Cooking Class: Trendy Parisian Treats for 'Le Café Gourmand' (Part One) with Mardi Michels
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- Mini tartes aux fruits (melt-in-your-mouth from-scratch pastry topped with from-scratch crème pâtissière and fresh berries)
- Financiers (elegant tea cakes made with almond flour)
- Chocolate Mousse (a classic French dessert, so easy you’ll want to make it even on a weeknight)
A shopping list of ingredients has been provided below and full recipes will be delivered via email the day before the class.
Interested in learning more? We invite you to join Part Two of this series, where we learn to make 3 more classic recipes for 'Le Café Gourmand':
- Tartelettes au chocolate (Mini Chocolate Tarts)
- Financiers Choco-Noisette (Chocolate Hazelnut financiers)
- Macarons à l’ancienne (Traditional macarons)
- 1/3 cup (60g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 large egg, separated
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) heavy (35%) cream
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (113 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (57g, 1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- for the crème pâtissière:
- 3/4 cup (180 mL) whole milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- to assemble the tarts:
- 6 large strawberries
- a couple of tablespoons of apricot jam
- 1 tablespoon boiling water
- 1/4 cup (57 g/ 4 tablespoons/ 1/2 stick) salted butter
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (28g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (24g) ground almonds (almond meal)
- 2-3 tablespoons jam or preserves
- 3 whole raspberries (or 6 small blueberries)
- 4-6 small shot glasses
- Electric hand beaters
- (optional) 2 x small piping bag or Ziploc bag
- (optional) 2 x small plain piping tip
- 1 x 12 cavity mini muffin tin
- toothpicks
- 1 x 12 cavity regular muffin tin
- (optional) 1 tablespoon cookie scoop
Mardi Michels is a full-time elementary school French (and cooking!) teacher and the author of eatlivetravelwrite.com where she writes about culinary adventures near and far. Mardi grew up in Australia, lived and taught in Paris for over five years, and now calls Toronto home. In 2014, Mardi and her husband purchased a home in Nérac (southwest France), which they operate as a vacation rental property. They spend as much time in France as they can! Mardi also teaches (mostly French) cooking and baking classes for adults and children (currently online!). Her first book, In the French kitchen with Kids, was published in 2018 (Appetite by Random House).
This conversation is suitable for all ages.
90 minutes, including a 30 minute Q&A.
This class provided all the guidance and details needed to make an impressive dessert, the Parisian Café Gourmand. I successfully made the mini fruit tarts, bite sized cakes and small chocolate mousse. I’m happy I can make this at home and remember enjoying one on a Paris terasse.
I love Mardi Michels and this is the first time I didn’t give her 5 stars. She was a little disorganized and scattered today. I’ve never found her even that little bit and I will continue to take every class she offers! Some I’ve taken twice! She probably had a lousy week which happens these days to all of us.