Because Han Yixin finished her entry first, the judges took time to check and taste her mandarin orange tarts. A dozen bite-sized tarts were presented to the judges. Each tart was glazed and dusted with powdered sugar before an edible green leaf was added on top.
Just by the look of the plating of the desert, the judges could tell that making tarts was child’s play for Han Yixin. It was visually appealing that one might have a feast with their eyes first before filling his tummy with such a delicious dessert.
Without a word, the three judges tasted the tarts and were surprised by the sweetness of the pastry crust and the tangy orange filling.
“These tarts are absolutely delicious. The mild sweetness of the crust, combined with the citrusy filling, is beyond my expectation. Some people might avoid citrus fruits for their sour taste, but with enough sweetness, one can make a delicious dessert from sour fruits,” Chef Feng commented.
“The fresh lime juice that was added also enhanced the tanginess of the filling. Miss Han, I commend you for creating such a wonderful dessert for us to eat. The only regret I have is that I don’t have a nice, warm tea to drink with it. Else, it would really be a perfect afternoon snack.”
Han Yixin’s lips curled into a smile upon hearing Chef Feng’s praise. This wasn’t new to her, but that didn’t mean she didn’t like it.
“I agree with Chef Feng, the methods Miss Han used on her pastry really met my standards. The first bite of the orange tart is filled with orange goodness and the sweetness of the filling, although dense, is perfectly balanced with the tanginess of the oranges. And, all of these scintillating flavors in an amazing crust!” The second judge nodded his head.
The third judge ate his fifth tart in silence before he joined the commentary.
“I couldn’t agree more with these two old farts. The filling has a silky smooth texture and perfectly orange taste. By straining it, Miss Han was able to remove the lumps before pouring in the mixture to the crust.
“The dough for this tart was nothing short of amazing. It didn’t turn out crumbly and dry after baking. The tart had a nice, light flavor to it—was nice and citrusy, and I just can’t say enough about that crust! One can also taste that citrusy zing of the zest and freshly squeezed orange juice with the subtle hint of lime juice. I typically prefer richer desserts over citrus ones, but this was a nice change of pace, and I’d love to eat more of these little tarts.”
The orange tart was flashed on the huge screen to let everyone on the audience see Han Yixin’s creation. Most of the spectator drooled at first sight of the tarts.
“Han Yixin’s tarts received great feedback from the judges. Would Big Sis’s turn out just fine? This is the first time I’ve seen her made a candied fruit.” Shen Xue dug in on the takeout food Qiao He brought him while Shen Yi remained focused on the event.
Tian Lingyu was the one who answered Shen Xue’s question.
“Hmm… I didn’t expect that Xinxin would make her own version of Mandarin Orange cakes. This candied fruit was usually made by our dad before the winter comes. Xinxin loves eating those snacks during winter when she was young.”
A growling sound was followed. Tian Lingyu raised a brow on Huang Shenghao. The guy was seriously hungry, and yet he couldn’t leave his seat for one second to get something to eat.
“This is pure torture… this is torture, Lingyu.” Huang Shenghao sobbed in the corner. As a member of the student council and the current rank number one at Cream of the Crop, he was to oversee the cooking battle.
“Next time bring some food with you.” Tian Lingyu sighed before he pulled out a pack of mochi and threw it on Huang Shenghao’s hands.
“Ah, Lingyu. You are my savior!” Huang Shenghao made a kissing sound that instantly disgusted Tian Lingyu.
“You! Get away from me!” Pus.h.i.+ng away Huang Shenghao’s face.”If you don’t stop, I’ll take back those mochis and eat them myself!”
That was the cue for Huang Shenghao to stop. He sat still on his seat and ate his mochi in peace.
“Oh, it’s now Lu Xinyi’s turn to serve her mandarin orange cakes!” someone said excitedly on the audience area.
Lu Xinyi stepped forward and presented a plate to the judges.
“This is my Mandarin Orange Cakes and Chocolate-coated Orange Peels. Please try it,”
The three judges seriously scrutinized the orange cakes. The orange cakes were also dusted with powdered sugar on top. They had thought that like Han Yixin, Lu Xinyi would make a pastry dessert out of her oranges but couldn’t find fault on her decision since the theme was snacks and pastries.
Chef Feng took one orange cake that resembled a huge coin. Lu Xinyi had really made it using a whole orange while the peel discarded was also turned into another type of snack. The cake was slightly flat on both sides. When he ripped it in half; the soft, gooey texture of the cake was revealed to their sight.
When they placed the orange cakes in their mouths, their senses were instantly a.s.saulted with citrusy flavor that was purely from mandarin oranges. It was sweet, tangy, and with a hint of saltiness. There was no sourness on this candied fruit which the kids would surely love.
“It’s like eating a fresh orange without its bitterness. Only the sweetness of it was retained by these orange cakes,” one judge commented.
“Mandarin oranges are also generally smaller and flattened-looking, and they typically are sweeter than sweet oranges. Aside from being juicy, it has more than ten percent of sugar compared to other kinds of oranges. By removing the peels and soaking it to water, Lu Xinyi removed the bitterness from these oranges. Steaming it had tightened the flesh of the oranges.” Chef Feng added.
“Don’t forget the ratio Lu Xinyi used on these oranges. One needs to know the perfect ratio between the oranges and sugar to achieve the distinct flavor of these cakes,” the last judge interjected.
Taking some chocolate-coated orange peels on the side, the judges snacked on it. The second judge couldn’t stop to blurt out the words after tasting it.
“Who knew that such a simple combination—orange peels and dark chocolate—could make such an impression on one’s taste buds? The zesty flavor of the orange peels is the perfect foil for the sweet bitterness of dark chocolate. Lu Xinyi surely knows how to do it right. She took fresh orange peels and boiled them with sugar until the peels are tender and infused with a sweetness. Once the peels dried and crystallized, she dipped it in fine dark chocolate. Ah, what a wonderful taste!”