Quarter IV

LESSON 1. PREPARE DESSERT

Tools, Equipment and Utensils Needed in Preparing Desserts

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Dessert is usually sweet course or dish (as of pastry or ice cream) usually served at the end of a meal.

Everyone should be familiar with the tools, equipment and utensils needed in preparing desserts. Every pastry chef must have
these tools, utensils, and equipment for efficient preparation of desserts. Each tool is designed to perform a specific job in the kitchen.

A. Tools and Utensils Needed in Preparing Desserts

1. Measuring Cups and Spoons

a. Dry-measuring Cups - set of cups used to measure dry ingredients.

b. Liquid-measuring Cups - transparent cup with graduations used to measure liquid ingredients.

c. Measuring Spoons - used to measure small amount of liquid or dry ingredients.

2. Mixing Bowls - a vessel of different sizes, with sloping sides used to hold ingredients being mixed.

3. Can Opener - used to open cans.

4. Cutting/Chopping Board - comes in wood and plastic, use to protect the table when slicing bread.

5. Double Boiler - a pair of deep cooking pans that fit together so that the contents of the top pan can be cooked
or heated by boiling water in the bottom pan.

6. Funnel - like a cone with a tube used to catch and direct a downward flow.

7. Graters and Shredders

a. Grater - a tool used to reduce food in to particles.

b. Shredders - used to cut ingredients into long, narrow pieces.

8. Kitchen Knives - sharp tool used

for paring,
chopping,
cutting and
mincing
ingredients or
any food.

9. Spatulas - used for applying or spreading fillings, icings or level off ingredients being measured.

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10. Kitchen Shears - used to open bottle caps,
crack nut shells and cut
meat and other food or
ingredients.

11. Scrapers - a tool used to scrape leftovers.

12. Ladles - either large, deep or shallow; slotted or not; used to drain, stir or serve
ingredients.

13. Peelers - a sharp tool used to remove the skin of fruits or vegetables.

14. Temperature Scale (Jelly/Candy Meter) - determines temperature of food being prepared.

15. Wooden Spoon - a ladle made of wood, used to mix or stir ingredients.

16. Whisk - used for beating eggs or mixing ingredients.

17. Baking Wares - are pans, plates,

trays, molders
and sheets
made of metal,
tin or glass used
to hold, mold
and shape
goods being
baked.

B. Equipment Needed in Preparing Desserts

Equipment – more complicated tools that may referred as small electrical appliance, or a large, expensive, power-
operated appliance.

1. Refrigerators and Freezers - are equipment for lowering

food temperature to slow
down bacterial activity,
causing food to last longer.

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2. Range - a cooking stove that has an oven and a flat top with burners or heating
elements.

3. Blender - an electric machine used to cut food and

ice into very small pieces and to make
soft food into liquid.

4. Electric Mixer - used for beating, whipping and mixing ingredients.

Importance of Dessert and Its Classifications and Characteristics

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Importance of Desserts

Dessert is anything sweet that brings the meal into a delightful end.
Reasons for eating desserts:

1. Dessert balances out a meal.

- It gives “closure” to the meal.

2. Eating dessert is an opportunity to experience different flavors.

- Let one experience textures cannot be felt in other food like vegetables, meats and fruits.

3. Dessert can be an opportunity to be creative.

- Lets one make interesting mixtures that otherwise may not have thought of.

4. It will make you feel like a kid again.

- Lets one recapture youth, or embrace a more youthful spirit by eating like a kid.

Classifications of Dessert and Its Characteristics

1. Cakes - sweet tender breads made with sugar and delicate flour.

2. Chocolates and Candies - involves sugar crystallization which varies the texture of sugar crystals
a. Caramel - light brown candy made from butter, sugar, milk or cream.
b. Marshmallows - soft white sweet food made of sugar, gelatin and eggs.
c. Taffy - soft and chewy candy.

3. Cookies - little cakes similar to cakes either soft or chewy.

4. Custards and Puddings - includes thickened bases.

a. Custard - cooked with thickened eggs.
e.g. Crème Brulee - rich custard topped with caramelized sugar.
b. Pudding - thickened with starches.

5. Donuts - sweet breakfast dessert; deep fried made of flour in round or square (known as fritters) shape either with hole or fillings or
toppings of fruits, jams and crèmes.
a. Cronut (Dominique Ansel, NY 2013) - a combined donut and croissant.

Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme are well-known donut companies for ring- shaped and filled donuts.

6. Frozen Desserts - refrigerated desserts.

a. Ice Cream - cream based churned as it is frozen to create a creamy consistency.
b. Gelato - uses milk base and has less air than ice cream.

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 c. Sherbet – fruit based; containing water, sugar, milk, cream and sometimes egg whites.
d. Sorbet – from churned fruit and is not dairy based.

7. Pastries - can either take the form of light and flaky bread with as airy texture or unleavened dough with a high fat content.

8. Pies and Cobblers - crust with a filling where crust can be either pastry or crumbs.
a. Cobbler - cooked food covered with thick crust.
b. Pie - meat or dessert filled pastry crust.

9. Gelatin/gelatine Dessert – dessert made with sweetened and flavored gelatin.

Gelatin/gelatine - a mixture of peptides and proteins produced by partial hydrolysis of collagen extracted from the skin, bones
and connective tissues of animals such as domesticated cattle, chicken, pigs and fish.
Agar-Agar – a vegan; derived from a type of seaweed and sometimes marketed as gelatin.

10. Miscellaneous Dessert – dessert that can’t fit with any categories.
e.g. Cheesecake - a cake with sweet filling made of cream cheese, eggs and sugar and pressed crumb shell.

Varieties of Ingredients in Preparing Desserts

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There are wide variety of ingredients may be used in the preparing and cooking desserts. Some of the most common
ingredients include:

1. Sugar
- gives dessert addictive sweetness.
- gives moisture and tenderness.
2. Flour
- serves as protein and gives structure.
3. Dairy
- main ingredient of ice cream.
- keep desserts moist.
4. Eggs
- to form custard and aid in the rising and thickening of cake-like substance.
a. egg yolk – contributes to richness of dessert.
b. egg whites – acts as leavening agent when proteins uncoil and expand.
5. Spices and Extracts
- add variety of flavors (e.g. salt balances sweetness)
6. Fruits
- ripe perfect fruit provides the basis for many desserts, with very little effort needed to make an attractive colorful display.
7. Cream
- as a decoration or accompaniment for desserts, but may also be used as one of the recipe ingredients.
- whipped cream may also be used as an effective layer for trifle.
- may be combined with rice, sugar and milk to make a delicious rice pudding.
8. Nuts
- whole, ground, roasted or caramelized.
- provides flavor for creams and ice creams.
9. Chocolate
- easily blends into fillings and batters.
- can be poured over desserts and be shaped and molded into many attractive decorations.
10. Thickening Agents
- improves the quality and textures of desserts and sauces.
a. starch b. cream c. eggs

Sauces for Desserts

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Dessert Sauces and Toppings

1. Caramel Sauce - made with cream, butter, sugar and flavorings such as vanilla and other flavors.
- heated to become pourable.
- salt is added to make salted caramel sauce.
- chocolate is added to make chocolate caramel sauce.

2. Caramel Syrup – clear, golden-colored sugar syrup through caramelizing.

3. Chocolate Syrup - chocolate flavored condiment.

4. Chocolate Sauce – made with unsweetened chocolate, sugar and water.

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5. Fudge Sauce – thick sauce made of chocolate, cream and butter.

6. Coulis (COOLEE) (French) – sauce from pureed fruits and vegetables.

7. Crème Anglaise – (French for English Custard) a pourable custard sauce flavored with vanilla and liqueur.

8. Custard Sauce – thinner version of Crème Anglaise.

9. Curd - creamy, fruit-based spread made of juice, butter eggs and sugar.

10. Fruit Butter - variation of spread with chunks of fruits but does not contain any butter.

11. Hard Sauce - sauce for puddings that is made of blended butter, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla; that can be enhanced with spirits.

12. Sterling Sauce - brown sugar version of hard sauce.

13. Puree - sauce out of fruits pushed through a strainer.

14. Sabayon (SABAYO)(French) – sauce of egg yolks, wine and savory seasonings. (e.g. mustard/pepper)

15. Whipped Cream - cream whipped and used as toppings.

16. Zabaglione (ZABAYON) (Italian) - whipped dessert or topping consisting of egg yolks, sugar and wine.

Factors and Techniques of Plating and Presenting Desserts

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Guidelines in Plating Dessert

1. Make garnishes edible.

- Everything on the dessert plate should be edible and delicious.

2. Keep it clean and simple.

- Don't crowd the plate.
- Keep the rim of the plate clear, so the servers aren't touching the food when they place the desserts in front of the customers.

3. Make your garnishes relate to the dessert on the plate.

- Don’t use unrelated garnishing.

4. Layer flavors and textures in your dessert.

- Textures and flavors hit the palate at different times, therefore, all the components on the plate should build on the dessert,
making it better.

5. Try different plates

The right plate can add or enhance the theme well.

Plating and Presenting Tips and Techniques

There are many factors and techniques to consider in food plating that affect the overall appearance of a dessert. Applying one
of the tips may enhance presentation.

1. The plate
- the plate is the frame of the presentation.
- choosing the right size of plate so as food should not be crowded onto the plate.

2. Color
- always try to have a variety of colors on the plate.
a. green is fresh and cool, and can be soothing.
b. red is passion and excitement.
c. black is sophisticated and elegant.
d. blue is a natural appetite suppressant, since it can make food look unappetizing.

3. Texture
- contrasting hard and soft, smooth and coarse, adds visual interest to your food, and it will enhance your customers'
enjoyment to the food.

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4. Keep things clean
- remember that neatness counts.
- food should be contained within the rim of the plate, yet it should not be crowded in the center.

5. Garnish to impress
- choose garnishes that are appropriate to the ingredients.
- never decorate a plate with something inedible.
- choose garnishes that are correct in size and should be easy to eat.

Safety and Hygienic Practices in Storing Desserts

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As many desserts contain egg and dairy products, they present a potential health hazard if not stored properly.

1. Desserts containing uncooked eggs should be handled with extreme care, as raw egg is a medium in which dangerous bacteria such as
salmonella can thrive.

2. Custards contain protein, which provides good food for bacteria. It must be heated and cooled properly.

3. Any dessert that is not required for immediate consumption must be cooled rapidly and stored in the cool room until required.

4. If you plan to keep a pre-prepared dessert hot until service, make sure that the temperature of the food is over 65°C. Never leave an
egg mixture in a Bain-Marie for any length of time.

5. If milk and cream are used in desserts like trifle and custards, they must not be left to stand at room temperature for any length of
time, instead, they should be kept in the refrigerator until the last possible moment to prevent the risk of food poisoning.

Packaging Materials for Storing Desserts

1. glass container 4. aluminum foil

2. plastic container 5. packaging tapes
3. plastic/cellophane 6. boxes

Functions of Food Packaging and Its Importance

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Food packaging - is packaging of food which requires protection, tampering resistance, and special physical, chemical, or biological needs.
- It also shows in the product label any nutrition information on the food being consumed.

The main aims of packaging are to keep the food in good condition until it is sold and consumed, and to encourage customers
purchase the product. Correct packaging is essential to achieve both these objectives.

Packaging should provide the correct environmental conditions for food starting from the time food is packed through to its
consumption. A good package should therefore perform the following functions:

1. Provide a barrier against dirt and other contaminants thus keeping the product clean.
2. Prevent losses by securing the product.
3. Protect food against physical and chemical damage like the harmful effects of air, light, insects, and rodents.
4. Package design should provide protection and convenience in handling and transport during distribution and marketing.
5. Help the customers to identify the food and instruct them how to use it correctly.

Types of Packaging Materials

1. Leaves
Banana leaves are often used for wrapping certain types of food (e.g. suman). Corn husk is used to wrap corn paste or unrefined
block sugar, and cooked foods of all types are wrapped in leaves. They do not however protect the food against moisture, oxygen, odors
or micro-organisms, and therefore, not suitable for long-term storage.

2. Vegetable Fibers
These include bamboo, banana, coconut, and cotton fibers. These natural materials are converted into yarn, string or cord
which will form the packaging material. These materials are very flexible, have some resistance to tearing, and are lightweight for
handling and transportation. Being of vegetable origin, these materials are biodegradable and to some extent re-usable.

As with leaves, vegetable fibers do not provide protection to food which has a long shelf-life since they offer no protection
against moisture pick-up, microorganisms, or insects and rodents.
Vegetable fiber basket

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3. Wood
Wooden shipping containers have traditionally been used for a wide range of solid and liquid foods including fruits, vegetables, tea
and beer. Wood offers good protection, good stacking characteristics and strength. Plastic containers, however, have a lower cost and
have largely replaced wood in many applications. The use of wood continues for some wines and spirits because the transfer of flavor
compounds from the wooden barrels improves the quality of the product.

4. Paper
Paper is an inexpensive packaging material. It is however highly absorptive, easily torn, and offers no barrier to water or gases.

The degree of paper re-use will depend on its former use, and therefore paper that is dirty or stained should be rejected. Newsprint
should be used only as a outer wrapper and not be allowed to come into direct contact with food, as the ink used is toxic.

5. Earthenware.
Earthenware pots are used worldwide for storing liquids and solid foods such as curd, yoghurt, beer, dried food, and honey. Corks,
wooden lids, leaves, wax, plastic sheets, or combinations of these are used to seal the pots.

6. Glass
Glass has many properties which make it a popular choice as a packaging material:
- Glass can withstand heat treatments such as pasteurization and sterilization.
- Does not react with food.
- Protects the food from crushing and bruising.
- Resistant to moisture, gases, odors and microorganisms.
- Re-usable, re-sealable and recyclable.
- Transparent, allowing products to be displayed. Colored glass may be used either to protect the food from light or to
attract customers.

Disadvantages of using glass as packaging materials:

- glass is heavier than many other packaging materials and this may lead to higher transport costs.
- it is easy to fracture, scratch and break if heated or cooled too quickly.
- potentially serious hazards may arise from glass cracks or fragments in the food.

Preparation of glass containers:

a. Inspection b. Washing c. Rinsing d. Sterilization e. Sealing and capping f. Cooling

7. Plastics
The use of various plastics for containing and wrapping food depends on what is available. Plastics are extremely useful as they can
be made in either soft or hard forms, as sheets or containers, and with different thickness, light resistance, and flexibility. The filling and
sealing of plastic containers is similar with glass containers.

Flexible films are the most common form of plastic. Generally, flexible films have the following properties:
- Cost is relatively low.
- Good barrier properties against moisture and gases.
- Heat sealable to prevent leakage of contents.
- Have wet and dry strength.
- Easy to handle and convenient for the manufacturer, retailer, and consumer.
- Little weight to the product.
- Fit closely to the shape of the product, thereby wasting little space during storage and distribution.
8. Metal
Metal cans have many advantages over other types of containers:
- They provide total protection of the contents.
- They are tamperproof.
- They are convenient for presentation.

Disadvantages of metal food packaging materials:

- They are heavier than other materials, except glass, and therefore have higher transport costs.
- The heat treatment associated with the use of metal cans is not suitable for small-scale production.

Safety Procedures in Packaging Food

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Food Packaging has been defined by Paine (1962) as the “art science and technology of preparing goods for transport and sale”.
More specifically, it is a way of making sure that a product reaches the end user in good condition at the least cost to the producer.

A package is expected to perform three major functions:

1. To contain
During harvest time, packages could mean crates, baskets, boxes and the like to contain or hold the farm produce in bulk. These
are also necessary to allow for stacking the products in their containers for storage at the warehouse or while awaiting transport,
distribution or actual use.

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2. To protect
When rough handling of perishable food is minimized, speed of deterioration slows down through proper use of the right
containers.

3. To help sell
The package itself helps in product promotion. The more attractive it is, the greater the chances it will be noticed.

The following are important things to consider when storing and transporting food:
a. The hazards of loading and unloading
b. The movement of vehicles
c. The warehousing methods and the environmental conditions like relative humidity and temperature changes.

Food is packed in terms of quality, shelf life, microbial condition and portion control. Spoilage of food is caused by poor
packaging of food.
a. pH of food
This simply indicates the inverse amount of hydrogen ion available in the food system. This is oftentimes
associated with acidity of food. Thus, foods with high amounts of hydrogen ion have low pH and this is considered to
have acidic taste. For instance, green mangoes have generally lower pH (Ph below 4.0) and therefore have high
acidity.

b. Moisture content
Products with very high moisture could be those in liquid form, while those with very low free moisture
could be dried or frozen. The higher the moisture content, the greater the chances for microbial growth and chemical
changes.

c. Amount and nature of fat content

Products with high fat content like oils, butter, soft cheese, fried foods and the like tend to spoil fast when
inadequately packaged. Exposure to the atmosphere causes rapid oxidation and greater chances of rancidity.

d. Enzyme system
It is a chemical process like fermentation and hydrolysis which occur in high moisture food, especially in the
presence of oxygen of ambient tropical temperature causing changes in texture, flavor, odor and color.

e. Initial Microbial load

This means that micro-organisms thrive best in high moisture foods like molds, yeast, and bacteria they
grow faster in food with the high moisture content.

A package can be classified according to its use as follows:

a. As a primary package
This type of package is meant to directly contain the product. Hence, it gets in direct contact with the
goods. Thus, this package is expected to meet all the requirements for safety and protection of the consumers like
tetra packs or canned food packages.

b. As a secondary package
This is utilized to contain a specified number of unit packs. Thus, it may contain a dozen tetra packs or 2
dozen of tin cans or a gross of candies and so on. Its major function is to allow for the unit packs to be carried in bulk.

C. As a tertiary package
When transporting in bulk, the secondary package may have to be packed again for greater protection and
for bulk transfer. Use of tertiary package is normally for bulk transport or storage in large warehouses.

Occupational and Health Safety (OHS)Procedures in Packaging Food

Steps on how to package meat before freezing.

1. Divide your meat into your set serving sizes
2. Get a plastic zip bag big enough to hold the portion size plus a little extra room for the meat to expand from the freezing
process.
3. Put the meat into the bag, then flatten.
4. Squeeze as much of the air as you can get out, then close the zip.
5. Date the bag so you know how long it's been in your freezer

Methods of Food Packaging

Home Canned Food - one of the oldest and most common methods of food packaging in homes is the use of home canning. Fruits and
vegetables are placed in glass jars and sealed in the jars by heating the jars and then placing a rubber stopped jar top on the jar. The
seals also need to be airtight to prevent the growth of bacteria.

Freezing and chilling food - can be done with a variety of methods. Most often, it is vegetables that are frozen, although berries and
other fruits can also lend themselves to being frozen.

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Canned foods - foods that are canned commercially are cooked prior to being placed in the can to prevent E. coli contamination. Canned
foods come in a wide variety, ranging from meat to vegetables to fruit.

Foil Packaging - one of the innovative methods of commercial food packaging is foil wrapping. Foil wraps are often pouches that are filled
and then the bottom and top of the pouch is sealed with a heat seal like those used with commercial frozen packaging. Foil packaging
allows the foods to be sealed in the package without losing any residual moisture that may still be in the food. The best food to package
in this manner are usually dried fruits, baked goods or grain products.

The following must appear on the label:

- name under which the product is sold

- list of ingredients
- quantity of certain ingredients
- net quantity
- date of minimum durability
- any special storage instructions or conditions of use
- name or business name and address of the manufacturer or packager, or of a seller within the European Union
- place of origin of the foodstuff if its absence might mislead the consumer to a material degree
- instructions for use where necessary
- beverages with more than 1.2% alcohol by volume must declare their actual alcoholic strength