Monet project

Here are the four paintings the students are going to work on :

La femme à l'ombrelle
Woman with a parasol

Les coquelicots à Argenteuil
Poppies at Argenteuil

Les nymphéas
Water lilies

Le bassin aux nymphéas, harmonie verte
The water lily pond, harmony in green

Recette : Bûche de Noël

Traditional French winter holiday cake

Yule Log

Rolled sponge cake

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powdered
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Powdered sugar for towel

Supplies:

• Jelly roll cake pan (1" deep)
• Grease (or PAM - spray grease)
• Wax paper
• Small bowl
• Medium bowl
• Kitchen towel (new, if possible)
• Electric mixer

Heat oven to 375 degrees

1. After having greased the pan lightly, line jelly roll pan with waxed paper that is an inch longer than the pan. Then grease the waxed paper...or use PAM - spray grease.
2. In a small mixer bowl, beat eggs about 5 minutes or until very thick and lemon colored. Pour eggs into medium mixer bowl; gradually beat in the sugar. On low speed, blend in water and vanilla. Gradually add flour, baking powder and salt beating just until the batter is smooth.
3. Pour cake batter into the greased/wax paper lined cake pan spreading the batter to the corners.
4. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until wooden pick in the center comes out clean.
5. Sprinkle about 1/3 cup of powdered sugar on the new kitchen towel (to lay out the cake when done).
6. When cake is done, lift it out of the pan by wax paper edge and turn it over onto the sugared towel. Carefully peel back the wax paper and trim off any thin edges on the cake. Throw out the wax paper.
7. While the cake is still hot, roll the cake and towel from the narrow end. Cool on a rack or store in a sealed plastic bag until ready to frost. When ready to frost, slowly unroll the cake (it will usually remain somewhat rolled) and remove the towel carefully. Put the towel in wash that is separate from general kitchen towels and when clean store it separately for the next time you bake this cake. (Reduce oven to 200 degrees).
   

Frosting

Meringue italienne

Ingredients:

• 2 small egg whites
• Pinch of salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water

Supplies:

• Mixer
• Medium size bowl
• Small heavy saucepan
• Cover for the pan

NOTE: The egg whites should be beaten and the sugar syrup cooked at approximately the same time. You will need an electric beater for the egg whites. Beat the egg whites in a small bowl and then put them in a medium size bowl before gradually adding the sugar syrup.

Part 1:

1. Beat the egg whites at moderate speed for a moment until they begin to foam
2. Add the salt and cream of tartar and beat at fast speed until the egg whites form stiff peaks when lifted in a spoon or spatula.

Part 2:

1. Place sugar and water in a heavy saucepan and set over high heat.
2. Swirl pan - do not stir - gently until sugar has dissolved completely and liquid is clear.
3. Cover the pan and boil rapidly, without stirring, for a moment of two; condensing steam falls from the cover, preventing the formation of crystals.
4. Uncover pan when bubble begin to thicken, and boil rapidly to the soft-ball stage (about 238) (about 5 to 10 minutes on high heat).

Part 3:

1. One person beats the egg whites at moderately slow speed while the other person pours a thin stream of the sugar syrup onto the whites (careful not to spill syrup onto the beaters).
2. Continue beating at high speed for at least 5 minutes, until mixture is cool. It will be satin smooth, and form stiff peaks when lifted with a spoon.

NOTE: Save 1/4 cup of this mixture for making decorative mushrooms.

Crème au beurre à la meringue

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup chocolate (6 oz)
• 1/2 teaspoon rum extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 stick (1/4 pound) butter softened
  

Supplies:

• Small lightweight sauce pan
• Electric fry pan with hot water (or double boiler)
• Wire whip or mixer

1. Unwrap the chocolate and put it in the small dish. Bing the dish to the kitchen and gradually melt it by putting the dish in the microwave one minute at a time. Lightly press on it to see it is melted.
2. Add the chocolate to the meringue italienne mixture and then add the rum and vanilla.
3. Beat in the butter.
4. Chill this butter cream chocolate frosting (Crème au beurre à la meringue) until of easy spreading consistency.
   

Meringue mushrooms (decorations)

As soon as the cake is done reduce the oven heat to 200 degrees

1. Lightly butter a small baking sheet, roll flour over the surface and knock off the excess.
2. Force the reserved meringue mixture (1/4 cup of meringue italienne) through the pastry tube (or a small baggie) with a 3/16 inch opening. Make 1/2 inch domes for mushroom caps and 1 1/2 inch stems. You should have about 6-8 of each.
3. Bake for 40 minutes until you hear the meringues crackle softly. Remove them carefully and store them in a bowl until decorating the cake.

NOTE: To avoid softening of the mixture, bake the meringue mushroom pieces as soon as possible.

Filling, frosting and decorating the Bûche de Noël

1. Carefully unroll the cake to avoid breaking it. Carefully shake the powder from the towel into the trash and then put the towel in the designated laundry sack.
2. Spread half the frosting on the unrolled cake. Roll it up after frosting it by starting at the narrow end as when you rolled it to cool it. Cut off the two ends on the bias (at an angle) to give the appearance of a sawed log.
3. Transfer the cake to a serving plate before frosting the outside.
4. Assemble the meringue mushrooms by gently rolling each piece in a small bowl of cocoa to slightly color them. Then for each mushroom gently pierce a hole in the bottom of each of the little caps, put in a little frosting in the hole and put the stem in the hole. Set aside until cake is frosted.
5. For branches put a thick swirl of frosting on a few spots and add the sawed edges to a side. Then use the rest of the frosting to frost the entire cake leaving the ends unfrosted.
6. Using a fork, design the frosting to look like bark.
7. Put the meringue mushrooms in the cake in places you would find them on a real log.
8. Just before serving use a fork to sprinkle a little powdered sugar over the log to give it a snowy effect.
9. It should serve 10-12 people.

Recette : Les Madeleines

Serves about two dozen

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) melted and cooled butter or margarine
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Utensils (equipment):

• 1 small bowl
• 1 medium bowl
• Measuring cups: 1/2 cup + 1 cup
• Measuring spoons: 1 Tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon
• 2 muffin tins
• Paper towels for greasing
• Sifter
• Wire whip
• Wooden spoon
• Scraper
  

Method:

1. Sift the flour and measure it
2. Grease the muffin tins well so that they will not stick
3. Beat the eggs with the sugar with a wire whip until thick and lemon colored. Just a few minutes.
4. Add sifted flour to the egg and sugar mixture and mix well.
5. Fold the melted butter or margarine into the mixture.
6. Add the lemon juice and stir carefully. The batter will be thick.
7. Pour into well-greased muffin tins filling each cup no more than 1/2 full.
8. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 25 minutes (depending on the size of the cups). Madeleines should be a light color, not dark.

Recette : Beignets aux pommes

Many French families make these apple fritters at the time of Mardi Gras (the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday - a Christian celebration). However it is a snack that they enjoy eating at any time.

Ingredients:

• Oil or shortening (melted in fry pan)
• 2 apples
• 2 eggs
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon measure of vanilla
• 2 cups of flour (1 at a time)
• Cinnamon & sugar mixed (for dipping beignets after cooking)

Utensils (equipment):

• Electric fry pan (set for deep frying - 400°)
• 8-10 paper towels (for peels and for draining oil)
• Metal spoon (for removing fritters from oil)
• Wire whip (for mixing)
• Wooden spoon (for mixing)
• 1 medium mixing bowl
• 1 spatula (do not use in the oil)
• 2 1-cup measuring cups
• 1 teaspoon measuring spoon
• 1-2 peelers
• 1-2 paring knives

Caution: Do not get near the hot oil and do not let it get too hot before cooking.

Method:

1. Peel, core and slice the apples in thin slices (If you have time you could cut the apples across to make thin rounds to dip in the batter. These will resemble the shape of donuts then).
2. Put the eggs, salt, milk and vanilla in the medium bowl and beat with the wire whip for a minute.
3. Add 1 cup of flour to the egg mixture (of number 2) and mix with the wire whip. Clean off the whip.
4. Add the next 1 cup of flour and continue mixing with the wooden spoon until all of the flour is mixed in.
5. Add the slices of apple to the batter and stir them in.
6. Carefully use the wooden spoon to scoop up about 1/4 cup of batter and gently slide it off the spoon into the hot oil using the rubber spatula (Be careful not to put either the wooden spoon or the rubber spatula in the oil). If the first beignet is sizzling, the oil in hot enough and you can put 6-8 beignets in the oil to cook at one time.
7. Using the metal spoon turn the beignets over once they are golden brown on the bottom. When both sides are cooked, use the metal spoon to remove them from the oil and put them to drain the paper towels until they are cooled.
8. Roll the beignets in the sugar and cinnamon mixture to sweeten them and eat while still warm.

Recette : Les Crèpes

Crêpes are a thin pancake that the French people like to eat as a mid-afternoon snack or as a dessert. There are special crêpes restaurants all over France but they are especially popular in Brittany which is located on western France.

You can prepare them in advance and store them with a piece of wax paper between each one. When you want to serve them simply warm them in a frying pan. There are many toppings you can use but the most common are sugar or powdered sugar.

Yield: 18 - 7 inch crêpes

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups of milk
• 2 tablespoons melted butter (cooled)
• 1 1/2 cups sifted flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• Small amount of margarine for preparing the frying pan

Method:

1. Beat the eggs first just until foamy and then stir in milk, 2 Tbsp cooled butter, and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Gradually beat in the flour and salt until smooth (If you have a blender you can mix it all in the blender).
2. Heat skillet or crêpe pan until a drop of water sizzles in it (350 degrees for an electric fry pan). Brush a small amount of margarine n the fry pan before frying the first crêpe.
3. Measure about 1/4 cup of batter into the skillet (judge by the size of the pan) and immediately tilt the pan to spread the batter around in a thin circle.
4. Cook each crêpe until the edge is browned before turning to cook the other side (about 1 minute). NOTE: If the crêpe sticks, use a knife to loosen the edge and them flip it; the first crêpe if often a disaster - don't let that bother you.
5. Put powdered sugar, sugar, jam or whatever you prefer on it and roll it like a jelly roll. Eat it warm.
   

Recette : Croque Monsieur

It is a very popular French sandwich. It is similar to a grilled ham and cheese sandwich but the French add a creamy white sauce and use Swiss cheese to give it a tangy and moist taste.

Sauce Béchamel (white creamy sauce)

For 8 sandwiches use:

• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1/4 cup of flour
• 1/2 litre (about 2 cups) of cold milk
• A pinch of salt, pepper and nutmeg
  

Method:

1. Melt the butter and margarine in a saucepan over low heat. Add the flour. Stir this carefully for a few seconds until it becomes bubbly.
2. Add all of the milk to this mixture and stir it with a wire whip to blend all of the flour mixture with the milk. Add the pinch of salt, pepper and nutmeg.
3. Cook this mixture over low heat for about 10 minutes. Watch carefully so that it does not boil or burn.

Sandwich

For 8 sandwiches:

• 16 slices of sandwich bread
• 8 thin slices of ham
• 8 thin slices of Gruyère (mild Swiss cheese)
• 1/1 lb of grated Gruyère (mild Swiss cheese)
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup butter or margarine
  

Method:

1. Butter all 16 slices of bread on one side
2. Put 8 slices of bread butter-side down on a cookie sheet and place the 8 slices of ham and the 8 slices of Gruyère (mild Swiss cheese) on each piece of bread and then cover these with the other 8 slices of bread but with the butter-side up this time.
3. Put a little butter in a frying pan and add as many sandwiches as you can to be able to brown them and to melt the cheese a bit. Fry them on both sides to brown the bread and then put them back on the cookie sheet.
4. Divide the white sauce over the tops of the sandwiches and then divide the grate Gruyère (mild Swiss cheese) over the tops of the sandwiches.
5. Put the sandwiches on the cookie sheet in the oven with the grill on to melt the cheese and warm the sauce mixture. Watch these so that they do not burn.
   

Serve warm!

40e année d'enseignement

Memories

Pictures to remember this year...

Time runs so fast...

* River Rendez-vous

River Rendez-vous

* Crêpes

Crêpes

* Madeleines

Madeleines

* Bûches de Noël

Bûches de Noël

* Beignets

Beignets

Introduction

Bienvenue 
sur 
notre blog !!!