Ingredients are the raw materials of all confectionery. It is important that those starting out in confectionery understand what ingredients do and how they work and react. For the novice, the ability to select, measure and use ingredients in the right way will make recipes simpler to understand and help with success. In this section we look at the ingredients most commonly used in sweet making and describe their function.
Sugar and Other Sweeteners
Most desserts include sugar. Granulated sugar contributes texture and flavor, brown sugar contributes moisture and a deep caramel flavor, and powdered sugar is best for icings and lighter textures. If you want to replace sugar with honey, maple syrup, or agave, you can, but you may need to adjust the liquid content. The role of sugar in your dessert will help you achieve the desired texture, flavor, and color.
Flours and Starches
Flour serves as the foundation and binding agent for baked goods. All-purpose flour is a great go-to for any application; cake flour is best used when you want a light, airy texture; and whole wheat lends a heavier, nutty taste. Starches like cornstarch or arrowroot are commonly used as thickeners for custards, puddings, and fillings. Novice bakers should know the purpose of each type and how to use them to obtain the intended results.
B Fats and Oils
Fats enhance the flavor, tenderness and appearance of baked goods. Butter provides a distinct taste, appearance and feel to baked goods. Many baked goods include butter, such as cakes, cookies and pastries. The high fat content of butter creates the moisture, flakiness, tenderness and browning found in many baked goods. Vegetable oil, on the other hand, does not significantly impact the flavor of baked goods. However, it does enhance the tenderness and appearance of baked goods. Coconut oil, cream and margarine are other common fats found in baked goods. The fat used in a dessert recipe can affect the texture, flavor, tenderness and overall mouth feel of the final product, making it important for new bakers to understand which fats to use for a specific type of dessert.
Dairy products: Do not eat or drink milk, cream, ice cream, cheese, yogurt, or butter. Avoid any food products that contain milk or milk byproducts. Eggs: Avoid eating eggs.
Eggs and dairy serve as the glue that holds things together, adds moisture, or helps with texture. Eggs offer structure, aeration, and emulsification in cakes and custards, while milk, cream, and yogurt bring flavor, tenderness, and moisture. Mastering basic skills like tempering eggs for a custard or folding whipped cream into a mousse will teach you how to keep things smooth and silky, rather than ending up with a curdled mess or a deflated meringue.
Cocoa and chocolate
Chocolate and cocoa are the base for many desserts. There are three types of chocolate: dark, milk, and white, which all melt and temper slightly differently. Cocoa gives the flavor of chocolate without the fat. Knowing how to melt it, what you can mix with it, and when to use it or cocoa are all essential skills to master if you are new to working with chocolate.
Flavourings & Essences
Flavorings are added to desserts to give them a good taste and flavor. The most commonly used flavoring agent is vanilla. Besides this, almond, lemon, orange and coffee are some other flavorings used in desserts. You can also use cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and clove as flavoring in your desserts. As a beginner you must know how and when to add flavorings to your desserts and in what amount to avoid making it overpowering.
So, let’s take a look at some nuts, seeds, and fruits.
Nuts, seeds and fruits are sometimes added for texture, taste and appearance. Some common nuts used include almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts and pistachios. Some bakers may also use seeds such as sesame or poppy for added crunch. Fresh, dried or candied fruits can be added for extra sweetness, colour and moisture. Aspiring confectioners should understand how to prepare nuts, seeds and fruits for use, for example by chopping, toasting or marinating them to get the best taste and texture from their confectionery.
Baking powder Baking soda Baking ammonia Cream of tartar
Once you understand leavening agents, including baking powder, baking soda, and yeast, you will be on your way to baking light and fluffy cakes, muffins, pastries, and more. These ingredients give off a gas when they are used, causing the dough or batter to expand. It is important to know which type of leavening agent to use, and how much of each one to use. If you are new to baking, it’s important to learn about these ingredients to prevent your baked goods from turning out too dense or flat.
If you want to combine ingredients, how do you know if they’ll interact?
The key with sweet making, is knowing that these ingredients interact in certain ways. Fats to flour create tenderness, sugars for flavour, eggs are binders and lifters. Knowing that helps those new to baking figure out when things have gone wrong, and why they have to follow certain steps. Trial and error on a small scale enables the amateur chef to test the waters, so to speak.
We’re going to focus on building a good pantry, but we’re not looking at canned goods (those will come later). Instead, we’re talking about things that you can store for a long time without needing a refrigerator.
Young confectioners: the best advice I can give you is to have a well-stocked pantry. You can never go wrong if you have sugar, flour, fats, eggs, milk, chocolate, flavorings, nuts, and dried fruits at your disposal. You’ll be able to make a large array of desserts and then you can expand to specialty ingredients. Understanding ingredients is the key to a positive and successful sweet-making journey.