viFrench pastry demystified in 14 lessons !CONTENTS L ET ’S G ET S TAR TE D LESSON 1 A Few Essentials Before You Set Off on Your Pastry Journey � � � � � � � � � � � � 1LESSON 2 Three Essential Batters: Génoise, Ladyfingers, and Pâte à Choux � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 7LESSON 3 Pastry Decorating � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 21 E N T RE M E T S LESSON 4 Fraisier-Style Entremets Masked Entremets: Pêcher Mignon and Moka � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 27 Our Very Own Recipe: Round and Delicious Little Sablé Cookies � � � � � � � � 42LESSON 5 Charlotte-Style Entremets, Mixed Berry Fruit Mousse Entrements, and Chocolate Mousse Entrements with Caramelized Pears � � � � � � � � � � � � 45 Our Very Own Recipe: Incredible Dark Chocolate Mousse � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 60LESSON 6 Chocolate Bavarois Entremets, Royal au Chocolat, Succès, and Opera Cake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 TA RTS LESSON 7 Three Crusts: Pâte Sablée, Pâte Sucrée, and Pâte Brisée Three Delicious Tarts: Dark Chocolate, Norman, and Apple Tarts . . . . . . . . 81 Our Very Own Recipe: Our Famous Millionaire Bars � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 94LESSON 8 Almond, Tutti Frutti, Lemon Meringue, and Strawberry Tarts . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Quiz: 13 Technical Questions to Test Your Baking Knowledge � � � � � � � � � � 106BakeLikeAFrenchPastryChef_txt_final.indd 63/26/18 10:57 AMvii C H OUX LESSON 9 Caramel-Glazed Salambos and Chantilly-Filled Éclairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109LESSON 10 Religieuses, Éclairs, and Paris-Brest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 P U F F PA S T RY LESSON 11 Puff Pastry, Galette des Rois, and Apple Chaussons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133LESSON 12 Millefeuille and Saint-Honoré Cake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 V IE N N O I S E R IE S LESSON 13 Brilliant Brioche: Brioche Buns, Braided Brioche, Brioche à Tête, Pain au Lait, and Navettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153LESSON 14 Leavened Puff Pastry, Croissants, Pain au Chocolat, and Pain aux Raisins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 T O H E L P Y O U A L O N G T H E WAY What is the CAP? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178Hygiene and Safety Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179Simple, Quality Ingredients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183Our Incredible Pastry Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197Templates for Your Creations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209BakeLikeAFrenchPastryChef_txt_final.indd 73/26/18 10:57 AMviiiBonjour !You, dear friend, are holdinglead you on a French pastry journey.a treasure map. It is a map that willYOU KNOW all those miraculous concoctions you see in French bakeries? Buttery croissants, tangy lemon tarts, flaky millefeuilles? Before long you will be mastering these recipes. Yes, YOU!BUT . . . WHO ARE “WE” ?We are Michel and Augustin. We met back in middle school in Paris, and went to college together as well. Our careers got off to a good start—one of us in finance, the other in marketing. And one day in 2004 we reunited with a desire to make a change in our lives. To do something manual, with our own four hands. To make things taste GREAT using simple, high quality ingredients. And we shared a love of French pastry.The stage was set. We made the plunge, and traded our suits and ties for aprons and chef hats!HOW CAN WE BE SURE ? Well, we did it ourselves! And trust us, we started with no more skills or pastry talent or training than anyone else! You may even have a healthy head start ;) OUR OWN PASTRY JOURNEY OUR ADVENTURE began in Augustin’s little kitchen in Paris, on the northern slopes of Montmartre. Are you picturing cobblestone streets, a big cathedral perched on a hilltop, accordion players, the scent of crêpes, and artists painting in the streets? Well, you go just a few steps farther north, and there we were! The room was equipped with not much more than a table, an oven, and Michel’s small banana tree.We started by baking classic French buttery shortbread cookies: our sablés ronds et bons. Easy, right? Eggs, flour, butter, sugar. Couldn’t be simpler! It only took us 300 trials to get the recipe right ;)We wrapped them up ourselves and brought them around to the whole neighborhood. We knocked on the door of every grocery store, épicerie, and café in town. They were a hit!AugustinGive it a try, page 42.MontmartreThe Eiffel TowerAugustin’s little kitchenMichelviiiBakeLikeAFrenchPastryChef_txt_final.indd 83/26/18 10:57 AMixWe loooove feedback !TODAY, “Michel et Augustin” is a tribe of over 100 fabulous employees based in three cities—Paris, Lyon, and New York. In France we make close to 100 different recipes, and have come a long way from our shortbreads. Our mission as “troublemakers of taste” is to WOW our friends and shoppers in every section of the supermarket. Decadent pastry desserts like brownies, chocolate mousse, indulgent French-style drinkable (and spoonable!) yogurts, and scrumptious crackers. The goal: To make the grocery store FUN!A SHARED PASSION FOR PASTRY helps us dream up these concoctions. That’s because, regardless of our role at Michel et Augustin, we share this passion. In fact, we have a common dream: to become the first company on planet Earth to be 100% pastry-certified ! Forty-eight of us have already achieved this ambitious goal and many more are on their merry way each year. And we are certified, too! We both have our CAP, which stands for Certificat d’Aptitude Professionnelle, or a professional aptitude certificate—Michel is a certified pastry chef, Augustin a certified bread-maker. (More on this on page 178!) Training for these certifications takes hours of practice and studying, but the fact remains: ANYONE can take the exam. You just have to believe! EVERY WEEK, our three Banana Farms (what one might refer to as our “offices”) transform into pastry workshops. We drop what we are doing, we close our computers or come in from the field, we throw on our aprons, and we join our resident pastry chefs in the kitchen.THIS BOOK you are holding is made up of everything we have learned throughout our weekly training sessions over the course of five years. We documented it all to help our fellow kooky cookies (employees), friends, and pastry fans so that they can learn along with us and help them prepare for their CAP exams. And YOU are invited! Whether your goal is to start a pastry career or to master your favorite French sweet, this is more than just a manual. THIS PASTRY TREASURE MAP is broken up into 14 lessons. It may seem unbelievable to you at first. But with each page you turn, you will come closer to mastering the art that is French pastry. Some of these recipes are challenging—don’t get us wrong! But in these pages we have brought together all our photos, tricks, and personal stories to help you master these recipes faster than we did ;) We believe in you! A FAVOR TO ASK EVER SINCE WE FIRST STARTED BAKING, we have welcomed feedback in ALL forms. Since 2004 we have opened the doors to our Banana Farm on the first Thursday of each month to neighbors, friends, partner stores, distributors, and curious foodies. Why? To tell them about our adventure—and to ask for their direct feedback. And our social “doors” are ALWAYS open. Your input has changed our recipes for the better, and it helps us innovate and whip up new concoctions each year. We are listening—so please! Tell us what you think. About the book. About your favorite recipe. About your pastry dreams! We want to hear from you.OKAY. YOU SEEM READY to set out on this journey.ixMichel, Augustin, and the tribeBon voyage ! Happy pastry-making ;) We are the kooky cookies !BakeLikeAFrenchPastryChef_txt_final.indd 93/26/18 10:57 AM70LESSON 6YOU’VE GOT THIS !ROYALAU CHOCOLATActive time: 1 hour 35 min. Baking time: 12 min. at 350°F (180°C)Tools: 1 entremets ring, 1 wire rack for glazing, 1 cake board for handling and presenting the entremetsServes 8280 g (10 oz ) crispy praline paste (pages 72)Chocolate mirror glaze (page 74)1 pâte à bombe chocolate mousse (page 56)2 dacquoise discs (page 71)125 g (4 oz) egg whites (from 4 large eggs)35 g (2 Tbsp) granulated sugar 90 g (1/4 cup) confectioners’ sugar75 g (3/4 cup) hazelnut flour29 g (1/4 cup) cornstarch300 g (10 oz) chocolate300 g (1 1/3 cups) heavy cream, whipped100 g (3 1/2 oz) eggs (2 large eggs) or egg yolks (from 5 large eggs)160 g (3/4 cup) simple syrup160 g (5 1/2 oz) praline paste40 g (1 1/2 oz) milk chocolate wafers80 g (3 oz) crêpe dentelle cookies1. BAKE YOUR DACQUOISE by following our recipe on the next page. You’ll pipe it into two snails! While they’re baking . . .2. MAKE YOUR pâte à bombe chocolate mousse using the recipe on page 56. Seal and keep chilled.3. CONCOCT YOUR CRISPY PRALINE PASTE (page 72) and resist the temptation to eat it all ;)4. BUILD YOUR ENTREMETS and slip it into the freezer to firm up.5. MAKE YOUR CHOCOLATE GLAZE (page 74) and pour over your entremets!6. DECORATE your entremets using techniques from Lesson 12 and any you’d like to experiment with.The basic steps:chocolate glazecrispy praline paste1 dacquoise disk1 dacquoise diskchocolate moussechocolate mousse1 wire rack for glazingBakeLikeAFrenchPastryChef_txt_final.indd 703/26/18 11:18 AMLESSON 6YOU’VE GOT THIS !71Active time: 20 min. Baking time: 12 min. at 350°F (180°C)Tools: 1 whisk, 1 pastry bag and 1 #15 round tip, 1 rubber spatula, 1 entremets ringMakes dacquoise for 1 entremets90 g (1/4 cup) confectioners’ sugar + a little extra for dusting75 g (3/4 cup) almond or hazelnut flour20 g (3 Tbsp) cornstarch35 g (2 Tbsp) granulated sugar125 g (4 oz ) egg whites (from 4 large eggs)1. PREHEAT your oven to 350°F (180°C).2. MAKE an incredible French meringue by following step 2 from page 12.3. MIX YOUR DRY INGREDIENTS and add them to your French meringue.4. MIX EVERYTHING gently, from the center out, with your rubber spatula to maintain volume.5. PREPARE TWO TEMPLATES on parchment paper using the size of your entremets ring as a guide. Don’t forget to turn your parchment over before piping the batter to prevent any ink lines from bleeding onto your cake!6. PIPE your two disks in a snail shape using a #15 round tip. For a quick refresher on the technique see page 14. Dust the disks with confectioners’ sugar to get a nice crispy texture.7. BAKE THEM for 12 minutes. Keep a close watch. The underside should have a nice golden color.8. PLACE THEM ON A WIRE RACK to let cool. You’ll be able to try some shortly ;)ALMOND OR HAZELNUT DACQUOISECAKEFrench meringue (page 12)Delphine is happy with the texture of her meringue. Are you ?+THE UNIQUE TRAITS OF DACQUOISE CAKE* Dacquoise is a meringue-based cake reminiscent of a macaron in texture: soft in the center and crispy on the outside.* You never soak a dacquoise.BakeLikeAFrenchPastryChef_txt_final.indd 713/26/18 11:18 AM72LESSON 6YOU’VE GOT THIS !1. CRUMBLE your crêpe dentelle cookies with your hands.2. MELT the praline paste and chocolate in a bain-marie.3. SPRINKLE the cookie crumbles over the chocolate and praline mixture.4. MIX everything. That’s it! You can now spread it on your dacquoise. WARNING : Use it quickly before the chocolate hardens. 80 g (3 oz ) crêpe dentelle cookies40 g (1 1/2 oz ) milk chocolate160 g (5 1/2 oz ) praline paste (above)CRISPY PRALINE PASTEActive time: 15 min. Cooking time: 12 min. at 350°F (180°C) Tools: 1 saucepan, 1 rubber spatulaMakes praline paste for 1 entremetsGavottes should be available in your cookie aisle ! If not, why not try crumbling waffle ice cream cones ;)Active time: 20 min. Baking time: 15 min. at 350°F (180°C)Tools: 1 small mixing bowl, 1 Exoglass spatula, 1 baking sheet + parchment paper (or silicone mat), 1 food processorMakes praline paste for 1 entremets0. PREHEAT YOUR OVEN to 350°F (180°C). 1. COMBINE all the ingredients in small mixing bowl. 2. WITH YOUR HANDS or an Exoglass spatula, coat the nuts with the sugar and the glucose (or honey). Pour nuts onto parchment paper or a silicone mat on a baking sheet. 3. BAKE FOR 15 MINUTES, or until they are completely caramelized (but not burnt!).4. ALLOW NUTS TO COOL completely and then place in food processor and pulse until smooth. 500 g (17 oz ) whole peeled hazelnuts 100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar 30 g (1 1/2 Tbsp) glucose or honeyHOMEMADE HAZELNUTPRALINE PASTE Chef Melodie’s RecipeBakeLikeAFrenchPastryChef_txt_final.indd 723/26/18 11:18 AMLESSON 6YOU’VE GOT THIS !73BUILDING A ROYAL AU CHOCOLAT0. YOUR FOUR COMPONENTS ARE READY: your two dacquoise disks, your chocolate mousse, your crispy praline paste.1. PLACE YOUR RING, lined with acetate, on a cake board.2. LAY YOUR FIRST DACQUOISE DISK in the bottom.3. COVER YOUR DACQUOISE with crispy praline. Be generous ;)4. SPREAD THE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE around the inner edge of the ring and over the praline layer.5. ADD THE SECOND DACQUOISE DISK. Make sure it’s no higher than the ring.6. COVER AGAIN WITH MOUSSE and smooth out using a spatula.7. FREEZE for at least 30 minutes. This is when you can prepare your glaze. Turn the page for the recipe.8. GLAZE ! Unmold your entremets, which should be VERY firm by now, and remove the acetate lining. If it’s not cold enough, it won’t hold its shape under the hot icing. Place it on an elevated wire rack with a plate underneath to catch the runoff glaze. When the glaze is at about 75°F (25°C), pour it over your entremets in one stream in the center. It should be enough to cover the whole cake evenly. Use your spatula as needed.9. DECORATE your entremets once the glaze stops dripping. Slide one hand underneath with the help of your spatula, and sprinkle chopped almonds or hazelnuts around the base. Don’t drop it ;) Decorate the top using the techniques in Lesson 3!10. PLACE YOUR ENTREMETS on a cake stand or presentation platter and keep chilled before serving.Coat your first disk with praline.Cover again with mousse . . .Smooth out !Cover the inner edge completely.Your dacquoise should be hidden !Place your second disk in the center of the mousse.For a nonglazed option, pipe waves of chocolate mousse using a star tip and sprinkle with chocolate shavings.When your entremets is firm and stabilized, pour your glaze over the top.BakeLikeAFrenchPastryChef_txt_final.indd 733/26/18 11:19 AMNext >