First Test, Top Chef Style

Today we had our first test reviewing our knowledge of Unit 1: Tarts and Cookies. The first 45 minutes of class we had a written exam. The rest of class we had a practical exam. We were not told in advance what we would be making. We found out when we walked in the door of class this morning. I had to individually make a caramel-nut tart, 4 quiche lorraine tartlettes, and vanilla crescent cookies and present them on a half sheet pan to the chef.

It was both fun and nerve-wracking. For some reason, the oven my team was using took a long time to pre-heat, leaving us with 25 minutes to bake off our tarts before time was called. The recipe cooking time for the quiche called for 25-35 minutes. I was so nervous it wasn't going to cook in time! It all worked out in the end. I pulled the quiches out with one minute to spare, threw them down on the sheet pan and raised my hand and yelled "Done!," as instructed. I felt like I was on Top Chef or Iron Chef :). I think I did well, having received good feedback from the chef. Here is the half sheet pan I presented for grading...