Cold desserts fall into eight categories: gelatin-based, egg-based, mousses, rice desserts, fruit-based, ice cream-based, meringue-based, and convenience products. Gelatin-based desserts like bavarois set as the gelatin cools the mixture. Egg custards are gently cooked to set without boiling. Mousses have a light, whipped cream texture. Quality rice desserts are creamy and absorb flavors. Ice cream is slowly churned while freezing to produce small, smooth crystals. Meringues are light with a chewy interior. Convenience desserts like flans have a crisp pastry and well-set filling.

1. Cold
Deserts
By the end of this
presentation you will
be able to:
• Identify the
category that a
cold desert goes
into
• Name the most
popular dessert
associated with
this category
• State the quality
points to look for
in a cold dessert

2. There are 8 Dessert Categories
• Gelatine based
• Egg based
• Mousses
• Rice Desserts
• Fruit Based
• Ice-cream based
• Meringue based
• Convenience products

3. Gelatine based
Gelatine is dissolved into a liquid and then chilled.
As the dessert chills it then sets.
The most common gelatine based dessert are;
• Bavarois- a mousse made from anglaise. Gelatine is added
before being cooled. Then cream is folded in. The mousse is set
in a mould before being de-moulded and served
• Delice- same as above but with a layer of sponge in the bottom
of the mould. The mousse once set can be finished with a glaze
or a fruit jelly
• Charlotte russe- sponge fingers are layers around the out side
of a mould- bavarois is made and set, holding the sponge
fingers in place
• Pannacotta- A sweetened vanilla cream set with gelatine
• Jelly- Flavouring, water and sugar are boiled. Gelatine is added
and set in the fridge

4. Quality points to look for in
Gelatine based desserts
• Gelatine based desserts; Bavarois
• Anglaise should be cooked out so that it coats the back of a wooden spoon. Or
reaches 85°C on a temperature probe
• Leaf gelatine is soaked in cold water before being added into the Anglaise.
Once dissolved it is strained to remove any strands of gelatine or over cooked
egg. This mixture is now cooled before having the cream folded in
• Cream is semi whipped and folded in using a metal spoon
• The bavarois mixture should be piping consistency before being placed in the
mould
• Once de-moulded the bavarois should hold its shape
• Should have a wobble and not be set solid
• Even sized
• The ingredients should be evenly mixed in
• The gelatine should be smooth, no strands of gelatine
• When you cut into the bavarois their should be small air pockets which show
that the cream was carefully folded in
• Strong flavour of raspberry or vanilla depending on the what was used

5. Egg based (crème Renversee)
• Crème caramel
• Crème brûlée
• Diplomat Pudding
• Custard tart
• Egg based desserts and made from an egg custard.
The milk/cream, whole eggs or egg yolks and sugar
and combined together, poured into a mould and
carefully cooked in a bain maire. The eggs are gently
cooked making them the setting agent within these
desserts. Once cooked they are either de-moulded
and finished or served in the dish/ ramekin

6. Quality points to look for in
egg based desserts
• Crème caramel- Eggs, milk, cream and sugar are whisked together.
Poured into a mould which has caramel already set in the bottom.
Gently cooked in a Bain Marie( roasting tin ½ filled with water) place
into a oven at 150°C . The water is not allowed to boil
• Smooth silky consistency. Strong flavour of vanilla and caramel on the
top. Should have a wobble
• De-moulded whole
• Served chilled
• Crème Brûlée- cooked the same as a crème caramel. When cooked
the crème brûlée is chilled and then a thin layer sugar is placed on top
and caramelised
• Smooth silky consistency- strong vanilla flavour. The caramelised sugar
is a thin layer. Not burnt. Even glaze. Caramel is allowed to harden
before being served

7. Mousses
• Chocolate mousse
• Lemon mousse
• Mango, raspberry, blackcurrant, strawberry
• A sweet dish made with a smooth light mass
(Fruit puree or melted chocolate), the main
ingredients in a mousse is whipped cream.
Some mousse recipes have whipped egg
whites folded in after the cream has been
added, which will lighten the mousse

8. Quality points to look for in
mousses
e.g. Lemon mousse
• Light in texture
• Consistency of whipped cream
• Strong flavour of lemon
• Good balance of citrus and sweetness

9. Rice Desserts
• Pear conde- Rice cooked in milk and
sweetened with sugar is then served cold
with a poached pear- glazed with apricot jam
• Rice Creole- basic rice pudding made served
in a hollowed out baby pineapple
• Empress Rice basic rice pudding made with
the addition of egg yolks. Set in a mould and
de-moulded. Topped with stewed fruit

10. Quality points to look for in a
rice dessert
• The rice is cooked
• Absorbed the flavours which it was
cooked in
• Creamy in texture
• Served cold

11. Fruit based desserts
The fruit is the main element in this dessert.
Often the presentation of the fruit is the key!
Examples are;
• Fruit terrine
• Peach melba
• Fruit salad
• Poached pear

12. Ice–cream based
• Artic roll-An Arctic roll is made of vanilla ice cream wrapped in
a thin layer of sponge cake to form a roll, with a layer of
raspberry flavoured sauce between the sponge and the ice
cream
• Peach melba- is peaches with raspberry sauce and vanilla ice
cream
• Knickerblocker glory- is an ice-cream sundae served in a tall
glass
• Banana split- bananas are served with vanilla ice cream and
chocolate sauce
• Baked Alaska- a thin layer of sponge is wrapped around vanilla
ice cream. Meringue is then piped over the top of the sponge.
It is then baked in the oven and served straight away
• Sundae- scoops of ice cream topped with flavoured sauces and
whipped cream

13. How ice cream is made:
Ice cream is normally made using a sorbetière (ice-cream maker).
It can be made using a normal household freezer, but the ice
cream will not be such good quality.
A sorbetière slowly churns and freezes the ice-cream mixture. As
the mixture freezes ice crystals are produced. These are kept small
by the churning action. Small ice crystals mean high-quality ice
cream with a smooth texture.
Freezing the ice-cream mixture in a normal freezer produces larger
ice crystals so the texture is not so smooth.
Ice cream is generally made using high-risk products so it must be
stored below –22°C. This temperature makes the ice cream hard to
serve. Remove ice cream from the freezer and place it in the fridge
before service to make it easier to serve.

14. Meringue based
• Pavalova - Meringue made from whisked egg whites and sugar,
baked at a low temperature 100-120oC until crisp on the
outside but still chewy on the inside. Some recipes have corn
flour and vinegar are added to the meringue. Once the
meringue is cooked and cooled it is topped with crème Chantilly
and fresh fruit
• Vacherin - These are all made with Swiss meringue and piped
with star orplain piping tubes. They can be dried on top of the
oven overnight or dried in an oven on a low heat of about 90°C.
This could take four to eight hours. Make sure that meringue
products are not dried at too hot a temperature as they may
discolour and lose their characteristic white colour. Vacherins
can either be large or individual round gateau-type
• Floating islands- meringue poached in warm milk. The poaching
liquid is then used to make a sauce anglaise. This is then chilled
before being served with the poached meringues

15. Quality points to look for in Meringues
• Meringue whisked to peak stage
• Sugar is added gradually
• Even sized
• Pale white in colour
• Light texture
• Pavalovas, vacharins- crisp on the outside
• Floating islands. Uniform shape. Milk is
not allowed to boil otherwise meringue
will soufflé and then collapse once
removed

16. Convenience products
• Flans- pastry based shell, filled with
cream or a custard- decorated with
fresh fruit
• Eton mess- whipped sweetened cream
served with crushed meringues and
strawberries
• Gateaux- Layers of sponge and cream,
smoothed off which cream and
decorated to resemble what is in side
the gateaux

17. Quality points to look for in
convenience products
• Flans-Pastry is crisp and cooked through.
Golden in colour
• Filling is set inside the tart or will hold its
shape once cut
• Fruit is neatly arranged on top and correctly
glazed
• Eton mess-Cream whipped to peak stage.
Good balance of flavours. fruit and meringue
is cut in even sizes which would fit on a
spoon