JOT DOWN DURING DISCUSSION.

Learning Outcome 1: Perform Mise en Place

Reasons for Eating Desserts and Sweets
 Dessert balances out a meal and gives “closure”  Dessert isn’t “fattening” Remember, there is no
to the meal. such thing as a fattening food
 Eating dessert is an opportunity to experience  It will make you feel like a kid again. Forget anti-
different flavors and textures that you cannot get in aging creams or long and sweaty workout sessions
other foods like vegetables, meats, and fruits. at the gym, the fastest way to recapture your youth,
or embrace a more youthful spirit is to eat like a kid
 Dessert can be an opportunity to be creative you
can make interesting mixtures that you otherwise  It is romantic. Desserts are designed for romance.
may not have thought of. After all, you can’t really order a salad with two
forks. But, when it comes to cake, that is a different
matter.
Classification/types of desserts and their characteristics
A. FRUITS
The simplest dessert and one of the best are fruits because they are nutritious, appetizing, and easy to
prepare and serve.
Characteristics of good fruit desserts:
 appetizing aroma  clean washed appearance
 simple  slightly chilled

B. CHEESE
Cheese is another excellent dessert that is ready to serve. It is made in all parts of the world from a variety
of milks from cow, goat and sheep. Cheese differs depending on the kind of milk used, the kinds of cheese-
making procedures, the seasonings and the ripening processes also distinguish its variety. Each variety has a
definite character, a special appeal and particular uses.
The three general types of cheese based on consistency are:
1. Soft 2. Semi – hard 3. Hard
A. unripen cheese A. ripened by mold A. with gas holes
B. ripened by bacteria B. ripened by bacteria B. without gas holes

C. GELATIN DESSERT
These are easily prepared, economical and vary in many ways. Gelatin is marketed in two forms. First, the
unsweetened, granular type that must be softened in water before use, and the fruit gelatin to which flavor,
color, and sugar have already been added.
D.CUSTARD
Baked and soft custards vary in so many ways. Creamy, delicate, baked custards may be served in their
baking cups or may be unmolded and served with fruit garnishes or with dessert sauces
Characteristics of baked custard
 firmness of shape  smooth, tender texture

1
 JOT DOWN DURING DISCUSSION.

 rich and creamy consistency  excellent flavor

Characteristics of soft custard

 velvety smooth texture  has pouring consistency of heavy cream
 rich flavor

E. PUDDINGS
Puddings are relatively simple to prepare and vary with sauces.
These are classified as:
 Cornstarch pudding, sometimes called  Rice puddings
blancmange  Bread puddings
Characteristics of Pudding
 attractive appearance  firmness of shape
 excellent consistency  an accompanying sauce to add interest
 well – blended flavor

F. FRUIT COBBLERS
These are not fruit pies. They have a depth of two or three inches and are topped with biscuit dough
rather than being made with pie crust. They may be served either hot or cold.
G. FROZEN DESSERTS
1. Ice cream - smooth frozen mixture of milk, 3. Frozen Soufflés and Frozen Mousses
cream, sugar, flavorings and sometimes eggs. Made like chilled mousses and Bavarians, whipped
2. Sherbet and Ices – made from fruit juices, water cream, beaten egg whites or both are folded to give
and sugar. American sherbet contains milk and lightness and allow to be still frozen in an ordinary
cream and sometimes egg white. The egg whites freezer.
increase smoothness and volume. Ice contains only
fruit juice water, sugar and sometimes egg white.

Learning Outcome 2: Prepare Desserts and Sweet sauces

Ingredients Needed in Preparing Desserts and Sweet Sauces
1. SUGAR
The common element linking virtually all desserts is sugar. It may be used to sprinkle over fruit, beaten into egg
yolks for custard or into whites for meringue. Many desserts use sugar syrup, which involves boiling sugar and
water to the desired temperature.
Quality Points:
 Granulated sugar is used in most recipes.
 Castor sugar is best for meringues and some cakes  Brown sugar is commonly used in hot sauce as it
because it dissolves more easily. produces a lovely rich caramel flavour.
 Confectioner's sugar or icing sugar is used mostly
for dusting the tops of desserts.
2. GELATIN is used to set many cold molded desserts. It is the basis for jellies and is also used to set creams
and mousses.

2
 JOT DOWN DURING DISCUSSION.

Quality Points:
 Many desserts are prepared using commercial leaf or powdered gelatin.
 Gelatins may be plain or flavored and colored for effect.

3. EGG YOLKS may be mixed with flavorings, sugar and cream or milk to make custard or they may be
whisked together over hot water to create a sabayon Egg whites when raw egg whites are beaten, air is
trapped in the mixture in the form of bubbles.
Quality Points:
Take eggs out of the refrigerator prior to use so they are at room temperature.
This way they will whisk up better and incorporate more air.
4. EGG WHITES beaten to soft peaks will support soufflés and mousses while whites beaten to firm peaks
are suitable for meringues.
Quality Points:
 Egg whites should be fresh and a grade quality.  If egg whites have not been cleanly divided and
 They may be purchased in bulk frozen or you may contain traces of yolk, they will not whip up to
freeze them in small quantities if you have excess. satisfactory foam. A pinch of salt helps the whites to
whip up better.
5. FRUIT RIPE perfect fruit provides the basis for many desserts, with very little effort needed to make an
attractive colorful display. Fruit may be pureed, baked or poached and can then be used for pies, soufflés
and puddings.
6. CREAM
This ingredient is often used as a decoration or accompaniment for both cold and hot desserts, but may also be
used as one of the recipe ingredients. Whipped cream may also be used as an effective layer for trifle. Cream
may be combined with rice, sugar and milk to make a delicious rice pudding.
Quality Points:
 Creams vary in taste and texture so choose  The characteristics of cream will differ
according to recipe specifications. according to whether it is pure cream, double
 Used only pasteurized cream. cream, reduced cream or cream that has had a
 Pay particular attention to use-by dates. stabilizer or gelatin added to it to make the
texture seem thicker and improve the whipping
qualities

7. BATTERS
This simple mixture of flour and water is used to make crepes and pancakes. Batter is also used to coat fruit for
fritters.
Quality Points:
 Batters should be made up from the fresh  Batter is often rested at room temperature after it
ingredients. is made to reduce its elasticity so that it flows more
freely over the pan.

3
 JOT DOWN DURING DISCUSSION.

 Batters can be flavored with vanilla and other

spices
8. NUTS are available whole, ground, roasted or caramelised. They are an important part of dessert cookery as
they provide flavour for creams and ice creams.
Quality Points:
 Nuts may be purchased natural or blanched.
 Freshness is always important. Keep nuts well  If you require toasted nuts, toast them yourself to
wrapped and store in refrigerator to prevent the oils ensure the nuts are fresh in the first place
in the nuts becoming rancid.
9. CHOCOLATE may be melted to easily blend into fillings and batters. It can also be poured over desserts
such as cakes and puddings. When melted chocolate is cooled it can be shaped and moulded into many
attractive decorations.
Quality Points:
 Chocolate is available in various types, namely  Milk and white chocolate because of their milk
bitter sweet, semi-sweet, white, dark and milk content are more difficult to work with than dark
chocolate. chocolate
Reminder: Quality Many recipes will specify the type and quality of the ingredients required. It is important that
you observe these requirements if you are to achieve quality desserts.

SWEET SAUCES
SAUCE - a flavored liquid blend of ingredients that FUDGE - a soft confection made of butter, sugar,
adds flavor and enhances the appearance of the chocolate. Sauces can give an entirely different
food. appearance, flavor, color, and moisture to desserts.
Kinds and Varieties of Sauces
1. Rich sauce is well suited to a simple dessert. 4. Hot sauces are made just before they are to be
2. Light sauce is suited to a rich dessert. used.
3. Hot fudge is a delightful contrast to a cold 5. Cold sauces are cooked ahead of time, then
cornstarch pudding or to vanilla ice cream. cooled, covered and put in the refrigerator to chill.
Thickening Agents for Sauces
Thickening agents improve the quality of the sauces.
1. Starch 3. Eggs 5. Flavor 7. Cornstarch
2. Cream 4. Rice 6. Grains

Most dessert sauces fall into one of three categories:

1. Custard Sauces -Vanilla custard sauce, 3. Syrups - Includes such products as chocolate
Chocolate or other flavor may be added to create sauce and caramel sauce.
varieties.
2. Fruit Purees -These are simply purees of fresh
or cooked fruits, sweetened with sugar. Other
flavorings and spices are sometimes added.
Guidelines in Preparing Vanilla Custard Sauce
4
 JOT DOWN DURING DISCUSSION.

1. Use clean, sanitized equipment and follow 5. Place bowl with egg mixture in a pan of
procedure. simmering water and stir constantly to prevent
2. When combining the egg yolks and sugar, whip curdling.
the mixture as soon as the sugar is added. Letting 6. To test for doneness, the mixture lightly coats the
the sugar and egg yolks stand together without back of the spoon.
mixing creates lumps. 7. Immediately cool the sauce by setting the pan or
3. Scald milk before combining with the yolks. bowl in ice water. Stir occasionally to cool evenly.
4. Slowly beat the hot milk into the beaten eggs and 8. If the sauce curdles, immediately stir in one (1) to
sugar. two (2) ounces cold milk, transfer the sauce to a
blender, and blend at high speed.

STORAGE OF SAUCES
Sauces should be kept in airtight containers and stored in a cool dry place away from moisture, oxygen, light
and pests. Food made with starches that contain egg, milk, cream and other dairy products are prone to bacterial
contamination and to food- borne illness. Sauces made with these ingredients should be kept out of the
temperature danger zone. Thickened sauce should also be prepared, served and stored with caution. These
products should be stored in the refrigerator and never left to stand at room temperature too long.

Learning Outcome: 3 Plate/present desserts

ACCOMPANIMENTS, GARNISHES AND DECORATIONS FOR DESSERTS
Dessert Syrup Pastry Cream
Flavored simple syrup uses to moisten cakes. Contains starch as well as eggs, resulting in a much
Flavorings maybe extracts like vanilla, liquors like thicker and more stable product. It is used as a cake
rum. Add flavorings after the syrup has cold, flavor and pastry fillings for cream pies and pudding. With
may lose if added to hot syrup. Lemon or orange additional liquid, it is used as custard sauce.
rind may also add flavor to syrup
Custards
Cream Anglaise Consist of milk, sugar, eggs and flavorings. (Whole
Stirred vanilla custard sauce; consists of milk, eggs are used for greater thickening power). Used
sugar, egg yolks and vanilla stirred over low heat as pie fillings, as a dessert by itself and as a basis
until lightly thickened. for many bake puddings.
ART OF DESSERT PLATING
Desserts should turn heads in the dining room. Garnishing and plating desserts shouldn't be an afterthought. It
should be an integral part of how you build your recipe.
 Garnishes that add attraction
a. Fruit Garnish c. Chocolate Garnish
b. Nut Garnish d. Cookie Garnish

Guidelines in plating dessert:

1. Make garnishes edible. Everything on the need a lot of garnishes. And keep the rim of the
dessert plate should be edible and delicious. plate clear, so the servers aren't touching the
food when they place the desserts in front of the
2. Keep it clean and simple. Don't crowd the
customers.
plate. If your dessert is beautiful, it shouldn't
5
 JOT DOWN DURING DISCUSSION.

3. Make your garnishes relate to the dessert on 4. Layer flavors and textures in your dessert.
the plate. The only time you should garnish Textures and flavors hit the palate at different times.
with fresh mint is if you're serving mint ice Ask yourself, "How can I make this better?" If the
cream. Don't put it on there just because you answer is a little lemon zest, then add it as a
think the dessert needs color. If you have a garnish. All the components on the plate should
brown dessert, like apples in puff pastry, then build on the dessert, making it better.
make sure all of those elements are executed 5. Try different plates —various sizes and shapes.
well —puff pastry should look beautiful and The right plate can add or enhance the theme really
crisp. well.
PLATING AND PRESENTING TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

There are many factors and techniques to consider in food plating that affect the overall appearance of a
dessert. Applying one of the tips may enhance presentation.
1. The plate – when plating desserts, the choice of plate is critical to the final presentation. Remember, the
plate is the frame of the presentation. There are many sizes, shapes, and colors available. Choosing the right
size of plate is important because food should not be crowded onto the plate.
2. Color - always consider color as an important part of plate presentation. Always try to have a variety of
colors on the plate.
 Green is fresh and cool, and can be soothing.  Blue is a natural appetite suppressant, since it can
 Red is passion and excitement. make food look unappetizing.
 Black is sophisticated and elegant.
2. Texture - texture is critical to food presentation, as well as enjoyment. Contrasting hard and soft, smooth
and coarse, adds visual interest to your food, and it will enhance your customers' enjoyment to the food.
3. Keep things clean - Remember that neatness counts. Food should be contained within the rim of the plate,
yet it should not be crowded in the center. Take a look at the plate and ask yourself if it is pleasing to the
eye. It should not look sloppy and dirty.
4. Garnish to Impress. Garnishes and decorations can enhance your plate presentation. Choose garnishes that
are appropriate to the ingredients. For example, using a chocolate curl for chocolate cake.
Here are some other techniques to keep in mind when garnishing:
 Never decorate a plate with something inedible  Choose garnishes that are the correct size; they
 Ensure the garnish complements and enhances the should be easy to eat
dish
Learning Outcome: 4 Storing Dessert
STORING COLD AND HOT DESSERT

As many desserts contain egg and dairy product, they present a potential health hazard if not stored properly
REMEMBER: Proper storage means cooled dessert must be covered with plastic or placed in lidded container
before storing in cool room.

6
 JOT DOWN DURING DISCUSSION.

Dessert containing uncooked eggs should be handled with extreme care, as raw egg is a medium in which
dangerous bacteria such as salmonella can thrive. This means you need to be really careful with food like
chocolate mousse and uncooked cheese cake that contain egg white for a gelatin.
 Egg custard contain protein, which provides mixture in Bain- Marie for a while should be
good for bacteria that are present in the discard at the end of service.
custard can grow quickly, bacteria that are  If milk and cream are used in dessert like
present in the custard can grow quickly to trifle and custard, they must not be left to
dangerous numbers. stand at room temperature for any length of
 Any dessert that is not required for time. They should be kept in the refrigerator
immediately consumption must be cooled until the last possible moment to prevent the
rapidly and stored in the cool room required. risk of food poisoning.
 If you plan to prepare dessert hot until  Many desserts have limited storage life.
service, make sure that the temperature of Make sure you check with your supervisor
the food is over 65’c. Never leave an egg and follow organizational requirement.

Packaging Materials for Storing Dessert

1. Glass Container 3. Plastic/Cellophane
2. Plastic Container 4. Aluminum foil
Equipment
1. Chiller 5. Packaging Tapes
2. Freezer 6. Boxes
3. Refrigerator

STORAGE TECHNIQUES
1. Refrigerate – To keep cool or cold 3. Chilling – To Refrigerate or to reduce the
2. Cold Storage – The process of storing food by temperature of food
means of refrigeration

FOOD SAFETY ON STORING AND TRANSPORTING FOODS

Food Packaging has been defined by Paine (1962) as the “art science and technology of preparing goods for
transport and sale”. More specifically, it is a way of making sure that a product reaches the end user in good
condition at the least cost to the producer.
In effect, a packaging material provides the means of transporting a product from one place to another with
maximum protection at the least cost
Food is packed in terms of quality, shelf life, microbial condition and portion control. Spoilage of food is caused
by poor packaging of food.

1. Below are some other factors in the spoilage of food:

a. PH of food- This simply indicates the inverse amount of hydrogen ion available in the food system. This is
oftentimes associated with acidity of food. Thus, foods with high amounts of hydrogen ion have low pH and
this is considered to have acidic taste. For instance, green mangoes have generally lower pH (Ph below 4.0) and
therefore have high acidity.
b. Moisture content – This is related to the physical state of the food itself. Products with very high moisture
could be those in liquid form, while those with very low free moisture could be dried or frozen. This product

7
 JOT DOWN DURING DISCUSSION.

component is very important relative to food spoilage. The higher the moisture content, the greater the chances
for microbial growth and chemical changes.
c. Amount and nature of fat content – The chemical processes also accelerate breakdown of fats on food.
Thus, products with high fat content like oils, butter, soft cheese, fried foods and the like tend to spoil fast when
inadequately packaged. Exposure to the atmosphere causes rapid oxidation breaking down the fat into free fatty
acids in food. The faster the breakdown, the greater the chances of development of rancidity.
d. Enzyme system – It is a chemical processes like fermentation and hydrolysis which occur in high moisture
food, especially in the presence of oxygen of ambient tropical temperature. When foods undergo these
processes, they change in texture, flavor, odor and color. Under these conditions, the product may already be
considered spoiled.
e. Initial Microbial load – This means that micro-organisms thrive best in high moisture foods like molds,
yeast, and bacteria they grow faster in food with the high moisture content. Classification of packaging
according to use: As a primary package – This type of package is meant to directly contain the product. Hence,
it gets in direct contact with the goods. Thus, this package is expected to meet all the requirements for safety
and protection of the consumers like tetra packs or canned food packages
As a secondary package – This is utilized to contain a specified number of unit packs. Thus, it may contain a
dozen tetra packs or 2 dozen of tin cans or a gross of candies and so on. Its major function is to allow for the
unit packs to be carried in bulk.
As a tertiary package – When transporting in bulk, the secondary package may have to be packed again for
greater protection and for bulk transfer. Use of tertiary package is normally for bulk transport or storage in large
warehouses. Occupational and health safety procedures in packaging foods
Steps on how to package meat before freezing.
1. Divide your meat into your set serving sizes 4. Squeeze as much of the air as you can get out,
2. Get a plastic zip bag big enough to hold the then close the zip.
portion size plus a little extra room for the meat to 5. Date the bag so you know how long it's been in
expand from the freezing process. your freezer
3. Put the meat into the bag, then flatten.

METHODS OF FOOD PACKAGING HOME CANNED FOODS

One of the oldest and most common methods of food packaging in homes is the use of home canning.
Fruits and vegetables are placed in glass jars and sealed in the jars by heating the jars and then placing a rubber
stopped jar top on the jar. The seals also need to be airtight to prevent the growth of bacteria.
Freezing and chilling food - another common method of packaging food is freezing and chilling. Freezing can
be done with a variety of methods. Most often, it is vegetables that are frozen, although berries and other fruits
can also lend themselves to being frozen.
Canned foods - canning foods as a method of food processing have been around, foods that are canned
commercially are cooked prior to being placed in the can in order to prevent E. coli contamination. Canned
foods come in a wide variety, ranging from meat to vegetables to fruit.
Foil Packaging - one of the innovative methods of commercial food packaging is foil wrapping. Foil wraps are
often pouches that are filled and then the bottom and top of the pouch is sealed with a heat seal similar to those
8
 JOT DOWN DURING DISCUSSION.

used with commercial frozen packaging. Foil packaging allows the foods to be sealed in the package without
losing any residual moisture that may still be in the food. The best foods to package in this manner are usually
dried fruits, baked goods or grain products.