date and cranberry bliss balls

Cakes and Paris

by Lili
November 15, 2015
15 comments
Cake news

From a mourning Paris I’ll just quickly give you the cake run-down first.  The day before leaving for Paris I made a heavenly Raspberry, goats cheese and fig pavlova.  The topping is easy and delicious and if you haven’t discovered pavlovas yet then do consider them, even if you make a smaller one for fewer calories!  I’ll be posting the recipe soon.  So with happy stomach and tingling taste buds Friday November 13 I set off for Paris, where a dark and dramatic event awaited.  We’re all shocked by the deaths and injuries in the shootings and bombs that day and perhaps now feel the need to live life to the full.  So despite stunned lethargy and sadness I set about readying myself for the course ahead.  Perhaps I haven’t told you about it yet?Week 38 of cakes and Paris

Le Cordon Bleu

Well, tomorrow I start my Cordon Bleu Intensive Intermediate Pâtisserie course.  It lasts around 5 weeks.  So on my weekly update I’ll be sharing the cakes, desserts and chocolates I make on the course!  And then next year I’ll pick out favourites then develop and post recipes for them.  So please tell me which you’d like to see posted!

As you can imagine I’m looking forward to the course but I’m not at my most cheerful and reality is hitting hard watching the news on TV and reading the papers.  Might be less teary-eyed by tomorrow but at 12 noon there’ll be a minute of silence to mourn the dead when I’ll also be thinking of those all over the world, not just Paris.  But we’ll be very busy, with less time to think during the full day baking from 8.30am to 8.30pm with two demonstrations and two practicals.  I’m taking my superfood bread but coming home with two or three cakes!  What can I say… more of my balancing act between healthy and not-so-healthy food.  Behind my bread ready to go in the oven you can see the pink pâtisserie on the corner, glistening and beckoning.

superfood bread and patisserie Paris

A balanced diet?

Going back to my first day in Paris, I couldn’t resist doing cake research.  In other words I bought a couple of cakes in the local pâtisserie recommended by the owner of the flat I’m renting.  He’s a real sweetie and greeted me with bottles of champagne, wine, juice and water and 6 delicious macarons.  Love him.  Hugged him immediately.  And the lady in the recommended pâtisserie was lovely and slightly batty.  My favourite combination.  Her recommendation of Chestnut millefeuille and raspberry macaronné were inspiring and almost made me give up baking.  When you can buy such treasures…  But as you can see in the photo there are also some hastily concocted goldenberry versions of date and cranberry bliss balls.  I didn’t have the ground almonds, matcha, spirulina or food processor but added sunflower and pumpkin seeds so they were a bit loose and kept threatening to fall apart.  Still delicious though and they made me feel better about eating those delicious cakes hovering behind them on the plate!  Lol.  I also picked up some healthier low-sugar cakes from Eugène pâtisserie.  Very light and tasty.

Eugéne cakes

Paris

Yesterday afternoon I queued with the masses who’d finally made it out to do some Saturday shopping in a calm subdued atmosphere.  I love my area in the 15th arrondissement where the people are invariably kind and now even gentler.

Then today I picked up the Cordon Bleu uniforms my cousin has been storing for me from last year.  At her workplace entrance near la Place de la République I was stopped by two security guards, one clearly showing the gun slung about him.  The security was new I commented and one of the guards confirmed things have changed since recent events.  He also said people are scared.  Yet they were still walking about the centre in the sun, cautiously having a Sunday out.  Later I suppose we were all quietly pleased upon arriving safely home.  But the idea is not to be intimidated into staying in, as witnessed by the growing number of people taking part in tributes on the street.

Recipes

Back to the cakes.  In the run-up to Christmas I’ll still be posting one or two weekly recipes for stuff I made before coming to Paris.  And I hope you’ll enjoy seeing my Cordon Bleu efforts and attempts at healthy snacking in between! 🙂   Come along and see how it all goes sweet reader.  I’ll be glad for the company.

Wishing you a lovely week ahead living and enjoying your life, appreciating all the great things around.  Amidst the sadness may you have some happy baking and eating! 🙂 x

 

Posted by

Baking on Sundays with my French mum was a lovely part of my childhood. Later I experimented with baking books or internet recipes and did the pâtisserie course at Le Cordon Bleu Paris. Still trying out new recipes and inventing cakes with influences from all around the world, including some healthier ones. Yes, love cakes!!! Hope you'll love them too and have fun baking. :)

15 thoughts on “Cakes and Paris”

  1. cookingwithauntjuju.com says:

    Lucky you to be taking all of these classes – you sure do a heck of a good job of baking! When we were in Paris (business) we stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel and it was scary back then to see the police with machine guns walking around. Some terrorist ordeal had taken place earlier. When we had our meals we always tried to get seating outside the restaurant – I just still cannot come to grips at what happened. I can’t imagine what you are feeling. On a happier note are you going to come back to Fiesta Friday – would love to have you again. I am one of the co-hosts this week 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Lili says:

      Do feel lucky Judi and am learning loads on the course… though a bit knackered after our long first day! 🙂 Hope you enjoyed Paris despite any scares – it is a beautiful city. And thank you for the invite to Fiesta Friday – would love to pop in, especially since you’re co-hosting! 🙂 x

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    • Lili says:

      Thanks Julie! It’ll be nice to share… First day’s over. We made 3 cakes and almost collapsed with exhaustion!!! Will photograph them in daylight tomorrow, which is also a lighter baking day 🙂

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    • Lili says:

      Thank you Naina for your kind comments and encouragement! It’s been an exhausting but really interesting start to the course so far! Mind’s been taken up with cakes…look forward also to sharing with everyone. 🙂

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  6. alba10 says:

    Love your blog (as you know I don’t actually MAKE any of the cakes, just drool over your photographs!) (Makes for a messy monitor I have to add!) but I’m also impressed with your thoughts on how the people of Paris are dealing with the tradgedy. Be safe Lili x

    Liked by 1 person

    • Lili says:

      Thanks so much Alba for your very sweet comments and that image of you messing up your monitor! 🙂 Ah for the day we can really deliver food online! I’m also glad you like the parts about Paris…it’s so sad and difficult to process that it’s hard to find the words. Thank you for your best wishes, Hugs Lili x

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  7. tentimestea says:

    What happened in Paris was such a shock and tragedy. But I’m very glad to hear that you’re safe, that people in Paris are being cautious yet very resilient and courageous. And enjoy your course Lili–baking and learning all day, it certainly sounds intensive–and exciting! 🙂 xx

    Liked by 1 person

    • Lili says:

      Thank you Laurie! Yes, Paris is still wonderful and I really love my peaceful area in the 15th arrondissement – the people are very sweet. And yes, am loving the course even though we sometimes get very tired – you’d love all the baking and experimenting! 🙂 x

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