Dessert Ingredients and Preparation

Dessert Ingredients

• Cream can be combined with rice, sugar, and milk to make rice pudding.
• Nuts are available in different forms (whole, ground, roasted, or caramelized) and provide flavor to creams and ice creams.
• Chocolate can be melted and blended into fillings and batters, or poured over desserts and molded into decorations when cooled.

Sauces

• Sauces are flavored liquid blends that add flavor and enhance the appearance of desserts.
• Fudge is a soft confection made of butter, sugar, and chocolate.
• There are various types of sauces, including:
  • Rich sauce, suited for simple desserts
  • Light sauce, suited for rich desserts
  • Hot fudge, a delightful contrast to cold cornstarch pudding or vanilla ice cream
  • Hot sauces, made just before use
  • Cold sauces, cooked ahead of time and refrigerated to chill

Thickening Agents

• Thickening agents improve the quality of sauces, including:
  • Starch
  • Cream
  • Eggs
  • Rice flour
  • Cornstarch

Dessert Sauce Categories

• Custard sauces, with flavor variations like vanilla, chocolate, or others
• Fruit purees, made with fresh or cooked fruits, sweetened with sugar, and sometimes with added flavorings and spices
• Syrups, including chocolate sauce and caramel sauce

Common Ingredients

• Sugar is a common element in desserts, used for various purposes like sprinkling over fruit, beating into egg yolks or whites, or making sugar syrup
• Gelatine is used to set cold moulded desserts, jellies, and creams and mousses
• Egg yolks can be mixed with flavorings, sugar, and cream or milk to make custard or whisked over hot water to create a sabayon
• Egg whites can be beaten to create air bubbles, supporting soufflés and mousses or meringues
• Fruit is used as a basis for many desserts, with various preparation methods like pureeing, baking, or poaching
• Cream is often used as a decoration or accompaniment for desserts, and can also be used as a recipe ingredient