CLASSICAL DESSERTS

Hot Soufflés: These types of puddings are very popular in France as they have

originated form that place. Earlier the soufflés were savoury based such as fish

soufflé, cheese soufflé etc; but with the advent of technology and creativity of chefs,

sweet soufflés became a rage. The basic components of soufflé remain the same, only

sugar and the flavourings replace the salt and meat products. Soufflé is traditionally

starch based. In case of savouries, white sauce or béchamel is used as a base, but in

pastry this is replaced with pastry cream or any other milk based pudding. Whipped

yolks, flavourings and whipped egg whites are folded in and baked until the soufflé

rises. The soufflé needs to be served immediately as it can collapse and this would be

unacceptable as it loses its characteristics of being called a soufflé. Classically any

soufflé would have the following three components:

Base: The base would be a starch base. It could be a pastry cream, milk based

pudding or even sweetened white sauce. This starchy thick base is also known as

panada. Once the base has cooled down, whisked egg yolks are mixed with the

starchy bases to form a smooth and a creamy base. The base can be prepared well in

advance and can be stored until further use

Flavouring: Range of flavours can be used for dessert soufflés. Chocolate, vanilla,

lemon and cheese are however the most commonly used flavourings in the soufflé,

but chefs can use their creativity to flavour the soufflés. Whilst using citrus fruits, one

can use the juice in the base and use zest and rind as the flavouring. Similarly if
flavouring the soufflé with chocolate, the base can be made by heating milk, sugar

and cocoa powder to make a chocolate flavoured pastry cream, which van then be

enriched with chopped chocolate and nuts as well.

Eggs: Egg white is the most essential ingredient that helps the soufflé to rise in a

mould, giving it the traditional name. Yolks are added for enriching as they have a

little role in aeration. The egg whites and sugar are whipped to a meringue and then

folded in the base and flavourings and baked immediately.

Let us read some of the critical factors to be kept in mind whilst preparing the hot

soufflés:

1. Prepare the base or panada. Grease sugar lined moulds. Set oven to correct

temperature.

2. Stiffly beaten egg whites are the basis for a successful soufflé. Expansion of

the air in the egg whites will let the soufflé rise above the rim of the dish as it

bakes. This is why it is important that moulds are properly greased.

3. First lighten the panada with a quarter of the egg white. This will make it

much easier to fold in the remaining whites, as beaten egg whites are not

sufficiently stable to withstand extensive mixing.

4. Do not let the mixture stand, or it will collapse.

5. Bake at 200 deg C. Draughts or disturbances during baking will cause the

delicate structure to collapse.

6. The French tend to favour soufflés with a slightly underdone, creamy centre

but well-done soufflés are more stable, and are generally preferred for this

reason.

7. Soufflés can be dusted with icing sugar, glazed (caramelized under the

salamander), or dusted with cocoa powder if it is a chocolate soufflé.

 8. Soufflés must be served immediately.

Chef’s tip: Always butter the soufflé mould very well and coat with castor sugar.

This prevents the soufflé from sticking to the base

Deep fried

Deep fried desserts are another category of desserts that are popular all over the

world. As the name suggests, these desserts are served deep fried. Since these desserts

would have sugar added to them, it is careful to control the temperatures as they will

get browned too quickly because of the caramelization of sugar.

Let us discuss few of the commonly made deep fried desserts around the world in

table 24.2 below:

DESSERT DESCRIPTION

Beignets Also known as fritters, these are batter fried fruits.

Fruits such as apples, peaches, pears, figs etc are

commonly used fruits for this purpose. Apples can be

peeled, cored, sliced and coated with sugar and

cinnamon powder. It is then coated with sweet batter

and deep fried. Most of the fritters are served dredged

with powdered sugar. Some fruits such as peach halves

can be stuffed with rice pudding etc and coated with

batter and crumbed like A l’anglaise and then deep

fried.

Beignets are accompanied with vanilla sauce or ice

cream
Choux fritters Choux pastry is also served deep fried. In France, choux

pastry is shaped into oval shapes and deep fried until

crisp. It is also known as choux soufflé. In Mexico a

popular dessert called Churros is made by piping 3-4

inch long ropes of choux pastry into hot oil. Once fried

they are coated with cinnamon flavoured sugar and

served hot

Helado Frito As discussed in chapter of frozen desserts, deep fried

ice creams are very popular in Mexico, where a chilled

ice cream scoop is covered with batter and crumbed

before frying.

Oriental desserts Many oriental desserts commonly feature on the dessert

menu of specialty restaurants. Some of the commonly

featured desserts are:

Toffee fruits: Fruits such as apple and banana are

batter fried and coated with sesame flavoured

caramelised sugar. This dessert is very popular in many

high end Chinese restaurants in India

Daar saan: deep fried flat noodles, tossed in honey

flavoured caramelised sugar. Most of these desserts are

served with vanilla ice cream

Table 24.2- Types of fried desserts

Tarts and pies: Tarts, flans and pies have been discussed in chapter 21 of the book

food production operations. This category of desserts can be served hot or cold
depending on the type of product. Fruit tarts are served cold, whereas apple pies are

served hot. All tarts and pies have the following components:

Base: the base of these desserts can be made with various kinds of pastes such as

sweet paste, short crust paste, puff pastry etc. These pastes have been discussed in

detail in the book food production operations. Special moulds called tart moulds have

raised edges and these are lined with the desired dough or pastry and baked with

filling inside or the base can be docked and baked with out any filling. This is also

known as blind baking.

Filling: various kinds of fillings can be used for making hot pies. These fillings could

be custard based, starch based or even puree based. The idea is to allow the filling to

set after being baked, so that the tarts and pies can be cut into various portion sizes.

Let us discuss about various kinds of fillings and the desserts made from the same in

table 24.3 below:

FILLING DESCRIPTION

Starch based Pastry cream, milk puddings enriched with eggs is

commonly used as fillings in tarts and pies. The eggs

help the mixture to set like a jelly and hence it does not

flow out when cut. One can add fillings of fruit etc on

top of the pastry cream and bake the dessert

Custard based Egg custard comprising of milk, eggs and sugar can be

used as a filling for tarts and pies. Cherry clafouti is

one of such classical desserts in which the cherries are

arranged in a tart shell and custard is poured over and

baked until set.

One can also bake the plain egg custard in a tart shell
 just like cream pots.

Puree based Various vegetable or fruit purees can be combined with

eggs and sugar and used as a filling for baked tarts and

pies. Pumpkin pies are very commonly made by this

method. Various desserts such as Fruit cobblers are

made by lining the tart mould with sweet paste and

putting the base of pastry cream. Fruit purees are

poured on top of pastry cream and baked topped with

crumbled flour and butter also known as streusel.

Raspberry puree cooked with sugar is classical filling

for Linzer torte.

Nut pastes Many other fillings such as almond paste also known

as crème Frangipane are commonly used as filling for

baked tarts and pies. Fruits such as pears, nectarines

and peaches pair up very well with the almond paste to

make delicious desserts. Almond cream is made by

creaming butter and sugar to which almond powder,

flour and eggs are added to make a creamy mixture that

resembles a thick batter

Sugar Mixtures cooked with sugar, liquid glucose, nuts and

butter make sticky fudge like filling which is also

commonly used in baked tarts and pies. Famous

Engadine walnut tart is made by combining honey,

sugar, butter and walnuts and cooked until sticky and

caramelised. This is then added to the baked tart shell

 and flashed in the oven for couple of minutes.

Macaroon tarts are also made by cooking sugar and

egg whites with flavourings and added in to the tart

shell and baked to yield macaroon tarts.

Cake batters Various kinds of cake batters, such as brownie,

Genoese sponge etc can also be poured into a tart shell

and baked. New York baked cheese cake can be made

in a tart shell to create large cheese cake pies or even

small individual desserts.

Table 24.3- various fillings used in tarts and pies

Topping: Every tart or pie is garnished with various kinds of products ranging from

plain dusted icing sugar to various kinds of glazes. These are also known as toppings

and they are added to add a decorative look and texture to the prepared tart or pie.

Following are commonly used toppings:

1. Jams: Apricot jam is boiled and brushed over tarts to give them a glaze

2. Streusel: also known as crumble is made by rubbing butter, flour and

powdered sugar to obtain chunky mixture that is spread generously over the

tarts before baking. It gives a rustic look to tarts and pies and also adds a

flavour.

3. Icing sugar: Icing sugar is dusted with sift on top of tarts and pies to make

them more appealing.

4. Meringues: many tarts and pies are decorated with meringue and gratinated

under salamander or caramelised with blow torch. Lemon Meringue pie is a

classical dessert made by pouring lemon custard in the baked tart shell and
 covering with meringue and baking in the oven until the meringue is crisp and

coloured. Alternatively the dessert can be gratinated under a salamander

Crepes and Pancakes

Crepes and Pancakes are synonyms. In English they are called pancakes, whereas in

French it is Crepes. However in hotels a crepe is referred to a product prepared by

pouring the batter into a pan and pouring out the excess to create a thin crepe, whereas

pancakes are poured thick on a griddle and cooked on both the sides. But in this

chapter we would discuss these as one product.

Pancakes are a popular sweet, convenient and simple to make. A batter is made from

milk, flour, eggs, butter or oil and the appropriate seasoning, salt, sugar, lemon and

orange zest depending on use. Pancakes or crepes are thin, flat cakes that are served

rolled or folded around a filling, or infused with a warm sauce or syrup. Maple syrup

is a popular choice for American pancakes that are commonly served during

breakfast.

The crepe mixture should be free of lumps, have a consistency of cream and run

freely from the spoon. The batter may have to be adjusted with milk. Crepes should

be neatly arranged on plates with the appropriate filling. Keep in mind that the colour

combination and the flavour of the sauces used has to complement the dish. Decorate

with a piece of fruit, e.g. strawberry, melon, pineapple and mint. Certain classical

crepes such as Crepe suzettes are prepared crepes that are cooked in orange

flavoured caramelised sugar syrup and are prepared in front of the guests

The pancakes are usually served hot and can be garnished and topped with sauces and

nuts or gratinated under a salamander

Laminated pastries

Laminated pastries such as puff pastry and phyllo pastry are commonly used to

prepare varieties of hot desserts. You can read about the laminated pastries in detail in

chapter 22 of food production operations. These pastries are used to prepare both hot

and cold desserts. Puff pastry can be used to line tarts to make crispy tarts and fruit

pies. Let us discuss some of the commonly made hot desserts using laminated pastries

in table24.4 below:

HOT DESSERTS DESCRIPTION

Eccless These are sweet snacks made from puff pastry and are

usually served during afternoon tea. Roll the puff to 4

inch circle and 6 mm thick. Place the filling of raisins,

brown sugar, mixed spice and little softened butter.

Bring all the sides of circle together and form a ball.

Now roll the ball into a 3 inch circle, wash with egg

white, and dip in castor sugar and give two to three

small slits on top and bake at 180 deg C till golden

brown. These can be served hot dusted with icing

sugar

Turn overs The puff is rolled into discs or squares and filled with

sweet fillings of fruits mixed with almond cream or

pastry cream and turned over or folded over. These

are then glazed with egg yolk and baked.

Lebanese Baklava This hot dessert can be served cold as well. It is

commonly made from thin pastry sheets called phyllo

or filo. In a pan layer a sheet of filo and brush with

 melted butter, place another sheet on top and repeat

this process until at least six sheets are used. Sprinkle

with crushed nuts and sugar and repeat the process

until baklava is 2 inches thick. Brush the top with

melted butter. Traditionally they are cut into diamond

shapes, prior to baking, as the crisp pastry will be

difficult to cut after baking. Bake till golden brown

and whilst it is hot pour in rose flavoured sugar syrup.

The cuts help to let the syrup percolate down. Serve

the pastry warm or cold.

Strudel This is a famous dessert from Austria. It is made by

stretching the dough very thin and then the surface is

brushed with melted butter. Filling usually of fruit

such as apple, pineapple etc are mixed with nuts,

raisins, spices and sponge crumbs and rolled to form a

pipe, which is then baked at 180 Deg C. It is served

hot with vanilla sauce.

Tarte Tatin This is a very classical French dessert made using

apples and puff pastry. Apples are sliced and arranged

over a cast iron pan that is lined with butter and sugar.

The pan is heated over stove until golden and

caramelised. The pan is covered with thick round

piece of puff pastry and baked in the oven until

cooked. Tarte tatin is now served upside down

revealing the caramelised sliced apples.

Table 24.4- desserts made using laminated pastries

Fruit based

Many of the fruits are also served as hot desserts. They can be served as they are or

combined with other ingredients to make fruit pies and tarts as discussed in table 24.2.

Certain fruits like Japanese melon are grilled on hot plates and served with ice

creams. Grilled fruit brochettes are also very commonly served in France along with

sauces. Let us read about various kinds of fruit based dessert served hot in table 24.5

below:

DESSERT DESCRIPTION

Baked A variety of fruits can be baked as they are or can be used in

fillings for pies, tarts, strudels etc. as discussed above. Some

fruits like apples and pears are wrapped in puff pastry and

baked until cooked. Figs wrapped in filo and baked are

classical dessert served in Greece.

Compote A sweet made from fruit peeled and poached, whole or

halved, quartered or diced, and served with syrup. Compotes

can be served as a sauce or topping or it can be served as a

dessert with whipped cream. Some blind baked tart shells are

also served filled with fruit compotes.

Flambéed fruit Flambé are popular and impressive if cooked in front of

customers with expertise and flair. The fruits are cooked in

sauce and then alcohol like brandy is poured on top and

flamed. The flames rise out of the pan and continue until all

the alcohol has evaporated. However, dishes can be quite

 adequately prepared in the kitchen, keeping in mind there are

a few basic to follow:

 A successful flambé is not judged by the height of the

flame.

 Alcohol will evaporate or is burnt away.

 When the sauce is reduced, the taste of strong flavoured

liqueurs will intensify and may overpower the delicate

taste of the dish.

Table 24.5- Fruit based desserts

COLD SWEETS

Cold desserts can be prepared by a variety of methods. We have discussed some of

these desserts in previous chapters on cakes and pastries, chocolates, ice creams and

frozen desserts. We will look at a range of cold desserts, from very simple to more

complex types in this section.

Today, many of the classical cold sweets are back in favour, though modernised with

new flavour combinations and presentation and presentation techniques. Many of the

classical creations were over-decorated, a style which has gone out of fashion. We

will discuss about the modern plating and presentations of desserts later in this

chapter.

We saw in fig 24.1, the classification of various cold desserts. Let us read about these

in detail below:

Cold puddings
Cold puddings are same as hot puddings; the only difference is that these are served

cold. All the hot puddings mentioned in table 24.1 can be served cold as cold

puddings. However all cold puddings cannot be served hot. One of such dessert is

Blancmange which is made by heating milk and sugar which is thickened with

cornflour. These are chilled and served demoulded with a jam sauce. Some custard

like lemon custard are made by cooking lemon juice, egg yolks, sugar and butter over

low heat until a thick custard is formed. This is used for making lemon meringue

pies. Let us discuss some of cold puddings in table 24.6 below:

COLD PUDDINGS DESCRIPTION

Blancmange Blancmange has an almond flavoured milk base. It is set

with agar-agar, gelatine or starch (such as cornflour).

Blancmanges can be flavoured with lemon, vanilla, coffee,

chocolate, pistachio nuts, hazelnuts. Whipped cream can be

added to achieve a creamy texture. They are served de-

moulded with sweet sauce such as berry coulis or jam sauce

Flummery Flummeries are puddings usually thickened with cornflour,

semolina, jelly or sago. They are based on fruit juices or

milk. Examples are chocolate, semolina or blackberry

flummery. They are set, chilled and moulded. They can be

served in the pot or served demoulded with sauce.

Rice Conde These rice desserts are cooked with milk and enriched with

egg yolks. When they are cooled, whipped cream is added.

They can be made using gelatine and a variety of flavours,

such as vanilla or orange zest. If gelatine is added, they

should be set in mould immediately.

 Note: any conde on a menu indicates a rice-based dessert.

For instance, peach conde would refer to rice, moulded and

covered with a poached peach half, and masked with a

melba sauce.

Fruit custard Milk is cooked with sugar and thickened with custard

powder until thick. Diced fruits and nuts are mixed and

served chilled garnished with jellies.

Table 24.6- Cold puddings

Fruit based

Fruits are favourite amongst people especially for those who are health conscious.

Fruits can be prepared in various ways. They can be cut into fancy shapes and served

arranged as a fruit platter. Beautiful patterns can be created by using colourful fruits

on plates. Sauces or puree may be used and often make this as an interesting dessert.

Let us discuss some of the commonly made fruit based desserts in table 24.7 below:

DESSERTS DESCRIPTION

Fruit platter Sliced fruits in various shapes and cuts can be arranged on a

platter to create interesting patterns. For the best results

leave the peeling and slicing of the fruit until the last

possible moment. Once cut, some fruits like apple, pears,

peaches and bananas will discolour quickly. To prevent this

happening, they must be immersed in lemon juice and water

or in syrup. The important factors to consider when

preparing a fruit platter are:

 The precision of the layout – neatly arranged fruit

 looks attractive and appetising. Handle fruit as less

as possible and use a sharp knife to cut the same

 Colour combinations- use a variety of colours such as

red for watermelon, strawberries etc and green for

kiwi, honeydew melon etc

 Items are used in proportion- make sure to cut the

fruit symmetrical in size so that an even design is

created

 The type of plate used- Glass platers and white plates

give fruits a better appeal. Do not use bright

coloured plates as they will interfere with the natural

colours of the fruit

Fruit Salad Unlike western salads, a fruit salad is a mix of cut fresh

fruits macerated with sugar syrup and flavours. It can be

served with scoop of ice cream or freshly whipped cream.

Preparing fruit for dessert, particularly ripe and fresh fruit,

is governed by the availability of ingredients and your taste.

To keep the flavour of each fruit distinct, use only 5 to 6

varieties. If possible, leave peeling and slicing until last to

keep the colour of the fruit bright. Fresh or poached fruit

may be used, mainly diced, moistened with syrup or juices,

sometimes with spirits or liqueurs added.

Fruit salad should have a fresh and appetising appearance.

The fruit should be cut at the correct size to be identifiable.

Approximately 125 grams are served per portion.

Compotes or Poached Peeled, whole, half, quartered or diced fruit is poached in

fruits sugar syrup or sometimes in wine with the addition of

spices such as cinnamon and cloves. These can be served as

an accompaniment such as peach melba and sometimes as

a dessert accompanied by sauces and ice creams.

Most fruit can be poached without addition of sugar; but

some fruits such as apples, plums and rhubarb, need sugar

to develop their full flavour.

Individual fruits may be prepared in a variety of ways:

cherries in red wines, pears poached in coffee, strawberries

Romanov (marinated in Curacao) etc.

Table 24.7- fruit based cold desserts

Custard and Cream based

Custards are generally mixture of milk, sugar and eggs over a double boiler or hot

water bath so that the eggs thicken the mixture. This mixture is the basic custard and

is also known as Bavarian cream or crème Anglaise. A classical example of baked

custard is undoubtedly cream caramel. There are others that are served in their

containers. They may be flavoured and perfumed in many ways: vanilla, coffee, and

caramel, orange or lemon peel. Other names for this sweet are pots de crème and

Peruvian cream.

Thickening of a baked egg custard depends on the coagulation of the egg protein. The

ratio of eggs to milk controls the firmness of the custard. It is generally accepted that

unmoulded custards need eight to ten eggs for each litre of milk. If there is too much
egg, the custard will have a coarse, rubbery texture. Too little egg will produce

custard that collapses when it is unmoulded.

When preparing the mixture, always strain your custard for impurities. This will also

enhance its quality and smoothness. Using heated milk helps to blend the mixture, and

to dissolve the sugar more quickly. Skim off any foam from the surface, because it

will result in a porous texture, and spoil the appearance of the dessert.

Cook the custard in a moderate oven. Using a water bath will slow the heat

penetration. The water acts as an insulator, giving even heat distribution and cooking.

In other words, the outside of the custard will not overcook before the inside is set.

The coagulation temperature will be reached gradually.

When turned out, the caramel custard should have a nice golden brown caramel sauce

in the right proportion, with no air bubbles or signs of overcooking. As options, you

can flavour the caramel mixture with melted chocolate, roasted nuts, coffee or

liqueurs. Making caramel is an art. If you are attempting to make it for the first time,

follow these guidelines:

 In a heavy bottom copper pan, put the required amount of sugar and water

over medium heat and cook until the mixture is a light amber colour.

 All sugar has to be dissolved and one should never stir the caramel with a

metal spoon, or it could crystallise. Caramel and its density must be tailored to

the requirements of the dessert.

Let us discuss few of the common desserts using creams and custards in table 24.8

below:

CREAM AND DESCRIPTION

CUSTARD BASED

DESSERTS
Bavarois A bavarois is a dessert based on sauce Anglaise. It is

moulded, stabilised with gelatine, and enriched with cream

and flavours. Various shapes can be created depending on

the moulds used. They can be prepared for buffets or

prepared in individual moulds. Bavarian desserts can have

several flavours made from the same basic mixture.

Some factors need to be kept in mind whilst preparing

Bavarian desserts:

 avoid overheating as the eggs may curdle

 Soak gelatine in cold water to make it swell so that it

dissolves when heated. In case of using leaf gelatine

soak in cold water and then melt over low heat or add to

hot custard mixture.

 Strain the custard and allow to cool down before adding

the whipped cream

 Whip the cream until it forms a soft peak.

 The mixture may be cooled over ice to speed up the

process of setting.

Bavarois may be layered, using a variety of colours and

flavours e.g. chocolate, vanilla, strawberry. Allow each

layer to set before adding the next. Alternatively, pipe a

raspberry Bavarian cream into the centre of the vanilla

cream, which must still be soft. Or half fill a glass with

Bavarian orange cream and pour on a chocolate sauce and

serve. Again, varieties are only limited by your

 imagination.

Mousses Mousses range from the delicate, smooth sweet containing

sweetened, flavoured whipped cream, to the more heavy

egg yolk, gelatine and cream based mixture to they very

light and airy mixtures lightened with beaten egg whites.

They must be chilled and served cold.

Mousse is a cream based dessert that can be made in variety

of ways. It can be made by combining either, fruit puree

and syrup, or fruit puree and Italian meringue. It is

stabilised with gelatine and enriched with fresh whipped

cream. Keep in mind the fruit pulp should not be too

sloppy. For stronger flavour, use a fresh fruit puree.

Mousses can be made by cooking egg yolks and sugar to

form a thick sabayon to which whipped cream is folded. A

Bavarian cream listed above can also be classified into a

mousse

Charlottes This type of cold sweet is usually a bavarois encased with

Swiss roll slices or finger biscuits, ice wafers or Genoese

sponge. Charlotte moulds can be fluted or plain. They are

lined with, for example, slices of Swiss roll, placed as

closely as possible. You don't want gaps between the slices

when you fill the mould, with the bavarois mixture. If you

are using finger biscuits, neatly line the base and sides of

your charlotte mould, fill the centre, and leave to set. Trim

off the finger biscuits in line with the mould.

 If setting individual portions in a serving dish or glass, you

can reduce the gelatine content, but you must then allow at

least 4 hours setting time. Quicker setting needs more

gelatine, which then produces a rubbery consistency.

Gelatine acts as a stabiliser, encasing the air you have

beaten into the cream, making the dessert light and airy.

Cover with plastic wrap if you need to prevent undesirable

flavours from affecting the taste.

To demould any cream based dessert, attempt only when

the dessert has set and is firm to the touch. Loosen it in the

mould. For cream caramels, run a knife around the edge. A

bavarois can be loosened with your fingers. Gently pull one

edge away from the mould so that air gets in between the

dessert and the mould. This is usually sufficient to release

it. Hold the bavarois onto your serving plate and give it a

few shakes. If you have made it to the right consistency, it

should release nicely from the mould.

Another method is to immerse the mould briefly into tepid

water. Don't overdo it, or the dessert may start to melt and

ripple the surface.

Soufflé These are sweets based on a sauce anglaise, stabilised with

gelatine, enriched with whipped cream and lightened with

beaten egg whites and flavourings such as spirits and

liqueurs, nuts pastes etc. These are then set in special

soufflé moulds, wrapped in greaseproof paper 2,5cm higher

 than the mould. The paper is removed after chilling and the

soufflé is decorated.

Fools A fairly stiff fruit puree is carefully mixed with whipped

cream and allowed to set in the refrigerator.

Because of the richness of this dessert, fruits which are

highly acidic, such as raspberries, gooseberries and rhubarb

are the most suitable. This old English dessert is often

served with finger biscuits.

Table 24.8- Cream based desserts

Tarts, pies and flans:

As discussed with hot desserts, varieties of tarts, pies and flans can be prepared and

served hot or cold. Some flans are baked and served cold whilst some are served hot.

Let us discuss few of the classical tarts, pies and flans in table 24.9 below:

TARTS, PIES AND DESCRIPTION

FLANS

Lemon tart Tart or flan mould is lined with sweet paste and baked

blind. It is then filled with lemon curd and served decorated

with meringue or as plain. Key Lime pie is a popular

American dessert made with special lime called Key lime.

Fruit tarts Fruits tarts and flans can be made by using baked sweet

paste tarts shells and lining them with melted chocolate.

The base of the chocolate prevents the shell from getting

soggy. Pipe whipped pastry cream into the prepared shell

and decorate with freshly cut fruits. Glaze with a gel to

 protect the fruit from discolouring. These can be served as

afternoon tea desserts or arranged and served on buffets.

Bakewell tart This dessert is prepared by lining the tart mould with sweet

paste and filling the centre with raspberry jam and crème

Frangipane. The left over sweet paste is cut into strips and

arranged in a lattice formation on top and baked until

cooked. The tart is served cold garnished with water

icing(refer to chapter 20 on cakes and pastries)

Cherry clafoutis Cherry clafouti is one of such classical desserts in which the

cherries are arranged in a tart shell and custard is poured

over and baked until set. It is served cold and is a very

popular dessert in England

Baked custard flan This dessert is made by pouring basic egg custard into a

prepared sweet paste flan and baked at 140 Deg C until

cooked. The tart is allowed to cool and is served with sauce

Chocolate tarts Tart shell is lined with cocoa flavoured sweet paste and is

baked blind. A mixture is made by heating chocolate and

liquid glucose and pouring into the baked shell. It is served

when cold.

Table 24.9- Tarts, pies and flans, served as dessert

Jellies

Sweet jellies are made either with liqueur, a dessert wine or fruit juice combined with

sugar and gelatine. The liquid is usually heated with sugar until the sugar is dissolved.

The mixture is strained to remove any undissolved particles and softened gelatine is
added to the mixture and stirred until dissolved. The jelly is set into moulds before the

gelatine sets. Jelly moulds or dishes can be lined or attractively arranged in layers. If

you mould your jelly, you will need more gelatine so that the jelly can support its own

weight once it is turned out from the mould.

Jellies can be mixed with diced and chopped fruits and herbs to make attractive

combinations. Jellies are rarely served as desserts these days, but they form an

attractive garnish. The jelly can be set into a flat mould and can be cut with various

cutters to make garnishes of different shapes.

Sponges and yeast leavened

We have discussed a range of desserts made with various kinds of sponges and bases

in chapter 20 on cakes and pastries in this book. Apart from those various other

desserts are made by combining sponge with other ingredients such as pastry cream,

ganache, nuts etc to make some classical desserts. Yeast leavened dough such as

brioche and savarin dough are commonly used for preparing various kinds of desserts.

Let us discuss some of these in table 24.10 below:

SPONGE AND DESCRIPTION

YEAST LEAVENED

DESSERT

Fruit Trifle Fruit trifle is a very popular dessert from England. Sponge

is sandwiched with red coloured jam and then cut into

cubes. The dessert is layered with pastry cream, diced

fruits, nuts, sponge cubes and whipped cream. Sponge

 sprinkled with sherry or other fortified wine such as

Madeira or marsala is used to add to the flavour and aroma.

One can also add can add any sort of fruit, cut or pureed, or

even omit it altogether and include extra jam or fruit jelly in

its place. Fruit trifles are layered in glass bowls to make

them look appealing and appetising. The top of trifle is

traditionally iced with a feather icing of jam, cream and

pastry cream.

Zucotto Zucotto is a popular dessert from Italy that is made in a

bombe mould and filled with chocolate sponge, ricotta

cheese, ganache, nuts and raisins and served covered with

melted ganache

Tiramisu A very famous Italian dessert that literally means- ‘Pick me

up’ is made by layering a creamy mixture made by

combining mascarpone cheese, egg yolks, sugar and

whipped egg whites or meringue, with coffee soaked

sponge fingers also known as Saviordi. It is a very common

dessert served in most of the five star hotels around the

world.

Baba Au Rhum Babas and savarin are made from yeast dough and are

proved and baked in a ring shaped mould known as savarin

mould or a dariole mould. These are baked and then soaked

in a sweet flavoured liquid usually with rum. These are then

filled with fruit and garnished with whipped cream. To

enhance the flavour they are glazed with hot jam glaze and
 served chilled.

Meringues

Meringue is a mixture of either, egg white and sugar or egg white and boiled sugar.

The second type is known as Italian meringue, there are convenience meringue

mixtures on the market, usually dehydrated, which will produce very satisfactory and

reliable results.

Meringues are prepared by whipping egg whites with pinch of salt and sugar. Heavy

or light meringue can be achieved by addition of more or less sugar. Meringues can be

divided into three categories such as French Meringue, Italian Meringue and Swiss

meringue. Please refer to table 20.1 of chapter 20 for detailed information on different

types of meringue. Meringues can be used in variety of ways. They can be used as a

base for cakes and pastries and even used for garnishes and decorations as in case of

lemon meringue pie. Let us discuss few of the commonly prepared desserts using

meringue in table 24.11 below:

MERINGUE BASED DESCRIPTION

DESSERT

Vacherin Traditionally, these are meringue disks which are baked at

50 Deg C for few hours or until dried. These are then

sandwiched together with ice cream, and sides are finished

with whipped cream like a cake.

Vacherins can also be made by piping the meringue from a

round tube one on top of another to resemble a shell. The

shells are then baked dried and then filled with whipped

cream or pastry cream and decorated with fruits, berries,

 whipped cream, ice cream etc.

Pavlova Another of the meringue favourites, it is made by

combining meringue with cornflour, vinegar and vanilla

essence. It is shaped into quenelles for plated desserts or

spooned over a baking sheet and made into round shape

using the back of the spoon. The texture of the pavlova is

rustic and uneven when baked. It is baked in a very slow

oven for approximately 1.5 to 2 hours until crisp and dry. It

is mainly served with sweetened whipped cream filling and

fresh fruit. Coulis or tropical fruit salsas go well with

pavlova.

Marshmallows Marshmallows are sweet confections that are usually served

for kid’s parties or on festive occasions. They can also be

used as a topping for ice creams and sundaes.

Marshmallows are made by combining meringue with

melted gelatine and cornflour and set in trays heavily

dusted with cornflour until set. It is then cut with sharp

knife and rolled in cornflour. Marshmallow can be

flavoured with essence and colours

Table 24.11- Meringue based desserts