Pastry Basics – Petit Fours (Bite-Sized Desserts) - Cooking Class at PCI July 25, 2009

... With Chef Alex Trouan

Traditionally Petit Fours were a way for the Pastry Chef to bake off scraps and left-overs while the oven was cooling down at the end of a days baking. While Petit Four can refer to any bite-sized sweet presented at the end of a meal, they're usually tiny, beautifully iced cakes. With a seemingly infinite variety of shapes, flavors and decoration, you can dress these little cakes up for a tea party, a bridal shower, an elegant luncheon, or an after dinner treat. In this class you will learn to make Mini-Tartlets, French Macaroons, Opera Cake, Layered Cakes, Pastry Dough, Almond Cream, Sponge Cake, Butter Cream and more. You will make up to a dozen different styles to create up to 50 of your own little masterpieces to take home and enjoy. Chef Alex is a full-time instructor at PCI. He was born and raised in France where he began his career in the Pastry Arts over 20 years ago. He has worked in top pastry shops both in France and in the USA where he has been living and teaching for more than 5 years. Bring a snack or bag lunch to balance out all of the good sweets you will be enjoying in class.

The Professional Culinary Institutes hands-on Hobby Classes are where you will learn to cook like the pros in the most fun and exciting amateur cooking program in the Bay Area. Each class begins with a detailed demonstration by our expert staff. Then in one of our state-of-the-art professional pastry or culinary kitchens you will be given hands on instruction from our world class Chef Instructors. Not only will you advance your cooking techniques and culinary knowledge, you will also get to enjoy the delicious fruits of your labor. You will be given a souvenir apron and packet of recipes from the day. Classes fill quickly so make your reservations at 408-370-9190

You can check out other great classes that the Professional Culinary Institute offers at:

http://www.pcichef.com/hobbyschedule.html

Official Website: http://www.pcichef.com/hobbyschedule.html