Glossary of Pastry Ingredients
Dive into the sweet world of pastry! For beginners as well as seasoned pastry chefs, 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: The base of many cakes and cookies, it provides structure.
- Powdered sugar: Used for icings, meringue, and as decoration.
- Granulated sugar : Sweetens and adds volume to most preparations.
- Butter : Adds flavor, texture, and helps browning.
- Eggs : Binder for mixtures, also help to leaven.
- Baking powder : Leavening agent used in cakes and cookies.
- Baking soda : Another leavening agent, often used with vinegar or lemon.
- Salt : Enhances flavors.
- Chocolate : Used as chips, melted or powdered for various desserts.
- Cocoa powder : Gives a chocolate taste without the fat of chocolate.
- Vanilla (extract or pod) : Classic pastry flavor.
- Milk : Hydrates the flour, makes cakes soft.
- Mascarpone : Important ingredient in desserts like tiramisu.
- Yogurt : 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.
- Maizena : Thickener for creams and sauces.
- Isomalt : Humidity-resistant sugar used for transparent decorations.
- Marzipan : Sweet paste for decoration and modeling.
- Fondant icing : For covering and decorating cakes.
- Flavors: Extracts to diversify tastes (lemon, almond, etc.).
- Food colorings: To color doughs, creams, and glazes.
- 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 softness of candies and glazes.
- Tonka bean : a complex flavor evoking vanilla, freshly cut hay, almond, clove.
- Citrus zest: Provide a fresh and aromatic flavor.
- Grated coconut: For texture and tropical taste.
- Coffee (extract or instant): To flavor and color.
- Spices (cinnamon, ginger, etc.): To enhance and flavor.
- Praline: Sweet paste of caramelized hazelnuts or almonds.
- Tartar cream: Stabilizes whipped egg whites.
- Fondant: To cover certain cakes or make patterns.
- Glaze: To give shine to fruits and cakes.
- Dried fruits (raisins, apricots): For cakes, fruit breads, etc.
- Caramel chips: To add sweet crunch.
- Sugar beads: For decoration.
- Edible flowers: Delicate decoration for fine pastries.
- Gold leaf: For a luxurious decoration.
- Chocolate sprinkles: Classic decoration.
- Fresh fruit: For flavor, decoration, and texture.
- Chantilly: Sweetened whipped cream for filling and decoration.
- Meringue: Egg whites beaten with sugar, for decorating or as a base.
- Pralines: Hazelnuts or almonds coated in caramelized sugar.
- Pistachio paste: For flavor and color.
- Pastry cream: Thick cream for filling choux and éclairs.
- Ganache: Mixture of cream and chocolate for filling or icing.
- Caramel: Melted sugar, for drizzling or creating decorations.
- Nougat: Confection made from egg whites, honey, and dried fruits.
- Buttercream: Base for icing or filling cakes.
- Fruit compote: Filling 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: For soaking and flavoring.
- Fruit purée: Base for mousses, jellies, and other preparations.
With this complete list by your side, you are now equipped to understand, explore, and master the vast universe of pastry. Each ingredient has its own magic, and by combining them, you can transform simple elements into delectable works of art. May your pastry journey be guided by curiosity and indulgence, and may each discovery bring you closer to ever more delicious mastery!
