Puff Off!

There is one thing I know for sure: I will never (as in never EVER) make puff pastry again.

Today in class, we made almond cream puff pastry desserts known as jalousie, which is a cross between strudel and a turnover. With these tarts we used commercially made puff pastry, then created our own fillings, poached the pears in a flavored sugar syrup and created the whole tart (lattice design, egg wash and syrup glaze) ourselves. What resulted was something that still needs a bit of cosmetic surgery, but tasted absolutely phenomenal. I mean it, it was amazing. Maybe one of the best desserts I've ever made. I even ate a slice hours after class, just to be sure it wasn't because I was delirious, overworked and famished. Nope. Ask me to make it for you sometime. You'll see.

But whatever you do, buy me some good quality frozen puff pastry (NOT Pepperidge Farm). To actually make puff pastry is incredibly labor intensive. So much strain on the wrists. Why every French baker doesn't have carpal tunnel is a mystery. Oh yeah. Because the French are brilliant. Look at the cuisine they invented. They came up with the recipe for puff pastry and now, having proved they can do it, probably just buy it premade like the rest of us. If they didn't, every baker would be angry. I will never ever make puff pastry again. Do you hear me? Now shut up and pass me another slice...