Final Day of My Pastry Course: A High Tea Celebration

The last day of the pastry course arrived almost without warning. The year passed quickly, filled with new techniques, flavors and lessons that deepened my passion for patisserie. For our final assignment we combined everything we had learned into one event: a celebratory High Tea prepared and presented by the students.

We were allowed to invite a few guests, and I asked my mother and my grandmother to join me at 3pm. My grandmother is the person who first inspired my interest in baking, so having her there made the afternoon especially meaningful.

Before our guests arrived we had to finish the final preparations. Each student received a recipe to follow or was given the freedom to use a personal recipe. Both savory and sweet items were welcome. In addition, we had a special assignment called the “retro recipe,” where we were to either rework a classic into something contemporary or give a modern creation a classic twist. For my retro assignment I redesigned an Apple Croquette, turning a familiar flavor profile into a refined bite suitable for the High Tea menu. From the responses I heard, most people enjoyed them.

Alongside my apple croquettes, the tables were filled with a wide variety of items: delicate finger sandwiches, buttery cookies, fresh muffins, hand-finished chocolates and other pastry creations. The spread showcased the range of techniques the class had developed over the year—lamination, tempering, glazing, and precise piping. There was so much on offer that I didn’t manage to taste every item myself, which is testament to the abundance and variety that went into the event.

As guests enjoyed the food and conversation, an impromptu musical moment brought a relaxed, celebratory atmosphere to the room. Our chef picked up a guitar and, together with a colleague and her husband, began to play and sing. The casual performance was a warm, memorable way to close the year—equal parts camaraderie and celebration after months of focused study.

With the event behind me, my attention now turns to completing my portfolio. I need to finalize and submit it in the coming month; our diplomas will be awarded in September. Preparing the portfolio gives me a chance to document the recipes, techniques and photos from the course, and to reflect on how my skills have grown. I plan to continue developing new recipes and sharing the process on my blog—putting everything I’ve learned into practice and refining each technique over time.

This final High Tea was more than a tasting; it was a showcase of progress and a reminder of why I love pastry work. From the tactile satisfaction of shaping dough to the precision of finishing touches and the joy of sharing finished pieces with family and friends, the course has equipped me with both practical skills and the confidence to keep exploring. I’m excited to build on this foundation, experiment with new flavor combinations, and continue writing about my culinary journey.