The document provides guidance on finishing methods for both hot and cold desserts. It discusses skills like ensuring all sweets are of consistent size and shape with appealing decoration. It also covers techniques like cooling products rapidly, properly filling and portioning desserts, demolding set desserts, glazing, piping, dusting and more to achieve a high level of finishing.

1. Finishing
methods
applied to
Hot and Cold
Desserts

2. The skill of the pastry chef is shown in the following:
• All sweets are of the same size and shape
• All sweets have eye appeal
• Decoration should be well balanced and colourful
• All piping should be complementary to the product and
not used as a mask to cover mistakes
A high level of skilled
finishing is necessary
for all cold and hot
desserts.

3. Cooling
Products should be cooled rapidly to 5°C or below.
 Chefs must ensure that desert products are cooled at
appropriate times.
 Cooked products served cold, Bavarois, flan
cases/fillings, stock syrup, ice cream
Ways to cool:
 Ice
 Blast chiller
 Cool area
 Fridge/freezer

4. Cooling continued
Once dishes have been completed they should
be stored in a refrigerator used for sweet dishes
and pastry commodities only, at a temperature
of 3°C until required for service.
Serve prepared cold
sweets within 12 hours of
production.

5. Filling
 Always prepare the filling according to the
recipe and cool if necessary before use
 Never over fill any cold sweets
 If the cold sweet is made from pastry, make sure
that it is carefully sealed using egg wash or water
 Add a vent to each cold sweet if any steam will
be produced from the filling during the cooking
process
 ‘Dock’ the pastry bases before filling (if required)
Filling pastry products may be carried out before or
after the cooking process, depending on the filling
to be used i.e. pastry cream or sweet egg custard.

6. Using Cream
When filling any product with whipped cream,
ensure every effort is taken to minimise the risk of
cross-contamination. Observe the following
recommendations:
 Ensure the product is cold
 Use clean, sterilised piping bags and tubes
 Carry out the process in a cold room
 Serve immediately

7. De-moulding of set cold desserts
Moulds are used to form the shape for many types
of cold desserts. To ensure that desserts can easily
be removed from the mould make sure that
sufficient time is given to allow the contents of the
mould to fully set.
The greatest success is obtained if the dessert is
allowed to remain in the mould for 12 hours prior to
turning out.

8. Steps to remove cold desserts
from moulds
 Dip the mould in very hot water for a few
seconds to release the dessert from the walls and
bottom of the mould, being careful not to allow
the dessert to begin to melt from the effect of the
hot water
 Turn the mould on a tray and shake to allow the
air to enter the mould
 Allow the dessert to fall from the mould onto the
serving dish without touching the dessert with the
hand

9. De-moulding of hot desserts
Some desserts need to be released from their
moulds following cooking.
In most cases it is better to remove the dessert
from the mould while still hot.
Great care must be taken to avoid burns and
scalds. Always use thick, dry cloths and remember
that fillings from freshly cooked items can be very
dangerous if they are allowed to spill over hands
or forearms.

10. Glazing
Glazing is necessary to give the finished product an
attractive brown surface and so increase the eye
appeal. There are two methods used to glaze cold
desserts.
Pre-cooked glazes:
 A mixture of icing sugar, water and egg can be used
to give a variety of different colour finishes to cold
desserts. If milk and egg is added to the glaze, the
finished colour will be darker and cream will enhance
the glaze.
Post cooking glazes:
 This is based on jellies or jams. Each is warmed,
strained and then brushed on the surface of the
cooked desserts. This will produce a long lasting and
sticky finish.

11. Piping
 Carry out the piping process in a cool room
 Do not overfill the piping bag
 Keep hands clean and tidy
 Fill the piping bag carefully without allowing the
filling to come into contact with the outside
 If a small amount of filling is to be used, learn to
make and use a disposable piping bag made
from greaseproof paper
Piping is a difficult process that requires
practice; to achieve a professional
result the following points may help:

12. Dusting
 The dusting of raw pastry with flour to prevent sticking when
rolling and shaping the pastry
 It can also mean the dusting of some finished cold desserts
with flour, semolina or ground rice before cooking to give a
variety of non-shiny finishes
 The surface of finished cold desserts can be dusted with
icing sugar using a sugar dredger or fine sieve
 Products may be brushed with raw egg white and then
dusted with caster sugar before cooking to give a
caramelised finish caused by the effect of the heat on the
sugar
 Raw pastry products can be dusted with icing sugar before
cooking to give a shiny and crisp finish after cooking
The term dusting can be applied
to several processes.

13. Portioning
All desserts should be portioned evenly and the
number of portions should be determined before
the decorating stage so that each customer can
be given a portion of equal size and appearance.