French

My Day With A French Pastry Chef




One bleak and foggy January Sunday I decided it was finally time to wake up at the crack of dawn, okay well dawn hadn't even broke yet.  It was 5:00 am when I sleepily rustled out of bed only a few weeks ago just so that I could leave the house by 5:30 am to witness french pastry art in the making.  I arrived 4 minutes early and already a french-born Austinite in a chef's coat was rolling out pastry dough with seriously rhythmic sway.  How he performed such edible magic every morning I could not tell you.   

 Since September 2012, I've intended to premiere this one-on-one pastry post but a few details had to be worked out as it was my first interview session.  Ever.  So I do apologize for my crazy videographing.  I now understand why journalists bring along a crew.  In the meantime, John and I spent many Saturday mornings trekking up to the Barton Creek Farmer's Market to enjoy our favorite danishes.  The number one danish in our book and the one we introduced to our many friends, Allison Kate Lemp and Tracy Cook was the ever spectacular Spinach & Gruyere pastry.  Ridiculously delicious.  One bite into this mouthful of heaven and I instantly knew that I had to incorporate this pastry chef into my life whether it was with weekly trips to his bakery or with catered brunches for various events.   Just to embark upon ten minutes of what it could be to sit on a Parisian patio meant that it had to be shared with everyone.  And in what better American city than Austin to have a one-hand-held dish with spinach and gruyere, where you are free be yourself in whatever style you choose.  Heck we have a clothing optional park and beach for those who don't know.  Now that is some French inspiration.



I was very fortunate to spend time with Chef Loic at Cinnamon's Bakery.  I have studied french language, have french in my heritage and like many other stateside ladies my heart melts the moment the word's Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, croissant, or macaron is mentioned.  So when I got the invitation to wake up super early I jumped on it.  Why not witness the magic of pastries filled with mushrooms, pumpkin, almond, and chocolat?! Oh and I can't forget the Texas favorite the Big Pig, his twist on the Czech kolache. 
"French Pig.  Born with class." ~ Chef Loic Duchesne

 It was nice to hear that the Chef appreciates the logic I live by.  I say bring on the creme and butter everyday.  My Take:  I wholeheartedly believe that the main reason many people in the United States suffer from obesity and such chronic illnesses is due to all of the preservatives and fillers they consume every single day.  I like more simple foods with less ingredients which is why I enjoy hand-making my dishes such as the Alfredo sauce to top my pasta.  I prefer the true and fresh flavors of food commonly practiced in European methods instead of the overabundance of the sugars and fillers that many american restaurants and bakeries use today.  I was thrilled to hear the chef's take on it.

Pictured below is a sweet special he has introduced for Valentine's Day.   The heart-shaped, rose flavored, pale pink macarons are served in a handcrafted white chocolate shell.  I got the honor to try one...and they really do taste like roses.  They were so good that I am craving one as I write this.   Many of you know that I am picky to the extreme when it comes to anything flavored, and these rose macarons surpassed my judgement.  




. . . and this is what became of one young french child who was on summer break with nothing to do many decades ago.  Him and his mom looked through the newspaper classifieds and found a pastry apprenticeship so he wouldn't sit around the house bored.



One week before I headed to the bakery for my scheduled one-on-one time Austin360 produced an article about Chef Loic.  They provided a good look into his background as a pastry chef.  You can check out the link below.

 http://www.austin360.com/news/entertainment/dining/french-pastry-chef-thinks-beyond-dessert-trends-at/nTyDS/

cinnamonsbakery.com
UPDATE ON 1/1/2014
Very unfortunate news reached my ears in December 2013 as I took one of my dearest friends to the Barton Creek Farmer's Market to enjoy the chef's pastries.  Chef Loic was struck with sudden illness in October 2013 and immediately passed away.

Annie's Cafe & Bar



 I am lucky enough to have been graced with this wonderful place.  My style it is of course.  A bit of French and modern grace, Annie's Cafe & Bar is such a treat.  I can enjoy a posh drink with friends, a nice dinner with my husband or a beautiful brunch during the day.  Annie's was listed as one of Austin360.com Best Places to Brunch in 2011.  

 Annie's Cafe & Bar offers catering services as well.  I have indeed acquired them to produce food for a Tiffany Blue Brunch this weekend.  The menu will include Ham & Gruyere Quiche and Fritata and Chocolate-Filled Croissants.


Love the old French country doors.


A peak of the oven


The Brioche French Toast


The delicious food


A Real Cup of Fruit!



As of August 2012 my husband will have lived Austin for 2.5 years and Annie's Cafe & Bar is the very first place he has received a perfectly delicious cup of cappuccino.


A great summer spot however I can't wait to enjoy myself under Annie's roof this fall.  Mmmmm, I'm already envisioning a warm beignet.

 Your Famous,
~ Angela O'






Sourced from www.anniescafebar.com:
Annies Café & Bar is a modern Brasserie in the heart of downtown Austin. Inspired by the bustling bistros and great sidewalk cafés of Europe, owners Love Nance and Sherry Jameson reinvigorated the legendary Day Building at 319 Congress and created a space not only for dining but for meeting, drinking and enjoying life.
In 2008, longtime Austinites Nance and Jameson lost their lease after running the popular lunchtime café and bakery then known as Apple Annies for 26 years. They recreated the café as Annies and moved it to Congress Avenue, the Main Street of Texas. Annies quickly became a favorite with everyone from morning joggers wanting fresh omelets to legislators insisting on Annie's famous meatloaf to locals enjoying perfectly prepared treasures from that morning's trip to the farmer's market. Longtime Apple Annies patrons and newcomers alike discovered Annies as the perfect place to sit, sip and enjoy the revitalization of downtown Austin.
Annie's menu is filled with seasonal farm-to-market food prepared in simple, innovative ways. The café bustles with energy from early mornings, when the irresistible smell of fresh baguettes fills the restaurant, to the noon hour, when business people flock to Annies for a quick healthy lunch, to late nights, when regulars gather round the zinc bar for Austin's finest creative craft cocktails or decadent deserts.
Stop by and see why Annies is downtown Austin's homegrown favorite.

 Check out the website for yourself!!


www.anniescafebar.com


319 E Congress Ave
Austin, TX 78701

Quack's 43rd Street Bakery

My husband and I frequented this bakery quite a bit this summer.  Tucked away in the historic Hyde Park district of Austin, Texas it is one of those secret delights.  Quack's 43rd Street Bakery serves until midnight and very well maybe the only one, at least the only one that I have come across.  The shop is always full of the young and young-at-heart visiting their friends, sorting themselves by writing their thoughts, or perhaps studying for what tomorrow may bring.  Quack's  which is owned by Art Silver was the very first coffeehouse in Austin and was originally located on the Drag next to the University of Texas.

My favorite thing about Quack's 43rd Street Bakery is that all of their pastries, muffins, confections, pies, and cakes actually taste wonderful.  When I say wonderful it is high mark for food since my pallet is extremely picky.  My friends and family privately know me as a food critic.  The majority of cupcakeries, bakeries, and dessert foodie trucks around here I strongly dislike as they cater to the American's preference of too much sugar and not enough flavor.  This bakery has more of the European hand by not overpowering the taste with an overload of sugar.  They bake goods fresh for you every single day.

If you do decide to make a late night of it then check out the glass case just right of the cash register.  There is always a surprise waiting as only that case carries pastries that are buy one get one free after 6:30pm.  You can never predict what you will end up with but you can be sure it will be delicious.  One night on a whim I chose the Apple Danish, now I am hooked.  I have never been one for a danish prior to this bakery.  Try heating it for 10 seconds, it will melt in your mouth.


However the very first crumb I ever tasted from this bakery was the Mint Ganache Chocolate Cake.  It was this cake that determined that it was okay to pick up a bakery dessert for guests whom you are entertaining at your home.  No longer did I feel the pressure of having to hand make the desserts if I wanted something delicious to share for at a dinner party.  

 


You may decide to stop in if your hungry for a more sturdier meal and something to wash it down.  Quack's carry a small assortment of sandwiches, salads and such that invite the carnivore, vegetarian or vegan in you.  Of course they accommodate the Austinites who need TopoChico bottle to swig from.

I will admit that I am somewhat partial to a place that makes anything French.  Check out these adorable French shortbread and sugar cookies.  So inexpensive I might add.






 My priority list of goodies to try next time I visit has already too many for one day.  They include the beautiful Key Lime pie and the Peanut Butter Fudge cake.






Want more information?  Try them for yourself. 

www.quacksbakery.com



By the way I absolutely love their contrasting walls and vintage furniture.

 411 E. 43rd St.
Austin, TX 78751


French Macarons

Good Morning Everyone!  I want to apologize as it has been more than one month since I posted anything.  Excuses Excuses right!  Well lets just settle on one thing....My laptop has been undergoing surgery.

Anyway are you ready for the French Macarons!!!

French Macarons: Try One

First you must have almond flour.  This is one of the main reasons purchasing French Macarons are so expensive, the flour is $13.00 lb.   You can chose to hand make your own almond flour if you wish, same with any other nut flour.



 Then grab your confectioners sugar in the blender along with your almond flour and until combined.  Be sure to use a large enough blender or food processor that will fit your mixture accordingly.  Sift your mixture afterward.  I like the old fashion hand sifter but if your muscles are weaker (okay I have super wimpy muscles) or if you don't have one use a metal strainer as it will do the job just fine.




While preheating oven work on the egg white & sugar mixture to create stiff peaks.  Must whisk and a high speed at to do this.  Unfortunately this is the step that my French Macarons failed!!!  I tried to whisk by hand for almost 1.5 hours.  It became so horribly monotonous that I even spoke on the phone to my Gramma while whisking.  I really don't know how the old Parisian Chefs used to do this by hand?  I could never get a good peak to form.  My word of advice...Do not attempt this unless you have a stand mixer.






Because I had already made my almond flour mixture I wanted to see what the result was going to be when I would combine it with the barely peaked white mixture.  A huge gloppy sticky mess.  Oops!!  Lesson learned.



Since the mixture was way to sticky and thick then there was no hope to put it in a pastry bag so that it would pour out.   Lets bake, taste and toss!  A big no-no to bakers out there who spend a fortune on the ingredients. In fact I should say lets stick ice cream in the middle and make ice cream sandwiches.



FRENCH MACARONS:  TRY ONE   -  BUST!!!!


French Macarons:   Try Two

Tips for the second try:
-Measure in grams
-Use a stand mixer to whisk or have a some sort of electric powered whisk
-Don't waste any mistakes, depending on what step you may be able to correct before it goes to far
-Go Angry Baker on it!!!
-Use only a clean glass or stainless steel bowl to whisk eggs.  Never plastic because of lingering oils
-Always bake macarons on a double baking sheet


Making sure the macaron batter was a glistening smooth consistency that was slightly thick I piped one inch circles onto parchment paper.


Of course the purple was my super favorite color.  Only use gel or powdered food coloring.  Add color after the stiff peaks form in the egg white mixture.  After piping on the tray let skin form over for about 20 minutes.



Bake at 275 degrees for approximately 18 to 20 minutes.  Be sure of how your oven cooks.  Never remove the macarons from oven prior to being done, but you may open your oven door to turn the tray without pulling it out.    It is always better to bake at a lower temperature for a longer time than to have overdone macarons.


Let cool completely before removing from pan or you'll end up with them sticking!



Fillings used: Bavarian Buttercream, Espresso, Pistachio, Chocolate Ganache, and White Chocolate Ganache.  Be sure to represent the flavor of the macaron by the color of the shell.  These were rolled in chocolate vermicelli.



DELISH!  


Determine how you will package them! 


Present to your friends :-)


YUM-O!!


P.S. - American Macaroons are completely different from French Macarons and Parisian Macarons.
Update 8-9-12

 So apparently I made the cover page of Envy Pastries June Macaron class facebook photos!!  Who cares that it was after 8 hours of work and 3 hours of play and my hair and face was melted from the Texas heat.  I have beautiful pastries made by me :-)  Thanks Heidi!!