Last week’s cake production was a little crazy, even by my standards! I gave some away to my landlord for his family and friends and to the homeless in the street, who looked happy to be given cake. One started eating a macaron immediately. This also helps me eat less sweet stuff so I can go back to Barcelona early next year still able to climb up a rock! 🙂 The Raspberry-anis macarons marked my first time making bigger macarons with fruit around a circle of aniseed crème légère. I loved the addition of fresh fruit and would make these again. They were also my first proper attempt at plating a dessert. The chef generally prefers a more classic and simple approach but said mine was harmonious, humorous and me on a plate! 🙂 lol.
I might post the macaron recipe up in a month or so. For now I’ll just share the plating tips with you: clean the top and bottom of your plate, have harmonious elements and also make sure everything is in tip-top condition. I made a serious mistake by having a raspberry with a black spot on it on the plate! eek. Sorry chef.
The other recipes I’d love to develop for the blog are the Jamaica mousse cake, which I adored with its mango-passion fruit and coconut mousses layerered with cocoa joconde sponge. Yum! I would have liked my passion fruit and raspberry tart more if the pastry had been thinner (my pastry was still soft and not cool enough when I rolled it) but my landlord and his students loved it. ‘Une délice‘, he exclaimed.
The streusel-apricot puff pastry tart needs adapting to include more apricots and less streusel. But the almond cake (pavé aux amandes) was amazing because it’s so simple and yet moist and heavenly. I think you’d really enjoy it! As for le Fraisier, that wonderful strawberry and buttercream-filled sponge – oh la la! 🙂
Anyway, those were the six cakes I made during our first week of the Cordon Bleu Intensive Intermediate patisserie course. Yay! This week’s a bit of a chocolate week and I’ll tell you about it in my next update. 🙂
Paris
You can probably guess that with all these cakes we haven’t had much time to think of anything except… cakes! We did go in town, shopping at some kitchen shops to buy baking equipment for cake-making practice at home. It was a little eerie because there were very few people in the streets, shops and restaurants. This was really noticeable right in the centre of town and around tourist attractions. But Paris is wonderful and so beautiful. I love my very peaceful area around the 15th arrondissement where people are especially kind, helpful and welcoming. I would recommend a meal in la Coupole, the famous art deco restaurant in Montparnasse with its lovely food and waiters. We had a fantastic evening!
Healthier recipes?
Feeling a bit guilty about neglecting my clean-eating readers and I’ll try to post a healthier recipe soon! lol But here’s that quick recipe again for a delicious passion fruit mousse that’s very creamy and went in my Pomegranate and passion fruit yoghurt pavlova. It could also accompany fruit, pancakes, an Eaton mess or perhaps a healthier trifle?
Finally, I wanted to include more cake tips and Cordon Bleu anecdotes but I’m a little frazzled. So sorry but I’m just going to say farewell now sweet reader. Thanks for popping in again and for all your lovely recent messages of support wishing me well. It was very sweet. If you like, please vote for your favourite cake or cakes (you can choose more than one!) to let me know which you’d like to see as an adapted recipe on the blog next year – maybe I can even make it healthier! 🙂
Wishing all of you celebrating Thanksgiving a wonderful day. Have a lovely week everyone, and happy moderate or immoderate baking and eating! 🙂 x
lili's cakes 
I took a 4-day short course in bread at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris! It was amazing– I only wish I had the resources to take a longer Patisserie course!
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Yes, it is an amazing course… it would be nice if one day you get the chance to do it. I know you’ll have fun exploring cakes and baking anyway. 🙂
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Lili, can I just save time and vote for everything you have made and are going to make while you are on this course? It all looks so wonderful.
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Thanks Julie! Glad you like it all and I appreciate your vote for everything! 🙂
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I just call it like I see it. I have never seen anything you have posted that hasn’t made me drool and wish I could move close to you and be your recipe tester. Julie.
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🙂 Me too! I always need testers… 🙂 Lili x
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Love the illustrations, as usual!
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Thank you! I’ll try to keep drawing in between making cakes. 🙂
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Lovely to hear about your week. 🙂 I vote for the Jamaican mousse cake! (And le fraisier, since I’m allowed more than one.)
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Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it and thanks also for your votes! 🙂
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Oh my goodness, what beautiful cakes Lili! (And so many cakes in just a week–so intense!!) It is also great that having so much cake, you can share with many people 🙂 They all sound so lovely…I don’t know how to vote! (Maybe for all of them! 🙂 )
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Thanks so much Laurie for your sweet comments! Yes, the quantity of cakes is hilarious and it is lovely to be sharing them. I also appreciate your voting for all the cakes, so none of them feel sad! lol 🙂
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Hello Lili! I wish I were your landlord or one of his students to receive a cake 😀 Everything looks delicious, so it was very hard to choose only one recipe of the poll.
Kind greetings,
Marianne
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Hi Marianne and thanks so much! I wish I could get some cake to you too… 🙂 Thanks for your vote… and you can choose more than one cake if you like. Hope you had a lovely weekend and have a great week ahead! Lili x
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