This Saturday marked our last English class session, as next Saturday we will be heading to Dublin to take the level exam. We had arranged to meet punctually at 9:00 a.m. at the Old School in Carrigallen with Father PJ Hughes, so that any students who wished could receive the sacrament of confession.
After the confessions, our English teacher Áine led an intensive morning of exam preparation. The students worked on their oral presentations and practiced written compositions. The class lasted longer than usual to ensure they feel confident and well-prepared for the exam next week. After a short break for lunch, we welcomed Fiona Montgomery, Dènia’s host mom and a professional baker, along with her daughter Angel, who served as her official kitchen assistant.
Fiona came to give us a hands-on workshop on how to make Dubai chocolate – a trending treat here in Ireland. It’s a delicious filled chocolate with pistachio cream, tahina (sesame cream), and kataifi pastry fried in coconut oil. Fiona had been preparing for the workshop all week, with help from Dènia, who is now almost an expert and guided us through each step of the process. This allowed each student to take part in making their own chocolate bar, surrounded by laughter and excitement.
Some of the girls ended up with chocolate on their faces, licking the leftover pistachio cream or fried kataifi pastry with chocolate, while making small chocolate truffles from the extra ingredients. While the chocolate set in the molds, we took the opportunity to clean the kitchen — a task everyone helped with.
Once the chocolates were ready and beautifully decorated, we unmolded and tasted our incredible creations. The portions we decided to keep for our host families were wrapped in shiny gold paper, adding a special touch.
After finishing up and thanking Fiona for the wonderful workshop, the students spent some time playing outside, walking around, or watching the cows — all while braving a chilly, windy day. Little by little, host families arrived in Carrigallen to pick up the students.
And so ended this sweet and special Saturday.
Warm regards, and see you next weekend!
