Friday, July 23, 2010

Madeleine, Financiers/Friands, Scones Aux Fruits

Chef's Creations

Day 2 was a lesson on petit fours and redemption. Still irked about burning yesterday's scones, I was determined to get them right today and start off the course on a good note.

Keeping a close eye on the erratic oven granted me rather pleasing results: scones cooked and colored the way they should be. Now if I can just pick out all the raisins they'd be perfect... 

Rounds Of Joy

Another great thing about today's class was the chance to make the 2 things (among countless others) that I've always wanted to try: Beurre Noisette (nut brown butter) and Friands.

Melting and heating the butter to a deep mahogany hue did not, to my great surprise, result in burnt butter (what I've always mistook Beurre Noisette to mean). Rather, the name refers to both the deep, rich color of the melted fat and its most intense aroma of well, nuts. Toasted hazelnuts, in my amazed opinion.

Into the madeleine batter they went, giving them a sunset golden finish (over-romanticizing here, I know) and a subtle richness that paired perfectly with the tart lemon and orange zest. 

Friands I liked for one reason and one reason only: the almond meal that goes into it. Despite topping them off with the best intentions and best dark chocolate, upon tasting one I actually thought the fragrant almond meal would have stood out more if they had gone solo on this trip. 

Live and learn, I say.

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