www.iccadubai.ae 399 and pistachios. Nut pastes are conveniently incorporated into products at various stages of preparation. Praline – French praline is made with nuts and caramelised sugar. It is used as decoration in the finishing of cakes as it provides a textural contrast. KEY CONCEPTS TO REMEMBER There are four kinds of fillings: cream-based fillings, buttercream fillings, fruit and nut fillings and sugar-based coverings. Crème pâtissière is a cream-based filling, and is also known as pastry cream or confectioners’ cream. It is a basic mixture of custard, and contains milk/ cream and egg yolk that is thickened with starch. Meringue-based buttercream is a buttercream-based filling. It has 3 variations: Italian Meringue-based buttercream, Swiss Meringue-based buttercream and French Meringue-based buttercream. Fruit and nut fillings can contain fresh fruit, fruit purees, glazed/ candied fruit, jams and conserves, fruit curd, marzipan, nuts and praline. In the storage of cakes, cookies and sponges, there are a few points of care that need to be kept in mind. They are: the temperature, the covering, the labelling, the stock rotation and the packaging of the products. Sugar-Based Coverings Sugar-based coverings are referred to as ‘icing’, and are made with icing sugar or confectioners’ sugar as a base. They are commonly used as the outermost cover and decorating medium for cakes and cookies. Such icings are not suitable for use as fillings. Glacé Icing – Glacé icing is the simplest sugar-based icing and contain sugar and water. It can be flavoured and coloured as desired. Using lemon juice in place of water will reduce the sweetness of the icing. Royal Icing – Royal icing is an icing made from beaten egg whites, icing sugar and (sometimes) lemon or lime juice. It is the traditional icing used for Christmas Cakes, Wedding Cakes, Gingerbread Houses and many other cakes and biscuits. Glycerine is occasionally added to prevent the icing from setting too hard. Royal icing is usually considered a decorative icing, since it can be used to create many decorative effects, such as flowers and figures. It is often piped into shapes that are allowed to harden on a non-stick surface. The egg in royal icing hardens it to a tough crust, making this icing unusable as a filling. Thus, royal icing is mostly used over a marzipan-covered cake. It is also ideal for the decoration of cookies, because it dries fast and does not make the cookie soggy. Fondant – Fondant is a form of icing usually made commercially by boiling sugar, glucose and a weak acid, and then agitating the mix until it forms a mass. Fondant can be purchased
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