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Welcome to Basic Pâtisserie Week 3: Tarte Week!
Last week was a short one due to Easter and the bank holiday weekend. We only had two days of classes. Into those we packed two demos, one practical lesson, and one extra class where we learned all of the procedures for our final exams. Hard to believe we’re thinking about final exams already!
Tarte aux Pommes
In our first demo and practical of the week, we learned how to make a tarte aux pommes (apple tart, a.k.a. a super fancy apple pie). This one seemed fairly straightforward, but it was harder than it looked! The trickiest part was using the mandoline to slice thin, even slices of apple. That, and making sure to have enough fruit to cover the top of the tart.
Here is the chef’s demo of the tarte aux pommes:
In the end, I had neither enough time nor enough apple slices to make the tart as pretty as the demo, but at least I got it on the plate! This was how my tarte aux pommes turned out:
In the demonstration, the chef also showed us how to make some additional tarts, including a cherry almond tart, a pear tart, and a fresh fruit tart. I can’t wait until the things I make turn out as pretty as these:
For our second demo of the week, we watched the chef prepare a tarte aux citrons (lemon tart) with meringue and candied julienned lemon peel:
He also demonstrated some other types of tarts, including a chocolate-lemon tart and a tarte au chocolat with fresh berries:
Practicing at Home
Since we had a long holiday weekend and wouldn’t be making our own lemon tart until the following week, I took the opportunity to practice at home. I made the tarte au chocolat, which I topped with fresh raspberries. I also made the tarte aux citron. For the latter I omitted the meringue and subbed in whipped cream, due to the fact that I have neither a stand mixer nor a blowtorch in my rented flat!
Here were my finished practice tarts:
Both of these turned out pretty well, although taste-wise I’d give a slight edge to the chocolate tart. (Probably because I’m a much bigger fan of chocolate than I am of lemon!) I was glad to have time to organize my notes and to practice the lemon tart prior to the practical, as it’s a complicated dish with lots of components. The timing of all of the various pieces is crucial to completing the dish, so the more practice the better.
More on the lemon tart to follow, since we didn’t make it in class until after the holiday break!
Missed last week’s recap? Read about week two here.
About Rebecca:
Rebecca earned the Diplôme de Pâtisserie from Le Cordon Bleu London in 2020. She kept this detailed diary as a record of her journey, and as a way to help others decide if pastry school might be the right choice for them. Rebecca also holds an MSc in Culinary Innovation from Le Cordon Bleu and Birkbeck, University of London, and a Professional Chocolatier’s Certificate from Ecole Chocolate. She currently works as a recipe developer, food stylist, food photographer, writer, and pastry chef. Feel free to make one of her original recipes, or to follow her on Instagram @bastecutfold for more baking and pastry inspiration!
