Unit 254 Element 1 Prepare and cook cold desserts.

1. Unit 254 Element 1Prepare and cook cold desserts.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

9. 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

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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!

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. 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.

22. Glazing. • Hot and cold process gels. • Icing sugar, pithiviers for example. • Egg wash for pastry products. • Apricot jam, boiled and strained.

23. 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.