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 crme, gelee rubane and gelee maltaise.

Egg based desserts.

Include baked egg custard based desserts, crme caramel and crme 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 crme 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.