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Superior Pâtisserie! How is it possible that we’re here already?
After a whirlwind final few weeks of Intermediate study, followed by exams and a nice holiday break, it’s time to head back to the kitchen. Superior Pâtisserie marks the final certificate needed to earn the Le Cordon Bleu Diplôme de Pâtisserie. It features three months of advanced study building on the techniques we learned at the Basic and Intermediate levels.
This term will be slightly different than the first two. As advanced students we’ll learn more modern techniques, have more freedom in choosing the methods and equipment we use in our classes, and more hands-on workshops in the kitchen rather than the demo-practical setup we’ve been following. And we’ll also design two of our own dishes: a plated dessert and a technical entremets cake. We will prepare each of these for our final exam.
Week One
For our first Superior-level practical we worked in pairs to create three types of eclairs, with each pair making a different flavor. As a class we made strawberry and basil; chocolate, raspberry and passion fruit; and Earl Grey tea and caramel:
My teammate and I made the Earl Grey and caramel eclairs. These were lots of fun to make! I loved the chance to learn some new techniques, such as piping the eclairs in a decorative circle pattern, and topping them with a crumbly craquelin layer before baking. We finished our presentation with milk chocolate discs, edible flowers, and gold leaf:
We also worked in teams for our second practical of the term. In this one, we each made a different kind of petit gâteau (little cake). One group made a pistachio citrus flavor, another made Calamansi and chocolate, and we made a chocolate orange sablé breton:
Week one wrapped up with a demonstration on tempered chocolate garnishes. We learned how to make chocolate feathers, cigarettes, discs, spirals, and other designs, which we’ll use in designing our final exam dishes:
Week Two
After a busy first week exploring modern classics, our focus in week two shifted to plated desserts. We created modern takes on three traditional dishes: lemon tart, Black Forest cake, and apple tart:
After an exhausting week consisting of three demos, three practicals, and one fire drill, it’s time for a few days of R&R (and a little home baking) before we head into week three…chocolate!
Missed my previous recaps? Read about my adventures in Intermediate Pâtisserie 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!
