Utilizing Puff Pastry (Pastry Puffed)

Today was another simple day in which we worked with and baked the puff pastry dough sheets we made yesterday.

First up was the apple strips. While Dirty Kim rolled out a sheet to about 16" by 14", I peeled, cored, and sliced a number of apples. The sheet was cut into 2 5" wide strips and 4 1" wide strips. The thin strips were bonded to the edges of the large strips with egg wash, then spread in the middle thinly with almond frangipane. On top of that went my sliced apples, then coated with melted butter. Into the oven it went. Once out and cooled, run over with apricot glaze and a few lines of crushed almonds.

For palmiers, the same dough was rolled out, except instead of dusting the table with flour to keep it from tearing, we used granulated sugar. After getting the dough thin and well incorporated with a good deal of sugar, the sheet was rolled into from opposite sides then sliced into about quarter inch pieces. Into the oven the palmiers went.

Thirdly, cheese straws: roll out the puff pastry dough then, cover one half of it with Parmesan cheese, paprika and eggwash, fold to cover, then roll out to original thinness. Cut into even half inch strips, twist and layout on a baking sheet, then into the oven they go.

Tomorrow, and introduction to yeast dough and some twisty time with fresh soft pretzels.

ADDENDA:
Got my report card for last mod, A- in performance, A in quizzes and exams, and an A- for the practical -- I really should have gotten a D, unless it was to measure what I learned from taking the practical, in which case I could have received an A. My GPA is now 3.78, which is kind of meaningless since I don't have parents around anymore to show them off too -- an anonymous blog-reading public just isn't the same, sorry!

Things are going relatively well with Chef G, but it kinda sucks cooking for 4 hours and only having dessert to show for it. I definitely have no interest in making more than the occasional home dessert, this fanciful stuff is just too....too much work for too little reward.

Delivered another large box of pastrys to B's office, no way I'm taking this stuff home, or it would jump very quickly down my throat.

BREAKFAST: 6:30am, good yogurt with raw nuts, honey, vanilla, .5 bowl, hunger 3/5

AM TASTINGS: 9-11:30am, lots of raw apple bits, a few palmieres, a few bits of apple strip, a couple of cheese straws, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
As I peeled, cored and sliced the apples, couldn't help but eat all the butt-ends and bits with a little peel.

LUNCH: 1pm, large spinach salad with carrot dressing, hijiki tofu patty on whole wheat pita, water, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Lunch at Dojo, good but the spinach wasn't as fresh as usual.

DINNER: 5:30pm, small amount of school made mushroom risotto, vegetable stir fry with shrimp and brown rice noodle, WF nutrient water, 1.5 bowls, hunger 4/5
Made a large-scale stir-fry that wasn't that great. Tried some Whole Foods version of Vitamin Water, 130 cal for 20oz, but tasted kinda chalky and flat.

EVENING SNACK: 7:15pm, mixed nuts with chocolate, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5