Spend a week in Provence while learning the secrets of the French Pastry chef. During this French pastry-makng “camp,” Chef Kathy, a professionally French-trained chef, will teach you the techniques, tips and the skills you need to create classic and famous French pastries, like the St. Honore, Charlotte, Fraisier, Macarons, L’Opera, Eclairs, and more. From a private flat in the historic center of Aix-en-Provence, you’ll learn all about the basic doughs and creams that the French pastry chef uses to create world-renowned pastries.
The week includes 5 full days of classes, a guided tour of the Aix-en-Provence outdoor market along with a market-based lunch, guided visits to cheese and pastry shops in Aix-en-Provence, two group dinners at favorite restaurants in Aix-en-Provence, and a guided walk through Aix-en-Provence.
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DATES AND PRICING
2020 Pastry Week Dates:
- June 13 – 18, 2020
MAKE THIS A PRIVATE GROUP VACATION: You can easily make this a private group vacation for a friends’ getaway or family event for any dates throughout the year. For more information, complete the vacation information request form with dates you’d like to book or questions about the course.
Pastry Course Price:
$1,800 USD per person
Maximum Group Size: 6 people
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ALL THIS IS INCLUDED IN YOUR PASTRY-MAKING WEEK:
- FIVE full-day French pastry-making classes ~ All are hands-on in a small group setting
- Three meals – two group dinners and a market-based lunch, wine is included in meals
- Guided visit to the outdoor market in Aix-en-Provence
- Pastry shop visit and tasting
- Cheese shop visit and tasting
- Alumni Reward: Receive $150 credit towards your next Food Lover’s Odyssey Vacation
- French Pastry recipe booklet and apron
**Airfare, accommodations, transportation to/from Aix-en-Provence, travel insurance, meals not mentioned above, and expenses of a personal nature (souvenirs and other personal items) are not included in the culinary vacation package price.
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THE PASTRY-MAKING CLASSES
This is a hands-on cooking vacation limited to just 6 people. Each guest will receive plenty of one-on-one learning time. The first two days are broken into two 3 1/2-hour workshops focusing on the fundamental building blocks of French pastry. From the basics in the morning, our afternoon classes will consist of bringing it all together to compose classic French desserts, like tarts, eclairs, the Charlotte and Saint Honore.
The third day we’ll take a morning tour of the big outdoor market day in Aix-en-Provence and have an apero lunch together with ingredients purchased at the market. In the afternoon, we’ll make macarons.
The final two days of the week, we’ll move on to more advanced desserts, the entremets – both classic and reinvented. These classes are designed for amateurs and pastry enthusiasts of all cooking and pastry making levels. You do not need to have any prior knowledge or training to be successful.
YOU WILL LEARN HOW TO MAKE ALL OF THE FOLLOWING:
The French Creams and Fillings ~
Pastry Cream (Creme Patissier), Creme Anglaise, Bavarian Cream, Creme Diplomate, Creme Mousseline, Almond Cream, Frangipane, French Buttercream, Creme Citron (lemon curd), Chocolate Ganache, Salted Butter Caramel, Hard Caramel
The French Doughs ~
Pate Sable (shortbread crust), Pate a Choux (eclair dough), Macaron dough, Biscuit a Cuillere (lady fingers), Genoise (sponge cake), Biscuit Jaconde, Dacquoise
The Classic French Pastries ~
Eclairs, Religueses, Seasonal Fruit Tarts, Tart au Chocolat, St. Honore Cake, Fraisier, Charlotte aux Fruit Rouges or Poires, Macarons, Succes “cake”, L’Opera Cake
Day 1: Welcome to Provence – Walking Tour of Aix-en-Provence – Group Welcome Dinner
On your arrival day, we’ll meet you either at the Marseille Airport or Aix-en-Provence TGV train station and take you to your hotel. You’ll have the afternoon to settle in and relax.
In the early evening, meet at the Rotonde Fountain at the beginning of the Cours Mirabeau and take an orientation walk through the historic center of Aix-en-Provence. After the walk, we’ll have an aperitif and welcome dinner together in Aix-en Provence.
Day 2: – Focus on French doughs and creams – French Tarts and Charlottes
Morning class: Guests will make pate sable, pastry cream, almond cream, frangipane, salted butter caramel and chocolate ganache; and bake and assemble some of the tarts
Afternoon break – We’ll break for 2 hours for you to enjoy lunch and Aix-en-Provence on your own.
Afternoon class: Guests will make lady fingers and chocolate Bavarian cream and assemble a Charlotte aux Fruits Rouges. They will assemble the remaining tartelettes from the morning class.
Day 3 – Focus on Pate a Choux, Pastry Cream and Caramel
Morning class: Guests will make pate a choux dough and pastry cream in 4 flavors, then use it to make different types of pate a choux pastries: chouquettes, eclairs, religeuse, Paris Brest and St. Honore
Afternoon break – We’ll break for 2 hours for you to enjoy lunch and Aix-en-Provence on your own.
Afternoon class: Guests will finish assembling their pate a choux pastries and together we’ll create a St. Honore pastry and decorate it with a hard caramel décor.
Day 4 – Morning Market Tour in Aix-en-Provence and Lunch together; Afternoon: Focus on Macarons
It’s Grande Marche’ day (big market day) in Aix-en-Provence, and you’ll spend the morning on a guided walk through the market with Chef Kathy. During our walk we’ll pick up fresh produce and other typical Provencal ingredients to create our picnic lunch from the market. After your formal tour, you will have the rest of the morning to shop the market on your own or relax at a café. We’ll meet back up at the cooking class location for a picnic lunch with items purchased at the market.
Afternoon class: Guests will make macarons and the secret to making perfect macarons. Fill them with an assortment of classic fillings we’ll have made together.
Day 5 – Focus on the classic entremets: Le Fraisier and Le Succes
Morning Class: Guests will make a genoise cake and creme mousseline, then use these components to assemble their Fraisier.
Afternoon break – We’ll break for 2 hours for you to enjoy lunch and Aix-en-Provence on your own.
Afternoon class: Guests will create a dacquoise “cake” and hazelnut buttercream, then use these components to assemble and decorate their Succes entremet.
Day 6 – Focus on L’Opera and Chocolate Decor
Morning Class: Guests will create a biscuit jaconde, coffee buttercream, coffee imbibing syrup, and all our components for our Opera “cake.”
Afternoon break – We’ll break for 1 hour for you to enjoy lunch on your own.
Afternoon Class: Guests will create the classic L’Opera pastry. Learn the seed method to tempering chocolate and learn basic chocolate decorating techniques to decorate L’Opera.
In the evening, we’ll meet back together in the historic center of Aix for a farewell dinner together.
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**Sequence of classes and activities may vary. The final itinerary will be given to each guest on the first day of the vacation. Whenever there are local festivals or events happening during a tour, we will try to include them with adjustments to the itinerary to enhance your vacation experience.