12 months, 52 weeks, 52 pastries

Okay, I should have written this post some time ago as the 01 January 2019 is looming and I haven’t documented my challenge as yet.

As you will be aware, it has been over a year and a half since I completed my Diploma in Professional Patisserie and to be honest, I haven’t really used much of what learnt on the course.  I have been largely baking rather than doing patisserie since I left Ashburton Cookery School all those months ago.  Okay, so I may have dabbled a bit more recently – I have made meringues, short-crust pastry (a variety), caramel, praline, profiteroles etc. but I haven’t really indulged in the art of patisserie.  Concerned that I may lose my skills (I hope I haven’t already done so), I have decided to set myself a challenge for the New Year – 12 months, 52 weeks and 52 patisserie items.

A few days ago, I started scouring my cookery books for suitable pastries.  To date, I have scoured three of my patisserie books for ideas (Patisserie at Home by Will Torrent, Patisserie Made Simple by Ed Kimber and Patisserie by Christophe Felder) and have come up with a list of 32 pastry challenges so far:

1. Almond and honey friands
2. Breakfast brioche buns
3. Brioche
4. Chocolate and hazelnut sables
5. Chocolate fondant
6. Coffee and chocolate madeleines
7. Coffee tart
8. Creme caramel
9. Croissants
10. Croquembouche
11. Flan parisien
12. Framboisiers
13. Gateau au chocolat
14. Gateau opera
15. Kouign amann
16. Macaron a l’ancienne
17. Milk chocolate and hazelnut praline Buche de Noel
18. Millefeuille
19. Raspberry and pistachio financiers
20. Paris-brest
21. Pear and chocolate tartlets
22. Pear tart
23. Pistachio & cherry souffles
24. Savarins
25. Salted caramel and chocolate tartlets
26. Spiced rum babas
27. Tarte au chocolat
28. Tarte au citron
29. Tarte au pommes
30. Tarte aux fraises
31. Tarte tatin
32. Tarte tropeziene
33. Viennese biscuits

I am not sure what I will start or finish with or what order I will bake the pastries in, or whether I will change my list during the course of the year.  What I am sure of is that at the end of 2019 I aim to have 52 pastry attempts under my belt, notwithstanding any acts of God.  This of course will be along with any other bakes that I do during the year.  If you want to get involved and set me a pastry challenge, please let me know.