Lesson 1Balancing Flavours and Acidity: Using Citrus, Vanilla, Nuts, Coffee, and Alcohol with Proper AmountsDiscover how to mix sweetness with sourness, bitterness, and scents using citrus, vanilla, nuts, coffee, and alcohol. Learn right amounts, soaking ways, and how tastes change during baking and keeping in a Zambian home or kitchen.
Using citrus peel, juice, and preservesHandling vanilla pods and essencesRoasting and milling nuts for tasteCoffee soaks and thick reductionsAlcohol, spirits, and when to burn offLesson 2Ingredients: Roles of Flour Types, Butter (Water Levels), Eggs, Sugar, Milk, Cream, Starches, and Rising AgentsLook closely at each main pastry ingredient: flours, fats, eggs, sugars, dairy, starches, and rising agents. See how their qualities shape form, softness, colour, and lasting time in French pastries adapted for Zambian baking.
Flour kinds, protein, and ash levelsButter quality, fat, and water amountsEggs for form, richness, and hueSugars for sweet and browningStarches and chemical risers in pastryLesson 3Cooking Dairy and Eggs: Safe Heating, Mixing Without Curdling, Preventing Separation, Basics of Custard and Crème AnglaiseLearn how dairy and eggs act when heated, safe heating methods, mixing without lumps, stopping separation, and making smooth, steady custards and crème anglaise for classic French sweets that work well in Zambia.
Heating milk, cream, and egg mixes safelyMixing eggs without scramblingSpotting and stopping curdlingStarch-thick vs egg-only custardsCrème anglaise feel and coating checksLesson 4Food Safety and Allergy Awareness for Pastry Ingredients and FillingsKnow main pastry safety dangers, right storage for dairy, eggs, and fruits, and handling allergies like gluten, nuts, dairy, and eggs when planning, marking, and making pastries in a Zambian context.
Time and heat danger areasSafe cooling and keeping fillingsStopping cross-mixingHandling key pastry allergiesMarking, sharing info, and talking to guestsLesson 5Chocolate and Ganache: Basic Tempering, Ratios for Ganache (Pouring, Piping, Covering), Stopping BloomBuild skill in handling chocolate and ganache. Learn simple tempering steps, avoiding white spots, and changing ganache mixes for pouring, piping, covering, and whipped fillings suitable for Zambian markets.
Types of chocolate covers and cocoa amountsSeeding way for temperingSpotting and stopping bloomGanache mixes for various usesMixing smooth and fixing broken ganacheLesson 6Texture Knowledge: Controlling Gluten Growth, Water Levels, Stability of Creams and Mousses, Crisp vs FlakySee how gluten, fats, and water shape pastry feels, from flaky to soft. Learn to steady creams and mousses, stop leaking, and keep crisp in tarts, puff pastry, and extras for Zambian desserts.
Gluten growth and stopping itWater levels in doughs and mixesSteadies for creams and moussesStopping leaking and separationKeeping crisp and flakyLesson 7Overview of Classic Pastry Types: Laminated, Choux, Custard, Pâte Sucrée/Pâte Sablée, Puff Pastry KindsLook at main French pastry groups, like layered doughs, choux, custard items, and sweet tart doughs. Understand their builds, methods, and how they base classic sweets with a Zambian twist.
Layered doughs and puff pastryChoux pastry and steam risingCustard tarts and flansPâte sucrée and pâte sablée usesViennoiserie vs sweet pastriesLesson 8Sugar Work and Syrups: Isomalt vs Sugar, Simple Syrup, Sugar Stages and Uses in Glazes and CaramelStudy sugar and isomalt actions, from simple syrup to hard crack. Learn sugar stages, crystal control, and using syrups and caramel in glazes, spun sugar, and decor for Zambian celebrations.
Simple syrup strengths and waysSugar stages and checksStopping and fixing crystalsIsomalt vs sugar in decorCaramel, glazes, and poured sugar
