I recently got a Masterclass subscription on a whim to see if the investment to learn from the experts was worth it. One of the first classes I tried was the Dominique Ansel’s Pastry Fundamentals class. He is a famous baker from NYC and France. He is known all over the world and is a true expert. Though, I was still skeptical to take his class. An expert may not be a good teacher since they maybe unable to convey his knowledge adequately.

In this class, he talked about some of his favorite recipes from his bakery. This include the famous Madeleines, a decadent chocolate cake, tarts, and croissants. He even writes through recipes in his handout for you to reference later. I picked the Madeleines as a starter not only cause it is the first recipe in the book, but it looked the easiest as well. The only special equipment needed was the Madeleine pan, which you can find on Amazon. So, here is how my attempt went.

It was a success! My family ate these up and the tips offered were easy to implement. They came out correct every time. The thing that surprised me the most is that I used the tips taught in the class for other recipes. The tips have enhanced my baking products, and helped me figure out what steps that I can or cannot skip. Like shifting flour for a recipe? According to Ansel, you may not need to. Can I say hallelujah? Since shifting flour is always a messy at my house.

If all Masterclass teachers can help this much, then I say it is a subscription well worth investing. Or, get a trail subscription to test it for yourself. All I know for now is that I am going to saving my notes from his class and the recipes.