Great Tips for Baking Enthusiasts + Schedule of Baking Demo Classes

Wanna learn how to make chewy brownies, natillas, and butter cream topping that doesn’t melt in room temperature? Head over to Living Well in Podium or Gourdo’s World Market in Alabang Town Center in the next three weeks to watch Chef Joey Prats demo recipes for cakes, pies, etc. made from Tulip and Crisco ingredients.

I got to attend the first class last July 5 and enjoyed learning a lot of tips about baking that I didn’t know before. Chef Joey was so engaging because he shared funny stories in between showing us the step-by-step procedures how to make some yummy desserts.

Here are a few nuggets of wisdom I got from him:

• The anatomy of a brownie is that it should have a nice crust but not crumbly

• When checking if your brownies are already cooked, you don’t want your toothpick to come out clean

• When using peanut butter for brownies, use homestyled (the ones with oil on top) rather than hydrogenated (the super thick ones) because the former is easier to swirl with the batter

• Cakes should be cooled for at least 10-15 minutes before lifting it out of the pan or cutting it into squares.

• There are two kinds of chocolates: couverture (the high quality, tempered ones) and compound.

• Chocolates that snap (the imported ones) means they have been tempered properly and will melt in your mouth

• A lot of local chocolates use low quality fat that’s why they stick to the roof of your mouth (finally, I found a good explanation for something I've long wondered about!)

Chef Joey further reminded us not to experiment with cheaper brands because life is short and you’re better off using the best that your money can buy.

All of us got to taste a bit of everything that he cooked and they’re all good! The natillas are heavenly! Aside from the chocolate cake and custard filling, the strawberry toppings made the combination taste more irresistible. I wished my son Josh was with me at the time because I’m sure he will love the delicious brownies.

In addition, I love the cupcakes topped with butter cream frosting made from ganache. If you want to find out how to make frosting that won’t melt for 4 hours even if you leave it at room temperature, attend one of the demos!

Chef Joey also introduced us to his specially prepared cake mixes for those who don’t have time to cook from scratch but don't want to compromise on the taste and quality.

Here are more details:

Each class is a demo and not hands-on. It starts from 2pm until 5pm and It costs PhP1,500 per class which already includes a kit you can take home so you can start cooking at least one of the recipes demoed. All attendees will be given a certificate of attendance. 

Schedules are as follows:

July 13 - Crisco baking demo at Living Well Podium

July 19 - Tulip baking demo at Gourdo’s World Market, Alabang Town Center

July 27 - Crisco baking demo at Gourdo’s World Market, Alabang Town Center

For more info: please log on to www.gourdos.com