‘Strawberries and Cream’ Choux Bun: filled with a vanilla crème patissier and strawberry compote and finished with a whipped white chocolate vanilla bean ganache and fresh strawberry.

Paris-Brest: chocolate craquelin choux pastry filled with a hazelnut praline crème mousseline.

Masterclass Summary

Tropical Fruit Eclair: filled with a passion fruit cremeux and decorated with tropical fruit compote, pineapple Chantilly, meringue and edible flowers.

What does the day include?

Introduction:

Explaining the equipment, our philosophy and why we use certain ingredients.

Demonstration:

Faye will make each element in front of you providing the opportunity to ask questions.

1. Choux Pastry: from scratch through to piping and baking the choux buns.  Faye will also demonstrate piping other shapes like Paris-Brest and eclairs.  Additionally you will be shown an alternative method for baking uniform choux buns that does not require piping or craquelin - very helpful if you are not so confident with your piping skills!

2. Craquelin: the blanket that sits on top of the choux pastry to help keep its shape during baking.  The craquelin also provides a different texture and can be flavoured.

3. Infused Crème Patissier: the pastry cream that is used to fill the choux bun. Faye will explain the importance of the correct infusion techniques (particularly temperature and time), the variety of flavours that can be used and how to get a smooth flavoursome cream.

4. Compote: a simple compote to provide a burst of flavour inside the choux bun.

5. Décor: including the making of a whipped chocolate ganache and how to finish your choux buns, Paris-Brest and eclairs in an elegant style.

Assembly

Faye will demonstrate how to assemble the dessert using all the elements.

Hands on experience

You will be invited to:

1. Taste the elements during the making.  Tasting is crucial to understanding the process and how to get the right results.

2. Pipe the choux pastry prior to it being baked.

3. Assemble the choux buns following Faye’s demonstration.

Tasting

Once the desserts have been assembled you will be able to eat them (or take them home if you prefer)

Recipe and Method Booklet

You will be given a booklet including the recipes and methods for all the elements used on the day.

Storage and advance preparation

An important feature of the course will be to explain how you can make these elements in advance and store them.  We will demonstrate how you can make desserts at times that fit in with your schedule to ensure that assembly on the day you require them is a straightforward and stress-free process.  Not only will this be covered on the day, but the booklet will also include guidance on this.

Refreshments

Tea and Coffee will be provided. There will be a 30 minute break for lunch but lunch is not included so please bring your own. 

Chocolate and Passion Fruit Choux Bun: filled with a milk chocolate cremeux, passion fruit gel and decorated with a milk chocolate namalaka and edible flowers

Plus 6 Bonus Items!

In addition to the 1 day masterclass you will also receive the following bonus items:

Bonus No 1:

Your Guide to Sourcing the Best Baking Ingredients

The type of ingredients we use is an important part of our ethos.  We have spent a lot of time researching this topic and where to source these ingredients from.  We are including this free guide so you can have the benefit of this knowledge. The guide includes eggs, dairy, flour, fruit, nuts & seeds, ready made pastry, chocolate and specialist ingredients like praline pastes.  Not only does the guide identify certain suppliers but it also explains what to look for when sourcing your baking ingredients.  This means that even if you are not local to Chester, you can apply the same principles to shopping ingredients wherever you live.

Bonus No 2:

Your Guide to Sourcing Baking Equipment

The recipe booklet lists the equipment you need for each element.  But, just in case you don’t have some of the equipment, the guide includes a description of each item of equipment we use during the course and where to source it from.  Sometimes it can be difficult to know which equipment is best, so we have put together a list of recommended items.

Bonus no 3:

Bonus Recipes: Dessert Elements

During the course you will be taught how to make each element so you understand the principles and methods.  You will have the recipes and methods for these elements in the booklet.  But many of these elements can be made in multiple flavours or be used to make other desserts.  So we have included alternative element recipes and examples of how they can be used in other dessert. For example, pastry creams (crème mousseline, crème patissier, crème diplomat), and different flavoured compotes and whipped ganaches. This will enable you to make these elements in multiple ways and use them in, or to create, other choux desserts throughout the year and for years to come.

Bonus No 4:

Inspiration Guide: Build your own dessert!

Even though you will have the recipes for the different elements in multiple flavours, it might be daunting to know how to combine some of these elements in order to put a new choux pastry dessert together.  So, we have set out combinations for 10 additional choux desserts using these elements in different flavours.  We have explained why we have put these elements together focussing on flavour combinations, texture, sweetness and presentation.  We have suggested these 10 as a guide to get you started, but you will be able to make many more combinations from the recipes included in the course booklet and bonus recipes.

Bonus No 5:

Choux Pastry Facebook Group

Once you leave the course you may wonder what you can do for support if you need help.  This is why we will invite you to join the Sweet Elements Choux Pastry Facebook group.  This will provide you with the facility to ask Faye any technical questions you may have. It will also provide you with the facility to chat with others who attended the course about how you are getting on or to learn from each other’s experience.

Bonus No 6:

Follow up 1-2-1

We know that once you get home and start baking you may have some questions you want to put to Faye.  So, your course booking will also include a follow up 1-2-1 with Faye via Zoom or over the telephone for up to 30 mins.  This way you can book some time in with Faye to ask any questions you may have once you get started.  We should say that this will only be available for 2 months following the course as we want to encourage you to get started as soon as possible after the course whilst the information is still fresh in your mind. So, take the opportunity whilst you can!

Apricot and Hazelnut Choux Bun: filled with an apricot crème patissier and topped with a Frangelico Chantilly, apricot compote and toasted hazelnuts.

What’s the price?

The 1 day live interactive masterclass, including the 6 bonus items, is £295.00

Just in case, some questions you may have:

When and where is the masterclass taking place?

5 Villages Hall, Station Road, Backford CH1 6NT on Sunday, 12 May 2024. The course will start at 9.30am and finish by 4pm.  Whilst there will be tea, coffee and refreshments provided during the day, lunch is not included.  You will need to bring your own lunch as there are no shops or eateries within walking distance of the hall.

Who are you? How do I know you have the knowledge and ability to teach me?

Faye is a Le Cordon Bleu trained pastry chef with over 20 years’ experience.  During her time in London, Faye has worked in 5 Star hotels, restaurants and catering companies, given demonstrations to the Good House Keeping Institute and ran her own celebration cake business.  Faye has also worked as a pastry chef consultant training staff for a new patisserie in London.  More recently Faye was the Head Pastry Chef at Sweet Elements Pâtisserie where she made many thousands of cakes and desserts in hundreds of varieties, including a lot of choux pastry!  During this time, Faye trained members of staff, of various abilities and experience, to make her cakes and desserts. 

Do I need any baking experience?

No experience is required.  The purpose of this course is to teach the correct methods and recipes, so it does not matter if you do not have any baking experience.  Not only will you see each element being made, but you will leave with a booklet containing the recipes and methods which are written in detail – in particular, we explain how you can use time and temperature measurements to make sure you get the same results demonstrated on the day.

Faye taught these same methods to members of our staff at the pâtisserie, some of whom had no baking experience.

The dessert sounds complicated.  Am I going to be able to make it?

The dessert does sound complicated because it has multiple elements.  But one of the purposes of the course is to break down a dessert like this into its component parts or elements.  We then show how to make each element, which is a simpler task.  Once the different elements have been made then we show you how to bring them together.  Of course, you will get better at making some aspects of this dessert with practice.  For example, piping choux pastry in different shapes takes practice to get right consistently.  But we also show you an alternative method for making choux buns which does not require piping and gets you consistently sized buns.

I’m busy. How am I going to find the time to make such a complicated dessert?

A key part of this course is to demonstrate how you can make a dessert like this in a way that fits in with a busy life.  We show you how to make this dessert in one day but explain how the different elements can be made well in advance on different days, and stored.  This means you can make the different elements at a time to suit your schedule no matter how busy you are.  It is then a matter of bringing the elements together on the day you need them. 

Also, don’t forget that you are not obliged to make a 5 element choux bun every time! You will have the knowledge to make these elements so you can make simpler versions consisting of 2 or 3 elements for those occasions when you do not have sufficient time.

How do I know the recipes will work for me?

All these recipes have been tried and tested many times. These recipes have been used to make thousands of choux buns, Paris-Brest and eclairs when we had the pâtisserie.  The key is that you will be shown the correct methods and techniques.  Also you can ask questions during the day and you will leave with a booklet of detailed recipes and methods. You also have the reassurance that you can ask Faye questions following the course and have a personal 1-2-1 with Faye.

Do I need any specialist equipment to make this dessert?

No specialist equipment is required to make the elements for this dessert.  It can all be done with normal home baking equipment and utensils.  The equipment you need will all be explained on the day and be covered in the course materials.

A stand mixer (e.g. Kitchen Aid, Kenwood, Thermomix) will make some of the processes faster and easier but is not necessary. At Le Cordon Bleu, Faye was not allowed to use any machinery for the first term in order to learn how to make everything entirely by hand. 

Do I need specialist ingredients?

No specialist ingredients are required.  Whilst we recommend where to source your ingredients (e.g. we promote the use of organic pesticide free produce and grass fed dairy), if needs be all you need to make this dessert is available in the supermarket.