What a great start to the culinary and cosmo apprenticeships! We are full to the brim, topping out at 9 students for Red Lion Inn 8 for JA and 7 for Michele’s in addition we have two lovely interns helping to document and keep things running smoothly. (We will be starting an apprenticeship at Studio for skin care and make-up in a few weeks, contact RSYP if interested). The kids will be working hard to prepare for the culinary dinners and the fashion show. Red Lion Inn will be hosting a Sunday Jazz Brunch on April 22nd, JA will be hosting an elegant farm to table dinner on April 3rd. On April 20th the cosmo kids will team up with The Alchemy Initiative & Crispina French to do hair and make-up for their fashion show. Each week we will posting pics and recipes from the various apprenticeships. Keep checking in!
The kids at Michele’s got to practice their skills at washing, blow drying and intro styling on manequin heads! At JA the kids worked on three different soups. Yup, you heard me they not only worked on but finished 3 soups!! They are extremely productive in that kitchen. And this week at Red Lion Inn the kids were working on all sorts of projects from chopping vegetables for a home made chunky pasta sauce to a mouth watering lemon tart.
Lemon Tart
Crust:
1 cup (130 grams) all purposeflour
1/3 cup (35 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing)sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (113 grams) cold unsaltedbutter, cut into pieces
Lemon Filling:
5 ounces (140 grams) cream cheese,roomtemperature.
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated whitesugar
1/2 cup (120 ml) freshlemon juice(approximately two large lemons)
2 largeeggs
1 tablespoon gratedlemon zest(outer lemon skin)
Topping:
1 cup (240 ml) cold heavywhipping cream(contains 35-40% butterfat)
2 tablespoons (20 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing)sugar
Shortbread Crust:Butter or lightly spray with a nonstick vegetable cooking spray, an8 – 9 inch (20 – 23 cm) tart pan with a removable bottom. In your food processor, place the flour, sugar, and salt and process to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the pastry starts to come together and form clumps. Place the pastry in the prepared tart pan and, using your fingertips, evenly press the pastry onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. (Can use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface of the pastry.) Pierce the bottom of the crust with the tines of a fork. (This will prevent the pastry crust from puffing up while it bakes.) Cover and place the pastry crust in thefreezerfor 15 minutes to chill. (This will help prevent the crust from shrinking while it bakes.)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven.
When the pastry is completely chilled, place the tart pan on a larger baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 13 -15 minutes. Remove from oven and place on awirerackto cool while you make the filling.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees (177 degrees C).
Lemon Filling:In a food processor or electric mixer, place the cream cheese and process until smooth. Add sugar and process until incorporated. Add the eggs and process until thoroughly combined. Add the lemon juice and zest and process until well blended and smooth. Pour filling into pre baked tart shell and bake for approximately 25 – 30 minutes or until filling is set. Transfer tart to a wire rack to cool and then cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least an hour.
Topping: Put your mixing bowl and whisk in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Then beat thewhippingcreamand powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Can just spread the whipped cream over the filling or transfer the whipped cream to a pastry bag fitted with star tip (#1M), andpipestars over the entire surface of the tart. Refrigerate until serving time.
Serves 6 – 8 people.
