Unit 254 Element 1Prepare 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.