Tea Time at School

Hi guys!!!

And welcome back. Cold weather is officially with us; even so, I trust you all had a lovely weekend. I know I did. It was uneventful, but quite relaxing. 

As you know, last week we hosted our Afternoon Tea Party and the preparations for it required two, long and busy days. Between twenty-nine students and the aid of three chefs, we managed to prepare twenty-four miniature desserts for an average of forty-eight guests. The result was well worth the effort.

2 days, 29 students, 3 chefs = All twenty-four desserts

On day one, we were assigned a group and each group was to make three desserts. As we were four, the work load seemed lessened: emphasis on the seemed. It took us an hour alone to zest a total of thirty-three lemons and make a pâte sucrée, both elements belonging to different desserts and between two. Meanwhile, our teammates were busy working on the remaining dessert, which consisted of slicing oranges and poaching them in a syrup. 

Official name: Clairfontaine.

Once this was done, we proceeded to working on making the orange mousse, baking the lemon cakes and rolling the pâte sucrée and lining the molds. By the end of the day, the orange mousse had been assembled, the pâte sablé had been made and the lemon cakes were baked. The remaining poached orange slices would be dried in a low temperature oven for hours to come (the chefs looked out for them), as they were part of the decoration for the mousses. 

Lemon cake!!! I forgot to take a complete picture.

The following morning we baked the sablé, blind baked the tarts, and decorated the lemon cakes. This was followed by the cooking of a crème brulée, which filled the tart molds and assembling the mousses and fruit tarts. Once we were finished and had cleaned up, we helped out other groups which still had some work to do. 

Yummy crème brulée fruit tarts

After an hour long and well deserved break, we returned to the kitchens, all twenty-nine of us. We were divided into groups and while some remained in the kitchens plating up the cake stands and silver trays, others (myself included) headed to our venue upstairs to prepare the cutlery and crockery to be used. After polishing, folding napkins into fans, arranging the tables, and assigned a table to wait on, our guest began arriving.

The event was a success!!! Tea was served and we were congratulated on our hard work by many guests. Because everything was sweet, a lot of the desserts were leftover (and I mean a lot!!!) We all got to take boxes filled with goodies home. It was a short, three day week, but a truly exhausting one.

I hope I get an invite next time

I spent most of my Friday cooped up inside my flat. The cold weather was enough reason to stay inside, warm and cozy. I joined friends for a drink Friday night but I returned home early. I continued baking Saturday, making a long-promised, New York style cheesecake for a dear friend (she said it was amazing!!!) I felt a wave of relief. Despite baking so many cheesecakes in the past, I had NEVER baked a New York style cheesecake. I can now tick it off my to do list. Interested in making one? This recipe helped me.

http://www.joyofbaking.com/Cheesecake.html

All credits go to the Joy of Baking :)

Dinnertime approached and I met up with two of my dearest friends for a girly dinner at Polpo in Covent Garden. I've been to Polpo only once before, and the menu had changed slightly. The Goat Cheese, Honey and Grape bruschetta was to die for!!! Accompanied by great food, great wine and great friends, my Saturday ended on a happy note. 

Check it out:

Polpo

6 Maiden Lane

WC2E 7NA

020 7836 8448

I can't recall if I told you where I live? Well, I lived in merry Camden, close to the beautiful Regent's Park and Primrose Hill, which is where I found myself on sunny, Sunday morning. I had not once visited the place in my months living here (I know...it's shameful) and I was in awe. It was rather hazy in the distance but the panoramic view of London was breathtaking. While my friend explored the place a bit, and took pictures, I silently sat down on a bench and enjoyed my coffee. It truly was breathtaking. Have you ever been? If not, it is definitely a place to visit when you find yourself in London.

Perhaps not the best picture...it was quite hazy.
Can you see St. Paul's dome? 

The rest of my Sunday passed in a blur, with so much to do. After a quick dinner watching Ice Age (gotta love Sid), I slipped into bed happily.

We woke up today with a gray sky and the pitter-patter of the rain. A sense of peace fills me when I watch the rain fall and despite my initial laziness, I ran my errands and practiced my Chocoholics Heaven cake (my final dessert and assessment). I changed a few details on it and the results were good. We'll see tomorrow how it goes, when I removed the cake ring.

I hope you all had a great Monday and I wish you a pleasant evening.

Until next time.
xx