S
it t ing on Bloomsbur y Squa re, L e C ordon
Bleu London is nestled within a stunning
19th century terrace. While the outside is
haughty London in all its historic glory,
t he inside could n’t be more d if ferent.
White walls decorated with the names of renowned
L e C ordon Bleu a lumni a nd f inger pr int-sc a nner
access gates greet you when you first step inside. All of
a sudden, there’s an overwhelming feeling that –
whatever you’re about to embark upon – isn’t going to
be your typical cookery class.WHAT IT'S LIKE
This feeling was right, but in the best of ways. The Taste
of L e C ordon Bleu Pat isser ie work shop was a n intense
six-hour blend of tutorial and practical learning – there
was an awful lot packed into that time!
Led by Chef Olivier Mourelon, the demonstrations
were well-paced a nd f requent ly gave fa r more detail
than was written in the recipe. These expert tips were
almost certainly the difference between a standard bake
and something truly exceptional – and this advice really
does feel invaluable!
There was a lot of information to take in but, in the
last hour, everything suddenly came together like a
nea rly- completed jigsaw puzzle. E xcept in t his c ase,
t he puzzle was in fac t a beaut if u l Fra isier c a ke (t hink
Genoise sponge with crème mousseline, topped with
pink marzipan decorated with fresh strawberries and
a marzipan rose) and a delectable chocolate fondantTaste of Le Cordon Bleu Pâtisserie
Amy
From making Genoise sponge and crème patisserie, to craf ting a marzipan rose
and baking a chocolate fondant, the course covers many of the key techniques to
creating per fect pâtisserie. We sent A my Gerrish along to experience it f irst-hand...with Chantilly cream.
Creating the many, many component parts of the
Fraisier c a ke is what took t he major it y of t he day.
Making the notoriously challenging Genoise sponge
was the first order of business (talk about being
t hrow n in at t he deep end!), followed by a ver y t hick
crème patisserie which was then to become crème
mousseline t hrough t he addit ion of but ter (ver y sof t)
a nd K irsch (a good glug).WHAT I LEARNED
Chocolate fondants came next, while the Genoise was
baking, and the crème pat cooling. As Chef Olivier
pointed out, the fondant mix can be made well ahead of
t ime a nd f rozen, unt il you need it. The t r ick y pa r t of t he
fondants isn’t so much ma k ing t hem, it’s t he cook ing. A s
soon as the top is a little domed and the sides are pulling
away f rom t he ba k ing t in, it’s t ime to get t hem out of t he
oven. Sliding a spoon into one should reveal molten
chocolate which pools on the plate – absolute heaven!
A ssembly a nd t he decorat ion of t he Fraisier
c a ke felt like a rat her delic ate task, t hough Chef
Oliv ier made it look incred ibly simple. The
reality? It wasn’t too bad, and it seemed like
the whole class were proud of their
Fraisier cake efforts!
Once popped in a c a ke box – a long
with the unused fondant mix in a piping
bag – we were able to ta ke our t reats home.
And boy did they taste good with a cuppa!REVIEW
“Everything
suddenly
came
together
like a nearly-
completed
jigsaw
puzzle”THE COURSE | Taste of Le Cordon Bleu Patisserie ( £ 230 )
DURATION | 1 day (8am-2pm)
LOCATION | Le Cordon Bleu LondonTaste of Le Cordon Bleu Patisserie and other short courses run
throughout the year. Take a look at what’s on offer at
http://www.cordonbleu.edu/london/cooking-short-courses