renovate until end of summer, I'll continue in fall term! Yeah! See you later chefs!

Today we've made 2 cakes: Strawberries Shortcake and Fruit Flan. Of course, I was enjoying the whole 4 hours today because I love to make cake! They taste as great as they look!!! Hehe...

Baking Course week #11

Swiss Roll ~~

Today I've learned how to make a swiss roll, and I've decided to make a lemon flavoured one. First of all, I need to make the 'sponge sheet'. The ingredients are simply eggs, bread flour and sugar, but the magic of baking is when you're using the same ingredients but with different measure and process of making, the outcome will be totally different! Like this sponge sheet, it's sooooo flexible that I can roll the sheet back and forth without making cracks or lines!!!

Swiss Roll is pretty simple dessert, it's tasty and quick and I'm sure I'll do it again at home. =)

Baking class week #10

Last week, I was not able to attend the class because there was a snow storm and I was kind of get stucked in the Blue Mountain resort. Luckily, the class was cancelled!! So today, I've learned to make a Black Forest Cake. Although I don't like the cherry fillings, I think it's still a good practice for me to make and decorate a layer cake!

Baking class week #8

Cookies!!! One of my favourites... =)
Today's lesson is making Scandinavian spritz cookies, which is the type that most people called it 'butter' cookies. Usually I make my spritz cookies at home by using the special cookies press, so it's my first time to 'pipe' the dough by using the bag, and it's very tiring... my hands were sored for an hour... ! However, I do enjoy in making the cookies by using the bag because I can practice my piping technique and it gives me more varieties in cookies shape! Do they look great?!?

From left to right: 'SHELL' shaped with strawberry jam filling, 'S' shaped with chocolate coated, 'ROSETTE' shaped with dried cherries and 'HEART' shaped with chocolate drizzled.

Baking Class #7

Today I've learned 2 traditional french pastry: Cream puffs and Éclair" (It means 'flash' in English). Choux paste is different from other types of pastry because when cooked, it rises and the finished product has a hollow center, so it can be filled with sweet or savory fillings. The choux paste is pretty easy and fast to make, it only needs 4 ingredients: water, fat, flour and egg. However, just like other desserts, the technique and steps are the key to success, therefore I think that's why many people still need to go to baking class to learn from the chef.

Baking Course week #6

Today we were making dinner rolls (bread), and I can say the taste of the fresh bread just came out from the oven is one of the best food on earth!!! As usual, we've watched the demo by the chef and then we do it on our own. It was my first time to make a bread, not from frozen dough of Pillsbury, and I enjoyed every step!!! From the TOUCH of the dough, the LOOK of the cutie dough balls, the SMELL of the baked bread, and the TASTE of course are irresistible!! It was a very nice experience! =)

Baking Course Week #5

Today's class was pretty relax, easy and rewarding. We made 2 desserts: Cream Caramel and Bavarian Cream. Both of them are made from pretty the same ingredients: Eggs, Milk and Sugar. The most fun part is making the caramel for the first time, it was simple but it could be very easy to do it wrong... either burn the pot or burn yourself as the sugar needs to reach 350 degree F to be liquified. On commenting the final products, I personally like the Cream Caramel and the Orange flovoured Bavarian Cream from the Chef (My partner picked the mocha flavoured which I think it's too sweet).

Baking Course week #4

I'm so happy today that I've learned how to PIPE!! The chef taught us different style of basic piping and masking the dummy cake. It was so fun!! And now I can decorate a little bit more in style than before!! :)

Baking Class week #3

Today we were told to arrive 30 mins earlier to do the measurement of the ingredients, and happily my partner came back and she seems fine...

As we were going to learn muffins and biscuits today, and both of them need more than 8 ingredients. So, we were running crazily around the kitchen to get all the measurement done within 20 mins. As per our chef, she advises the course would not only teach us how to bake, but also training on time control, use of ingredients and the method of keeping, serving and storing the baked goods.

Truly, the first few classes are giving us a lot of chances to train on our listening skill, our time mangement and our measuring skill. And today, it was a very rush day as we need to prepare 2 products in limited time.

Honestly I don't really like muffin, but I do like most kinds of biscuits, like cheese and garlic ones... So I really look forward to taste my biscuits. At the end, I found this Bran muffins with walnut and rasin is pretty delicious! and my co-workers love them alot! =D For the biscuits, I've saved most of them for ourselves of course!! Overall, I'll give 9/10 for today's work!!

Baking Class Week #2

Last class, I've made a dough with my partner for this week's apple pies. We were both very exciting last class, however I got an email from my partner that she'll not be able to come as her dad had passed away in Ottawa... I hope she'll be fine.

Then today, I arrived 15 mins earlier to do my measurement, but the rest of the classmates had almost finished their measurement when I step in!!! I was a bit nervous as my partner is not here today, so I have to do all the work. Luckily there's another lady who don't have a partner to work with and she's very experienced and helpful. So, after 3 hours of demo, making and baking, I made my first APPLE PIE!!! I'm so happy that the pie is perfectly baked, no cracks, no split out, no burns.... !!! And even the taste is better than I thought, the crust is very light and fluffy, the moisture and sweetness of the filling is just right.

The only concern is maybe I put too much cinnaman, it could be too strong for some people... like my grandma and my parents... according to their after taste comments. And maybe the appearance can be improved for sure next time. But generally speaking, I give my pie 90/100!

My First Baking class at GBC!!!

I've been waiting for my first baking course since I registered online! Today has finally came!
I drove and arrived half an hour earlier at 12:30 pm today, so that I can have enough time to look for the parking, school and room location. When I first arrived the baking lab in the basement, I saw there're so many students dressed in chef outfit and working hard in the hugh kitchen, and I feel right away that I'm a total outsider. Luckily, I've met the rest of the class mates who are just 'normal' people including young girls, mothers and couples, so that i don't feel pressured.

Our chef and her assistant are very nice and professional, she had spent an hour to explain the details of safety issue, the course outlines, equipments etc. Then we've started our rolling exercise after watching the demo done by the chef, then me and my partner (a very nice lady who is a teacher) had prepared the pie crust for our apple pies, it was pretty easy, however the chef said 99.9% that the class is NOT going to make a good flaky pie crust since this is our first time... but I won't be discourged, I have the passion!! haha...
I'll bring the camera starting next lesson, and I'll upload the pictures of the final product here to share with you all! :)