Icing Roses

~Icing Roses~

Ingredients:
-45mL Meringue Powder
-454g sifted pure cane confectioners' sugar
-60 to 75mL lukewarm water

Method:
Place confectioners' sugar and Meringue Powder in a bowl. Stir or mix at low speed until blended. Add water and mix 7-10 minutes at low-medium speed until icing loses its sheen. To prevent drying, be sure to cover the bowl with a damp cloth while working with icing.

Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. To reuse, beat on low to restore original texture. Makes 750mL.

Rose Base

You will need:
-Parchment bag with tip 12 and royal icing
-Flower Nail with Rose Base Template
-Icing Flower Squares

Method:
-Use tip 12.
-Hold decorating bag straight up in one hand, Flower Nail in the other hand.
-End of tip should be slightly above center of Flower Nail.
-Using firm steady pressure, squeeze a heavy base of icing, keeping end of tip buried in icing as you squeeze.
-Start to lift tip higher and decrease pressure when the base fills out the circle on the template.
-Stop pressure, pull up and lift away.
-The Rose Base should be 1 1/2 times as high as the opening of tip 104.

Rose Center

You will need:
-Parchment bag with tip 12 and royal icing
-Parchment bag with tip 104 and royal icing
-Flower Nail with Rose Base Template
-Rose Practice Sheet
-Icing Flower Squares

Method:
-Use this as a reference for tip position.
-Wide end of tip should touch icing base at or slightly below the midpoint.
-Narrow end of tip should point up and slightly inward.
-Use tip 104.
-Hold nail with base in proper hand.
-Insert tip into Rose Base about halfway from the top.
-Squeeze bag, rotate Flower Nail and move tip up until the ribbon of icing overlaps itself at the top of the Rose Base.
-Move tip down to bottom of base.
-Stop, lift tip away.

Completing the Wilton Rose

You will need:
-Rose Practice Sheet
-Parchment bag with tip 12 and royal icing
-Parchment bag with Coupler and tip 104 filled with royal icing
-Flower Nail with Rose Template
-Icing Flower Squares

Method:
-Use this picture as a reference for the tip position for each row of petals.

Top Row of Petals 
(3 petals)
-With tip 104 straight up and down, touch base of tip to the rose center about half way down from the top.
-Turn nail as you squeeze bag with steady pressure and move tip up and down to form a shaped, upright petal.
-Stop squeezing, then lift tip away.
-Wide end of tip must touch Rose Base at all times so the petals will attach.
-Repeat for the next two petals.
-Be sure tip is clean before you start each petal.
-Start each petal slightly behind end of previous petal.
-Turn nail 1/3 of a rotation for each petal in this row.

Middle Row of Petals 
(5 petals)
Proceed exactly as you did for the top row of petals except for these two changes:
-Start middle row with wide end of the tip touching Rose Base directly beneath center of one of the petals of top row.
-Narrow end of tip is leaning out slightly.
-Make 5 petals instead of 3.
-Turn nail 1/5 of a rotation for each petal.
-Petals in this row should be the same length as petals in the top row.

Bottom Row of Petals 
(7 petals)
-Continue as you did for middle row, except narrow end of tip is angled out further so petals appear open. Wide end of the tip touches Rose Base directly beneath the center of one of the petals of middle row.
-Make 7 petals instead of 5.
-Turn nail 1/7 of a rotation for each petal.
-Each petal should be the same length as petals in the previous rows.

Cherry Pie Cake Stacks

~Cherry Pie Cake Stacks~

Ingredients:
Pound cake:
-3 large eggs, room temperature
-45mL milk, room temperature
-7mL vanilla
-375mL (150g) sifted cake flour
-5mL baking powder
-1mL salt
-190mL (150g) granulated white sugar
-200mL (185g) margarine, room temperature

-250mL cherry pie filling
-250mL whipping cream

Chocolate Sauce:
-90mL margarine
-375mL brown sugar
-125mL sugar
-250mL heavy cream (whipping cream)
-pinch of salt
-60mL Cocoa powder
-30mL instant espresso powder
-5mL vanilla extract

Method:
Day 1 Pound Cake
1. Preheat oven to 350°F or 175°C and place rack in the center of oven.
    Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and spray the paper with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract.
3. In the bowl of your electric mixer, place the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar) and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds or until blended. Add the margarine and half of the egg mixture.
    Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened.
    Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for about one minute to aerate and develop the cake's structure. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
    Gradually add the remaining egg mixture, in 2 additions, beating about 30 seconds after each addition to incorporate the egg and strengthen the cake's structure.
4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the cake browning too much as it bakes, cover with a piece of lightly buttered aluminum foil after about 30 minutes.
5. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and cool completely on a lightly buttered wire rack.
6. The Pound Cake can be covered and stored for several days at room temperature, for one week when refrigerated, or it can be frozen for two months. Store your cake in a ziplock bag and refrigerate until next class.

Day 2: Assembly
Chocolate Sauce:
7. Heat the margarine in large saucepan. Stir in the sugar and brown sugar and allow to dissolve. Stir in the cream, salt, cocoa and espresso powder.
    Bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes, whisking to blend.
    Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
    The sauce can be stored, covered, in a glass container in the refrigerator for 1 month. Heat gently before using.
8. Whip the cream until stiff using an electric mixer, stir in 10mL icing sugar and 2mL vanilla. Fill the piping bag with the whip cream and add an open star tip.
    Using the cooking rings cut out four circles out of the pound cake.
    Slice each cake into three pieces each with a very sharp knife.
9. To create your stack; start with a cake layer add 25mL of the cherry pie filling then top with another cake layer. Repeat and add a final cake layer on top. Pour some of the chocolate sauce flowing over the sides.
    Pipe the whipping cream into a spiral pattern on the top of the cake stack.
    To complete the plating use a sieve and sprinkle icing sugar over the stack.

Black and White Cheesecake with Strawberry Coulis

~Black and White Cheesecake with Strawberry Coulis~

Ingredients:
Crust:
-50mL margarine, melted
-250mL chocolate cookie crumbs

Filling: 
-1/2 a navel orange
-20mL cornstarch
-125mL sour cream
-15mL vanilla
-125mL white sugar
-2 packages cream cheese, softened
-2 large eggs

Strawberry Coulis:
-500mL strawberries, frozen and unsweetened
-60mL white sugar
-orange juice from your half orange

Method:
For the crust:
1. Position rack to the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C.
2. Remove the sides of a spring form pan and cover the bottom sides with foil.
3. Use a pastry brush and margarine to cover sides.
4. In a medium bowl, stir together the crust ingredients until combined.
5. Press into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
6. Cool on wire rack.

Procedure for filling:
1. Set oven temperature to 325°F or 160°C.
2. Zest one half orange. Careful, do not to include the bitter white pith.
3. In a medium bowl blend with an electric mixer the cream cheese.
4. In a smaller bowl, combine white sugar, cornstarch and zest.
5. Add sugar mixture, sour cream and vanilla.
6. Mix together until just blended.
7. Break eggs into a custard cup and beat with a fork.
8. Add to batter and mix for one minute or until very smooth.
9. Pour carefully into the spring form pan.
10. Bake 60 minutes or until the sides are puffy and the center quivers.
11. Cool for another 20 minutes. Use a knife to loosen sides and remove from pan.
12. Cool completely and then refrigerate.

Procedure for Strawberry Coulis:
1. In a saucepan mix the sugar and the berries.
2. Cook over a medium heat - about 10 minutes. Do not let mixture boil.
3. Mash the berries and then strain through your colander.
4. Discard pulp and refrigerate. Sauce may be thin but it will thicken when chilled.

Procedure for decoration:
-125mL chocolate chips
1. Using a double-boiler, melt chocolate chips.
2. Using a paint brush (one that is only used for chocolate) paint the back of several leaves.
3. Refrigerate and then pull off of the chocolate leaves.

To serve:
Slice the cake into pieces. Put each slice on a plate. Decorate each slice with a leaf. Drizzle the coulis around the base of each slice.

Truffles

~Truffles~

Ingredients:
-210mL heavy cream (whipping cream)
-50mL margarine
-250mL semi-sweet chocolate
-5-15mL flavouring (those used for specialty coffees)
-cocoa powder for rolling balls

Method:
1. Put cream and margarine into a saucepan.
    Let margarine melt over medium heat then, stirring all the while, turn up heat and let the cream just come to a boil.
2. Off the heat add the chocolate to the saucepan and stir until it is completely melted. Continue stirring until mixture thickens and cools somewhat.
3. Stir in flavouring. Then let mixture thicken over an ice bath* or refrigerate 1 hour.
4. To form truffles, scoop up portions of the chocolate with an ice cream scoop or spoon about the size of large marbles.
5. Dust a small plate with cocoa powder. Cover your hands with cocoa and then roll the balls in the cocoa.
6. Place the balls in candy liners.
7. Keep refrigerated!

*An ice bath can be made from putting ice cubes into a medium sized bowl. Transfer the chocolate mixture into a small bowl and let it rest on top of the ice cubes. Using a whisk, stir until mixture is thick and very cold.

Options for making this recipe:
Flavourings: vanilla, liqueurs, peppermint extract, rum, coffee flavourings
Coatings: rainbow sprinkles, chocolate shot, chopped nuts

Apple Bird Garnishes

~Apple Bird Garnishes~

1. Gather a large, fresh apple, such as a Red or Golden Delicious apple, a cutting board, a paring knife, a bowl of water mixed with lemon juice, and two whole cloves.
2. Create a base for your apple bird by cutting about 1/3 of the apple off from the side of the apple. Save the small piece of apple to use for the head and neck of the bird.
3. Dip the cut portions of the apple into water and lemon juice to prevent browning.
4. With the stem end of the apple facing you, put the cut side of the apple down on a flat surface.
5. Using a paring knife, cut a small, "V-shaped" wedge from the top side of the apple. Set the wedge aside.
6. To cut a series of top feathers, continue cutting V-shaped wedges from the top of the apple, about 1/8-in. thick, until you have a series of five to seven wedges. You may need to switch to a larger knife as the wedges get larger. Put the cut wedges into the bowl with water and lemon juice to prevent browning while you work.
7. To cut a series of side feathers, cut V-shaped wedges from both sides of the apple, repeating the directions followed in Step 6. Keep the wedges from each side of the apple together to form the wing feathers in Step 10. Be sure to place the wedges in the lemon juice, and dip the apple in the lemon juice, too.
8. Place the base of the apple on a flat surface.
9. To put together the top feathers, start with the largest wedge from the top of the apple. Put this wedge into the top wedge cut, about 1/3 of the way toward the back of the apple. Then, take the next smallest wedge and put it into the previous wedge, extending it as you did the first wedge. Repeat until you have placed all of the wedges for the top feathers. The top feathers should extend off the back of the bird.
10. To put together the wing feathers, repeat the procedure followed in Step 9.
11. Using the piece of apple saved from the base in Step 2, cut about a 1/4-in. strip from the center of this piece of apple to make the head and neck of the bird. Insert the whole cloves on either side of the head to form the bird's eyes.
12. Insert the head and neck in the wedge toward the stem-end of the apple.
13. Pour some of the water and lemon juice over your bird once you have it put together.
14. Display your completed bird.