Desserts, Custards, and Puddings pg. 155 - 157

Question 1

Describe dessert selection

Answer 1

> plan dessert and meal at same time in order to help balance menu
if light meal, rich dessert such as pie topped with ice cream or cheesecake may be served
if heavy meal, light dessert such as custard, fruit, or sherbet may be served

Question 2

Describe dessert garnishes

Answer 2

> any dessert can be garnished to enhance appearance
should be sweet or complement flavor of dessert
should be edible
using festive garnish can help make dessert apex of meal, not merely last course

Question 3

Describe custards and list the different types of custard

Answer 3

> custards - smooth desserts that are made primarily of milk and eggs
egg is key ingredient that enables custard to thicken and set up
baked custard
soft custard

Question 4

Describe baked custard

Answer 4

> cooked in custard cup or casserole dish
set in pan of hot water and then baked in oven
will set up and take shape of dish
is usually unmolded before serving

Question 5

Describe soft custard

Answer 5

> cooked over hot water in top pan of double broiler
is stirred throughout cooking process
is creamy and commonly used as sauce over fruit or cake
example: creme brulee (popular type of French custard)

Question 6

Describe pudding

Answer 6

> like custard, is made primarily of milk and eggs
also incorporate starchy ingredient such as cornstarch, rice, or tapioca to produce thickened texture
has creamy texture
is versatile
allowed to set up in individual serving dishes or placed in bowl from which it will be spooned

Question 7

Describe tempering eggs

Answer 7

> most critical cooking technique for making puddings and soft custards is to temper
if eggs not tempered before they are added to hot mixture, they will coagulate
coagulated eggs will ruin pudding or custard by giving it lumpy texture and appearance

Question 8

Define tempering

Answer 8

> to temper is to gradually raise temperature of eggs to match temperature of mixture to which they will be added

Question 9

Define coagulate

Answer 9

> coagulate means that eggs will clump or clot as they begin to cook

Question 10

Describe how to temper eggs

Answer 10

> gradually add small amounts (large dollops) of hot mixture to beaten eggs
stir quickly and constantly after each addition
continue adding hot mixture until up to half of it has been incorporated with eggs
once eggs reach approximate temperature of hot mixture, stir egg mixture into remaining hot mixture
following these procedures should prevent eggs from coagulating

Question 11

Describe dressing up dessert with garnishes

Answer 11

> add sauce to plate or drizzle over dessert
place stencil or doily over cake, pie, or even plate on which dessert will be served. sprinkle stencil with cocoa powder, powdered sugar, or cinnamon. before serving, carefully remove stencil to reveal special effect
chocolate or citrus shavings and curl add interest
fanned strawberry or simple mint sprig can perk up plate
for additional flavor, texture, and color contrast, spoon dollop of whipped cream on top of dessert or beside it on plate
sprinkle chopped nuts over top of whipped cream or dessert
add specially grown edible flower such as pansy or nasturtium to plate