Finally, the final.

So this was it. Our final final. The one that really counted. All those crazy practice tests were merely to prepare us for this week. Our technical exam was Monday and I think it went just fine. There wasn't anything on the test that caught me off guard. And it was a good thing I memorized all the sugar tables and charts, because as I suspected, they were waiting for me on the test.

Then Tuesday and Wednesday we had our practical. 13 hours. And honestly, compared to the last exam, this was easy.

Our mission:

• Brioche Nanterre
• Tarte Tatin
• Pâte de fruit à la noix de coco
• Une plaque de bonbon en chocolat de couverture noire avec une garniture de ganache framboise
• Galette à la crème d'amande pour deux personnes
• Omelette Norvégienne pour six personne à la crème glacée vanille et éclat de nougatine
• Support en chocolat pour disposer les pâtes de fruit détaillé et les bonbon en chocolat
• Entremet frasier moderne 

Et...

• Dresser trois dessert à l'assiette individuel avec:
• fond de biscuit breton
• disque de bavaroise vanille
• disque aux fruits rouges
• boule de sorbet
• coulis de mure

 Oh, and it's Valentine's theme....

Here's my chocolate support for my dark chocolate bonbons filled with a raspberry ganache. Apparently they were pretty good because when I came back after the judges, they were all gone. Not a one to be found. The white squares are my pâte a fruit de coco (coconut fruit jellies). We all ended up doing this recipe twice as three drops of citric acid isn't enough to keep them together, three grams works much better.

Here's my broiche. I was really worried this was going to be too dry. I baked it on the first day, against the recommendation of chef. However I can only assume it was good because it too was all gone when I returned after the judges' viewing.

This is my sad looking ice cream cake. I think it's pretty much a baked Alaska. There's a delicious vanilla ice cream with chunks of nougatine. It's all encased in a white cake box. Then an Italian meringue with egg yolks is pipped on the outside. This looks messy because I didn't whip my meringue enough and it just didn't hold up as I was piping. I would have redone it, but it was the last thing I did and had no more time. It tasted good though, and that's most important.

Tarte Tatin. Sugar, butter and apple on top of puffed pastry. That's it. Ooey gooey sticky yummy.

Galette. These are puffed pastry filled with almond creme. It's a very basic French dessert. Or sometimes breakfast.

This is my modern fraisier. This had a layer of white cake, an insert of strawberry gelatin stuff, and the rest was filled with a bavaroise vanilla cream. Oh and then all covered with a glaçage. Here, have a look.

Then we had our plated desserts. Again. I'm SO glad I don't want to work in a restaurant. Plates are super difficult, and I don't have the patience to get it right. Or neat. This one had a cookie bottom, a red fruit disk, then a disk of the bavaroise cream then a scoop of strawberry sorbet. Oh and the big heart is blackberry purée.

So yeah, that was it. Not so terrible. Not like last time anyway. Or maybe it's all just getting a little bit easier.

After the exam we all waited patiently. All a little nervous about the results. But the officials were impressed and passed on words of praise. I guess in just five months, we really have all come a long way. I know I certainly have. Chef was actually moved to tears. Or sobs, rather. I've never seen a grown man cry like that. I'd like to say it was sweet, he was overwhelmed with pride. It brought out tears in a few others as well. Me, I just felt uncomfortable and a little horrified. But maybe that's just me. Maybe I have a cold heart. Or maybe it's just another cultural difference. I guess French men bawl when they're happy. Sweet. (Not really.)

But look what was waiting for us upstairs! That sure was nice. Although cleaning the lab after this reception. Ouch. Motivation levels took a serious dive.