Unit 254 Element 1

Prepare and cook cold

desserts.
 Introduction.
• Why you need to know.
• How much you need to know.
• Desserts are a popular part of the meal.
• Importance as last course.
• Some are classical, others created.
• Many different mediums are used.
 Cold rice desserts.
• Can be used plain or with fruit.
• Can be set in individual portions.
• Usually cooked, chilled and set with cream
and gelatine.
• Examples include Rice conde, pineapple
creole and empress rice.
 Gelatine based desserts.
• Purchased as slabs of jelly or granules.
• Dissolved in hot water then cooled and
set.
• Difference between gelatine leaf and jelly
granules.
• Use of colours, flavours and fruits.
• Examples include Gelee a la crème, gelee
rubane and gelee maltaise.
 Egg based desserts.
• Include baked egg custard based
desserts, crème caramel and crème
brulee.
• Mix of milk and egg important, can be
flavoured. Temperature critical.
• Other types include meringue shells and
nests.
• Decorated with fruits and creams.
 Fruit based desserts.
• Fruit can be baked, poached or stewed.
• Purchasing and storage important.
• Difference between poached and stewed.
• Fruits can be dried, fresh or frozen.
• Examples include baked apples, fruit
compote and poached peaches.
 Cream based desserts.
• Base can be cream or crème patissiere.
• Bavarian cream or bavarois. Important
skill.
• Mousses extension of bavarois using more
cream and less milk.
• Can use Italian meringue.
• Use of fruit, purees, chocolate and nuts
 Problems.
• Imperative that fruit and dairy products
used are fresh as possible.
• Ordering and storing.
• Checking deliveries as they arrive.
• Care taken with numbers and weight.
• Profitability, image and reputation.
 Basic preparation methods.
• Piping.
• Piping with icing or chocolate.
• Practise designs first.
• Cream must be fresh, care taken not to
over whip.
• Half fill bag to avoid spillage.
• Use of plain or star tubes.
• Mixing.
• Producing a recipe combination using two
or more different food commodities.
• Can be done by hand or machine.
• Care should be taken not to deteriorate
the products.
• Effectively mixed.
• Aeration.
• Trapping or creating oxygen bubbles in a
mixture.
• Chemicals including baking powder.
• Biological using yeast.
• Mechanically using whisk and egg whites.
• Lamination- steam in puff paste.
• Addition of colours and flavours.
• Requires care and practice.
• Too much will be unsightly.
• Too little will be insipid.
• Flavours can be overpowering or
ineffective.
• Recipe instructions can help!
• Pureeing.
• Pulping of fruits to produce a smooth
mixture.
• Processors, sieves or liquidisers can be
used.
• Foods need to be well cooked to break
down easily.
 Finishing methods.
• Cooling.
• A cooked mix may need to be cooled,
poached fruits for example.
• Natural methods, ice or blast chilling.
• Inadvisable to use a fridge, as it may affect
other foods.
• Danger zone, safe hygienic procedures.
• Filling.
• Important that all products are similar,
satisfaction, sales and image.
• Too full and products will burst.
• Leave room for expansion in raw foods.
• Even shape and colour, attractive dish
with complimentary colours and flavours.
• Use of fruits.
• De-moulding.
• Cold desserts can be moulded and chilled
to set.
• When set they can be de-moulded.
• Hygiene concerns, particularly with warm
water.
• High risk food groups.
• Presentation, fruits and custards.
• Glazing.
• Hot and cold process gels.
• Icing sugar, pithiviers for example.
• Egg wash for pastry products.
• Apricot jam, boiled and strained.
• Dusting, dredging and sprinkling.
• Dusting with icing sugar should be light
and delicate.
• Dredging is a heavier dusting where a
white coated effect is required.
• Sprinkling is very light allowing the product
surface to be seen.