FrostsAlot Takes France: I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!

Second week of classes done. Obviously, it was ice cream! Going into this lab I had a different picture in my head of what we were going to do. I thought back to JWU and our ice cream labs and how all we did was literally make ice cream, and one baked alaska. So I had assumed that this lab was going to be similar to that. But, boy was I wrong. And I'm glad I was wrong because this class was awesome.

Monday I actually didn't start lab, our lab classes are only four days a week so I either have Monday or Friday off from lab. On Monday I had a first aid class where we just learn about CPR and how to treat cuts and burns. It's all pretty dry material, so it's difficult to pay attention to a four hour class. And the teachers don't speak English so we have a translator in the class. We also had a four hour food science class that I thought was going to be interesting, but it was actually more like food safety and it was terrible. I was basically falling asleep through both classes, I felt kind of bad.. but I wasn't the only one. Hah

Tuesday we started lab, I had the same Chefs as the last lab so it was nice to already feel comfortable in the kitchen with them. In class we learned about what we would be doing all week and then we started production. Each day we don't finish a complete dessert, instead how they organize it is that we make different components of all the desserts throughout the week and on the final day we assemble them all and present a buffet. So on Tuesday we made chocolate sponge cake, almond sponge cake, pistachio sponge cake, chocolate sablé dough (tart dough), pâte sucreé (shortbread), and macarons. It was actually a pretty fun class, and I'm glad that we weren't just going to be churning ice cream but we were going to be able to make complete desserts using ice cream.

Wednesday we made a lot of different ice cream and sorbet bases. We made pear, orange, kalamansi (very tart citrus), and strawberry sorbet bases. Then chocolate, green tea, pistachio, and pina colada ice cream bases and also parfait glacé vanille (sabayon and whipped cream mixed together and frozen). Sorbet and ice cream bases are just ice cream/sorbet before you churn it, and you make it ahead of time because you have to cook it so then it needs time to chill and mature before churning it. We also made more macarons.

Thursday we started assembling some of the final desserts and finishing up last minute components. We cut the sponges to the appropriate sizes, we assembled macarons, churned all our ice cream and sorbet, made whipped coconut ganache, made caramel ginger coulis, and cocoa nib nougatine. Class was actually pretty hectic and a little busy but it was fun and made it go by quickly.

Friday we went into class an hour early to make sure we finished everything on time and weren't rushing at the end of class and could set up the buffet and take lots of pictures. Everything came out so amazing. And it all tasted sooooo good! The final products were;
Coupe glacee Pina Colada - in a martini glass made with pineapple granite, pina colada ice cream, whipped coconut ganache, tuile, and pineapple chip
Orange mecanique - made with chocolate sponge, dark chocolate, and a macaron filled with orange sorbet and chocolate ice cream
Sencha - almond sponge cake with green tea ice cream, kalamansi sorbet, caramel/ginger coulis, and a sugar disc on top
Tenue de soiree - pistachio sponge with chocolate ice cream, pear sorbet, chocolate tart base, and cocoa nib nougatine
Fiesta - made with short bread, vanilla parfait glace, sesame nougatine, chocolate ice cream dipped in chocolate and toasted almonds, pistachio ice cream macaron and a strawberry sorbet macaron.

Everything was so amazing and incredible and I really liked the Chefs and I feel like I really learned a lot this lab about incorporating ice cream into desserts.

On Saturday we took a train to Granoble and walked around town. We had plans of seeing a rugby game, but had the dates mixed up so we ended up just going bar hopping and it was so much fun. We ended up at this one place called The London Pub and they were playing American music and we were all dancing and singing and drinking. It was a lot of fun. Tomorrow I start breads/viennoiserie which is croissants and other breakfast desserts made with puff pastry. I'm so excited to start. This was one of my favorite labs at JWU so I can only imagine how it will be in France!

View from my out my window the other morning.