So, where do you start your journey into the world of confectionary? There are plenty of easy desserts that are simple, use everyday ingredients, require very little (if any) special equipment and yet, still taste great. The best way to begin is to make some easy desserts as it helps to get your confidence going, develops your technique and you still end up with a tasty dessert to enjoy without the hassle. This article will introduce you to some easy desserts that you can make at home.
- No-Bake Creations
No-bake desserts are perfect for those who are new to baking. Most of the time, you don’t need to bake anything, and you just have to assemble the ingredients together. Examples include energy balls, fudge, parfaits, and fruit desserts. No-bake desserts are great for learning the basics, like how to measure, how to mix, and how to balance flavors, without the risk of over-baking or burning your dessert. You can also get creative with no-bake desserts by trying out different ingredients, toppings, and designs.
Basic baked items
Begin with the basics. Cookies, muffins and a basic cake recipe are great to begin with, as they teach you fundamental principles like how to cream butter and sugar, how to combine wet and dry ingredients and how to check for doneness. You will get a chance to practice measuring, folding and how your oven responds. Simple recipes will give you the courage to move on to more complicated recipes later.
Here are some popular desserts made from fruit.
Crisps, tarts, compotes, and baked apples are all easy desserts to make. They don’t require a lot of ingredients, and they focus on the natural flavor of the fruit. Fruit desserts are also a great way to teach new cooks how to adjust sweetness and acidity, fillings, and basic skills like chopping, macerating, and baking. Plus, they can easily be adjusted to taste or presentation.
The Chocolates I Love
Who doesn’t love chocolate? It’s an easy dessert to make like chocolate mousse, fruit dipped in chocolate or brownies. Students learn about melting, tempering (to some extent) and flavor pairing. These recipes are quick, easy to make, taste delicious and look great.
Frozen Treats
If you are a beginner, you might want to try making some ice cream, sorbet or popsicles. These desserts usually only involve a few ingredients and often involve little or no baking. You can learn the basics of mixing, flavoring, and freezing, and customize these treats with seasonal fruits, flavor extracts or chocolate.
Fast Puddings and Custards
If you like creamy desserts, puddings, custards and basic creams are great starting points. Vanilla pudding, chocolate custard or rice pudding will teach you to heat up liquid, thicken it with starch or eggs and stir gently. These will teach you about texture, consistency and patience which will be necessary when you move on to making candies.
Stacked and Constructed Desserts
Trifles, parfaits, and basic cakes provide experience with presentation and assembly. Students learn to balance flavors, textures and colors and to portion ingredients and stack. The presentation aspect of assembled desserts develops creativity and aesthetic judgment without requiring special techniques or decorations.
5 reasons to start with the basics
One of the best things about desserts is that it is perfect for novice bakers to start with. The simplest dessert recipes will help you figure out basic things such as reading recipes, how to handle ingredients, and figuring out the basics of baking. Plus every dessert you make successfully is another step in mastering skills such as measuring, mixing, and timing as well as experimenting with flavor. Then when you move to more complicated recipes, they will seem all the more manageable.
Consume Your First Creations
But more than anything, what’s so great about beginner desserts is the joy of making something tasty all by yourself. Easy recipes offer instant gratification, encourage confidence, and open the door for new bakers to continue practicing and learning more involved dessert-making methods. And if they start with simple recipes, then there’s plenty of room to spread their wings later on.