Mille Feuille

This post is really dedicated to Yew Hong :) and his love for Mille Feuille.

Years back when we were just friends and members of the same small group, our entire group went for a dinner date at Boat Quay. I can still recall my Pasta Fresca wrapped pasta dish - something with mushrooms. Anyway, we popped over to Baker's Inn (before it became Bakerzin) at the Esplanade and each of us had a dessert.


I can't remember what I had (can't believe it! I'm the aspiring pastry chef) but I always knew that Yew Hong ordered the Strawberry Mille Feuille. The dessert name itself was quite a mouthful but he went ahead with the delicious pastry.

In those days, we were just purely small group members :) and I can't even say that we were friends because most of my friends are girls. haha.

Praise the Lord that He brought us together in a special way from small group members to friends to french movie kakis to a couple :) It is really only Him and through Him that we are together.


The funniest French movie that we watched together at Alliance Francaise - Ah ! Si J'Etais Riche

And as my baking obsession increased in recent years, I asked Yew Hong which is his favourite dessert. I wanted to master that for him. And he spoke about that faithful night at Baker's Inn. Mille Feuille is pretty hard to pronounce but he described it well and I knew immediately that I have to perfect Mille Feuille.

I gave my promise about 1 or 2 years back and haha, I didn't come near to even creating it. Firstly, it's so tough! Not just the name, but the layers needed. I was intimidated but I told Yew Hong that one day, I'll make it for him :)

And today is the day. I made my very first Mille Feuille!



In French, Mille Feuille means a thousand leaves :) how pretty a name for a delicate pastry like this. If you have had Mille Feuille, you know that it is like a dainty lady.

When you cut into the pastry, the layers of puff pastry produce a cracking sound and the smooth pastry cream oozes out. It's simply waiting for you to take a bite!

Oozing Diplomat Cream

From hand kneading the puff pastry to every single fold, I did every process by hand. Baked to cripsy golden brown, the layers are sliced and assembled with pastry cream.

Mille Feuille ready to be portioned

Today, I made 2 types of Mille Feuille. A classic Mille Feuille filled with Vanilla Pastry and a Caramelised Calvados Mille Feuille filled with Calvados Diplomat Cream.


After Assembling the Mille Feuille, a layer of Fondant (yucks) is applied and with quick techniques, a Chocolate design is applied :)


The Classic Mille Feuille


The Caramelised Apple Calvados Mille Feuille - Calvados is an American brand of Brandy (hmmm, but what do Americans know about brandy?). The next time, I will try Cognac :) And check out the layer of Caramelised Apples below the Brandy Diplomat Cream.


After a long day, the taste of these Mille Feuille is all worth the hard work! Though they may not be as pretty as Bakerzin's version, I hope Yew Hong will be proud of me :)

Very soon, he will get to taste it! And yes, he gets to be first!

Saucy Little Tarts

Can you believe it? I'm already in Week 16 of my 30-week programme! Which means I'm already halfway through and going to return home soon!!!!

Yuppies!!! Though I really love it here - clean air, simplicity, great local produce and natural beauty + classes, I miss home. My parents, my siblings, my bed, my friends and Yew Hong :) And my Beemer and Cooper!!! Oh how I miss them!!!


The King of 853 - King Beemer


Prince Cooper

Still, I loving every minute here and I love every class!! And this week, I started a new 3 week block - individual and production pastries. This means that you will be seeing more of the pretty desserts in bite-size portions! Perfect for the fickle me :)

Yesterday, we made saucy little tarts that are small in size but huge in the taste department :) Have a bite!


Tarte au Citron - Sweet Lemon Custard Tart topped with meringue and fresh raspberry


White Chocolate Barquette. Boat-shaped tarts filled with White Chocolate Mousse, handmolded with whipped cream and dipped in Dark Chocolate. A gold fleck for the added luxury :)


Don't you just love the clean lines and contrasting colours?


French Tartlettes. Oh! These are so delicious that I don't even know how to start! Perfectly backed Tart Shell filled with Fall Fruit Compote (handmade) and topped with Pecan Streusel. A little taste of Christmas for everyday :) Yummy!


Whiskey Caramel Macadamia Tart. Chocolate, Whiskey, Nuts and Caramel! What can be better? You can only imagine the taste of each bite!!!


Blanc et Noir Chocolate Tart. Fudgy Chocolate tarts that didn't turn out as pretty as expected. If you like really dark and bitter chocolate, this is for you :)


Tarte Caramel Walnut with Fleur de Sel. This is my favourite!!!

Yes, just imagine the mind boggling time I have trying to discern the best out of all the delicious treats. But this is really a winner!!! The trick is the Fleur de Sel (or known as salt flower in French). One speck of this special sea salt opens your palate and gives a totally different mouthfeel to this caramel walnut tart. Wait till you try it! The fleur de sel literally pops the flavour of the tart in your mouth!


Cashew Dacquoise. Not a tart but a little meringue sandwich made from cashew nuts Japonaise, Coffee Chantilly cream, rolled in Hazelnut Croquants and topped with a Coco Nib. Sweet and Crunchy for the kid in you.


So that's all about my "tarty" day :) Pick one and I'll make them for you! :)

Cakes, Cakes and more Cakes!

Only when I received an email from my dear friend, Liyi, that I realised it has been almost 3 weeks since my last update! If you have been reading my blog consistently, I apologise for the lack of new posts as I'm getting pretty lazy, fat and busy these days :)



All because of my 3 weeks of Cakes, Cakes and more Cakes! All the sugar has been weighing me down and of course, has stuck to my hips permanently.... I need new clothes!


Fat me in my baggy uniform, with super pastry chef Shuna Lydon and my lovely classmate, Angela

And trust me, when you are in the Chef coat for 80% of your life, you do not really have any motivation to lose weight because it hides all your bulging layers :) which explains why I'm getting fatter (wink wink)

As always, I have the perfect excuse to gain the weight because I'm in CULINARY SCHOOL! Seriously, if I lose another dress size while I'm here, my parents will wonder where all their money went to? When I bake, I need to taste and taste and taste. Not bad for a 9 month course :)


Besides, I've been making delicious cakes and tarts of all kinds. So be patient if you want to know what I've been baking :) this post is going to be long ... and grab a bucket now! To collect your drool :)


Frangipane Tart. A baked tart with sweet Almond filling, glazed with Apricoture and fondant (yucks! I dislike fondant)


Swedish Hazelnut Tart. A versatile tart that can be made with a variety of nuts, filled with a thin layer of marmalade and top with bittersweet chocolate ganache. Why Swedish? Gosh, don't ask me.


Tarte Tartin. The infamous French dessert that was served in every restaurant in Europe and USA, at one point of time. Made using a saucepan and baked in the oven to caramelise the apples, it's a really comforting treat :) especially when served with cold creme fraiche.


Ooh La La, soft caramelised apples that melts in your mouth!


Apple Custard Tart. Thinly sliced Granny Smith apples embedded in a warm lemony custard. Smooth and silky inside, yet with a crispy tart shell. Best of all - No butter!


Raspberry Genoise Tart. A tart with a sponge layer and lots of fresh raspberries! It's almost summer in California and the perfect season for fresh fruits :)


Every inch is filled with fresh raspberries and topped with more raspberries :) but I had more fun eating the berries while filling the tart :) that was always the highlight of my day!


Fresh Fruit Puff Pastry Strips. As I write, I wish I'm eating one now! They were so good, and light! Puffy pastry strips filled with lemon pastry cream and top with all kinds of seasonal fresh fruits. The perfect treat for a hot summer day!


Blueberries, Raspberries and more!


Lemon Curd Tart. Delicious lemon curd that is naturally sweetened by the topping of fresh fruits. I love Lemons!! The tart is topped with torched meringue for the added touch.


Our daily spread of desserts after a day's bake.


Apple Upside Down Cake. Filled with poppy seeds and caramelised apples. Flip the cake over before serving. Tastes good but looks-wise, so so


Poppy Seeds, anyone?


Basque Cake!!!! The best and most moist cake ever! It doesn't look pretty but it taste awesome! Soft and with a pleasant surprise in every bite, because of the pastry cream filling. This cake is the first to be gone from the dessert table!


Lemon Semolina Cake. Nothing spectacular but just a simply cake made with semolina for a grainy texture. Again ... fondant ... I can't stand it


Flourless Chocolate Cake. Decadent and Sinful, nuff said


Simply Death by Chocolate :) and I made those ivory-black chocolate circles


Torta Ricotta (Italian Cheesecake). Made with ricotta cheese in a cornmeal crust. Unusual and easy :)


Chocolate Souffle Cake. So light and fluffy that it seems like you are eating cotton candy (without excess sweetness).

Bittersweet Chocolate Cotton Candy :) This souffle is even better than the decadent flourless chocolate cake!


The CHEESECAKE. Simply Good, light and even fluffy! How is it possible for a cheesecake to be fluffy? Well, it is :) when made by me, haha. Nah, it's the recipe and the technique.


This cheesecake is dedicated to one of my small group member, Terence. He was my great supporter when I made a mocha cheesecake 2 years back for a New Year's Eve party. He has always been raving about the mocha one and I'm always happy and grateful for his kind support :)


Marscarpone Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake. Made with Italian Marscarpone Cheese (same cheese for tiramisu) and swirled with chocolate cheesecake batter. I've never tried one before and it is so yummy! Totally different from the light NY Cheesecake. This is more tangy and smoother.


Yes, I made the caramelised swirl patterns :) and when you are torn between the NY cheesecake and the Marscarpone cheesecake, be me. Eat Both :) because in times like this, your stomach will love to work harder than your brain.


Cheesecake with caramelised apples. My cake didn't turn out pretty but chef loves it :) mainly because he a fan of caramelised apples. This cake requires tough work :) and really depends if you like apples.


Chocolate Hazelnut Cake. Made with Hazelnut sponge (tough to master), glazed with bittersweet chocolate and decorated with melted white chocolate.


Flourless Carrot Cake. This recipe is so funny. It says flourless but uses cake crumbs (made from flour) ... duh? Still, :) it's light and delicious without butter.


Whenever I think of or bake carrot cake, Jessie Lee will always be on my mind :) she's the ultimate Carrot Cake fan who swears by Cedele's version. Hopefully one day, she will eat mine :)


Mocha Buttercream Cake. Vanilla Genoise soaked with Kahlua Simple Syrup, frosted with Coffee Buttercream and laced with grated Chocolate.

For Decor, Chef Prosperi taught me to make coffee beans out of marzipan :) they are so cute and addictive that I couldn't stop molding! While I'm not a fan of buttercream, these coffee beans made it up for the cake.


Hazelnut Lattice Cake. Frosted with Creme Parisienne (a soft milk chocolate ganache) and piped with a lattice pattern.


Blackforest Cake. The all-time favourite German Cake made with lots of Kirsch (cherry brandy) and Chocolate shavings that resembles the wood logs of the black forest. I scored full marks for this cake during my practical :)


Gateau Saint Honore. A famous and popular French Pastry that was originally made to honor a French patron, Saint Honore. Anything French wins my heart :)


Made from a puff pastry base, topped with tiny caramelised pate a choux (filled creme puff) and filled with Chibouste cream


I was popping one creme puff as I filled another :) What can I say, they are French :)


Charlotte Russe. A Traditional French Cake that was created by the brillant French chef, Antonin Careme for the imperial Russian courts. Formed by a layer of ladyfinger sponges and filled with Bavarian cream and fruit.


My team made ours with a Passion Fruit and Mango Bavarian Cream (with a hint of coconut cream) and filled it with fresh mango :)

A modern version of the Charlotte. Made with Jaconde Sponge (the outer polka dot cake layer) and filled with the same Bavarian Cream.

The all important Jaconde Sponge. Yes, I made it :) with a stencil, a chocolate paste and a sponge batter.
Handmade Jaconde Sponge, fresh from the oven. Thin and Pretty.

A slice of Charlotte. Yummy and smooth like a mango mousse

Other variations of the Charlotte, made from different flavours of Bavarian Cream.


Raspberry Yogurt Cake. All Healthy, Fresh and Light :) Tastes like Ice Cream


Raspberry Chocolate Cake. Absolutely Divine with an interesting texture.


Decorated with handmade, tempered Chocolate panels :)


More Chocolate Panels, handmade during class.


If you are an adventurous diner like me :) you will love it. The Raspberry Chocolate cake is made with a crispy Japonaise layer (hazelnut meringue), filled with 2 layers of Kirsch-soaked chocolate genoise, 2 layers of Bittersweet Dark Chocolate mousse and 2 layers of fresh raspberries :) Trust me, one slice is definitely not enough!


Chocolate with Fresh Raspberries - The Perfect Pairing


Chocolate Cognac Cake. Made with a layer of Vanilla Cognac and a layer of Chocolate Cognac Mousse

With 300 ml of Cognac in this little 8 inch cake, tipsy is the only word :)


Chocolate Grand Marnier Cake, topped with tempered Chocolate Triangles. We certainly have a lot of liquor in the kitchen :)


Last but not least, the Highlight of the Week :) The Chocolate Shingle Torte. Layers of Black and White Chocolate Shingles, handmade and individually pieced together to form a Chocolate pine.


Looks Beautiful and Tastes Better! Chocolate Cake with the Ultimate Hazelnut Praline Mousse. Crunchy and Smooth, both at once!


I just thought that the cake reminds me of Coco Chanel's Camilla Rose :) Perhaps, Chanel should order this for their parties and product launches (from me!).


With all the above cakes in 12 days, of course I'm fat! :)


And all thanks to my great teacher, Chef Paul Prosperi :) Originally from Paris, he's currently the ambassador for the CIA. Talented, experienced and charming, I'm so delighted to have him for 3 weeks!

So enjoy the above cakes :) Long distance orders are welcome :)