Glossary of Pastry Ingredients
Dive into the sweet world of baking! For beginners and seasoned pastry chefs alike, knowing the essential ingredients and understanding their role is the key to delicious and successful creations.
This glossary details 60 key ingredients used in the art of pastry and cake design. It will undoubtedly become your essential ally in all your gourmet adventures.
- Flour: Base of many cakes and biscuits, it gives structure.
- Icing sugar: Used for icings, meringue and as decoration.
- Cast sugar: Sweetens and adds volume to most preparations.
- Butter: Provides taste, texture and helps browning.
- Eggs: Binder for preparations, they also help to leaven.
- Baking powder : Leavening agent used in cakes and biscuits.
- Baking soda : Another leavening agent, often used with vinegar or lemon.
- Salt: Enhances flavors.
- Chocolate : Used in the form of chips, melted or powdered for various desserts.
- Cocoa powder : Gives a chocolate taste without the fat of chocolate.
- Vanilla (extract or pod): Classic scent of pastries.
- Milk: Hydrates flour, makes cakes soft.
- Mascarpone: Key ingredient in desserts like tiramisu.
- Yoghurt: Adds moisture to cakes.
- Gelatin : Thickens and gels mousses and certain desserts.
- Agar-agar : Vegan alternative to gelatin.
- Mascarpone: Mild cheese for tiramisus and other creamy desserts.
- Pectin: Gelling agent for jams and jellies.
- Cornstarch : Thickener for creams and sauces.
- Isomalt : Sugar resistant to humidity, used for transparent decorations.
- Almond paste : Sweet paste for decoration and modeling.
- Sugar paste : To cover and decorate cakes.
- Flavors : Extracts to diversify tastes (lemon, almond, etc.).
- Food colorings : To color doughs, creams and icings.
- Candied fruits: Sweet fruits for decoration and incorporation.
- Hazelnuts & Almonds : Add crunch and flavor.
- Chocolate chips : For cookies, muffins, etc.
- Honey: Natural sugar, gives a soft sweetness.
- Glucose syrup : For the flexibility of candies and icings.
- Tonka bean : a complex flavor that evokes vanilla, cut hay, almond, clove.
- Citrus zest: Provides a fresh and aromatic flavor.
- Shredded coconut : For texture and tropical taste.
- Coffee (extract or soluble): To flavor and color.
- Spices (cinnamon, ginger, etc.): To spice up and flavor.
- Praliné: Sweet paste of caramelized hazelnuts or almonds.
- Cream of tartar: Stabilizes whipped egg whites.
- Fondant: To cover certain cakes or make patterns.
- Topping: To give shine to fruits and cakes.
- Dried fruits (grapes, apricots): For cakes, fruit breads, etc.
- Caramel chips: To add a sweet crunch.
- Sugar balls: For decoration.
- Edible flowers: Delicate decoration for fine pastries.
- Gold leaf: For luxurious decoration.
- Chocolate vermicelli: Classic decoration.
- Fresh fruit: For flavor, decoration and texture.
- Chantilly: Sweetened whipped cream for garnish and decoration.
- Meringue: Egg whites beaten with sugar, to decorate or as a base.
- Pralines: Hazelnuts or almonds coated with caramelized sugar.
- Pistachios Paste: For flavor and color.
- Crème pâtissière: Thick cream to garnish choux and éclairs.
- Ganache: Mixture of cream and chocolate for filling or icing.
- Caramel: Melted sugar, for coating or creating decorations.
- Nougat: Confectionery made from egg whites, honey and dried fruits.
- Butter cream: Base for icing or garnishing cakes.
- Fruit compote: Topping or base for other desserts.
- Cereal balls: For crunch and decoration.
- Edible glitter: For a sparkling decoration.
- Fruit Chips: To add flavor and color.
- Fruit syrup: To soak and flavor.
- Pureed fruit: Base for mousses, jellies and other preparations.
With this comprehensive list at your side, you are now equipped to understand, explore and master the vast world of pastry. Each ingredient has its own magic, and by combining them, you can transform simple items into delectable works of art. May your pastry journey be guided by curiosity and gluttony, and may each discovery bring you closer to ever more delicious mastery!
