SITHPAT016

Produce desserts

LEARNER RESOURCE
Learner Resource

SITHPAT016 - Produce desserts (Release 1)

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Version Control & Document History

Date Summary of modifications Version

18 October 2022 Version 1.0 released for publishing. 1.0

Version 1.1 released with the following

modification:
23 December 2022  Minor wording and formatting issues 1.1
 Revised the table for the standard
recipe card

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Table of Contents
ABOUT THE TOURISM, TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY TRAINING PACKAGE ............................. 6
USING THIS LEARNER RESOURCE ...................................................................................... 8
ABOUT THIS UNIT OF COMPETENCY.................................................................................. 9
CHAPTER 1: SELECT INGREDIENTS ACCORDING TO RECIPE REQUIREMENTS ..................... 11
1.1 Use Standard Recipes to Confirm Food Production Requirements ......................................... 12
1.2 Calculate Ingredient Requirements According to Recipe Requirements ................................ 35
1.3 Identify and Select Ingredients According to Recipe, Quality, Freshness and Stock Rotation...
............................................................................................................................................. 40
Key Points: Chapter 1....................................................................................................................... 56

CHAPTER 2: SELECT, PREPARE AND USE EQUIPMENT ...................................................... 57

2.1 Select Equipment Suitable to Recipe Requirements................................................................ 58
2.2 Safely Assemble and Ensure Cleanliness of Equipment Before Use........................................ 70
2.3 Use Equipment Safely and Hygienically According to Manufacturer Instructions ................. 74
Key Points: Chapter 2....................................................................................................................... 80

CHAPTER 3: PORTION AND PREPARE INGREDIENTS ACCORDING TO STANDARD RECIPES. 81

3.1 Sort and Assemble Ingredients According to Production Sequencing .................................... 82
3.2 Weigh and Measure Ingredients for Desserts According to Recipe and Quantity Required . 84
3.3 Minimise Waste to Maximise Profitability ............................................................................... 90
Key Points: Chapter 3....................................................................................................................... 93

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CHAPTER 4: PRODUCE DESSERTS AND SAUCES ................................................................ 94

4.1 Follow Recipes to Produce Desserts With Desired Product Characteristics ........................... 95
4.2 Produce Desserts for Special Dietary Requirements by Following Special Dietary Recipes 123
4.3 Produce Dessert Sauces at the Correct Temperature, Consistency and Flavour .................. 134
4.4 Make Food Quality Adjustments Within Scope of Responsibility ......................................... 142
Key Points: Chapter 4..................................................................................................................... 147

CHAPTER 5: PORTION, PRESENT AND STORE DESSERTS ................................................. 148

5.1 Portion Desserts to Maximise Yield and Profitability ............................................................ 149
5.2 Use Accompaniments and Garnishes That Enhance the Flavour and Texture of Desserts .. 154
5.3 Use Standard Recipes and Practicality of Service to Plate Desserts Attractively ................. 158
5.4 Store Desserts in the Appropriate Environmental Conditions .............................................. 163
5.5 Clean Work Area, Dispose of or Store Surplus and Re-Usable By-Products According to
Organisational Procedures, Environmental Considerations, and Cost-Reduction Initiatives ....
........................................................................................................................................... 168
Key Points: Chapter 5..................................................................................................................... 174

SUMMARY ................................................................................................................... 175

REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 176

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About the Tourism, Travel and Hospitality Training Package

The SIT Tourism, Travel and Hospitality Training Package contains qualifications to provide skills for
people working in the following industry sectors:
 Hospitality
 Cookery
 Tourism
 Travel
 Events
Skills covered in these qualifications relate to areas including commercial cookery and patisserie,
event management, travel consultancy, caravan and holiday park management, tour guiding,
attractions management, visitor centre operations, food & beverage service, hotel operations and
management and tour operations.
To know more about this training package, click on this link:
https://www.skillsiq.com.au/FeedbackForum/TrainingPackages1/SITTourismTravelandHospitality

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Defining Qualifications
When units of competency are grouped into combinations that meet workplace roles, they are called
qualifications. These qualifications are aligned to the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). Each
qualification will have ’packaging rules’ which establish the number of core units, number and source
of elective units and overall requirements for delivering the qualification.

Delivery and Assessment of Qualifications

RTOs must have the qualifications (or specific units of competency) on their scope to deliver nationally
recognised training and assessment. RTOs are governed by and must comply with the requirements
established by applicable national frameworks and standards. RTOs must ensure that training and
assessment complies with the relevant standards.

Qualification Training Pathways

A pathway is the route or course of action taken to get to a destination. A training pathway is the
learning required to attain the competencies to achieve career goals. Everyone has different needs
and goals, and therefore requires a personalised and individual training pathway.

Foundation Skills
Foundation Skills are the non-technical skills that support the individual’s participation in the
workplace, in the community and in education and training.

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Using This Learner Resource

You can find the following icons within the Learner Resource:

Further Reading
Includes links to websites, articles, or other online
reading materials to aid in your study.

Multimedia
Includes links to videos or audios you can watch or
listen to about the topic discussed.

Note: To access videos, hold the Ctrl key then click on

the link.

Notes
Space for you to jot down important details or
information learnt from the chapter.

Learning Checkpoint
Asks you to answer the learning activities related to
the chapter discussed.

Links provided within this learner resource are in Blue Text. You can open this link through
the following:
 For Windows Users: Hold the Ctrl key then click on the link.
 For Mac Users: Click directly on the link.

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About This Unit of Competency

SITHPAT016 - Produce desserts

This unit SITHPAT016 Produce desserts describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge
required to produce hot, cold and frozen desserts following standard and special dietary recipes. It
requires the ability to select, prepare and portion ingredients and to use equipment and a range of
cookery methods to make and present desserts.
The unit applies to hospitality and catering organisations that produce and serve desserts, including
hotels, restaurants, clubs and patisseries.
It applies to pâtissiers who usually work under the guidance of more senior pastry chefs.
The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State or Territory
legislation, Australian standards and industry codes of practice.

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This Learner Resource has five chapters. These include:

1. Select Ingredients According to Recipe Requirements
2. Select, Prepare and Use Equipment
3. Portion and Prepare Ingredients According to Standard Recipes
4. Produce Desserts and Sauces
5. Portion, Present and Store Desserts
At the end of this training, you will be asked to complete an assessment pack for this unit of
competency. You will need to access a supervisor, a manager, or your assessor who can observe you
perform project or workplace tasks and verify your competency or performance.
On competent completion of the assessment, you must have demonstrated skills and knowledge
required to produce desserts.

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Chapter 1: Select Ingredients According to Recipe

Requirements

Everyone loves to eat desserts. However, when eating and enjoying desserts, you never think about
what goes into making them look and taste delicious. The creating journey begins once you have
decided which dessert you are making.
The dessert-making process starts with selecting the utensils and equipment and then selecting the
dessert ingredients. These two actions can only be done by following the recipe you selected.
In this chapter, you will learn how to:
 Use standard recipes to confirm food production requirements
 Calculate ingredient requirements according to recipe requirements
 Identify and select ingredients according to recipe, quality, freshness and stock rotation
By completing these actions, you will be well on your way to creating a delicious, mouth-watering
dessert.

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1.1 Use Standard Recipes to Confirm Food Production Requirements

The best way to begin making your dessert is to use a
standard recipe to confirm the food production
requirements. To confirm is to validate or verify the
requirements. Food production is the process used for
preparing food. It takes raw ingredients and converts
them into food products for human consumption. For
example, you are combining raw ingredients to
produce a dessert. To produce the dessert, you will
have certain production requirements. Requirements
are the items or information needed to produce the
desserts. These production requirements are found in
the recipe you choose to use.
Food production requirements can include the following:

Customer Meal quantities

Deadlines Menu items
requirements required

Organisational Special customer Special dietary

Portion control
standards requests requirements

Type of food to be
Equipment required Timeframe Ingredients required
prepared

When confirming food production requirements, it is important to use standardised recipes. A

standard recipe is the instructions on consistently preparing a known quantity and quality of desserts
for a specific place. A standard recipe will produce desserts identical in taste and amount every time
they are made, no matter who follows the recipe.
A standard recipe can include the following:

 Menu item name or recipe name

This is the name of the given recipe. The recipe’s name should be consistent with the name
on the menu.
 Total yield
The total yield is the number of servings or portions a recipe produces. The yield can also be
reflected as the total weight or volume of the recipe.

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 Portion size
Portion size refers to the amount or size of the individual portion. It also lists the number of
servings the recipe yields and the portion size to serve. For example:
20 portions - 1/2 cup servings
It may also suggest the portioning tools to use. For example:
20 portions - 1/2 cup servings (No. 8 scoop)
 Ingredient list or quantity
The ingredient list will give the exact quantities of each ingredient. An exception is made with
spices that are added to taste. The list is in order of preparation and specifies the food used,
such as frozen raspberries, canned apples, and rice (uncooked).
 Preparation procedures
Preparation procedures give specific directions for the order and types of operations used,
such as blend, fold, mix, and sauté.
These also include directions on preparing the recipe and the number and size of pans needed.
 Cooking temperatures and times
Cooking temperatures and times will include
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points
(HACCP). HACCP ensures the dish is cooked
properly and safe for consumption. It may
also include directions for serving, such as
whether the dessert should be served hot,
chilled, or at room temperature. It also
indicates the appropriate temperature and
time needed to produce the highest-quality
product.
 Equipment and utensils
A standard recipe will also list the preparation and serving tools needed to produce and serve
the dessert.
 Mise en place
Mise en place is a list of small equipment needed and the preparation of individual
ingredients. This concept will be discussed later in Chapter 3.
 Service instructions
Service instructions will indicate how the dessert will be stored. These also include instructions
for plating and garnishing.

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 Recipe cost
A standard recipe may display the total cost to prepare the recipe. This, in turn, determines
the cost of one serving. The cost of one serving is determined by dividing the total cost by the
number of servings prepared.
 Nutritional analysis
Some standard recipes may display nutritional analysis. The information here will include
things like calories, vitamins and minerals.
 Variations
Variations are the same thing presented differently. These could include instructions for
making the dessert dairy-free or changing the flavour using a different fruit.
 Suggested accompaniments
There are times when accompaniments can enhance the flavour of the dessert, and these
would be suggested here.
An example could be ‘best served with ice cream or custard’.
 Photos
Photos may be included to showcase the final product or clarify procedures to follow.

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An example of a standard recipe template can be seen below:

Standard Recipe Card for [RECIPE NAME]

Recipe no. Portion Size

Timeframe Yield

Equipment/Utensils

Ingredients Quantity Unit

Method/Procedure

1.

2.

3.

4.

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Using a standard recipe has many advantages. These advantages include the following:

Consistently making high-quality desserts that have been thoroughly tested

Controlling portion size that is important when costing a dessert

Making it easier to determine the cost of a particular dessert

Simplifying the pricing of a dessert

Reducing the possibility of error

Supporting creativity in cooking

Calculating the ingredients in an easier way using the information on the recipe

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Consider the recipe below.

Standard Recipe Card for Pecan Pie

Recipe no. 1 Portion Size 1 slice

Timeframe 1 hour Yield 8 slices

Equipment/Utensils Food processor, rolling pin, pie dish, saucepan, measuring cups and
spoons

Ingredients Quantity Unit

Flour 2 cups

Sugar 50 g

Salt ½ tsp

Unsalted cold butter 200 g

Ice water ¼ cup

Butter 4 Tbsp

Corn syrup 1 cup

Maple syrup ¼ cup

Brown sugar ⅓ cup

Eggs 3 pcs

Pecan nuts 1½ cups

Method/Procedure

For pastry

1. Combine flour, sugar and salt. Add butter and pulse to combine. Add ice water and
combine.

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Standard Recipe Card for Pecan Pie

Method/Procedure

For pastry

2. Empty onto the workbench and work the mixture together to make a pastry. Cover in cling
wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

3. Roll the pie pastry out and put it into the pie dish, and mould it to fit.

4. Top with baking paper and baking beads and bake in the oven at 220 °C for 15 minutes.
Remove and allow to cool.

For filling

1. Add butter, brown sugar, dark corn syrup, and maple syrup to a saucepan. Whisk up while
heating until combined. Remove and allow to cool.

2. Add eggs to the butter mixture and whisk.

3. Add chopped pecan nuts to the above mixture.

4. Pour the mixture into the pie base.

5. Add half pecan nuts to the top to decorate and place in the oven to bake at 180 °C for 10
minutes.

Serving Instructions

Serve with whipped cream.

Further Reading
Click on the link to see a recipe for pecan pie with whipped cream.
Pecan Pie with Vanilla Whipped Cream Recipe

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Using the mock recipe for pecan pie, you can identify the food production requirements as follows:
 Portion size
One slice
 Yield
Eight slices
 Equipment
Food processor, rolling pin, pie dish, saucepan, measuring cups and spoons
 Ingredients
2 ¼ cups flour, 50 g sugar, ½ tsp salt, 226 g unsalted cold butter, ¼ cup ice water, 4 Tbsp butter,
1 cup dark corn syrup, ¼ cup maple syrup, ⅓ brown sugar, 3 eggs, 1 cup pecan nuts
 Method
For pastry:
1. Combine flour, sugar and salt. Add butter and pulse to combine. Add ice water and
combine.
2. Empty onto the workbench and work the mixture together to make a pastry. Cover in
cling wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
3. Roll the pie pastry out and put it into the pie dish, and mould it to fit.
4. Top with baking paper and baking beads and bake in the oven at 220 °C for 15
minutes. Remove and allow to cool.
For filling:
1. Add butter, brown sugar, dark corn syrup, and maple syrup to a saucepan. Whisk up
while heating until combined. Remove and allow to cool.
2. Add eggs to the butter mixture and whisk.
3. Add chopped pecan nuts to the above mixture.
4. Pour the mixture into the pie base.
5. Add half pecan nuts to the top to decorate and place in the oven to bake at 180 °C for
10 minutes.
 Service instructions
Serve with whipped cream.

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Further Reading
Click on the link to see a recipe for pecan pie.
Pecan pie

To confirm food production requirements, you need to:

Review the menu for the service period to see which recipes you need

Review the standard recipes to determine the ingredients you will need

Determine what deadlines you have to make the food

Determine how many portions you need to calculate the number of ingredients to purchase

Find out if there are any special dietary requests

1.1.1 Dessert varieties

Standard recipes use culinary terms and
common trade names. These terms and trade
names can be used for things like:
 Dessert and sauce names
 Preparation methods
 Cooking or baking techniques
 Kitchen items
 Products or ingredients.
Culinary terms are the general names given to items. For example, ingredients are sugar, flour
and eggs. Trade names are specific examples or variants of the items. For example, the
ingredient trade names will be brown sugar, plain flour, and organic eggs.
Culinary terms and trade names are vocabularies used by chefs, cooks and bakers to ensure a
standard language that everyone understands. These also ensure recipes are not
misinterpreted. Many culinary terms and common trade names are in a different language, such
as French or Italian.
Desserts have common trade names, so everyone will know what you are referring to no matter
where you are in the world.

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Desserts can be made and served hot, cold or at room temperature. The desserts have been separated into hot, cold, and room temperature in the
table below.

Desserts Served at Room Temperature

 This is also known as burnt cream.

 It consists of a custard base topped with a layer of
Crème brûlée hardened caramelised sugar.
 It is a creamy baked custard.
Vanilla bean crème brûlée
 Origin: France
Classic chocolate crème brûlée
Pumpkin crème brûlée

 It is a baked dessert made by whipping egg whites and

Meringue sugar together.
 Origin: Switzerland, France, Italy
Classic vanilla meringues
Chocolate meringues
Coconut almond meringues

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Desserts Served at Room Temperature

 A tart is a baked dish consisting of a filling over a pastry

base with an open top not covered with pastry.
Tart
 The pastry is usually shortcrust; the filling is fruit-based,
(can be any temp) sometimes with custard.
French apple tart
 Tartlet refers to a miniature tart.
Chocolate tart
Fruit mince tart

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Desserts Served Hot

 This is a thin type of pancake.

 It is filled with chocolate spread, preserves, sugar, syrup,
cream, or custard.
 Origin: France
Crêpe (can be any temp)

Crêpe au sucre
Crêpes suzette
Strawberry Nutella crêpes

 A fritter is fruit battered and deep-fried.

Fritter

Banana fritters
Cinnamon fritters
Apple fritters

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Desserts Served Hot

 A pie is a baked dish that is usually made of a shortcrust

pastry dough casing that contains a filling of various sweet
ingredients.
 Sweet pies may be filled with fruit (e.g. apple pie), nuts (e.g.
pecan pie), sweetened vegetables (e.g. rhubarb pie), or with
fillings based on eggs and dairy (e.g. custard pie).
 Pies are defined by their crusts.
Pie
 A filled pie (also single-crust or bottom-crust) has pastry
lining the baking dish, and the filling is placed on top of the Strawberry cream pie
pastry but left open.
Pecan pie
 A top-crust pie has the filling in the bottom of the dish. It is
covered with a pastry or other covering before baking. Sweet potato pie

 A two-crust pie has the filling completely enclosed in the

pastry shell.

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Desserts Served Hot

 Poached fruit has been gently simmered in a liquid, such as

water, wine or spirit, to which sugar or other flavourings
may be added.
 Poaching is cooking the entire fruit by simmering it in a small
amount of liquid.
 Poaching is a simple and healthy way to prepare fruit for
dessert. Poached pears in spiced syrup
Poached or stewed fruit (can
be served cold too)  Poaching is an excellent way to use hard fruit, as it softens Poached peaches
the fruit and makes it easy to eat.
Poached nectarines with ginger and
 Stewed fruit has been cut up first before being gently lime syrup
simmered in liquid in a closed dish or pan.
Stewed apple
 The advantage of stewing is that the juices in stewed foods
are kept together. Stewed fruits with pear and apricot
Stewed plums with cinnamon yoghurt

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Desserts Served Hot

 It is a sweet, soft dessert, often with a base of milk or cream.

 It is thickened by flour and corn starch.
 It could be a cereal product that has been boiled, steamed,
or baked, e.g. rice pudding.
Pudding (can be served cold
too)
Chocolate pudding
Caramel apple pudding
Sticky date pudding

 A soufflé is a baked egg-based dish.

 It can be served as a sweetened dessert combined with
various other ingredients.
 The word soufflé means ‘to inflate’ or ‘to puff’.
Soufflé (can be served cold
too)  Origin: France

Raspberry souffle
Classic lemon souffle
Chocolate souffle

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Desserts Served Cold

 Bavarois is also known as Bavarian cream.

 Milk is thickened with eggs and gelatine, then whipped
cream is folded in.
 It is usually set in a cold mould and is unmoulded for serving.
Bavarois  Origin: Germany and France

Vanilla bavarois
Mango bavarois
Dark chocolate bavarois

 It is also known as a flan, caramel pudding, or custard.

 It is covered in a clear caramel sauce.
 It is baked in a mould and unmoulded for serving.
 Origin: France and Italy
Crème caramel

Brown sugar crème caramel

Orange crème caramel
Coconut crème caramel

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Desserts Served Cold

 Mousse is a soft prepared puréed chief ingredient

(chocolate), stiffly beaten egg whites, whipped cream, or
both. Incorporating air bubbles gives it a light and airy
texture.
 Depending on preparation techniques, it can range from
Mousse
light and fluffy to creamy and thick.
 Origin: France Chocolate mousse
Crème fraiche mousse
Vanilla mousse

 Panna cotta is a dessert of sweetened cream thickened with

gelatine and moulded.
 The cream may be aromatised with flavourings.
 Origin: Italy
Panna cotta
Yoghurt panna cotta
Vanilla panna cotta
Coconut panna cotta

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Desserts Served Cold

 In France, where the dish originated, parfait is made by

boiling cream, egg, sugar and syrup to create a custard-like
purée.
 The American version consists of different layers of
ingredients, such as granola, nuts, yogurt and liqueurs,
Parfait topped off with fruits or whipped cream.
 Either type is typically served in tall glassware with a long
spoon known as a parfait spoon. Passionfruit parfait
Chocolate parfait
Strawberry shortcake parfait

Further Reading
Click on the link to see a recipe for a French-style parfait.
Lemon parfait

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Below is an example of a recipe for a French-style parfait.

Standard Recipe Card for Walnut Parfait

Recipe no. 2 Portion Size 1 serving

Timeframe 1 hour Yield 4 servings

Equipment/Utensils Four parfait glasses, saucepan, wooden spoon, baking paper, mixing
bowl, whisk

Ingredients Quantity Unit

Sugar 75 g

Walnuts 100 g

Milk 1 cup

Orange rind 1

Vanilla essence 5 ml

Egg yolks 4

Sugar 65 g

Gelatine leaf 1

Cream 250 ml

Method/Procedure

1. Melt sugar in a saucepan until it begins to caramelise.

2. Add the walnuts to the caramelising sugar.

3. After a few minutes, remove from the heat and place on baking paper.

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Standard Recipe Card for Walnut Parfait

Method/Procedure

To make the custard:

1. Place milk, orange rind, and vanilla essence in a saucepan and warm.

2. Place the sugar and egg yolks in a bowl and whisk until creamy.

3. Remove the rinds from the milk and pour the milk into the egg mixture.

4. Whisk constantly while the bowl is over a saucepan of boiling water to thicken.

5. Remove from heat, add gelatine, and whisk again.

6. Leave the custard to cool.

7. Crush the cooled walnuts and stir them into the custard.

8. Fold in whipped cream.

9. Pour mixture into parfait glasses and place in refrigerator to chill.

Serving Instructions

Serve chilled.

Further Reading
Click on the link to see a recipe for a Walnut Parfait.
Creamy walnut parfait

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Case Study: Use a Standard Recipe to Confirm Production Requirements

You are working as a chef at The Continent Hotel. After reviewing the menu, you see that you
need to make banana fritters. You must identify the production requirements for the banana
fritters you will be preparing for the evening service starting at 6 pm. You need to ensure six
servings of banana fritters for normal dietary requirements and three servings of banana
fritters to cater for vegan guests. Using the mock standard recipe on the next page, identify
the following production requirements:
 Determine the equipment and ingredients you will need.
 Determine what deadlines you have to make the food.
 Determine how many portions you will need to calculate the number of ingredients.
 Find out if there are any special dietary requests and determine how to adjust the
recipe for them.
Using the recipe, you identify the following:
 You must prepare the equipment: Sieve, whisk, saucepan, knife, slotted spoon plate,
paper towel, large mixing bowl, medium bowl, tongs, and measuring cups and
spoons.
 The dinner starts at 6 pm, and since the fritters only take 20 minutes to prepare and
make, you can prepare the ingredients and equipment before service and make the
fritters when requested.
 The recipe’s yield serves three people, so you must double your recipe ingredients to
cater to the six customers.
 You also have to cater for the vegan request. The recipe yield is correct, but you must
use an egg replacer. This ingredient must be added to your requirements list. You
need plain flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, egg, chilled water, cornflour, vegetable
oil (for deep-frying), bananas, golden syrup, and thickened cream.

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Standard Recipe Card for Banana Fritters

Recipe no. 3 Portion Size 2 pieces per person

Timeframe 20 minutes Yield 6 pieces

Equipment/Utensils Sieve, whisk, saucepan, knife, slotted spoon plate, paper towel, large
mixing bowl, medium bowl, tongs, measuring cups and spoons.

Ingredients Quantity Unit

Plain flour 1 cup

Sugar 1 Tbsp

Baking powder 2 tsp

Salt ½ tsp

Egg 1 pc

Chilled water ¾ cup

Cornflour 2 Tbsp

Bananas 3 pcs

Golden syrup

Thickened cream

Vegetable oil

Method/Procedure

1. Sift 1 cup of flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.

2. Add chilled water and mix until a smooth batter is formed.

3. Beat egg and add to the batter.

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Standard Recipe Card for Banana Fritters

Method/Procedure

4. Leave to stand for 10 minutes.

5. Peel bananas and cut them in half lengthways.

6. Add enough oil into a saucepan to deep-fry. (3-4 cm deep).

7. Heat on high to 180 °C.

8. Put the cornflour in a bowl.

9. Dust banana in the cornflour, dip it into the batter and deep-fry for 3-4 minutes.

10. Sift 1 cup of flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.

11. Add chilled water and mix until a smooth batter is formed.

Serving Instructions

Serve immediately with golden syrup and cream.

Further Reading
Click on the link to see a recipe for banana fritters.
Banana fritters

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1.2 Calculate Ingredient Requirements According to Recipe Requirements

To ensure the recipe is made correctly, you must calculate the required ingredients accurately. To
calculate is to find the amount or number of something mathematically. Ingredients are the
substances combined to produce a particular dessert. Standard recipes have requirements to make a
specific number of portions (yield). To suit different situations, you can adjust the standard recipe
accordingly. Calculating ingredients are done for the following reasons:

Making a smaller yield

Making a larger yield

Converting from imperial to metric measurements

Amending the recipe to meet dietary requirements

The conversion factor method is one way to calculate the ingredient requirements according to recipe
requirements. This is the most common way used to adjust a recipe. The conversion factor method
requires two steps:
1. Finding the conversion factor
2. Multiplying the ingredients in the standard recipe by the factor
To find the conversion factor, use the following steps:
1. Find the yield (or the number of portions) on the standard recipe. This is the information you
have.
2. According to requirements, decide what yield is required. This is the information you need.
3. Divide the required yield (Step 2) by the old yield (Step 1).

Conversion factor = required yield ÷ recipe yield

Conversion factor = what you need ÷ what you have

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An example of finding a conversion factor is as follows:

Example 1

Find the conversion factor to adjust a recipe that produces 25 portions to 65 portions.
 Recipe yield (what you have) = 25 portions
 Required yield (what you need) = 65 portions
 Conversion factor:
1. = (required yield) ÷ (recipe yield)
2. = 65 portions ÷ 25 portions
3. = 2.6

If the number of portions and the size of each portion change, you use a similar approach to finding
the conversion factor. The steps involved are:
1. Find the total yield by multiplying the number and size of each portion.
2. Find the required yield by multiplying the number of portions you need by the size of the
portions you need.
3. Divide the required yield (Step 2) by the old yield (Step 1)
An example of finding a conversion factor for this requirement is shown in the following table:

Example 2

A recipe produces 35 portions, and each portion weighs 120 g. The recipe must be adjusted to
produce 65 portions, with each portion weighing 90 g. Find the conversion factor to adjust the
recipe.
 Recipe yield (what you have) = 35 portions x 120 g per portion = 4200 g
 Required yield (what you need) = 65 portions x 90 g = 5850 g
 Conversion factor:
1. = (required yield) ÷ (recipe yield)
2. = 5850 ÷ 4200
3. = 1.39

Remember
The conversion factor will be greater than one if you increase your amounts.
The conversion factor will be less than one if you reduce your amounts.

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Once you have the conversion factor, you can adjust the recipe by calculating the ingredient
requirements. You should use weight measurements to give a more accurate conversion. Below is an
example of using a conversion factor to calculate ingredients:

Example 3

Adjust this standard recipe that has a yield of 4 panna cotta to have a new yield of 20 panna cotta.
Ingredients list for four panna cotta

Ingredients Amount

Water 20 ml

Gelatine powder 5 ml

Cream 312 ml

Vanilla essence 5 ml

Castor sugar 80 g

1. Find the conversion factor:

i. Conversion factor = new yield ÷ old yield
ii. = 20 ÷ 4
iii. =5
2. Multiply the ingredients by the conversion factor as seen in the table below.

Ingredients Amount Conversion factor New amount

Water 20 ml 5 100 ml

Gelatine powder 5 ml 5 25 ml

Cream 312 ml 5 1.56 ml

Vanilla essence 5 ml 5 25 ml

Castor sugar 80 g 5 400 g

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Further Reading
Click on the links below to see a recipe for panna cotta to serve six. By using the
conversion method on the previous page, you can adjust the recipe to suit any
number of customers.
Vanilla bean panna cotta

Multimedia
The video below shows the steps to acquire
and use the conversion factor needed when
calculating recipe ingredient requirements
Recipe Conversions

Calculating ingredients according to recipe requirements is important as you must meet needs such
as:

Yield

Cost efficiency

Consistency in size and quality

Waste reduction

However, when calculating ingredients according to

a standardised recipe, certain factors must be
considered as they can affect the outcome. It is
recommended that when the calculations are made,
you make notes. Some problems may occur and can
only be rectified through experience.

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These are some factors to keep in mind when calculating ingredients according to recipe
requirements:

The equipment you are using is different from the recipe requirements

The mixing and cooking times, especially if the equipment you are using differs from the recipe

The temperature – if portion sizes are smaller, the cooking temperature will differ

The adding of spices and seasoning cannot always follow the conversion factor, rather, under-
season and adjust before serving.

Standard recipes always meet the expectation, which is why they are used. Expectations need to be
met regarding:

The customer every time they eat your product

The employee’s skill level

The cost and profit for all products produced.

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1.3 Identify and Select Ingredients According to Recipe, Quality, Freshness and Stock
Rotation
Once you have confirmed your food production requirements and calculated the ingredients required
for your standard recipe, you must identify and select the ingredients. The ingredients need to be
identified and selected according to certain requirements. These requirements are:

Recipe Quality Freshness Stock rotation

To identify means to establish, determine or verify as being a particular thing. To select refers to
carefully choosing something because it is the most suitable. You first refer to your recipe to identify
the ingredients you need to make the dessert. Identifying the ingredients needed gives you the list to
select when purchasing the items from the store. A store is a place where the ingredients are obtained.
Although many ingredients are obtained through the local grocery store, especially for smaller
businesses, there is a greater trend in obtaining ingredients directly from the source. The following
have become more popular places of purchase:

Local farms

•The community benefits from you supporting local farms.

•The produce from local farms is fresher.
•Fresh produce encourages health-conscious customers to buy from you.
•You will need to cater dessert options to the season availability of produce.

Farmers' markets

•Farmers' markets give you the option of choice as many farmers sell their
produce in one area.
•The ingredients taste better as the produce has been selected by the farmers at
the right time.
•Farmers' markets offer you a wider choice so you can compare quality, freshness
and price easily.

Wholesalers

•Wholesalers source the ingredients directly from the farm.

•Wholesalers check the ingredients for quality and freshness before sale.
•Wholesalers can deliver the ingredients, making it more convenient.

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Ingredients need to be selected based on quality and freshness. Quality refers to the standard or
degree of excellence of the ingredients compared to similar ingredients. Freshness refers to how
recent the ingredient has been made or obtained and whether it is stale or deteriorated. Quality and
freshness go hand in hand. For an ingredient to be of good quality, it must be fresh.
To identify and select the ingredients according to the quality, you will look at the following aspects:
 Appearance - Size, shape, colour, gloss, consistency
 Texture - creamy, firm, soft, crispy, juicy
 Flavour - sweet, salty, sour, bitter
To identify and select the ingredients according to freshness, you will use your senses:
 Sight - Is it mouldy and bruised or shiny and bright?
 Smell - Is it sour, sweet, sulfuric or rotten?
 Touch - Is it heavy and firm or soft and juicy?
 Taste - Is it sweet, sour, salty or bitter?
Another way to identify the freshness of an ingredient is to look at the use-by or best-before dates.
You will learn more about this in Section 1.3.3.

Stock Rotation
Stock rotation involves moving products close to their use-by or sell-by dates to the front of the shelf
to be used or sold first. To implement stock rotation, you need to consider when it will be used and
how long it can safely be stored. The systems most widely used for stock rotation are:

First in, first out (FIFO) First expired, first out (FEFO)

 First in, first out (FIFO)

This method involves using the older ingredients first. This refers to the ingredients that do
not have use-by dates, such as fresh fruits.
 First expired, first out (FEFO)
FEFO involves looking at the use-by or best-by dates. This method ensures you use the
ingredients before their expiry date. It prevents older ingredients from being forgotten at the
back of your shelf or the bottom of the freezer.
Using FIFO and FEFO methods, you ensure fresh, high-quality desserts are produced and
reduce food waste costs.

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1.3.1 Identifying Ingredients

To identify the ingredients of a dessert, you need to refer to the recipe. A standard recipe will
list the ingredients. If you look at the mock standard recipe below, the arrow indicates where
you will locate the list of ingredients for the recipe. The ingredients identified for this recipe are
milk, sugar, flour, salt, egg, butter, banana, and Nutella.

Standard Recipe Card for Crêpe

Recipe no. 4 Portion Size 2 crêpes

Timeframe 15 minutes Yield 12 crêpes

Equipment/Utensils Sieve, two bowls, measuring cups and spoons, whisk, jug, fry pan or
crêpe pan, crêpe tool

Ingredients Quantity Unit

Milk 300 ml

Sugar 30 g

All-purpose flour 125 g

Salt ½ tsp

Egg 2

Butter 1½ tsp

Banana 1 pc

Nutella 1 tsp

Method/Procedure

1. Sieve the flour into a bowl and add salt.

2. Crack the eggs into the bowl. Add the sugar and milk into the bowl. Use a whisk to mix them
until there are no lumps.

3. Pour sugar, milk and egg mixture into a jug. Add wet ingredients to the flour and mix,
ensuring no lumps.

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Standard Recipe Card for Crêpe

Method/Procedure

4. Melt 1 tsp butter and add to crêpe batter.

5. Place a pan on the stove and turn to medium heat.

6. Add half a teaspoon of butter into the pan to melt.

7. Add ¼ cup of crêpe mixture into the pan and move the pan in a circle to spread the mixture.

8. The mixture heats up until the edges turn brown. Flip over to allow the other side to brown.

9. Transfer the crêpe to the plate.

Serving Instructions

Spread with Nutella and add banana. Fold over so the sides overlap.

Further Reading
Click on the link to see a recipe for crepes.
Basic crepes

Common ingredients used to produce desserts include:

Milk Eggs Cream Flour

Sugar Vanilla pods Butter Chocolate

Cocoa powder Fruits Gelatine

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Ingredient Purpose Common Trade Names Good Quality Indicators Indicators Ingredient is NOT
Fresh
Culinary Term

 Milk serves as the main  Full-fat milk  Texture: thin, smooth  Smell: rancid
liquid for some liquid
 Reduced-fat or low-fat  Look: yellowish
desserts.
milk  Appearance: white
 Taste: acidic and sour
 It can be used to
 Skim milk  Flavour: sweet, creamy
hydrate ingredients,  Feel: lumpy
Milk  Lactose-free milk
add flavour and soften  Look at the use-by date
the texture of batters.  Buttermilk
 Heat some milk in the
 It can also be brushed  Dairy alternatives (soy, microwave; it is not
over baked goods to oat or almond) fresh if the colour and
stimulate browning. texture change.

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Ingredient Purpose Common Trade Names Good Quality Indicators Indicators Ingredient is NOT
Fresh
Culinary Term

 Eggs create structure  Brown or white eggs  Texture: smooth shell  Smell: sulfuric
and stability for most
 Organic eggs  Appearance: yolk is  Look: yolk is flat, with
classic desserts.
small, round, bright blood spots
 Free range eggs
 They incorporate air for yellow, or orange
 Egg white is runny
mousses and thicken  Cage-free eggs
 Egg white is thick and
and emulsify custards.  There is discolouration
 Medium, large, extra gel-like
 They also add moisture large, jumbo sizes  Shell is dirty or cracked
Eggs  Shell is clean and oval
to pastries and  Taste: sulfuric
promote browning on  Flavour: sweet, creamy,
buttery  Feel: shell feels slimy
baked goods.
 Egg will float or stand
on end in a glass of
water
 Look at the use-by date

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Ingredient Purpose Common Trade Names Good Quality Indicators Indicators Ingredient is NOT
Fresh
Culinary Term

 Cream helps form a  Pure cream  Texture: silken, creamy  Smell: sour
smooth base for
 Thickened cream  Appearance: glossy,  Look: curdled - liquid
custards and crèmes.
white contains lumps
 Sour cream
 It can be whipped to a
 Flavour: sweet, rich,  Taste: sour
Cream light consistency that  Crème fraîche
fatty
holds its shape.  Feel: lumpy
 Double cream
 Whipped cream can be  Look at the use-by date
used in mousses or as a
top for some desserts.

 Flour serves as a base  All-purpose flour  Texture: smooth, fine  Smell: sour, musty
ingredient for baked
 Plain flour  Appearance: white  Look: infected with
goods to give them
pests or colour has
structure.  Self-raising flour
changed
 It holds ingredients in a  Unbleached flour
 Taste: sour, bitter
Flour batter and dough  Wholemeal flour
together for baking.  Feel: clumpy, wet

 When used dry, it can  Look at the use-by date

also prevent baked
goods from sticking to
moulds.

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Ingredient Purpose Common Trade Names Good Quality Indicators Indicators Ingredient is NOT
Fresh
Culinary Term

 Sugar gives desserts  White sugar  Texture: granular  Smell: rancid as it has
their sweetness and absorbed other odours
 Caster sugar  Appearance: white
helps improve the
crystals  Look: clumpy from
other flavours in a  Icing sugar
moisture buildup and
dessert.  Flavour: sweet
 Brown sugar has bugs
 It helps create a thick  Raw sugar  Feel: rock hard
Sugar texture for desserts and
 Palm sugar  Look at the use-by date
structure baked goods.
 When heat is directly  Sugar does not go off,
applied to it, it can but use it within 18-24
brown a dessert. months to ensure it is
at its finest quality

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Ingredient Purpose Common Trade Names Good Quality Indicators Indicators Ingredient is NOT
Fresh
Culinary Term

 Vanilla is the most  Vanilla extract  Texture: supple, moist  Smell: diminished
commonly used
 Vanilla beans  Appearance: dark  Look: dried out,
flavouring agent.
brown, oily mouldy
 Vanilla bean paste
 It adds an aromatic
 Flavour: sweet, smokey  Taste: diminished
sweetness.  Vanilla essence
Vanilla  Feel: hard, brittle
 It is also added to
desserts to enhance the
other flavours of other
ingredients such as
sugar, eggs and
chocolate.

 Butter contributes a rich  Salted butter  Texture: smooth, firm  Smell: sour, rancid,
flavour to desserts. and solid when cold, soft cheesy
 Unsalted butter
when at room temp
 It makes baked pastries  Look: discoloured,
 Clarified butter
and crusts tender by  Appearance: yellow mouldy
shortening gluten  Dairy blends
Butter  Flavour: milky sweet  Taste: sour
strands.  Low-fat butter
 Feel: remains soft in
 It can also create
the fridge
leavening dues to the
steam it creates when  Look at the use-by
baked. date

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Ingredient Purpose Common Trade Names Good Quality Indicators Indicators Ingredient is NOT
Fresh
Culinary Term

 Chocolate provides a  Dark chocolate  Texture: soft and melts  Smell: too sweet,
complex bittersweet in your mouth similar to other
 Semisweet chocolate
flavour in desserts. ingredients
 Appearance: smooth
 Bittersweet chocolate
 It provides structure in brown, glossy  Look: white grey film,
Chocolate crème-based desserts.  Unsweetened bubbles, discolouration
 Flavour: 45-70% cocoa,
chocolate
 It can also absorb sweet, bitter  Taste: oily, rancid
hydration in baked  Milk chocolate
 Feel: rough, grainy
goods when added as  White chocolate
cocoa powder  Look at the use-by date

 Gelatine is used to  Gelatine powder  Texture: smooth,  Smell: strong odour

stabilise and gel springy
 Gelatine sheets  Look: watery, mould
mousses.
 Appearance: clear change in colour
 It can be used to create
 Flavour: odourless  Feel: change in
foams and give body
consistency - exposed
and texture to desserts
Gelatine to moisture
 It can be made into a
 Look at the use-by date
liquid, heated, mixed
with other ingredients,
cooled, frozen and then
served at room
temperature.

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The following are steps to identifying and selecting ingredients from stores according to the
recipe, quality, freshness and stock rotation:
1. Refer to your recipe requirements. The recipe gives you a breakdown of required
ingredients and how much of each ingredient you need to purchase from the store.
2. Make a detailed shopping list to ensure you do not forget any ingredients.
3. Research the ingredients you require to see which store will offer you the brands or
products you want for the best price.
4. When shopping in-store, you need to look first at the quality of the ingredient you want
to purchase. Higher-quality items are usually more expensive, so you must consider
budget requirements.
5. Once you have decided on the level of quality you require, you look at the ingredients’
freshness.
6. Most stores deliver food products regularly, so identifying fresh ingredients should be
easy.
7. When selecting, consider how the ingredient has been packaged and stored.
8. Finally, be aware of the store’s stock rotation policy when identifying and selecting
ingredients. Check to see if the food at the front will expire soon. If the ingredients you
want are not used, choose items with a longer expiry date.

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1.3.2 Animal-Based Setting Agents

Setting agents are additives put into foods to provide structure, viscosity and firmness.
Gelatine is an animal-based setting agent used most often in dessert making. Gelatine is a
protein derived from skin and bones and has a clear jelly texture. Gelatine comes in three forms:

Powder Granular Sheets

There are four types of animal gelatine, they are:

 Porcine gelatine
o Made from pig skin or bones
o Most commonly used as it is cheaper
o Restricted in Islamic countries as it is not halal
o Not vegan-friendly
 Bovine gelatine
o Made from bovine hides or bones
o Accepted as kosher and halal
o Not vegan friendly
 Fish gelatine
o Made from fish skin, bones, scales and fins
o Acceptable to all religions and cultures
o Not vegan friendly
o Used in desserts as it has a low melting point and quick flavour release
 Chicken gelatine
o Made from chicken skin or bones
o High in collagen
o Not vegan friendly

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1.3.3 Ingredient Codes and Labels

When looking at the freshness of ingredients, you can check two things:
 Stock date codes
Stock date codes are the dates printed on
ingredients that identify the use-by or best-
before date of a product or an ingredient.
Date codes tell us the product’s shelf life
and how long it can be kept before its
quality deteriorates. Ingredients that have
a shelf life of fewer than two years must
have a date code displayed.
o Use-by dates identify when the purchased ingredient is no longer considered
edible due to health and safety constraints. The ingredient must be eaten or
thrown away by this date. It is illegal to sell ingredients after the use-by date.
o Best-before dates refer to when the product remains commercially viable and
will retain any qualities it is marketed to possess. These ingredients may still be
safe to use and sell unless damaged, deteriorated or perished.
o Sell-by dates help shop staff rotate inventory. It is not a safety indicator for
ingredients.
Date codes must include specific information. The information they must include can
be seen in the table below.

Date Codes Contents of Date Codes

 The words ‘Best Before’

 Best-before date
Best-before date  Reference where the date is on the
label if it is not located next to the
words ‘Best Before’

 The words ‘Use By’

 Use-by date
Use-by date  Reference where the date is on the
label if it is not located next to the
words ‘Use By’

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Further Reading
Click the link below to read about use-by and best-before dates.
Use-by and best-before dates

 Stock rotation labels

Rotation labels identify when the produce was prepared and help eliminate the risk of
foodborne illness. Stock rotation labels also help maintain an efficient FIFO system and
minimise food wastage. Some handy tips for stock rotation labels include:
o Having a day-of-the-week label to make stock rotation fast and easy.
o Colour-coding the labels for each day of the week so they are easy to interpret.
Stock rotation labels must include the following information:

Name of food or drink

List of ingredients and allergens (if applicable)

Date prepared or opened

Use-by date or best before date

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The advantages of having stock rotation labels are the following:

It keeps stock and inventory organised.

It reduces food waste.

It minimises costs in the kitchen.

It ensures you are serving fresh, quality products.

It prevents foodborne illnesses.

Further Reading
Click the link below to read the legal requirements for labels.
Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code - Standard 1.2.1 - Requirements
to have labels or otherwise provide information

Multimedia
The video below shows how stock rotation
labels ensure you serve safe food.
Daydots™ Food Rotation Labels

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Notes

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Key Points: Chapter 1

• Standardised recipes are used when producing desserts to ensure consistency.

• Recipes may need to be adjusted to increase or decrease the yield; to do this, you need to
find the conversion factor.
• Calculating ingredients helps you be cost-efficient and reduce waste.
• Ingredients must be selected based on quality and freshness.

• The quality of ingredients is based on appearance, texture and flavour.

• The freshness of ingredients is based on sight, smell, touch and taste.

Learning Checkpoint
Now that you have finished this chapter, let’s do some learning exercises.
Get your Learning Activity Booklet provided with this Learner Resource. Complete
the learning activities for this chapter.
For guidance and additional instructions with these activities, talk to your
trainer/assessor.

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Chapter 2: Select, Prepare and Use Equipment

Selecting your ingredients is the start of making the dessert. Your next step is to ensure you have the
correct equipment to do the job. The equipment you will need is dependent on what you are making.
To know which equipment to select, prepare and use, you must refer to your standard recipe. You will
use many kinds of equipment to prepare the different desserts. Many of the equipment is specialised
or has different features. It is important to be familiar with what each one is for and how to use them.
Knowing how to use the kitchen equipment properly will prevent accidents from happening. Being
familiar with the equipment also promotes faster preparation times.
In this chapter, you will learn about the following:
 Select equipment suitable to recipe requirements
 Safely assemble and ensure cleanliness of equipment before use
 Use equipment safely and hygienically according to manufacturer instructions

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2.1 Select Equipment Suitable to Recipe Requirements

Selecting the type of equipment to use is important. Selecting refers to carefully choosing the most
suitable equipment for the recipe requirements. Some tools and equipment have more than one
purpose. It is advantageous if you know the purpose of the tools and equipment.
You can check the recipe card to determine what equipment or tools to use. You may also ask your
manager or supervising chefs for advice on using utensils.
It is important to select the equipment that is suitable to your recipe requirements for the following
reasons:

To get the correct measurements

•For example, if you are using the incorrect measurements, the dough may not turn
out the way it should, and you cannot fix it, thus causing food waste.

To get the correct shape

•This can affect the way the dessert is baked, set or presented.

To get the right taste

•For example, if you use a hand mixer instead of a whisk, it can change the airiness
of the dessert.

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Look at the recipe on the next page to identify the equipment needed to make an apple tart.

Standard Recipe Card for Apple Tart

Recipe no. 5 Portion Size 1 slice

Timeframe 1 hour and 30 Yield 8 slices

minutes

Equipment/Utensils Industrial food processor, rolling pin, tart pan, baking paper, cling
wrap, baking beads, bowl, whisk, pastry brush.

Ingredients Quantity Unit

All-purpose flour 340 g

Sugar 90 g

Salt ½ tsp

Cold butter 150 g

Eggs 2

Apples 2

Cream 100 ml

Sugar 40 g

Egg yolks 2

Cinnamon ¼ tsp

Vanilla extract 1 tsp

Apricot jam 1 Tbsp

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Standard Recipe Card for Apple Tart

Method/Procedure

1. Combine flour, sugar, salt and cold butter in a mixer.

2. While mixing, add two eggs.

3. Once combined, remove the dough from the mixer, cover it in cling wrap and refrigerate
for 30 minutes.

4. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it out.

5. Lay it over a tart pan and mould it to the shape of the pan.

6. Put baking paper over the dough and baking beads on top of the baking paper to hold the
paper in place.

7. Bake at 180 °C for 10 minutes.

8. Remove baking beads and paper.

9. Cut two apples in half, core and thinly slice.

10. Layer sliced apples into baked pastry.

11. Combine cream, sugar, egg yolks, cinnamon, and vanilla extract in a bowl with a whisk.

12. Pour mixture over apples in pastry and sprinkle with sugar.

13. Bake at 180 °C for 30 minutes.

14. Remove from tart pan and allow to cool.

15. Brush with melted apricot jam.

Further Reading
Click on the link to see a recipe for French apple tarts.
French apple tarts with calvados cream

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2.1.1 Types of Equipment

Take time to familiarise yourself with different kitchen equipment and their uses. There are
several types listed below. However, your workplace may have specific equipment not covered
in this unit. For example, a small café may use domestic equipment as the need for it is low and
the cost much lower for the business. In contrast, a commercial kitchen will require commercial-
grade equipment due to the much larger product volumes produced, which is also a more
expensive item to purchase.
Equipment used when preparing desserts are divided into different groups. These groups are:

Fixtures and large equipment

Small equipment

Cleaning equipment

Disposable equipment

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Fixtures and Large Kitchen Equipment

These are fixed items that need not be moved around the kitchen. Fixtures, furniture and
functional equipment are all counted as large equipment.
Examples of large equipment include:

Kitchen Equipment Sample Image

Workbenches
Kitchen workbenches refer to tables used as your primary work
surface. A commercial-grade workbench should ensure an area
of about 1.5 m per person. Most of your dessert preparation will
be done on this surface, so regularly clean or sanitise the area.

Ovens with trays

Ovens are used for a variety of cooking techniques, such as
baking. Commercial ovens are different from ones you might use
at home. They can achieve very high temperatures and are large
enough to cook several batches at once. They are also more
durable and safer to use for longer periods.

Mixers
Mixers are used to combine ingredients before baking. They are
typically used to make dough for baked items like bread, cakes
or doughnuts. Industrial mixers are large enough to contain
enough ingredients to make large batches of baked goods.

Industrial food processors

Food processors are essential equipment in the kitchen that
chop, dice, grate, mix, knead, and slice food quickly. It is more
efficient to use them than do the tasks manually.

Gas, electric or induction stovetops

Stovetops are heating elements that cook food in pots and pans.
These stoves use gas (flame), electricity or induction heat.
Ideally, a commercial establishment would have two burners per
person to ensure efficiency.

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Kitchen Equipment Sample Image

Refrigeration units with shelving

These are cold storage equipment. There is sufficient shelving in
these units to accommodate more items. A standard stand-alone
refrigerator can be used within a kitchen. There may also be cool
rooms or walk-in units for larger storage space.

Deep fryers
A deep fryer is a piece of electrical equipment that heats the oil
to a high temperature. It is used to deep-fry food such as fritters.

Designated area for dry goods and perishables

Your establishment should have a separate area for dry food items
and perishables. These items do not need refrigerated storage
units. Examples are cooking oil, flour, salt and sugar. The area
typically has shelves to maximise space and ensure food is kept
off the floor.

Sinks
Commercial sinks are usually made of stainless steel, like other
food-safe equipment. They should have at least two
compartments to maximise tasks and ensure safe food
preparation practices. For example, one compartment is used for
cleaning equipment, and the other is used for food preparation.
They have deep compartments that accommodate large pots.
Some sinks are fitted with heaters to help with sanitation or hose
connections to help with deep-cleaning.

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Small Kitchen Equipment

These refer to electric appliances, tools and utensils you need during food preparation. Small
equipment can be moved around the kitchen. Since these are likely to be used by more than
one person, clean them often. As much as possible, these should be cleaned after each use to
prevent cross-contamination.
Examples of small kitchen equipment include:

Kitchen Equipment Sample Image

Assorted pots and pans

These are used in cooking and placed over a heat source. They
are made of heavy metals to retain and transfer heat to the
food they contain. Pans are shallow containers with long
handles.
Pots and pans made of different metals have different
considerations when cleaning. Check food safety standards and
policies, or ask your manager for specific procedures.

Blender
A blender is an appliance that consists of a container with a
metal blade at the bottom. When switched on, the blade spins
rapidly to mix, liquefy or purée soft ingredients. It is often used
to mix fruits with other liquids to create sauces.

Beaters or hand mixers

These are electric handheld tools used for mixing or beating.
They have two removable beaters and variable speeds. Some
mixers have whisk attachments.

Scales
Kitchen scales measure exact amounts of food items,
ingredients or portions. They help you follow a standardised
recipe since measuring by weight is more precise than using
cups and spoons. Kitchen scales can be analogue or digital.
Commercial scales must be able to handle heavier weights.

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Kitchen Equipment Sample Image

Blow torches
A blow torch is a handy kitchen tool used for caramelising or
searing desserts such as crème brûlée.

Whisks
A whisk is a hand tool used to blend small amounts of
ingredients quickly. A whisk is also used to add air to
ingredients such as egg whites or cream to increase their
volume.

Measuring jugs
Measuring jugs are kitchen utensils used to measure larger
volumes of liquid. They can also pour liquid ingredients into a
bowl or pan without spilling.

Ramekins
A ramekin is a small dish used to bake individual-sized desserts
such as soufflé or crème brûlée.

Wire cooling racks

A wire cooling rack allows air to circulate through the baking,
preventing it from getting condensation and going soggy.

Measuring cups and spoons

Measuring cups and spoons are used to measure ingredients.
They can be made of plastic or metal.

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Kitchen Equipment Sample Image

Storage containers
Containers are needed to store prepared ingredients or pre-
prepared dishes. These containers come in different sizes and
have different features, such as material or special lids. Most
food containers have measurements to help approximate
quantity. They are also stackable for ease of storage.

Cutting boards
These durable boards provide a clean and safe surface to slice or
chop ingredients. It is important to use cutting boards that do
not slip and can resist chipping from knifework. Cutting boards
can be made of wood, plastic or rubber.

Knives
Knives are essential items for food preparation. They are used to
cut, slice, chop or do other precise actions on food items.
Chef’s knife - Wide with a clean edge that tapers to a point; used
for chopping, mincing and slicing food items
Paring knife - Small with a clean edge, this knife is used to peel
and slice fruits and vegetables
Utility knife - Smaller and slimmer than a chef’s knife, this knife
is used to slice small food and vegetables; its smaller size makes
it more suitable for precise slices.
Palette knife - Long and flat to spread sauce or icing or lift food
items with flat bottoms

Knife sharpening equipment

Knives must be kept sharp in the kitchen. A dull knife will result
in poorly sliced ingredients, delaying preparation or making food
look less appealing. Pull a knife down or along with the steel or
stone at a 22.5° angle.
Sharpening steel - Long steel rods or tools
Sharpening stone - Stones made of different materials, usually
oil stones

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2.1.2 Size of Equipment

When choosing the size of equipment, you need to consider some things. A small café would
not have the same equipment as a large restaurant. When purchasing the equipment for your
organisation, keep the following in mind:

Energy efficiency

Quality

Size

Ease of maintenance

Cost

Size is important. When making a recipe, you need to look at the volume of the ingredients you
will be working with to make the dessert. For example, your equipment will be smaller if you
have a low-yield recipe. Pots and mixing bowls need adequate space to mix or stir the
ingredients. You may also need to use a hand mixer rather than an industrial food processor.
Steps to follow when selecting equipment suitable for the recipe are:

Look at the recipe and note the equipment listed as part of the food production
requirements.

Read through the recipe to see if any equipment needed has been left off the list.

Look at the recipe's yield to see the volume; this will indicate whether industrial-sized
machinery is needed or handheld machinery will suffice.

Confirm the size of pots, pans and bowls needed.

Confirm the size of baking moulds or pans needed.

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2.1.3 Using Moulds for Desserts

A mould is a solid container used to give shape to a liquid. When the liquid cools and sets, it
takes the shape of the mould. Moulds are used to give the shape and uniformity of the dessert.
They also ensure consistency, which helps with yield and costing. Moulds can come in a variety
of shapes and sizes. The mould you choose will depend on the dessert you want to make.
Stainless steel, aluminium and silicone moulds are popular choices. Soufflé moulds are often
ceramic or glazed stoneware.
Desserts that would need a mould are:

Bavarois Crème caramel Panna cotta Tarts

Soufflé Puddings

The types of moulds you can use are:

Pudding moulds

Dariole moulds

Soufflé moulds or ramekins

Dariole moulds are used for making single-portion desserts. They are usually made from
aluminium. Dariole moulds are small but come in a variety of sizes measured in millilitres. They
are a flower pot-shaped mould ideal for desserts such as crème caramel and panna cotta.
Ramekin moulds are small dishes used to make individual desserts such as soufflé and crème
brûlée. A ramekin is a mould that can be placed in the oven to make the contents baked.
Ramekins are usually ceramic but can be glass, stoneware or metal.
When selecting the appropriate mould, you need to consider the following:

The size of the mould

The shape of the mould

Number of moulds needed

Material best suited for the mould, such as silicon, ceramic or metal

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When preparing your mould, it is best to grease them to avoid the dessert sticking. You can
grease your mould with butter or oil.

Further Reading
Click on the link to see a recipe for chocolate mousse.
Chocolate mousse in minutes

Case Study: Identify the Equipment Suitable to the Requirements

You are working as a chef at The Continent Hotel and have been asked to ensure the correct
equipment is selected to prepare the chocolate mousse. You use the standard mock recipe
below to make the selection.

Standard Recipe Card for Chocolate Mousse

Recipe no. 14 Portion Size 1 per person

Timeframe 3 hrs Yield 8

Equipment/Utensils Large pot, three large stainless steel bowls, spatula,

industrial food mixer, whisk, eight ramekins, wooden
spoon

Ingredients Quantity Unit

You identify the suitable equipment needed as:

 A large pot
 Three large stainless-steel bowls
 A spatula
 An industrial food mixer
 A whisk
 Eight ramekins
 A wooden spoon

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2.2 Safely Assemble and Ensure Cleanliness of Equipment Before Use

Once you have selected the equipment you need for the recipe, you need to prepare the equipment.
Preparing the equipment refers to getting it ready to be used. When preparing the equipment, you
must ensure it is clean and assembled correctly.
You need to follow safety precautions when assembling the equipment to ensure protection against
harm or injury. Safety is a high priority in the kitchen, and your organisation will have procedures for
you to follow when assembling equipment. To assemble the equipment, you need to assemble its
components or parts. These parts could be things like blades that could cause cuts. Some equipment
in the kitchen is also electrical, which, if handled incorrectly, could cause electric shock. Equipment
comes with manufacturer instructions, which you must follow to ensure the equipment is assembled
correctly and safely.
It is industry best practice to have an induction on assembling and using equipment safely. You must
follow through on what was learnt during the induction to avoid injury to yourself and others and
prevent damage to the equipment. This practice also ensures the correct use of equipment. If you are
still unsure or cannot assemble the equipment, ask your supervisor for help.
To ensure your and others’ safety, your organisation would have a document that outlines safe
operating practices for assembling equipment. Safe operating practices are step-by-step instructions
on how to perform tasks safely. Safe operating practices must be used with the manufacturer
instructions to ensure safety for all.
To ensure the safe assembly of equipment:

Be careful when handling blades and moving parts.

Unplug equipment before assembly.

Label any faulty equipment.

Turn off the equipment after using.

Do not use extension cables.

Ensure the surface you are working on is level.

Only use the equipment you have been trained to use.

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When preparing your equipment, ensure it is clean. Clean means it does not contain any dirt or
bacteria and meets health and safety standards at your workplace. Equipment should be cleaned to a
satisfactory standard before you use it.
For equipment to be considered clean and meeting the food safety standards, it must contain no:

Food waste Dirt Grease Visible matter

Equipment must be cleaned and sanitised (disinfected) before use. These are two separate processes.
Effective cleaning occurs before sanitising. Cleaning involves using detergent, water and agitation,
with the visible dirt and detergent then rinsed with clean water. Detergents are chemicals that remove
dirt and grease. However, detergents do not kill bacteria. Sanitising is required to remove any bacteria.
To ensure equipment is easy to clean, make certain it has the following:

Smooth surfaces (no engravings)

Parts that can be easily dismantled without specialist tools

Easy to reach ducts or panels

Filters that can be detatched

Wires, pipes and hoses that can be disconnected

Cleaning Agents
Many different cleaning agents are designed specifically for different cleaning purposes. They help
you get the best results in the kitchen and remove any harmful bacteria that can stick to surfaces,
floors, and dishes. Surface sprays, floor cleaners, bleach, washing agents, and dishwasher tablets
should be provided in the workplace to carry out cleaning tasks efficiently. They are also available at
any supermarket. However, you must be cautious with certain products, such as bleach. Ensure it does
not contact your clothing or skin as it can discolour materials and burn. To protect your skin, it is best
to wear cleaning gloves when using these products. It is also advisable to wear an apron when cleaning
or clothing that you do not mind getting damaged.

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Safety Data Sheet (SDS)

Safety data sheets provide information about hazardous chemicals. They specify how the chemicals
should be stored, mixed/prepared, and used safely. All workplaces handling chemicals should have
these sheets available for staff to use, and you should always refer to them when assessing risks. An
SDS includes details of the following:
 Cautions and hazards
 Safe handling of chemicals
 Safe storage of chemicals
 Emergency procedures
 Proper disposal of chemicals

Further Reading
For more information on safety data sheets, click on the link below.
Safety data sheets

Equipment that needs to be assembled and cleaned are:

Food processors Mixers Blenders

The following are tips for maintaining equipment to ensure cleanliness and safety:
 Wipe down equipment after use with paper towels to avoid dirt or bacteria build-up. (If the
appliance is hot, let it cool down first.)
 Ensure the detergents are suitable for the type of equipment you are using.
 Do not leave cleaning until last as this allows dirt and grease to build up and make cleaning
harder.
 Have a daily cleaning schedule for equipment that does not need meticulous cleaning before
and after each use. Schedules encourage everyone to keep the equipment clean daily.

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Case Study: How to Assemble an Electric Mixer

You are working as a chef at The Continent Hotel and need to use the electric mixer to whisk the
eggs, butter and sugar together for the dessert you are preparing. The assistant has already cleaned
the mixer.
You look at the manufacturer instructions to ensure you assemble the mixer correctly, and after
confirming your organisational processes, you use the following steps:
1. Check the mixer is unplugged and turned off.
2. Place the bowl securely onto the base.
3. Attach the correct beaters.
4. Lower the beaters down into the food.
5. Check the speed is set to zero (0).
6. Plug the mixer in.
7. Turn the mixer on.
The mixer has been assembled correctly, and you can begin the whisking process successfully.

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2.3 Use Equipment Safely and Hygienically According to Manufacturer Instructions

Equipment should be used safely. Workplaces must provide employees with proper training on safely
using various equipment and tools. Observing proper work health and safety procedures will ensure
your safety and the safety of others.
Using equipment safely means being aware of and avoiding equipment hazards. Hazards refer to
anything that can cause you or others injury. Before you use the equipment for the first time, it is
important to read the manufacturer instructions. Manufacturer instructions are the written directions
provided by the equipment manufacturer. They contain the information for the safe and effective use
of the equipment.
You need to use equipment safely. The following are some examples of equipment:

Boiling water units, stoves

Electrical equipment Knives and sharp objects
or cooktops

•Any equipment with •Kitchen appliances, •Objects with blades or

heating elements or that microwaves, refrigeration sharp edges
use hot surfaces and units
•Can cause cuts and
liquids
•Can cause accidents if left lacerations
•Can cause burns or scalds unattended

Based on Kitchen appliances, used under CC BY 4.0. © Commonwealth of Australia 2020

Your organisation should provide you with procedures for the safe handling of equipment. The
following are some common hazards and what you can do to prevent them:
 Boiling water units, stoves or cooktops
o When pouring hot liquids, keep the spout or lip of one container close to the other to
avoid scalding.
o Ensure to handle hot equipment like pots and pans with oven mitts or hand towels.
o Wear protective gloves when handling hot oil.
o Always check that you have turned the cooking equipment off after use.
 Electrical equipment
o Make sure to read operating manuals.
o Conduct pre-start equipment checks to ensure they are working.
o Turn off appliances when they are not in use.
o Check cables and wiring for breaks or cuts.
o Report faulty equipment or parts to the supervisor immediately.
o Always switch off and unplug electrical equipment before cleaning.

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 Knives and sharp objects

o Always keep knives sharp; dull knives can cause accidents.
o Take care when washing and drying sharp objects.
o Refrain from putting knives into a sink of soapy water.
o Make sure to receive proper training on knife skills:
• Curl fingers inward to prevent injury.

• Cut ingredients on a cutting board to protect work surfaces and your knives.

Further Reading
For more information on practices you may adopt in the kitchen, access the
pages prepared by Comcare, Australia’s national authority for work health and
safety. They recommend specific practices that workers can do in the kitchen.
Kitchen appliances
Fire and leaking gas

Equipment should also always be used hygienically. Hygienically refers to the way you keep the
equipment free from bacteria. Hygiene practices make the equipment less likely to be the spreader of
diseases. This means ensuring that all equipment is clean when handling food. If you neglect to
observe proper food safety practices, you may let harmful bacteria, viruses or chemicals spread. These
can cause illnesses or may contaminate food with allergens.
The following equipment must be kept clean:

•Workbenches, stoves, chopping boards, and any surface

Workstation
used to prepare the desserts

•Spoons, ladles, spatulas, etc. used for various cookery

Cooking utensils
methods

•Separate sinks for preparing food, cleaning equipment,

Sinks
and washing hands

Storage •Refrigeration units

Crockery •Plates and utensils used by customers

Based on Food safety and allergies, used under CC BY 4.0. © Commonwealth of Australia 2020

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Consult your workplace’s policies and procedures to determine what food safety practices they follow.
Below are some general hygiene practices you may follow to use different equipment hygienically.

Item Procedure Sample Image

 Clean and sanitise work surfaces

before every dessert preparation
period.
 Use properly diluted cleaning agents.
Work surfaces If it is too strong, it may damage the
equipment. If it is too weak, it may
not be effective.
 Use dedicated cleaning cloths for
sanitising surfaces.

 Use separate utensils for different

dessert items to prevent cross-
Cooking utensils contamination.
 Clean cooking utensils between uses.

 Use separate sinks for raw food and

uncooked food.
 Use a separate basin for washing
Sinks
your hands.
 Sanitise the sinks using chemical
sanitiser or very hot water.

 Use separate storage or containers to

prevent cross-contamination.
Storage  Clean storage containers regularly
and ensure they are clean and dry
before use.

 Use a dishwasher if your workplace

has one.
 Wash crockery with hot water to
Crockery
ensure cleanliness and safety.
 Use gloves to protect your hands and
ensure clean handling.

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Each business will have an established cleaning schedule, so ensure to follow it. Make sure to clean or
sanitise during slow hours or waiting periods. You should also participate in the routine cleaning of
large equipment.

Further Reading
For more information on practices you may adopt in the kitchen, access the
pages prepared by Comcare, Australia’s national authority for work health and
safety. They recommend specific practices that workers can do to ensure hygiene
in the kitchen.
Food safety and allergies

All equipment have essential functions and features. Essential functions refer to the equipment’s main
function and primary purpose in the kitchen. Essential features are the main features it possesses to
perform those functions.
Examples of essential features and functions are:

Equipment Essential Feature Essential Function

Blades It is used to blend ingredients

Food processor
Bowl to make pastry or cake batter.

It is used for cutting, chopping

Knife Sharp blade
and slicing ingredients.

Bowl It is used to beat ingredients

Electric mixer
Beaters like butter, eggs and sugar.

As an example, here are the steps to use an electric mixer safely and hygienically:

Place the bowl

Check the mixer is Attach the Lower the beaters
securely onto the
turned off. required beaters. into the bowl.
base.

Ensure the speed

Turn the mixer on.
is set to zero.

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Multimedia
The video below shows how to use an
industrial food processor safely.
Food Processor Safety

Some tips for safe and hygienic use include:

Turn the mixer off before lifting the beaters out of the bowl.

If your hair is long, tie it back.

Do not wear long sleeves or loose clothes such as scarves.

Do not put your fingers or utensils in the bowl while the beaters are moving.

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Notes

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Key Points: Chapter 2

• When selecting tools and equipment to make your dessert, you must refer to the standard
recipe.
• The correct tools and equipment ensure your measurements and the shape and taste of
the dessert are correct.
• Safety comes first when assembling equipment, so always follow the manufacturer
instructions.
• Ensure your equipment is clean before and after use to maintain health and safety
standards.

• Follow your organisation's policies and procedures for the safe handling of equipment.

Learning Checkpoint
Now that you have finished this chapter, let’s do some learning exercises.
Get your Learning Activity Booklet provided with this Learner Resource. Complete
the learning activities for this chapter.
For guidance and additional instructions with these activities, talk to your
trainer/assessor.

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Chapter 3: Portion and Prepare Ingredients According to

Standard Recipes

You have selected your ingredients according to quality and freshness and prepared your equipment
safely and hygienically. It is now time to portion and prepare your ingredients. Some ingredients need
to be portioned and put into the necessary parts. Portioning requires weighing and measuring to
ensure you have the amount required for the recipe you are using. Portioning may also be required
when making larger or smaller quantities.
Preparing can involve things like slicing, chopping, grating or separating. Portioning and preparing
ingredients are referred to as mise en place. During this chapter, you will learn how to:
 Sort and assemble ingredients according to production sequencing
 Weigh and measure ingredients for desserts according to the recipe and quantity required
 Minimise waste to maximise profitability.

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3.1 Sort and Assemble Ingredients According to Production Sequencing

To ensure you are prepared and have all the ingredients, you must follow your recipe and sort and
assemble your ingredients. To assemble is to gather together, and to sort means to put into categories
or separate according to types, such as wet and dry ingredients. If you have everything you need, you
can work efficiently and effectively. The sorting and assembling of your ingredients are called mise en
place, which will be discussed in the next section.
Another important step of sorting and assembling your ingredients is production sequencing.
Production sequencing is the order in which you prepare the dessert to ensure freshness and good
presentation.

3.1.1 Mise En Place Requirements for Producing Desserts

Mise en place is a French term that means ‘putting in place’ or ‘gathering’. It refers to having all
your ingredients:

Measured Cut Peeled Sliced Grated

The most efficient and effective way is to assemble and lay the ingredients on the workbench
in the order you need them. Once you have done that, look at the specific requirements for
each ingredient. For example, eggs may need separating, chocolate may need grating, or nuts
may need chopping.
Mise en place also involves getting your utensils and equipment ready for use.
There are five steps to mise en place:

Ingredients, utensils, and baking times

Know your recipe.

Clean, chop, grate, etc.

Prepare your ingredients.

Appropriate size bowls and position in order of use

Arrange your ingredients.

Setting of oven temperature, ensuring clean

Prepare your workstation.
utensils, and asembly of equipment

Position of equipment and utensils and order of use

Arrange your tools.

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Mise en place is used for several reasons:

You can immediately see if you have any ingredients missing

before you start.

Any special preparation steps, such as letting the eggs

come to room temperature, can be done before you start
making the dessert.

You ensure all recipe steps are included by placing the ingredients
in order of use.

Multimedia
Watch the video below to see an example of
mise en place when baking in the kitchen.
Baking mise en place

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3.2 Weigh and Measure Ingredients for Desserts According to Recipe and Quantity Required

To ensure your mise en place is correct, you must weigh and measure your ingredients first. This also
ensures you have the quantity you need for your dessert. You will know the quantity by looking at the
recipe. Quantity refers to the amount of each ingredient determined by weighing and measuring.
Weighing and measuring ingredients is important as too much or too little of an ingredient can affect
the result. Weighing and measuring ingredients is part of the process used when cooking or baking. A
process is the steps or actions taken to create the dessert. Each cookery method has different
processes, which involve weighing and measuring ingredients.
The cookery methods you will learn about in Chapter 4 are:

Baking Chilling Flambeing Freezing

Poaching Reducing Steaming

Weigh means to find out how heavy the ingredients are. Weighing is done with a kitchen scale and is
usually recorded in grams (g) or kilograms (kg), depending on the yield of your recipe. Measuring
involves finding the size, capacity or quantity of the ingredients. Measuring usually uses cups, spoons
or jugs and can be recorded in units such as millilitres (ml) and litres (l), depending on the yield of your
recipe.

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The tools you use for measuring include:

 Measuring spoons
o There are usually five spoons in a pack that can measure ⅛ tsp, ¼ tsp, ½ teaspoon, 1
tsp and 1 Tbsp.
o They are used when small quantities of wet or dry ingredients are needed.
 Measuring cups
o There are usually five cups in a set that can be used to measure ⅛ cup (31 ml), ¼ cup
(62 ml), ½ cup (125 ml), ¾ cup (93 ml) or 1 cup (250 ml).
 Measuring jugs
o Measuring jugs can weigh and measure units, so they can be used for liquid or dry
ingredients.
o Measuring jugs are generally used to measure ingredients like milk or cream.
 Kitchen scales
o These can be manual or digital scales that weigh grams and kilograms. They often
come with a bowl to assist in weighing some ingredients.
o Scales mostly weigh non-liquid ingredients.
The following are tips for weighing and measuring ingredients:

For accurate measurement, place measuring jugs and cups on a level surface.

Look at the measurement at eye level, so bend down to see, rather than estimate.

A pinch refers to the amount you can hold between your thumb and forefinger.

Level off ingredients using a knife or spatula to ensure you have exactly the correct
amount.

Butter wrappers usually have measurement markings. Use these to help you.

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Weighing Scales
To use a weighing scale accurately and safely, you need to do the following:

Set the scale to zero.

Place the ingredients on the scale until the required amount is displayed on the scale.

Remove the ingredients from the scale and place them in the bowl.

Clean the scale, so it is ready to weigh the next ingredient.

Clean to ensure no cross-contamination.

Ingredients are separated into two types:

Wet ingredients Dry ingredients

Wet ingredients contribute moisture to a recipe. Fats are also considered wet ingredients as they give
the impression of adding moisture. Fats prolong shelf life and delay the product from drying out.
Wet ingredients need to be measured by volume using millilitres or litres. Liquid measuring cups or
jugs are used to measure liquids. Ensure the measuring utensil is on a level surface when measuring a
liquid. Once you have poured the liquid in, come down to eye level. The lowest point on the liquid
curve is where you take your reading.
Examples of wet ingredients are:

Butter Oil Syrup Eggs

Milk Cream Vanilla essence

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Dry ingredients give your recipe structure and texture. Dry ingredients absorb the wet ingredients.
Dry ingredients are measured on a scale by weight using grams and kilograms. Dry ingredients can
also be measured using dry measuring cups. How you use the measuring cup depends on the type of
dry ingredients. For example, flour is spooned lightly into the cup and levelled off with a knife or
spatula, whereas brown sugar is packed into the measuring cup and then levelled off.
Examples of dry ingredients are:

Flour Cocoa powder Baking powder Salt Spices

The two succeeding videos further explain how to measure wet and dry ingredients.

Multimedia
Watch the videos below to see the steps to
measure wet and dry ingredients.
 How To Measure Ingredients - THE
RIGHT WAY �(Dry and Wet)
 How to Measure Wet and Dry
Ingredients Kitchen Conundrums with Thomas Joseph

Look at the mock standard recipe card on the next page. You will note that dry ingredients have been
measured in grams and therefore need a scale to weigh them.

10 g sugar 25 g cake
10 g sugar
for coating flour

The wet ingredients have been recorded in teaspoons and millilitres. Therefore, you will need
measuring cups and spoons to measure them.

1 tsp 1 tsp
150 ml
melted vanilla
milk
butter extract

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Standard Recipe Card for Vanilla Souffle

Recipe no. 6 Portion Size 1 per person

Timeframe 1 hour Yield 2 servings

Equipment/Utensils Two ramekins, pastry brush, whisk, three bowls, hand mixer, spatula,
sieve

Ingredients Quantity Unit

Melted butter 1 Tbsp

Sugar for coating 10 g

Egg yolks 3

Sugar 10 g

Cake flour 25 g

Milk 150 ml

Vanilla essence 1 tsp

Egg whites 3

Sugar 25 g

Icing sugar for dusting 1 tsp

Method/Procedure

1. Line ramekins with melted butter and add sugar to coat the edges.

2. Whisk sugar and eggs together. Add cake flour.

3. Heat milk and add to the egg and flour mixture, whisking a little at a time.

4. Pour the mixture into a saucepan, heat up, and whisk continuously until the mixture
thickens.

5. Remove from the saucepan and add vanilla extract.

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Standard Recipe Card for Vanilla Souffle

Method/Procedure

6. Using a hand mixer, beat three egg whites and add sugar to egg whites, and mix again until
firm.

7. Using a spatula, fold the egg whites into the cooked mixture.

8. Place mixture into ramekins.

9. Bake in a preheated oven at 160 °C for 20 minutes.

Serving Instructions

Dust with icing sugar and serve.

Further Reading
Click on the link to see a recipe for a chocolate souffle.
Chocolate soufflé

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3.3 Minimise Waste to Maximise Profitability

Food waste is a worldwide environmental and economic issue. Therefore, organisations involved in
food production must do their part in minimising food waste in the kitchen. By minimising, you reduce
something unwanted (food waste) to its smallest possible amount. Food waste is food that has gone
through the production chain but does not get consumed and is thrown away.
The following are ways you can reduce food waste in your kitchen:
 Performing a food waste audit - An audit will help you know how much food you are throwing
away and at what stage the waste occurs. You will determine whether the waste is from
storage or preparation or waste from your customers.
 Using the FIFO system - FIFO reduces food spoilage by using the oldest stock or stock that will
expire first.
 Practising temperature control - Keeping your ingredients or dessert at the correct
temperature can prevent bacteria growth and food spoilage.
 Not overbuying stock - Be accurate with your ordering, and do not buy more than you need.
Bulk ordering does not always save you money.
 Reducing portion size - If customers continually have leftovers, it may mean your portion size
is too big, causing unnecessary waste.
 Using imperfect fruits - Misshapen or overripe fruit may be perfect for some desserts, rather
than tossing them out because they look bad.
 Encouraging customers to take leftovers home - Stock environmentally friendly containers to
make it easy for guests to take their leftovers home. It is important to note that if you allow
food to be taken off the premise, your organisation must have a takeaway licence. If you do
not have this licence, the organisation is subject to a fine from the food safety authority.
 Donating leftovers to charity - Food rescue centres collect and redistribute food to others in
need.
 Training staff - Trained staff make fewer mistakes in the dessert production process, thereby
minimising waste.

By minimising food waste, you can do your bit to

contribute to helping the environment. Minimising food
waste can also maximise your profits. Every ingredient or
dessert you waste is money in the bin. To maximise is to
increase, and profit is how much you make after
deducting your expenses. Minimising waste reduces the
amount of money you spend on ingredients, thus
maximising your profits.

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The following are ideas you can use to minimise waste and maximise profit:

Check use-by dates when shopping for ingredients.

Do not buy more than you need.

Plan to ensure you buy the ingredients needed to cater to the number of desserts you make.

Weigh and measure your ingredients accurately.

Make the most of the ingredients you have.

Store food correctly.

Work carefully, ensuring not to spoil the desserts you are making during the production process.

Case Study: Minimising Waste

As a chef at The Continent Hotel, you are asked to ensure employees are minimising waste in the
kitchen. It is important to minimise waste to ensure your organisation is profitable and looks after
the environment. You check that the following actions are occurring:
 Employees are checking use-by dates when shopping for ingredients.
 They are only buying what is needed to cater for the customers you may be serving.
 The correct weighing and measuring tools are used to ensure only the necessary ingredients
have been used.
 Re-usable by-products have been utilised
 The staff are trained correctly to minimise mistakes in the kitchen
 The correct storage procedures have been used.
You discover some staff have not been using the correct storage techniques, so food is spoiling. You
commit to in-house training to ensure staff know the correct procedures, thus minimising further
waste.

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Notes

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Key Points: Chapter 3

• Use mise en place to ensure you have all the required ingredients and equipment.

• Ingredients must be weighed or measured correctly to ensure the success of your dessert.
• Weighing tells you how heavy the ingredient is.
• Measuring assists in finding the size, capacity or quantity of the ingredients.
• Measuring spoons, cups and jugs and kitchen scales are used to ensure you have the correct
amount of ingredients.
• Always work towards maximising profit and minimising waste.

Learning Checkpoint
Now that you have finished this chapter, let’s do some learning exercises.
Get your Learning Activity Booklet provided with this Learner Resource. Complete
the learning activities for this chapter.
For guidance and additional instructions with these activities, talk to your
trainer/assessor.

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Chapter 4: Produce Desserts and Sauces

Your ingredients are purchased, your equipment is prepared, and you have measured and prepared
your ingredients. It is now time to produce the desserts and sauces. Producing desserts and sauces
require you to use various cooking methods and processes. Mastering these processes and methods
will allow you to produce desserts and sauces that look good and taste delicious.
During this chapter, you will learn how to:
 Follow recipes to produce desserts with desired product characteristics
 Produce desserts for special dietary requirements by following special dietary recipes
 Produce dessert sauces at the correct temperature, consistency and flavour
 Make food quality adjustments within scope of responsibility

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4.1 Follow Recipes to Produce Desserts With Desired Product Characteristics

When preparing desserts, you must ensure you stay within commercial time constraints. Commercial
time constraints cover two areas:

The hours the commercial kitchen is open and trading, and the constraint around
when you can access the kitchen

The time available to prepare and make each dessert according to the standard
recipe

Time constraints impact yield and profitability because they limit your time in the kitchen to prepare
the desserts. The less time you have in the kitchen, the less yield you will have, which results in lower
profitability. Kitchens work at a fast pace to ensure the turnover is high. The turnover is how many
desserts you can make within the time constraints. Being prepared and organised ensures your stay
within the time constraints.
You must follow your recipe to produce your desserts with the desired product characteristics. To
produce is to use your ingredients, equipment and utensils to make the dessert. The desired
characteristics are how you want them to turn out. If the standard recipe is followed, the dessert will
have the desired characteristics no matter who prepares it. Each dessert will have its own set of
desired characteristics it needs to meet. The desired characteristics include the following:

Appearance Colour Consistency

Moisture Shape Size

Structure Taste Texture

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The table below shows some of the characteristics the desserts need.

Dessert Desired Characteristics

Bavarois  Creamy and sweet

 An aerated firm texture that holds the shape of the mould

Crème brûlée  Rich, sweet and creamy

 Hardened crust with a soft centre

Meringue  Light, airy and sweet

 Chewy and soft on the inside and a crisp texture on the outside

Panna cotta  Sweet, smooth and creamy

 Holds the shape of the mould but is wobbly

Looking at the recipe on the next page, you can identify the desired product characteristics needed
for crème caramel - a deep golden, clear, sweet caramel sauce and a light yellow, creamy, rich custard
that is set and has a slight jiggle. The crème caramel holds the shape of the mould, and the sauce
covers the upturned dessert.

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Standard Recipe Card for Crème Caramel

Recipe no. 7 Portion Size 1 slice

Timeframe 1 hour Yield 8 slices

Equipment/Utensils Saucepan, 18 cm baking dish, whisk, mixing bowl

Ingredients Quantity Unit

Sugar 120 g

Water 2 Tbsp

Eggs 3

Milk 500 ml

Vanilla bean 1

Caster sugar 50 g

Vanilla essence 1 tsp

Method/Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 180ׄ °C.

To make the caramel

1. In a saucepan, simmer sugar and water, stirring until sugar is dissolved.

2. Increase heat to medium-high until caramel is deeply golden. Turn off the heat and pour
caramel into the baking dish.

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Standard Recipe Card for Crème Caramel

Method/Procedure

To make the custard

1. Stir milk and vanilla bean in a saucepan over low heat until lukewarm, then leave it to cool
down.

2. Use a whisk to beat the eggs and sugar.

3. Pour the cream and milk mixture into the eggs and sugar mixture and whisk gently to
combine. Pour the mixture into the baking dish.

4. Place the baking dish into a larger baking dish. Pour boiling water into the larger baking dish
to act as a bain-marie.

5. Bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes at 160 °C until the light yellow custard is set. Take out
the oven and cool completely at room temp.

6. Cover in cling wrap and refrigerate for a few hours.

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Looking at the recipe below, you can identify the desired product characteristics for crème brûlée. A
crème brûlée should be slightly yellow in colour. It should have a soft creamy centre with a hardened
crust.

Standard Recipe Card for Crème Brulee

Recipe no. 8 Portion Size 1 per person

Timeframe 50 minutes Yield 4 servings

Equipment/Utensils Knife, saucepan, small and large bowls, whisk

Ingredients Quantity Unit

Vanilla bean 1

Cream 720 ml

Caster sugar ½ cup

Egg yolks 5

Salt pinch

Caster sugar for topping

Method/Procedure

1. Remove marrow from the vanilla pod.

2. Heat the milk, cream, and vanilla pod and marrow in the small saucepan. Remove the vanilla
pod from the milk.

3. Mix the egg yolks and caster sugar until fluffy.

4. Pour the mixture slowly into the beaten egg yolk through a sieve - a little at a time to avoid
creating lumps.

5. Preheat the oven to 140 °C.

6. Divide the mixture into the ramekins.

7. Place the ramekins in the oven dish and fill with hot water to create a bain-marie bath (1-2
cm) under the edge of the ramekin.

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Standard Recipe Card for Crème Brulee

Method/Procedure

8. Place the oven dish in the centre of the oven and bake for 40 minutes until they wobble like
jelly.

9. Remove from the oven and set in the fridge for 2 hours.

10. Once cooled, add caster sugar on top and burn carefully with the culinary torch.

Serving Instructions

Refrigerate overnight or serve immediately.

Further Reading
Click on the link to see a recipe for crème caramel and crème brûlée where you
can further identify the product characteristics.
Creme caramel
Creme brulee

Following the standard recipes ensures desserts remain consistent in quality and appearance.
Consistency ensures yield and profitability are unaffected. If the quality of the dessert is poor, you
cannot serve it, which decreases your yield and profit margins as it is not being sold. Customers will
return if the dessert is of good quality, thus increasing profitability. The appearance is the selling point
of the dessert. The better the dessert looks, the more chance you have of selling it to the customer,
thus increasing profitability.
To ensure consistent quality and appearance of desserts, you can:

Purchase ingredients that are fresh and of good quality

Follow the standard recipe

Present your dessert in an appealing way by using garnishes and accompaniments

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As discussed earlier in the chapter, shape and size also impact yield and profitability. Shape and size
affect the yield; the bigger the yield, the more chance you have of making a profit. Tips you can use to
ensure size and shape ensure optimal yield are:
 Use the correct baking vessel shape to match the shape of the dessert you want to serve to
reduce wastage.
 Reduce the size of your portions, particularly if you see customers are not eating the whole
dessert.
 Ensure the shape and portion size suit the dessert, making it appealing to the customer.

4.1.1 Frozen Components for Desserts

A plated dessert is an arrangement of one or more components. The dessert components can
consist of the following:

A crunch A frozen
The main item A sauce A garnish
component component

Frozen components are:

Non-dairy ice
Ice cream Sorbet Gelato Frozen yoghurt
cream

Desserts are often served with frozen components to complement the taste or texture of the
dessert. For example, using the mock standard recipe below, you can make a vanilla ice cream
to be served with warm crêpes, pies, tarts or fritters. Serving a warm and cold component
creates a contrast in temperature that complements the dessert.

Standard Recipe Card for Vanilla Ice Cream

Recipe no. 9 Portion Size 2 scoops

Timeframe 2 hours 30 minutes Yield 4 scoops

Equipment/Utensils Saucepan, whisk, fridge, ice cream maker

Ingredients Quantity Unit

White sugar ¾ cup

Whipping cream 1 cup

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Standard Recipe Card for Vanilla Ice Cream

Ingredients Quantity Unit

Milk 2 Cups

Vanilla extract 2 Tsp

Method/Procedure

1. Stir sugar, cream and milk in a saucepan until the sugar has dissolved and foam appears
around the edge of the saucepan.

2. Pour the mixture into a jug and stir in the vanilla essence.

3. Put in fridge to chill.

4. Once the ice cream mixture is cold, pour it into an ice cream maker and turn on the
machine.

5. Leave the machine to run for as long as recommended by the manufacturer. (+/- 20
minutes).

6. When ice cream is frozen, serve it immediately or place it in a container to store in the
freezer.

Serving Instructions

Serve as a stand-alone dessert or as an accompaniment to another dessert.

Further Reading
Click on the link to see a recipe for vanilla ice-cream
Basic Vanilla Ice Cream

Another frozen component you can use is a sorbet. Sorbet is made from sugar and fruit and
churned like ice cream. It is a non-dairy component suitable for those with special dietary
requirements. You will learn about special dietary requirements in the following subchapter.
By serving the sorbet as a frozen component with meringue, you create a contrast in texture
and taste. The contrast comes in the sorbet’s fine watery crystals and the meringue’s crisp
exterior.

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4.1.2 Cooking Temperature and Times

Each dessert has a specific cooking temperature and time. The cooking temperature and time
depend on the dessert type and can be found on the standard recipe card. The cooking
temperature and time can affect the outcome of your dessert. There is a difference between
baking in fan-forced and conventional cooking times. Cooking times are less in a fan-forced
oven. Fan-forced ovens circulate the hot air, resulting in a faster cooking and browning time.
The manufacturer instructions can help establish the difference between fan-forced and non-
fan-forced cooking times. If you do not have an instruction booklet, you can use the general
rule:

Decrease the temperature by 10% and then cook for the same amount of time as noted in
the recipe.

If you are unsure about the temperature of your oven, you can use an oven thermometer to
check it has reached the temperature required by the recipe. Preheating your oven to the
required temperature before adding the dessert is important. Unless otherwise stated, baking
on the middle shelf is recommended to ensure even temperatures. Not opening the oven door
too often also ensures the oven stays at a constant temperature.

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Other factors that can affect your cooking time and temperature are:

Raising agents

•Some raising agents only react at certain temperatures.

Shape and volume of the baking vessel

•The bigger the size and volume, the longer the time the dessert will take to
bake.

Moisture and fat content

•Some recipes require the moisture to stay and others require the moisture to
evaporate, affecting cooking time and temperature.

Ingredients and pH

•High sugar and starch content caramelise quicker and therefore are prone to
burning quicker.
•Recipes with high egg content can become rubbery if baked too long.

It is also important to note that desserts must reach a certain temperature to be cooked.
Reaching the desired temperature is for two reasons: safety and quality. Salmonella
contamination with raw eggs and E.coli from raw flour is possible.
Custard-based desserts such as crème brûlée, which contains eggs, need to reach an internal
temperature of 77-79 °C. The centre may seem a little runny, but they will be overdone if you
cook them until they are solid.

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4.1.3 Cookery Processes

Different processes are used in making desserts to ensure they have the desired characteristics. Processes are the steps you can take to reach the
desired outcome of the desserts. The table below identifies these processes, the equipment needed, and instructions on how to complete the process.
A video will also accompany the instructions.

Process Equipment Instructions

There are four processes you can use to add fats. The process will vary according to the
dessert being made:
Beater  Beat the fat and dry ingredients, such as butter and sugar, until light and airy.
Adding fats to dry Two knives  Use two knives and, with a scissor action, cut through the dry ingredient (such
ingredients Fingers as flour and butter) until divided.

Food processor  Use your fingertips to blend until finely crumbed.

 Use a food processor with a steel blade to finely crumb solid fat and dry
ingredient together.

1. Mix your dry ingredients first to ensure even distribution.

Bowl 2. Mix all liquid ingredients as indicated in the recipe.

Adding liquids to dry 3. Add your liquid ingredient and use a spatula to mix until all the ingredients are
Spatula
ingredients combined.
Spoon
4. Scrap the bowl’s side to ensure you have combined all the dry and wet
ingredients.

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Process Equipment Instructions

Reducing makes the liquid less but not the flavour. The liquid will also get thicker with
a more intense flavour. These are steps you can follow to complete the reduction
process:

1. Combine all ingredients for the sauce or syrup in a large saucepan.

Pot or saucepan
Reducing 2. Bring the mixture to a boil. Then turn it down to a simmer.
Spoon
3. Simmer the mixture until some of the water content evaporates. Simmer
it to the consistency indicated in the recipe.
4. Take the mixture off the stove once the desired consistency is achieved.
Transfer the mixture to a separate container.

These are steps you can follow to select and prepare dessert moulds:

1. Identify the mould to be prepared according to the following

requirements in the recipe:
 Size and shape of the mould
Selecting and
preparing appropriate Dessert moulds  Number of moulds needed
dessert moulds
 Material that moulds to be used
2. Collect the required number of clean moulds from the storage area

3. Grease moulds to prevent dessert from sticking. This may require using
butter or oil, sometimes with a light dusting of flour or sugar.

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Process Equipment Instructions

Sifting helps break up clumps and adds air to flour. Sifting dry ingredients together helps
combine them. There are two ways to sift flour:
 Use a sifter - Fill the sifter with flour and either shake or squeeze the handle so
the flour lands in a bowl or on a surface covered with wax paper.
 Use a mesh sieve - Place the flour in a mesh sieve and shake gently, allowing
the flour to flow through into a bowl or onto a surface covered with wax.
Sieve Here are steps you can follow to sift dry ingredients:
Sifting dry ingredients
Bowl 1. Hold the sifting tool over a bowl larger than the total volume of dry
ingredients.
2. Gently pour the dry ingredients into the sifter.

3. Tap the sides of the sifting tool or rotate the hand crank until all the dry
ingredients have passed through.
Throw away any lumps or impurities that did not go through the sieve.

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Process Equipment Instructions

Here are steps you can follow to complete the whisking process:

1. Place the ingredients into the bowl larger than the total volume of
ingredients to be mixed.
2. Hold the bowl in one hand and the whisk in another.
Bowl
Whisking 3. Tilt the bowl slightly.
Whisk
4. Use your wrist to move the whisk from side to side to drag the mixture back
and forth.
5. Do not let the whisk touch the bottom of the bowl.
6. Stop whisking when the mixture has combined

Folding is a slow process and should not be rushed. Here are steps you can follow to
complete the folding process:
1. Add lighter ingredients to heavy ingredients.
Bowl 2. Start with the mixture in the centre of the bowl.
Folding
Spatula 3. Scrape along the bottom of the bowl towards you. Continue up the side and
scoop the mixture over the top; this is the folding action.
4. Turn the bowl and repeat the folding action. Continue with this until the
mixture is fully incorporated.

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Process Equipment Instructions

Here are steps you can follow to complete the piping process:
1. First, fill the piping bag with the choux pastry or icing.
2. Twist the top of the bag and hold it firmly between your thumb and index
finger.
3. Applying pressure using your fingers, gently squeeze the bag.
Piping Piping bag
4. Your other hand is used to guide the bag and keep it steady.
5. Hold your bag at an angle.
6. Both hands move in the same direction.

If you are filling a pastry, stop applying pressure once the pastry is sufficiently
filled. Do not wait for the pastry to crack from the pressure.

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Process Equipment Instructions

Spreading is used as part of plating the dessert. These are steps you can follow to
complete the spreading process:
1. Using the squeeze bottle filled with the sauce you want to use, squeeze dots of
sauce onto a plate.
2. Using a teaspoon, swipe the dots from the inside out, creating a pattern
You can also do the following:
1. Place the mould on the plate and pipe purée in a crescent shape on the inner
Teaspoon rim of the mould where it touches the plate.

Spreading Squeeze bottle 2. Using the spoon, swipe around on the purée, leaving the mould off the plate.

Circular mould In general, the process will be as follows:

1. Put the mixture on the surface where you want to spread the mixture.
The surface can be a plate, a tart shell, a pie crust or a cake.
2. Using a teaspoon (for plates) or a palette knife (for pastries and cakes),
drag the mixture towards the area it must cover.
If you are plating, drag the mixture to make the desired pattern.
When spreading filling or icing on a pastry or cake, ensure an even layer on the
surface. You can also create a pattern as required.

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Process Equipment Instructions

Stirring is a way to mix ingredients, usually using a spoon. Alternatively, an electric

mixer can combine the ingredients, starting at low speed. Here are steps you can
follow to use stirring to achieve the required consistency and texture:
Spoon
Stirring 1. Add all ingredients to be mixed in a bowl larger than the total volume of
Bowl
the ingredients.
2. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, move the ingredients around
in a circular motion until they are completely combined.

Aerating allows air into ingredients to make them lighter or create more volume.
Aerating flour is done by sifting the flour, which makes the product lighter. Beating or
whipping eggs and butter aerates them to create more volume. An electric mixer can
Whisk also incorporate air into the mixture, starting at low speed. Here are steps you
Beaters can follow to use aerating to achieve the required consistency and texture:
aerating
Sieve 1. Add ingredients to be aerated (e.g. eggs, cream and custard) in a bowl
larger than the total volume expected once the mixture is aerated.
Bowl
2. Whisk the mixture in a circular beating motion, lifting the whisk for every
circular motion. Continue whisking until the consistency required in the
recipe is achieved.

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Process Equipment Instructions

It is the process of adding a product that prevents the product from separating. By
adding a stabilising agent, the ingredient, such as cream, will stay fluffy and creamy for
days. Gelatine and cornflour are often used as stabilising agents.
To stabilise an ingredient such as cream:
1. Place the cream in the bowl.
2. Add the selected stabilising agent.

Bowl 3. Whisk or beat until firm.

Stabilising
Whisk or beater For a general process, do the following:

1. Prepare stabilising agent as necessary. For some stabilising agents, this

is called blooming.
2. Add the stabilising agent to the dessert mixture. Cook the dessert as
indicated in the recipe to dissolve the stabilising agent
3. Let the mixture cool down and transfer to moulds.

4. Chill the mixture in the fridge to set quickly.

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Process Equipment Instructions

Tempering chocolate involves melting chocolate to reach a temperature of 45 °C,

cooling the chocolate to 27 °C then warming the chocolate to 30 °C. Tempering gives
the chocolate a smooth, glossy finish, ensuring it stops melting quickly and sets easier.
Metal bowl These are steps you can follow to temper chocolate:
Saucepan 1. Place ¾ of the chocolate in a bowl over boiling water and let it melt until it
Tempering chocolate reaches the desired temperature.
Thermometer
2. Remove the bowl from the water and place the rest of the chocolate in the
Rubber spatula
bowl. This helps to cool the chocolate.
3. When the chocolate reaches 27 °C, place the bowl back in the water so the
chocolate can heat up to 30 °C.

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Multimedia
Click on the links below to watch the videos on
how to apply the cookery processes you
learnt. By watching the processes in action,
you can better understand how to apply them.
 How to Cream Butter and Sugar |
Food Network
 Cutting Butter into Flour
 How to Mix Ingredients
 How to make a simple reduction with Curtis Stone
 Why Sifting Flour is Important
 How to: Whisk
 How to fold egg whites into soufflé batters
 How to Fill a Pastry Bag
 How to Pipe Using a Star Tip
 8 simple plating techniques for sauces | CHEF MRUGZIEE
 What Are The Stages Of Aeration
 Whipping Egg Whites To Perfect Peaks
 Stabilized Whipped Cream Easy Recipes | 4 Methods | Whipped Cream
Frosting
 Tempering Lindt Chocolate

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4.1.4 Cookery Methods

Different methods are used in making desserts to ensure they have the desired characteristics. Methods are the procedures or techniques you use to
create the dessert. The table below identifies these methods, the equipment needed, and instructions on how to complete the process. A video will
also accompany the instructions.

Process Equipment Instructions

This is the process of cooking desserts using dry heat in equipment such as an oven. Baking usually involves
recipes using flour. Use the following steps for baking:
1. An oven is preheated to ensure even heat in the chamber.
2. The prepared food item to be baked is then put in an oven-safe container.
Baking Oven
3. Once the appropriate temperature is achieved, the food item is put in the oven chamber while
wearing protective gloves.
4. The food items remain in the oven chamber for the recipes required cooking time.
5. The food item is then taken out of the oven after it is cooked.

Chilling requires bringing the dessert to a temperature just above its freezing point and below room
temperature. The temperature required is usually between 0 and 5 °C. Chilling is also used to prevent bacteria
from growing. Use the following steps for chilling:
Freezer
Chilling 1. Put the prepared food item in a refrigerator-safe container before storing it in the fridge.
Fridge
2. The food item remains in the fridge for the required chilling time indicated in the recipe.
3. The Food item is taken out of the fridge to continue food preparation, or it is to be served.

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Process Equipment Instructions

Flambeing is a cookery method where alcohol is added to a hot pan and set alight to create a burst of
flames. Flambeing is done for dramatic effect and adding depth of flavour to the alcohol while cooking
it out. Use the following steps for flambeing:
1. The food item is prepared in a pan with a long handle over the stovetop.
Stove - preferably gas
2. Once the food item is sufficiently cooked, the stove is turned off. Cooks must ensure that no
Flambeing Sauté pan
part of their body is above the pan they are cooking in. The alcohol to be incorporated into
the food item must be in a separate container from the bottle.
3. The alcohol is then added to the pan while it is hot, quickly igniting with a long-reach lighter.
The cook can let the flame continue until all the alcohol is burned.
4. It can be stopped by placing a metal lid on to stop it.

Freezing is used as a way to preserve food and prevent the growth of bacteria. Food needs to be
cooled sufficiently before being placed in the freezer. Use the following steps for freezing:
1. A prepared food item is put in a freezer-safe container before storing it in the fridge, usually
Freezer
Freezing at -15 °C or colder.
Quick freeze machine
2. The food item remains in the freezer for the required freezing time indicated in the recipe.
3. The food item is then taken out of the fridge once it is time to continue food preparation or
it is to be served.

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Process Equipment Instructions

Poaching is a cooking method involving submerging the fruit into a pot of liquid and cooking it at a
low temperature.Fruit is poached when it is underripe to make it tender and bring out its flavour.
Liquids such as liqueurs or water seasoned with spices are often used. Use the following steps for
poaching:
1. In a large saucepan, combine the ingredients for the poaching liquid and bring it to a boil while
Pot
Poaching stirring occasionally.
Stove
2. The food item to be poached is then added to the poaching liquid while it is boiling. The
poaching liquid is brought down to a simmer. The food item is poached for the cooking time
indicated in the recipe.
3. The food item is then taken out of the poaching liquid while it is still firm, maintaining its
shape and structure. Both the food item and poaching liquid are cooled completely.

Steaming uses the water vapour created by boiling water to cook the food. The steam heats the food.
It is a ‘moist heat’ method. When steaming, the food does not touch the water. If a pot is used, place
the food in the steamer basket in the pot of water. Use the following steps for steaming:
Pot with steamer basket
1. The prepared food item is placed in a heat-proof container. It is then put in a steamer basket
Steaming and lid or a steamer
over a pot of boiling water.
Stove
2. A lid is placed over a steamer basket. The food item is steamed for the cooking time indicated
in the recipe.
3. The food item is then taken out of the steamer basket and cooled completely.

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Process Equipment Instructions

Saucepan Stewing is cooking by simmering or slowly boiling in liquid in a closed dish or pan. When stewing fruit,
the juices are maintained. Stewing fruit is a good way to preserve ripe fruit that may need to be
Chopping board
thrown out. Allow fruit to simmer for about 10 minutes or until soft. Add sugar if necessary. Use the
Knife following steps for stewing:
Spoon 1. In a large saucepan, the ingredients for the stewing liquid is combined and brought to a boil
Stewing while stirring occasionally.
Stove
2. Chop the fruit into pieces and then add to the poaching liquid while it is boiling. Then the
stewing liquid is then brought down to a simmer. The food item is stewed within the cooking
time indicated in the recipe.
3. Once it is soft, the food item is taken out of the saucepan with the stewing liquid.

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Multimedia
Click on the links below to watch the videos on
how to do the cookery methods you have
learnt. By watching the processes in action
you can better understand how to apply them.
 What Is Baking
 Food safety coaching (Part 8): Chilling foods
 How to Flambe Food Like a Pro | Chef School
 How to Flash Freeze Food
 How to Poach Fruit - Martha Stewart
 How to Steam Food | Parents
 How To Stew Fruit

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The recipe below requires using the baking method.

Standard Recipe Card for Rice Pudding

Recipe no. 10 Portion Size 1 piece per person

Timeframe 1 hour Yield 8 pieces

Equipment/Utensils Pot, knife, wooden spoon, baking dish

Ingredients Quantity Unit

Risotto rice ¾ cup

Milk 700 ml

Thickened cream 300 ml

Sugar 75 g

Cinnamon stick 1

Vanilla bean 1

Method/Procedure

1. Place rice, milk, sugar, vanilla bean, cinnamon stick, and cream into a saucepan.

2. Bring to a simmer, then pour into a baking dish.

3. Bake in the oven at 160 °C for 45 minutes.

Serving instructions

Serve with stewed fruit.

Further Reading
Click on the links below to see a recipe that requires the baking method.
Baked rice pudding

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The recipe below shows how to poach pears for a dessert.

Standard Recipe Card for Poached or Stewed Fruit

Recipe no. 11 Portion Size 1 pear

Timeframe 40 minutes Yield 4 pears

Equipment/Utensils Pan, wooden spoon, straining spoon

Ingredients Quantity Unit

Ripe pears 4

Lemons 2

Water 300 ml

Sugar 2 Tbsp

Sweet white wine 250 ml

Vanilla bean 2

Cinnamon stick 1

Method/Procedure

1. Peel the pears and leave the stalks on.

2. Cover the peeled pears in lemon juice.

3. Put water and sugar in a pan and heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar has melted.

4. Add the wine, cinnamon stick and vanilla bean to the pan.

5. Place the pears in the pan, put the lid on, and allow to simmer until soft.

6. Remove pears from the liquid and allow them to cool.

7. Remove spices and allow the sauce to reduce.

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Standard Recipe Card for Poached or Stewed Fruit

Serving Instructions

Place reduced sauce on a dessert plate, add the pear and a dollop of ice cream, and top with your
desired garnish

Further Reading
Click on the links below to see a recipe that has instructions on poaching pears.
How to poach pears perfectly

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4.2 Produce Desserts for Special Dietary Requirements by Following Special Dietary Recipes
When making desserts, you must remember that people may be dining with special dietary
requirements. Special dietary requirements are specific foods a person can or cannot eat for moral,
religious or health reasons. Two terms you will need to be aware of are:

Food allergies Food intolerances

Food allergies and food intolerances are often confused.

A food allergy is when the body’s immune system reacts to food that is harmless to others. Food
allergies cause allergic reactions, such as:

Raised rashes called hives

Eczema

Anaphylaxis (a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction)

Swelling of the mouth and eyes, particularly the lips face and tongue

Difficulty breathing

Abdominal pain

Nausea or vomiting

Food allergies are the body’s immune response to the protein present in food. Food allergies are often
caused by the following:

Protein in
Eggs Gluten
dairy

Strawberries
Soy
and tomatoes

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Food intolerance occurs when the body has a chemical reaction to the food. Food intolerance
reactions are usually less severe and affect the digestive system. Food intolerances are often caused
by:

Dairy Eggs Flavour enhancers

Citrus fruits, strawberries and

Wine Gluten
tomatoes

Food intolerances cause:

Headaches Rashes Irritable bowels

Abdominal pain Heartburn Bloating

Diarrhoea Itching

You use substitutes and adjustments to the standard recipe to accommodate allergies and
intolerances. To substitute is to use one ingredient instead of another, and adjustments are the
changes or alterations you make to the recipe. Adjustments can involve cooking time or temperature.

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4.2.1 Special Dietary Requirements

Special dietary requirements you may come across are:

Requirement Description

 For low-kilojoule desserts, you can adjust the recipe using

sugar substitutes and low-fat dairy products.
Low kilojoule
 The energy found in foods is measured in kilojoules.
 Foods that are high in fats and sugars are high in kilojoules.

 Diabetic desserts need low sugar and refined grains.

 Type 1 diabetes - The pancreas produces little or no
insulin.
Type 1 and 2 diabetic
 Type 2 diabetes - It affects the way the body processes
blood sugar (glucose).
 Carbohydrates and refined sugar need to be avoided.

 Low-sugar desserts can be made by reducing the amount

of sugar you use.
Low sugar  Sugar helps keep baked goods moist so the dessert will dry
out quicker.
 Reducing the sugar will also reduce the baking time.

 Vegan desserts cannot contain products derived from

animals, such as honey, eggs and milk.
Vegan
 Substitute ingredients will need to be used to ensure the
dessert is vegan.

 Gluten-free desserts cannot contain products containing

gluten found in wheat, barley and rye, such as pasta, bread
Gluten-free and beer.
 Flour substitutes need to be used, so alterations must be
made in baking time or temperature.

 Sugar-free desserts must contain no refined sugar.

Sugar-free  Substitutes such as fruits, honey or molasses can be made
with sugar to help retain the sweetness of the dessert.

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4.2.2 Substitute Ingredients

To accommodate the special dietary requirements, you may need to substitute or adjust how
you use ingredients.

Lowering Fat in Desserts

Replace oil with cooking spray.

Replace whole milk with skimmed milk.

Replace cream with fat-free crème fraîche.

Replace butter with vegetable-based fats.

Offer alternative accompaniments such as fruit instead of ice cream.

Lowering Carbohydrates in Desserts

The main dessert carbohydrates are:

Fruit Milk Grains Chocolate

Lowering Sugar or Making Desserts Sugar-Free

Substitutes can be used, such as:

Coconut palm
Honey Stevia Molasses Maple syrup
sugar

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As an example, the following replacement ingredients can be used to ensure a dessert has low
sugar or is sugar-free:

Ingredients to be Replaced Substitute Ingredient Variations

White stevia powder

Granulated sugar Stevia powder
Granulated stevia

Dark chocolate buttons

Dairy milk chocolate Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate bar

Making Desserts Vegan

Animal-based ingredients need to be exchanged for plant-based ingredients

Animal-Based Ingredient Substitute Ingredients Variation

Olive butter
Oils
Butter Coconut oil
Dairy-free butter
Vegetable oil

Flaxseed eggs
Seed eggs
Chia seed eggs
Egg replacer
Eggs Egg replacer powder
Tofu
Pureed tofu
Banana
Mashed banana

Soy milky
Nut milk Soy regular
Rice milk Unsweetened rice
Cow’s milk
Coconut milk Coconut
Soy milk Almond milk
Cashew milk

Agave syrup
Honey Syrup
Maple syrup

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Making Desserts for a Person With Diabetes

People with diabetes must reduce their fats, sugars and simple carbohydrate intake. Minimise
the use of or replace kilojoule-dense ingredients. To ensure the dessert suit the needs of the
person with diabetes, use low-fat ingredients and alternative sweeteners. An example of
replacement ingredients is in the table below:

Ingredients to be Replaced Substitute Ingredient Variations of Each

Ingredient

Liquid stevia extract

Granulated sugar Stevia
Stevia powder

Fat free cream cheese

Cream cheese Reduced fat cream cheese
Low fat cream cheese

Low fat Greek yoghurt

Heavy cream Greek yoghurt
Non-fat Greek yoghurt

People with type 1 and type 2 diabetes have different dietary requirements. People with type
1 diabetes must watch how quickly their blood glucose levels may rise. For pâtissiers to cater to
this need, they must adjust desserts by reducing or removing sugars and simple carbohydrates
from their recipes:
As discussed earlier, sugars can be replaced with artificial sweeteners to minimise the rise in
blood glucose levels. However, the recipe's ingredients must be adjusted to mimic the texture
that sugar provides. The same case must be done for simple carbohydrates if they are to be
replaced. For example, when replacing granulated or caster sugar, you must ensure the taste
and texture remain the same. The table below identifies the ingredient substitutes you can
make to ensure the taste and texture are similar.

Substitute Ingredient Variations of Each Ingredient

Substitute ingredient for  Erythritol powder

Erythritol
taste  Granulated erythritol

Substitute ingredient for  Unsalted butter

Butter
texture  Plant-based butter

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Making Desserts Gluten-Free

To make desserts gluten-free, substitute gluten products for gluten-free products.
Use flours such as:

Rice flour Potato flour Maize flour Almond flour

Arrowroot or cornflour can be used as a thickener.

For example, if you use the crepe recipe in Section 1.3.1 you can make gluten-free crepes by
changing the flour you use.

Ingredient to be Replaced Substitute Ingredients Variations of Each Ingredient

 Blanched almond flour

Almond flour  Unblanched almond
flour
All-purpose flour
 Light buckwheat flour
Buckwheat flour
 Dark buckwheat flour

There are times when more than one dietary requirement needs to be considered. For example,
a vegan dessert may also need to be gluten-free. Paying attention to your customer’s needs
ensures you cater to their requirements, minimising food waste.
For example, you can create vegan and gluten-free crêpes by adjusting the standard recipe. You
can substitute animal-based ingredients for plant-based ingredients. The following changes can
be made to ensure the crepes are vegan:

The dairy milk can be replaced with soy milk.

You can use baking powder, olive oil, and brown sugar as an egg substitute.

Olive oil gives the moisture the crêpe needs, and the baking powder is a substitute for the
leavening ability of the egg.

If you substituted the all-purpose flour for gluten-free flour, this recipe would become vegan
and gluten-free.

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4.2.3 Plant-Based Setting Agents

To ensure a dessert is vegan, you cannot use gelatine as it is an animal-based product. There
are substitute plant-based setting agents you can use. The table below outlines the substitute
ingredient you can use as a plant-based setting agent.

Setting Agent Information Variation

 Agar-agar is derived from seaweed. Agar-agar powder

 It is used as a thickener or gelling agent Agar-agar strips/threads
Agar-agar in desserts like panna cotta.
Agar-agar bar
 The substitution ratio is one-to-one.
Agar-agar flakes
 It is available in specialty stores.

 Carrageenan is derived from red Carrageenan gum

seaweed.
Carrageenan powder
 It is mostly used in vegan cheese but
Carrageenan can be used in custards, jellies and ice
creams.
 Carrageenan is available in your local
supermarket.

 Starch is obtained by grinding tubers or Corn starch

seeds and mixing the pulp with water.
Starch Arrowroot powder
The paste is then dried.
Potato starch
 Starch is used as a thickening agent

 Sourced from natural products such as Xanthan gum

trees and plants
Natural gum Gum Arabic
 It is used to thicken and stabilise
Guar gum
desserts.

Multimedia
The video below gives you more information
on the setting agent carrageenan.
Carrageenan - The Basics of Food Gums

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Case Study: Adapt a Standard Recipe to Suit Dietary Requirements

You are a chef at The Continent Hotel and have been told you will have a party of customers
attending that have gluten and dairy allergies. You must adjust the crêpe recipe to suit gluten
and dairy allergy.
The recipe contains the following ingredients:
 Milk
 Sugar
 All-purpose flour
 Salt
 Egg
 Butter
 Strawberries
 Nutella
You identify the following ingredients that need changing and what the substitute ingredient
should be.
 Milk - Soy milk
 All-purpose flour - Gluten-free flour
 Butter - Dairy-free alternative
 Nutella - Dairy-free chocolate spread
Not only do the ingredients need to
be free from allergens, but you need
to ensure the cooking surface is free
from cross-contamination. You clean
the pan and any areas that may be
contaminated with the allergens and
proceed to make the crêpes.
The crêpes are a success, and your
customers leave satisfied that their
dietary requirements were catered
to.

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4.2.4 Health and Legal Consequences of Not Accommodating Special Dietary Requirements
As described earlier in the chapter, those needing special dietary requirements can have health
consequences if they consume food containing certain ingredients. These health consequences
can range from headaches and rashes to anaphylaxis and death. Under the Food Standards
Code, the food services industry and retailers are responsible for catering to those with
allergies. The Food Standards Code and Food Act require you to declare allergens in the food
you produce. The following foods are the most common causes of allergic reactions:

Peanuts Tree nuts Milk Eggs Sesame seeds

Fish Shellfish Soy Lupin Wheat

Sulphites Gluten Royal jelly

You are required to declare these foods on labels or have the information readily available when
they are present as:

Components of Components of
Ingredients
food additives processing aids

There are legal consequences in the form of penalties for not complying with the Food Act.
Refer to your state or territory for the legal consequences and penalties for not accommodating
special dietary requirements.

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Below is an example of the penalties for non-compliance in Queensland.

False description of food
1. A person must not falsely describe food intended for sale if it is reasonably thought to
be known that the person who relies on the description will or is likely to suffer physical
harm.
Maximum penalty - 1000 penalty units or 2 years imprisonment
2. A person must not sell food that the person reasonably knows is falsely described and
will or is likely to cause physical harm to the consumer who relies on the description of
the food.
Maximum penalty - 1000 penalty units or 2 years imprisonment
Based on content from the Queensland Legislation website at June 8, 2022.
For the latest information on Queensland Government legislation please go to
https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au. Food Act 2006, used under CC BY 4.0

Places serving food should:

Implement a food allergen management program

Ensure all staff are trained in food allergen risks and communicating allergen advice to
customers

Provide accurate information about allergens present in the food they prepare

Assist customers in selecting food that is safe to eat

The customers are responsible for informing you whether they have special dietary
requirements. If they do not tell you, it is their responsibility. If a customer tells you their needs
and you say you can cater to them, but you do not, you are liable.

Further Reading
Click the link below to read more on food allergies and intolerances.
Food allergies and food intolerances

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4.3 Produce Dessert Sauces at the Correct Temperature, Consistency and Flavour
Dessert sauces are liquid substances served with desserts to add flavour, texture, colour and moisture.
They can be drizzled or poured over the desserts or added to the plate as decoration. They need to be
served at the correct temperature. Temperature refers to the heat that is present in the dessert.
Temperature can be measured by touch or using a thermometer. Some dessert sauces are served hot
and others cold. The consistency of the sauce is how thick or thin it is, whether it is pourable and runs
or thick and sticks to the spoon. The dessert sauce flavour depends on the ingredients you are using.
The flavour of the dessert gives it its taste, such as fruity, sweet, sharp and salty. The flavour needs to
complement the dessert it is being served with.
The common types of dessert sauces are:

Chocolate sauces

Common custards and crèmes

Fruit purées, sauces and coulis

Sabayon or foams

When making and presenting these sauces, you need to ensure consistency, flavour and serving
temperature. To get the desired consistency, you can use thickening agents. Thickening agents will
not change the sauce’s colour or taste, only the consistency. There are a variety of thickening agents.
 Examples of starch thickeners are:
o Cornflour
o Arrowroot
o Tapioca
 Examples of protein thickeners are:
o Eggs
o Gelatine
 Examples of other types of thickeners are:
o Agar-agar
o Pectin
o Xanthan gum

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You will now look at each sauce individually.

Chocolate Sauces

There are a variety of ways you can make chocolate sauce. An easy-to-make chocolate sauce uses dark
chocolate and cream; however, you can also incorporate caster sugar and butter ingredients.
To make a simple chocolate sauce:

Standard Recipe Card for Chocolate Sauce

Recipe no. 12 Portion Size 1-2 Tbsp

Timeframe 10 minutes Yield 600 ml

Equipment/Utensils Saucepan, heat-resistant bowl, spoon, whisk

Ingredients Quantity Unit

Thin cream 250 ml

Dark chocolate 200 g

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Standard Recipe Card for Chocolate Sauce

Method/Procedure

1. Melt the chocolate in a pot of boiling water.

2. Heat the cream in a saucepan.

3. Once the chocolate is melted, whisk it into the cream and set it aside to cool.

Consistency

It should have a thick and creamy consistency; if not, you can thicken it with cornstarch.

Serving instructions

Serve hot or cold over fritters, crêpes, bavarois or meringues.

Further Reading
Click on the link below for chocolate sauce recipe.
Chocolate sauce

Below is a recipe for meringues which you can top with poached fruit, cream and chocolate sauce.

Standard Recipe Card for Meringues

Recipe no. 13 Portion Size 1 per person

Timeframe 1 hour Yield 6 servings

Equipment/Utensils Tray, baking paper, stencil, mixer, palette knife

Ingredients Quantity Unit

Egg whites 4

Caster sugar 220 g

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Standard Recipe Card for Meringues

Method/Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 150 °C.

2. Using a circle stencil, trace six circles onto baking paper and place the sheet on a tray.

3. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.

4. Gradually add the caster sugar. When the caster sugar has been added, beat for another 3
minutes.

5. Check the consistency to ensure the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is thick and glossy.

6. Use a palette knife and spread the mixture onto the six circles you have traced.

7. Make furrows up the side of each meringue with the palette knife to support the meringue.

8. Use the back of a spoon to make indents into the top of the meringue.

9. Bake for ½ hour and until they feel firm to the touch.

10. Turn the oven off and leave the door ajar.

11. Leave the meringues inside the oven to cool.

Serving Instructions

Top with poached berries and cream.

Further Reading
Click on the link below for a meringue recipe which you can top with poached
fruit, cream and chocolate sauce.
Meringues

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Common Custards and Crèmes

A common custard is a sweet sauce made
from eggs and milk. Cornflour is used to
change the consistency of the custard
depending on how thick or runny you want
the sauce to be.
Crème anglaise, which translates as English
cream, is a pouring custard made using egg
yolks and milk.
To make a common custard:

Standard Recipe Card for Custard

Recipe no. 14 Portion Size ½ Cup

Timeframe 30 minutes Yield 8 servings

Equipment/Utensils Saucepan and whisk

Ingredients Quantity Unit

Eggs 2

Cornflour 3 Tbsp

Milk 750 ml

Method/Procedure

1. Place the eggs, cornflour and milk in a saucepan.

2. Whisk together while heating on the stove.

3. When the mixture becomes thick, remove it from the heat.

4. Whisk in sugar and vanilla.

Consistency

Thick and creamy

Serving instructions

Serve hot with pies, tarts or fritters.

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To make a crème anglaise:

Standard Recipe Card for Crème Anglaise

Recipe no. 15 Portion Size ¼ cup

Timeframe 30 minutes Yield 6 servings

Equipment/Utensils Saucepan, knife, sieve, jug, whisk, bowl, wooden spoon

Ingredients Quantity Unit

Milk 300 Ml

Vanilla bean 1

Egg yolks 4

Caster sugar 80 g

Method/Procedure

1. Pour the milk into the saucepan.

2. Using a knife, split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the saucepan.

3. Heat the milk until it comes to a boil.

4. Remove from the heat and strain the milk into a jug.

5. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together. The mixture will pale in colour.

6. Continue whisking while adding the milk until combined.

7. Pour back into the saucepan to heat. Stir continuously until the mixture thickens but can
still be poured.

Consistency

Smooth and coats the back of the spoon

Serving Instructions

Serve warm or at room temperature with pies, tarts, soufflé or fritters.

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Further Reading
Click on the links below to see how to make a crème anglaise and a common
custard.
Crème Anglaise
Basic Vanilla Custard

Fruit Purées, Sauces and Coulis

Fruit purées are made from fruit that is boiled in water until soft. The water is then drained from the
fruit, and the fruit is mashed or blended. The fruit can then be put through a sieve until the desired
consistency is achieved. Fruit purées can have a consistency of a creamy paste or liquid.
Fruit sauces are made by heating fruit in a pan with sugar and a liquid such as water or fruit juice. The
consistency of fruit sauces is changed by adding extra liquid to make them thinner or thicker by adding
cornstarch.
A coulis is a thickened sauce made by passing puréed fruit through a sieve. A coulis is best made by
using frozen fruit. Alcoholic liquids can be added for flavour and consistency.
Fruit purées, sauces and coulis are best served with panna cotta, bavarois and meringue.

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Further Reading
Click on the links below to see how to make a Raspberry Coulis.
Raspberry Coulis

Sabayon or Foams
Sabayon is a foam made from egg yolks, sugar and a
liquid such as white wine, sherry or water. Sabayon
has a light mousse-like texture. The egg yolks and
sugar are placed in a bowl and whisked continuously
over a pot of simmering water. The liquid is slowly
added until the sauce thickens. It is important not to
cook the sabayon too long as it may curdle. Sabayon
must be served immediately over tarts or pies.

Further Reading
Click on the links below to see how to make a sabayon.
Winter fruits with coffee sabayon

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4.4 Make Food Quality Adjustments Within Scope of Responsibility

Sometimes, you may need to make adjustments to the dessert to ensure the quality standard is met.
Adjustments are the small alterations made to ensure you reach the desired taste, texture and
appearance of the dessert. These adjustments are only to be made within your scope of responsibility.
Your scope of responsibility is the duties you are authorised and expected to do as part of your role in
the kitchen. There is a chain of command in the hospitality industry. Your role will determine what
you are held accountable for regarding presentation and food quality.
The table below outlines each job title’s role and scope of responsibility.

Job Title Role Scope of Responsibility

 This is the highest-ranked  Ordering of produce and

position. equipment
Chef de Cuisine  They are in charge of the  Creating of menus
entire kitchen.
(Executive Chef)  Managing the entire kitchen
 Checking dishes before they
go out

 They supervise and  Overseeing preparation,

Sous Chef coordinate with the portioning and presentation
various sections of the
(second in charge)  Training other staff
kitchen.
members in these areas

 These chefs work on a  Ensuring preparation and

specific element in the the cooking of items are
Chefs de Partie
kitchen, such as desserts. correct, such as sauces and
(a group of chefs) desserts
 They have assistant chefs
helping them.

Demi Chef  They work in dessert  Assisting in the preparation

preparation. of sauces and dessert
(assistant chef)

Commis  They are low-skilled  Preparing garnishes and

workers. weighing ingredients
(assistant)

Apprentice  They are studying the  Doing what they are

culinary arts, so they work instructed to do
(lowest rank) at various stations

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You must know your scope of responsibility in the kitchen.

Each kitchen will have a different structure depending on
its size and the elements it produces. For example, the
roles will differ in a café and a restaurant. Your role and
scope of responsibility will be outlined in your contract.
There will also be information on your scope of
responsibility in employee manuals, or you can ask your
supervisor what is expected.
As part of your scope of responsibility, you may need to make adjustments to the desserts, sauces and
presentation. The adjustments that may need to be made are to the taste, texture, temperature, or
ratio of wet and dry ingredients.
The table below outlines the adjustments that you may need to make:

Adjustment Type Reason for Adjustment How to Adjust

Taste can be affected by many A dessert that is too sweet can be

factors, such as: adjusted by adding a little lemon
Taste juice. Do not add salt, as it enhances
 Produce not being fresh
the sweetness of the dish.
 Using the wrong ingredients

Lack of texture can be because of a Texture can be added by using

missing component or garnishes and sauces, such as:
Texture accompaniment.
 Custard for creaminess
 Wafers and nuts for crunch.

The dessert may be too hot or cold  If a dessert is too cold, it can
to serve. be reheated.
 Desserts can be reheated if
reheating does not affect
the quality of the food.

Temperature  If a dish is too warm, it is

harder to remedy as cooling
takes time.
 Some dishes, such as ice
cream, cannot be cooled as
it melts once it gets too
warm.

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Adjustment Type Reason for Adjustment How to Adjust

 Adjustments may be needed Use scales and measure

when ingredients are accurately to minimise the need
altered for special dietary for adjustment.
Ratio of wet to dry requirements.
ingredients  Gluten-free flours and other
substitutes may have a
different consistency, so you
need to adjust the ratio.

 The dessert may not have  Make the corrections

been plated according to according to organisational
organisational standards. standards or your
Presentation supervisor’s instructions.
 There needs to be a balance
of colour, texture and shape  Add texture, colour and
on the plate. shape using garnishes and
sauces.

 Too much of one ingredient  Ensure you balance the

can overshadow the other elements on the plate, such
elements on the plate. as not putting too much
Quantity sauce or garnishes.
 The portion was scaled
incorrectly.  Make your portion size
bigger or smaller depending
on what is required.

Before you plate the dessert, you need to do a quality check. Ask yourself the following questions:

Does the dessert look right?

Are the colour, shape and texture correct?

Does it taste right?

Is it not too sweet, salty or sour?

Is the portion size correct?

If all your answers are yes, you are ready to plate the dessert.

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Case Study: Adjust the Dessert to Ensure it has the Correct Characteristics
You are a chef at The Continent Hotel. You have to check the desserts before they are plated to
ensure they look and taste right and have the desired characteristics. You have been asked to check
the panna cotta served at dinner.

The first thing you do when you check the dessert is to look at its colour.
 The colour is white with specks of vanilla bean.
Next, you look at the texture.
 The panna cotta wobbles a little and is creamy and smooth.
Finally, you look at the portion size.
 Each panna cotta has been made in a mould, so the portions are correct.
You give the tick of approval, so the panna cotta is ready to be plated.

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Notes

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Key Points: Chapter 4

• When producing desserts, you must ensure they have the desired characteristics, such as
colour, taste, size and texture.
• Desserts are served with frozen components to complement taste and texture.
• You will need to adjust recipes to produce desserts for special dietary requirements.
• Pay special attention to food allergies and intolerances, as you must be aware of the
ingredients you use that may affect them.

• Recipes must also be adjusted for special dietary requirements, such as vegan or gluten-
free or diabetic diets.
• Sauces are used as accompaniments or garnishes to desserts.
• Remember to only make food quality adjustments within the scope of your responsibility.

Learning Checkpoint
Now that you have finished this chapter, let’s do some learning exercises.
Get your Learning Activity Booklet provided with this Learner Resource. Complete
the learning activities for this chapter.
For guidance and additional instructions with these activities, talk to your
trainer/assessor.

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Chapter 5: Portion, Present and Store Desserts

Customers eat with their eyes, so it is vital that your desserts not only taste good but look good when
presented. The dessert is the last element the customer eats when dining and will affect their final
impression of your organisation. The dessert’s presentation is usually overseen by the sous chef,
depending on the job roles in the kitchen. The sous chef or person in charge of the presentation will
do the final check before the desserts leave the kitchen. This practice varies depending on the size of
the kitchen. You will be informed of the procedures to follow during your induction. The way a dessert
is presented is affected by the portion size, the type of accompaniment you add and the way the
dessert has been garnished. Storage is also important as it is part of the freshness and quality of the
desserts you are serving. If storage is not done correctly, it can lead to health and safety concerns. To
ensure you know how to best portion, present and store desserts, you will learn about the following
throughout this chapter:
 Portion desserts to maximise yield and profitability
 Use accompaniments and garnishes that enhance the flavour and texture of desserts.
 Use standard recipes and practicality of service to plate desserts attractively
 Store desserts in the appropriate environmental conditions
 Clean work area, dispose of or store surplus and re-usable by-products according to
organisational procedures, environmental considerations, and cost-reduction initiatives

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5.1 Portion Desserts to Maximise Yield and Profitability

When serving your dish, you want to ensure that customers receive an appropriately sized serving.
Serving sizes should be consistent to save time and money and meet customer expectations. It would
not be wise to serve two tables the same dish, but one has more than the other. Your workplace will
have guidelines to follow regarding portion control to maintain consistency. Portion refers to a part of
the whole (yield) and should be shared in equal amounts. Profitability is the financial gain after your
costs or expenses have been deducted. Profitability is important for your organisation to remain
viable.
As you learnt in Subchapter 1.1, the yield is the amount you produce from the standard recipe.
Maximising the yield means you want to make the best use of the yield you can produce. To maximise
the yield, you need to look at:
 The number of desserts you are making
 The care you take during the dessert-
making process
 The way you store the dessert
 The portion size of your desserts
 The shape of the portion compared to the
cooking vessel
The number of desserts you need to make depends on the customers you need to serve. By making
too many desserts, you cause waste and are not making the best use of your yield. When making your
desserts, take care when following the processes and procedures. Making mistakes will affect the
number of desserts you yield. For example, some desserts burn, so you cannot use them, thereby
minimising your yield. By storing your desserts incorrectly, you can lose yield. Incorrect storage will
cause a drop in the quality and food safety of the dessert, meaning you will have to throw the desserts
out.
The portion size and shape determine how many
desserts you get from each recipe. The smaller
your portion size, the greater the yield will be.
The same goes for the shape of your cooking
vessel. Choose a large square or rectangular
baking vessel if you need to cut your dessert into
squares or rectangular portions. Using a circular
baking vessel will not maximise the number of
portions you can cut, resulting in waste.

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Maximising profitability is another important aspect of ensuring the success of your organisation. The
following are steps you can take to maximise the profit of your organisation:

Check your ingredient prices to ensure you are getting the best
price

Consider using cheaper brands without having to compromise

quality.

Create desserts that use seasonal produce as out-of-season

produce is more expensive.

Ensure your portion sizes remain consistent when allocating

portions.

5.1.1 Portion Control When Handling and Storing Desserts

Portioning refers to keeping serving sizes consistent. It refers to knowing exactly how many
ingredients go into each dish or onto each plate. For example, a serving of crêpes refers to two
crêpes, no more, no less.
Portioning is done by measuring food or ingredients. A kitchen will typically portion items by
weight or by using standard tools. Some items are portioned by counting manually, such as
using two vanilla beans for a recipe.
A single portion is based on one serving. The number of servings is indicated in the standard
recipe. Proper portioning of ingredients ensures that you can reach the required yield. If you do
not observe proper portion control, you may have fewer servings than stated in the recipe. You
can practice proper portion control by following the steps below:

Prepare dish according to Check serving size

Use proper portioning
the measurements in the according to the standard
tools to prepare a serving.
standard recipe. recipe.

You can use special tools to help you keep portions consistent. Use the same tool each time you
prepare a portion to ensure the same amount each time. Some examples of portioning tools
are listed on the next page.

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Tools Image

Portion scales
 These are used during dessert preparation.
 They ensure you are using the appropriate
amount of ingredients measured by weight.

Measuring cups and spoons

 These are used to measure ingredients during
food preparation by volume.
 Measuring cups with markings are useful in
measuring liquid ingredients.
 Accurately measured ingredients ensure dishes
are made according to the recipe.

Ladles
 These are serving spoons with a broad base.
Ladles help serve sauces and toppings.
 Ladles ensure the same mixture is added to
each vessel before being cooked.
 Flat-bottom ladles are used to pour and spread
a specific amount of sauce or ingredient.

Portion control is important for other reasons as well. Portioning and managing serving sizes
should be monitored closely for the following reasons:

To maintain consistent servings

To maximise profit

To minimise waste

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You learnt about using portion sizing to maintain consistent servings. You will now look at how
portion control maximises profit and minimises waste.
 Maximising profit
Profit not only refers to how much money is made from selling products or dishes but
also considers the cost of everything needed to create the dish. If you use too much of
an ingredient but only sell a few portions, the business misses out on potential profit.
Like any business, your workplace will want to maximise its profit. Maximising profit
means making sure you make the most out of your ingredients. To maximise profit,
your organisation will establish policies and guidelines on portioning. The guidelines
include practising proper portioning for servings and how to prepare ingredients. For
example, organisational guidelines may dictate how much berry sauce is used as an
accompaniment for each dessert.
Remember that your ingredients come at a cost, and it is not unlimited. You will need
to prepare a set amount of servings using limited ingredients. It is important to follow
instructions and measurements as closely as possible.
 Minimising waste
You also want to use portion control to manage food waste. Food waste is any food
item or ingredient that must be disposed of. Food waste can result from food
preparation through unused by-products, such as egg yolks or whites, as many desserts
use one or the other, not both. If the by-products are not stored correctly, it will result
in food waste. If you do not prepare ingredients properly, you may have a large amount
of food waste. Food waste also results from customer leftovers or food left uneaten.
To determine when food should be considered waste, Food Standards Australia New
Zealand (FSANZ) has included a clause on food disposal in the Food Standards Code.
According to clause 11, food for disposal refers to food items that are:

Subject to recall

Returned

Not safe or suitable

Suspected of not being safe or suitable

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 Subject to recall
o Food from manufacturers, importers and suppliers put out for recall
 Returned
o Food that was sold to a customer, but returned for any reason
 Not safe or suitable
o Food is or has been contaminated, damaged or deteriorated
o Includes food that has passed its use-by date and food that are visibly spoilt
(e.g. has visible moulds)
 Suspected of not being safe or suitable
o Includes potentially hazardous food
Based on content from the Federal Register of Legislation at June 11, 2022. For the latest
information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.
Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code - Standard 3.2.2 - Food Safety Practices and
General Requirements (Australia Only), used under CC BY 4.0

The Food Standards Code states that food waste should be held and kept separate. It also states
that food served to any person is not resold unless it has remained completely wrapped. This is
to prevent the spreading of harmful germs and bacteria.
To minimise waste, you may opt to store usable by-products. If they are stored properly, they
may be used for other dishes. An example of proper use of by-products is leftover egg whites
to make meringues as a dessert accompaniment.
Keep in mind that not all by-products should be used or consumed. Sometimes, only a small
amount of ingredients are left, which are not practical for storage or consumption. Consult your
organisation’s guidelines or ask a manager to determine what to do.
Portion control is crucial to maximising your workplace’s profits. It is also an important element
in preventing unnecessary waste. Take note of the recommendations below to help you handle
portioning in the kitchen:

•Use only proper amounts of ingredients to avoid food waste.

Follow standardised
recipes. •Follow measurements to ensure you get the most out of
your inventory.

•Use measuring equipment for accurate amounts.

Use the right
portioning tools. •Use standardised portioning tools to ensure consistent
servings.

Practise right •Place the right amount of food on the dishes to be served.
plating. •Use standard tools when plating dishes.

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5.2 Use Accompaniments and Garnishes That Enhance the Flavour and Texture of Desserts
While desserts may be delicious, their flavours can often be complemented by using accompaniments
and garnishes. To complement means to add extra features to enhance or improve the dessert’s
quality, appearance or taste. Accompaniments are additional food items served with the dessert, such
as sauces and custards. Accompaniments balance the flavour by adding a contrasting taste.
Accompaniments can be food items such as:

Common custards Fruit purées, sauces

Chocolate sauces Sabayon or foams
and crèmes and coulis

In contrast, garnishes are bits of food used as decoration on the dessert to enhance the presentation.
Examples of garnishes are:

Crushed or
Chocolate Wafers or
whole Jellies Fruits
shavings tuiles
nuts

Accompaniments and garnishes not only complement or enhance the dessert but can also add texture
to it. Texture in food refers to the way it feels when it is in your mouth. Words you would use to
describe texture are:

Soft Hard Mushy Crunchy

Smooth Lumpy Chewy Creamy

The following shows you how some ingredients are used as garnishes and decorations.
 Fruits can be sliced to add colour and sweetness to a dessert, such as panna cotta.
 Jellies add colour, sweetness and texture and can enhance a dessert such as chocolate
mousse.
 Tempered chocolate is used to create swirls while still warm or curls and shaving when it is
set.
 A wafer or tuile is a thinly baked wafer usually formed into an arced shape. Tuille adds texture
and an element of interest to a dessert plate.
 Nuts can be crushed or kept whole to add texture and contrasting flavour to a dessert.
In the next subchapter, you will learn more ways to use accompaniments and garnishes when plating
desserts.

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Some techniques you can use to garnish dessert include the following:

Adding ingredients included in the dish as toppings or plating decorations

Sprinkling confectioners’ sugar over the finished dessert

Adding tuiles, nuts and crumbs that complement the dessert flavours

Sprinkling flaky sea salt to provide contrasting texture and flavour

Some techniques you can use to decorate desserts include the following:

Adding sugar-based decorations, such as pulled sugar and casting sugar

Adding chocolate-based decorations, such as chocolate shards and chocolate curls

Using edible gold leaf on the surface of the desserts

Plating desserts with edible flowers

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Bavarois is the ideal dessert to use fruit, tuile and berry coulis as garnishes and accompaniments.

Standard Recipe Card for Vanilla Bavarois

Recipe no. 16 Portion Size 1 per person

Timeframe 1 hour 10 minutes Yield 8 servings

Equipment/Utensils Kitchen scale, measuring cups, two large bowls, two saucepans, sieve,
dessert mould, plastic scraper, whisk, eight moulds, small bowl, cling
wrap

Ingredients Quantity Unit

Gelatine leaves 6

Egg yolks 2

Castor sugar 80 g

Milk 400 ml

Vanilla pod 1

Cream 400 ml

Method/Procedure

1. Soak gelatine leaves in cold water in a small bowl.

2. Add egg yolks and half the sugar into a large bowl and whisk until white.

3. Add milk, vanilla pod, and the remaining sugar into a saucepan. Heat the milk on medium
to high heat until it comes to a boil.

4. While whisking, pour the boiling milk mixture into the beaten egg yolks.

5. Squeeze out the gelatine leaves and add to the mixture. Pour everything back into the
saucepan.

6. Heat the mixture on low, stirring it continuously until the gelatine is dissolved and the egg
yolks are bound.

7. Pass the mixture through a sieve into a large bowl.

8. Let the mixture cool over ice water.

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Standard Recipe Card for Vanilla Bavarois

Method/Procedure

9. Add cream into a bowl and whisk until stiff.

10. Fold the whipped cream through the mixture.

11. Spoon the mixture into the moulds and cover with cling wrap.

12. Place in the refrigerator and allow to set for 2 hours.

Serving Instructions

Turn the set bavarois out of the moulds onto a plate. Serve with a berry coulis, tuile biscuit, and a
mint leaf.

Further Reading
Click on the links below to see how to make bavarois.
Vanilla & coffee bavarois with mocha sauce

Multimedia
Watch the video for steps on how to make
tuile.
Chocolate Tuiles - Dessert garnishes - Custard
garnish - Custard cookie

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5.3 Use Standard Recipes and Practicality of Service to Plate Desserts Attractively
During the discussion on maximising profitability, it was mentioned that customers eat with their eyes.
This is why plating desserts attractively is important. Attractive means pleasing or appealing to the
eye. To plate desserts does not only mean putting the desserts on the plate. Plating the dessert also
refers to the way the dessert is presented. The decorations, garnishes and accompaniments make the
dessert more attractive when it is being presented. Presentation refers to how the dessert looks when
you serve it to your customer.
The way you present the dessert is important as it:

Entices the customer to eat the dessert

Adds value to the customers' dining experience

Adds taste and flavour to the dessert

Standard recipes usually give you an idea of how to plate the dessert. The sous chef may adjust to
ensure the plating is achievable within time constraints and practical for service.
It is also important to keep the practicality of service in mind. Practicality of service is plating a dessert
in a way that is easy to do and keeps to the time constraints, yet still appealing to the eye. Making a
dessert look appealing is time-consuming. As you learnt in Subchapter 4.1, time constraints play an
important role in the profitability of a kitchen. During a busy service period, plating must be kept easy
while maintaining its visual appeal to the customer. To do this:
 Make your plating designs easy to follow.
 Minimise the number of elements on the plate to ensure plating can be done quickly.
 Have garnishes and accompaniments that are easy to plate.
 Do not overcrowd your plate, as this makes carrying it difficult.
When plating a dessert, you need to keep in mind:
 The style of the plate (porcelain, ceramic, round, square, etc.)
 The size of the plate (large, small, bowl, ramekin, etc.)
 The colour of the plate (white, black earth tones, etc.)
When plating desserts, there are also characteristics you need to keep in mind, which are:

Flavour Texture Temperature Colour

Shape Height Size Direction

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The impact the characteristics have on plating are the following:

 Flavour

Flavour adds a taste contrast that must complement the dessert.

Flavours can include salty, sweet, sour or bitter.

 Texture

Texture also creates contrast by introducing crispy, crunchy, smooth and creamy elements.

 Temperature

Warm desserts are often served with cold elements such as cream or ice cream.

 Colour

Colour is important for eye appeal, especially when a dessert is light in colour like panna cotta
or bland like crêpes.

Use colours that compliment the dessert.

More than one colour can be used on a plate to add interest.

 Shape

Shape is important to create visual interest, so avoid having all the same shape on a plate.

 Height

Height also creates interest and brings the dessert up towards the eye.

 Size

If the dessert is too big or too small, it loses its impact.

A dessert that is too big overtakes the plate and may seem overwhelming to the customer.

The accompaniments and garnishes will overtake a dessert that is too small.

 Direction

Having elements in different directions adds interest and depth to the plate.

Sauces can also add colour, shape and texture to a dessert. When plating sauces, you can use:

Lines Foams Drops Swirls Brushes

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When plating desserts, you can use these tips to ensure the practicality of service and attractiveness
to the customer:

 Ensure the accompaniments and garnishes are visually appealing by:

Balancing the elements Including colour Ensuring contrast

 Ensure the elements

are edible.

 Keep the plating

simple.

 Ensure all portion

sizes are the same.

 Highlight the main

element on the plate.

 Ask yourself if you

would be happy to be
served the dish.

 Adjust the plating if

you are not satisfied
with the outcome.

Multimedia
Watch the video to see how visually
interesting dessert plating can be.
Art of plating desserts

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This mock standard recipe card shows two ways plating can be achieved for panna cotta.

Standard Recipe Card for Panna Cotta

Recipe no. 17 Portion Size 1 per person

Timeframe 5 hours Yield 6 servings

Equipment/Utensils Six moulds, baking pan, saucepan, wooden spoon, two bowls,
thermometer, sieve, knife

Ingredients Quantity Unit

Vanilla bean 1

Caster sugar ½ cup

Cream 2 cups

Milk 1 cup

Gelatine sheets 3

Method/Procedure

1. Halve vanilla bean, take out the seeds, and put the seeds and two halves into a saucepan.

2. Add milk, cream, and caster sugar to the saucepan.

3. Heat ingredients until you see steam and the sugar has melted. The mixture must not boil
or simmer.

4. Take it off the heat and allow it to cool to 37 °C.

5. Put three sheets of gelatine in a bowl of cold water to soften. Remove the gelatine from the
bowl and squeeze the excess water off.

6. Add to cream mixture.

7. Pour mixture through a sieve to remove vanilla bean pieces.

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Standard Recipe Card for Panna Cotta

Method/Procedure

8. Pour into panna cotta moulds.

9. Refrigerate for 4 hours.

10. Remove from fridge.

11. Run a knife around the edge of the panna cotta to release and unmould onto a serving
plate.

Serving Instructions

Serve with fresh berries, or add a chocolate swirl, fruit coulis, and tuile.

Further Reading
Click on the links below to see how to make panna cotta with roasted
Strawberries.
Panna cotta with roasted strawberries recipe

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5.4 Store Desserts in the Appropriate Environmental Conditions

Once the desserts are made, you must store them appropriately to ensure food safety and shelf life.
To store means to keep it for future use. The way you store them must be correct to ensure they
remain safe to eat. It would be best to consider the environmental conditions when storing the
desserts. Environmental conditions include:

Atmosphere Humidity Light Packaging

Temperature Containers Ventilation

Not only do you need to store

the desserts you have made but
also their re-usable by-product.
Re-usable means you can use
the item again or more than
once. By-products are the
scraps, offcuts or ingredients
left over from dessert
preparation. Reusing these by-
products maximises profit and
minimises waste.
Examples of by-products in the
dessert kitchen are:

Egg whites Egg yolks Pastry Fruit peels

The disposal and storage of by-products will be discussed further in Section 5.5.1.

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5.4.1 Food Safety

Food safety is how you handle, prepare and store food to ensure the food is fit for human
consumption. It also reduces the risk of bacteria growth and food-borne illnesses.
There are legal requirements for the storage of food. According to the Australia New Zealand
Food Standards Code - Standard 3.2.2, when storing food, a food business must:

Store the food in a way that protects it from contamination

Ensure the environmental conditions under which it is stored will not affect the safety of
the food

Store potentially hazardous foods under the correct temperature

Ensure food that is frozen remains frozen under storage

Based on content from the Federal Register of Legislation at June 12, 2022. For the latest
information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.
Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code - Standard 3.2.2 - Food Safety Practices and
General Requirements (Australia Only),used under CC BY 4.0

5.4.2 Optimising Shelf Life

Optimising or making the most of shelf life is vital for maximising yield and profitability. Shelf
life is how long the ingredients or desserts remain usable or fit for consumption. The two ways
you can optimise shelf life are by having suitable storage areas and containers.
 Storage areas
Ensuring your storage areas are in good condition is vital in shelf life. Fridges (below 5
°C) and freezers (below 18 °C) must be kept within the correct temperature range. To
ensure this happens, maintain your fridges and freezers according to manufacturer
instructions. Your organisation should keep a record of scheduled maintenance to make
it easier to track when they are due.
Humidity in a storage area also plays a key role. The humidity level has to suit the
dessert to optimise the shelf life. For example, flour requires dry storage. If the storage
area is too humid, the flour will absorb the humidity and become mouldy or clumpy.
The storage of dry food is also important. The dry food storage area should be dry and
cool (10 °C to 15 °C). This storage area must also be well sealed to prevent rodents and
insects from entering. Dry storage areas have shelving as the products should not be
on the floor.

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 Storage containers
Once your storage area is sorted, you must get your storage containers. Good storage
containers can help prevent humidity from getting into your dry storage desserts and
ingredients. For a container to be appropriate, it must have a lid that seals correctly and
allows for labels to stick. As you learnt in Section 1.3.3, food labelling is crucial to
identify the freshness of ingredients.
However, having suitable storage areas and containers would be impractical if the staff are not
trained in following the correct procedures. Train your staff on the expectations of storing the
ingredients and desserts according to organisational procedures and legal requirements.
The following shows the procedure for storing desserts:

First, decide on how long they will need to be stored:

Overnight 1 to 2 weeks 1 to 2 months

Next, check on the requirements for the type of storage time needed:

Packed in airtight containers Covered in cling wrap or foil Put into ziplock bags

Finally, ensure you have labelled the ingredient, by-product or dessert correctly.
Information can include:

Name or Date put into Ingredients list Directions for

Use-by date
description storage if needed use

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The table below indicates the best storage conditions for the desserts:

Dessert Storage Conditions

Put cling wrap directly on the cream as it prevents skin

from forming.
Bavarois Cover with a lid and refrigerate for up to 48 hours.
Freeze before the cream is set in a food-safe freezer
container, lasting up to 2 months.

Keep in the fridge for 2 to 4 days.

Crème brûlée It can be kept frozen for 6 months
It must be kept at -17 °C for optimum shelf life.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Crème caramel
It is not recommended to freeze as the custard will split.

To store in a refrigerator, wrap in foil or cling wrap for

1 to 3 days.
Crêpe
To freeze, separate crêpes with waxed paper and put
them in an airtight container. Keep for up to 4 months.

Allow fritters to cool completely, then put in a ziplock

Fritter
bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Place in an airtight container separated by waxed paper

Meringue and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks
Freeze for up to 3 months.

Panna cotta can be kept in the fridge for up to a week

Panna cotta if covered completely.
It can be kept in the freezer for around 2 months.

Cover the mousse well and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Mousse
Mousse can be kept in a freezer for up to 2 months.

Pecan pie can be kept in a fridge for up to 4 days.

Pecan pie
Wrap up well and store in the fridge for up to 4 months.

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Dessert Storage conditions

It can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days and in the

Rice pudding
freezer for 3 months.

It can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days and in the

Soufflé
freezer for 1 month.

Apple tart can be left on the counter for up to 3 days.

Refrigerate for up to 7 days.
Apple tart
Wrap in cling wrap and a storage container and store in
the freezer for up to 4 months.

Case Study: Dessert Storing Procedure

You are a chef at The Continent Hotel. It is the end of service, and you need to store the
crêpes and meringues for service the next day. For short-term storage, you need to put them
in the refrigerator. As per organisational procedures, you need to store the them in the
following way:
For the crêpes:
 Stack the crêpes together.
 Wrap them in cling wrap, then cover them in foil.
For the meringues:
 Place in an airtight container separated by waxed paper
Storing them this way lets you
know they are good to eat the
following day.
You must ensure the desserts are
clearly marked. Note that they
cannot be put back into the
refrigerator once they have been
presented for service the next
day.

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5.5 Clean Work Area, Dispose of or Store Surplus and Re-Usable By-Products According to
Organisational Procedures, Environmental Considerations, and Cost-Reduction
Initiatives
Once your desserts have been made, you must ensure your work area meets health and safety
standards. To do this, you must:
 Clean your work area
 Dispose of surplus and re-usable by-products
 Store surplus and re-usable by-products
When completing these three actions, you need to ensure you:
 Follow organisational procedures
 Consider the environment
 Use cost-reducing initiatives

5.5.1 Organisational Procedures

Organisational procedures give you guidelines as to the processes to follow. The procedures
outline how the organisation expects the task to be completed. Organisational procedures will
differ from organisation to organisation. However, there are general expectations regarding
certain areas. Your organisation may have procedures around:

Cleaning work areas

Disposing of surplus and re-usable by-products

Storing of surplus and re-usable by-products.

Cleaning Work Areas

Cleaning your work area is done in two stages. The two stages are:

Cleaning Sanitising

Cleaning and sanitising need to be done separately and correctly to ensure they are effective.
Even areas that have not been used need to be cleaned and sanitised.

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Steps to ensure your work area is clean and sanitary:

1. Wipe down any excess food or ingredients and rinse with water.
2. Wash the area with hot water and detergent to remove grease and grime.
3. Rinse off the detergent and any grime that has been lifted.
4. Use a sanitiser or disinfectant to kill bacteria and prevent them from spreading. (Refer
to manufacturer instructions.)
5. After checking the manufacturer instructions, wash the sanitiser if required.
6. Dry using single-use towels
Some things to keep in mind when using sanitisers or disinfectants are:
 Some chemicals are toxic and need to be rinsed from the surface
 Dilute the sanitiser correctly to ensure effectiveness
 If you are storing diluted sanitisers, ensure they are labelled correctly

Disposing of Surplus and Re-usable By-Products

When surplus and re-usable by-products are disposed of, they are considered waste. To dispose
of surplus and by-products means to get rid of them. Surplus is what you have left over after
you have met your service requirements, whereas a by-product is what is left over after the
product has been made. Ensure to follow the organisation’s procedures for waste disposal.
These procedures may include the following.
Disposing of surplus and re-usable by-products can involve:
 Throwing them out in bins
 Using them for compost
 Donating them to charities.
If you are throwing the waste in bins, you need to ensure that:
 The bins in the kitchen have lids
 There are large bins outside that are collected regularly
 The waste is not taken through eating areas
 Recyclables and perishables are separated
Some organic waste can be used for compost, such as:

Fruit peels Eggshells Flour

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Storing of Surplus and Re-usable By-Products

As discussed in Subchapter 5.4, storing ingredients and products is important for ensuring
health, safety, and longer shelf life. In Section 5.4.2, you learnt about the storage requirements
of some desserts. These guidelines must be followed if you have surplus desserts left over after
service. Your organisation will have procedures to follow to meet health and safety guidelines.
The procedures will also outline which by-products need to be stored. Here are some storage
tips for some by-products:

Surplus or By-
Reasons for Storage Storage Tips
Products

You may have leftover egg yolks  Place egg yolks in a bowl of
after making meringues. These water and cover with cling
can be kept and used to make wrap. Store in the fridge
Egg yolks custard. for 4 days.
 Place in an airtight
container and store in a
freezer for up to a year.

You may have egg whites left over  Keep egg whites in a fridge
after making custard. These can for up to 2 days.
Egg whites be kept and used to make
 Freeze them in an airtight
meringues.
container for up to 6
months.

When making pastry, you may  Cover the pastry in cling

have extra or cut-offs. These can wrap; it will last for up to 2
be stored and used for other days in the fridge.
pastry dessert items.
Pastry  Another option is to wrap
the pastry in a double layer
of cling wrap and put it in
the freezer for 3 to 6
months.

The customers did not consume  Store the desserts

all the desserts that were made. according to health and
safety requirements and as
Desserts mentioned in Section
5.4.2.
 Label them with a name
and date.

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5.5.2 Environmental Considerations

Environmental considerations are the issues you must consider when working in the food
industry. These considerations lessen the impact on our world.
The environmental issues you need to consider are:

Water Garbage
Energy usage Food waste Pollution
wastage waste

When considering these environmental issues, you work towards creating a sustainable
environment. Environmental sustainability is your responsibility to conserve natural resources
and protect ecosystems. It also supports health and well-being now and in the future. Your
organisation will have procedures in place to ensure environmental considerations occur. There
are steps most organisations take to ensure they are being environmentally sustainable.
Managing your food waste is where your organisation can have the biggest environmental
impact. Millions of tons of food are being thrown away each year; much of this can be avoided
using better waste management systems and procedures. You can manage food waste by:

Effectively monitoring your stock

Only buying what you need

Not overcatering

Recycling when you can

Reusing by-products if it is safe to do so

Donating leftover food that is still safe to eat to charities

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5.5.3 Cost Reduction Initiatives

Cost reduction is the process organisations use to reduce costs and increase their profits.
Initiatives are the opportunities you take to solve a problem or find a solution.
The cost-saving initiative implemented will depend on the organisation you are working for.
However, most cost-saving initiatives can start with minimising food waste. Some cost-saving
initiatives may include:
 Ensuring you are only purchasing the ingredients you need as extra ingredients lead to
product waste
 Using the FIFO method identified in Subchapter 1.3 as it ensures you do not waste
ingredients
 Knowing how many customers to cater to ensures you do not overcater
 Portioning your desserts correctly to maximise yield and minimise waste
The steps to introducing a cost reduction initiative are the following:

Assess how the new initiative

Communicate the urgency of
is working and make
the initiative.
adjustments where necessary.

Ensure leadership supports

Phase in your new initiative.
your initiative.

Develop the initiative you Document your initiative and

want to take towards cost communicate how this
reduction. approach will take place.

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Notes

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Key Points: Chapter 5

• Portioning desserts maximises yield profitability and minimises waste.

• Portion desserts to ensure each customer gets the same dessert.

• Use the same tool to portion your desserts to avoid inconsistencies.
• Accompaniments and garnishes enhance the flavour and appearance of a dessert.
• Plating desserts attractively entices the customer to eat the dessert.

• Ensure your plating is simple and easy to follow for the practicality of service.
• Store desserts correctly to ensure health and safety and lengthen shelf life.

Learning Checkpoint
Now that you have finished this chapter, let’s do some learning exercises.
Get your Learning Activity Booklet provided with this Learner Resource. Complete
the learning activities for this chapter.
For guidance and additional instructions with these activities, talk to your
trainer/assessor.

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Summary

“The world rewards

those who take
responsibility for
their own success.”
Curt Gerrish

As you have learnt, producing desserts is not only about making the dessert. There are many things to
consider when producing them. The journey starts with your standard recipe and ensuring you have
the right ingredients. Checking those ingredients are fresh and of good quality ensures desserts are
produced to a high standard. The next step is to have the correct equipment for the process you will
follow. Each dessert requires different equipment. Checking your standard recipe will ensure you have
the equipment set out for production. Portioning plays an important role in dessert making. Too much
or not enough ingredients can cause your dessert to flop, lessening your yield. The lower your yield
and the more ingredients you waste, the less your profit will be.
Desserts are not only about the main item; how you present your dessert can entice a customer to
eat and enjoy it. The presentation comes down to garnishes, accompaniments used, and presentation.
At the end of the day, health and safety should always be your main priority. You must ensure your
desserts are safe to eat. To do that, you need to work in a clean environment following the health and
safety standards and procedures set out by your organisation. To end off, remember to be
environment-wise and minimise food waste.

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References

These are some references that we feel may be of assistance to you in completing the Assessment for
this unit of competency:
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• Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code - Standard 3.2.2 - Food Safety Practices and
General Requirements (Australia Only) (Cth).
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/F2008B00576
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https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/creme-caramel-2/c37c6672-e6b2-4b48-b50f-
c5512b3d9310

• C, J. (2019). Basic Crepes Recipe. Allrecipes.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/16383/basic-crepes/

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• caramello M&G. (2018, August 2). Art of plating desserts [Video]. YouTube.
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• Chef Mrugziee. (2017, May 20). 8 simple plating techniques for sauces | Chef Mrugziee
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e901779daeaa

• Creamish. (2019, December 3). Basic Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe | Includes No-Churn Option.
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brulee/f15f3e32-59e5-4ef1-88c2-bc81d6cd9ab5
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u59e2ImjoMg
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https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/creme-anglaise-4984

• Everyday Food. (2015, January 31). How to measure wet and dry ingredients - Kitchen
conundrums with Thomas Joseph [Video]. YouTube.
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• Everyday Food. (2016, March 12). Whipping egg whites to perfect peaks [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhuRyq7NrcA
• Food Act 2006 (Qld).
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YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThJi3p2As6M

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• Food Network Canada. (2018, February 24). How to flambe food like a pro | Chef school
[Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4amkfHRGQw

• Food Standards Australia & New Zealand. (2021, March). Food allergies and food
intolerances.
https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/foodallergies/allergies/Pages/default.aspx

• Food Standards Australia & New Zealand. (2022, April). Use-by and best-before dates.
https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/labelling/dates/Pages/default.aspx
• FoodSafetyNet. (2016, September 30). DaydotsTM food rotation labels [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av2j2Gde5cA

• FoodStandardsAgency. (2012, May 14). Food safety coaching (Part 8): Chilling foods [Video]
YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp76AOiiKww

• Freer, C. (2016, October 31). Chocolate mousse in minutes. Taste.com.au.

https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/chocolate-mousse-minutes/e5b571f4-3a16-4f5d-ad95-
89479e3763c1

• Great British Chefs. (n.d.). Lemon Parfait Recipe - Great British Chefs.
https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/recipes/lemon-parfait-recipe

• Gum Guru. (2015, August 27). Carrageenan - The basics of food gums [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjEdN4eHHdk
• holidaykitchen. (2013, October 4). Cutting butter into flour [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3SJVjCkpR0
• homebaking. (2022, January 29). Baking mise en place [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1JFS2W-CbA
• Kitchen, L. (2013, February 1). Pecan pie. Taste.com.au.
https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/pecan-pie-3/1a08389b-7017-43e0-b866-1e5cfb6e9f97

• Kitchen stories. (n.d.). Creamy walnut parfait | Recipe. Kitchen Stories.

https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/creamy-walnut-parfait
• Knudsen, K. (2010, January 1). Vanilla & coffee bavarois with mocha sauce. Taste.com.au.
https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/vanilla-coffee-bavarois-mocha-sauce/d5ea1f90-bc61-
4317-b99c-b2592e16c6ad
• LindtAustralia. (2017, April 20). Tempering Lindt chocolate [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSFiWKAxsJI

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• Little, V. (n.d.). French apple tarts with calvados cream. Taste.com.au.

https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/french-apple-tarts-calvados-cream/48663ae5-4f0c-4342-
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