becky
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The first half of our Basic Pâtisserie final was a written (theory) exam, which covered everything we learned over the course of the term including recipes, methods, ingredients, health and safety, French terminology, etc. I did a LOT of studying for this part…
British Classics
After the theory exam (which turned out to be more difficult than any of us expected!) we had an easy demo day where we learned to make a variety of English specialties. I was actually really excited about this class. I happen to LOVE sticky toffee pudding, and that was one of the British dishes that the chef demonstrated for us!
The other English specialties we learned to make were Eton mess and shortbread cookies. I was disappointed that we didn’t have a kitchen practical for these dishes. But, at least it will give me something new to practice at home!
Practice Makes Perfect
We then had a weekend of study time to prepare for our practical final, which was scheduled for Monday morning. I’d been practicing the four exam dishes for a couple of weeks so I felt pretty confident. Instead I spent most of the study time reviewing the recipes and methods, which we had to have memorized. I also practiced elements of the various dishes. I made one more sponge cake (sans buttercream this time, since I mostly needed practice with folding the batter), one more lemon tart, and a final batch of the coffee eclairs:
I also spent a little more time working on my piping, since one component of the practical exam was a compulsory piping assignment where we had to pipe rows of shells and rosettes. I did some practice with buttercream. Then I tried again with purple meringue, just for fun:
Basic Pâtisserie Exams
For the practical exam, my group was assigned the genoise sponge cake with raspberry jam and buttercream. I was nervous going in, but as soon as we started cooking I think everyone relaxed and we quickly found our rhythm. In the end I was fairly happy with my finished cake. After completion it was then placed on a trolley and whisked away for tasting and grading!
After the exam we had about a week to wait before receiving our final results. During this time, we had some introductory courses in chocolatework. I felt very prepared for the chocolate unit, having completed my professional chocolatier’s certificate from Ecole Chocolat prior to attending Le Cordon Bleu.
Between my prior training and the fact that exams were behind us, the chocolate practical was incredibly low-stress! We made a few kinds of truffles. These included: dark chocolate, white chocolate, and muscadines, which are a traditional milk chocolate-and-praline based French confection.
And then, after what felt like an eternity, we finally received our exam results! I was happy and relieved to know that I had passed, as did all of my classmates in Pastry Group C.
A Getaway to Kew
I was assigned an early time slot and therefore finished my exam debrief meeting with our chef-mentor by 9 am, so I decided to hop on a train and head out to the Royal Botanic Gardens. I’ve been wanting to visit Kew all spring, but whenever we’d have a day off from class, the weather would be cold, grey, and rainy–definitely not ideal for wandering around a botanical garden! But, Monday’s warm and sunny weather felt like the perfect time for a trip to Kew. It was also the perfect way to celebrate my exam results.
I loved wandering around the gardens. I brought my camera and spent lots of time photographing the Chihuly: Reflections on Nature art installation currently on display:
Graduation Day!
Yesterday was the last day of the term. We had a small ceremony where we each received our certificates, followed by a champagne toast, and then a trip to the pub and a round of drinks to celebrate our success!
Hard to believe, but that’s a wrap on Basic Pâtisserie at Le Cordon Bleu London. It’s crazy how quickly the past three months have flown by, how many friends I’ve made, how much delicious food I’ve eaten, and how much I’ve learned in that short amount of time. What an amazing experience. New York City, I’m coming your way!!
Missed last week’s recap? Read all about week nine 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!
