ABCs of Baking: Terminology Every Baking Enthusiast Should Know
Angel Food Cake: This cake derives its name from the fact that it is extremely light and airy, mainly because it contains no shortening and the raising agent is stiffly beaten egg white.
Buttercream: Buttercream may be used as cake filling and as icing. To make it, whip castor sugar and butter together until they are the right consistency. Eggs, coloring and other ingredients are often added to buttercream.
Caramel: Caramel is any variety of sugar cooked to about 320-350 degrees F. Caramel is versatile and has many uses: as glaze for various desserts, to make almond paste, to decorate cakes and cookies, as candy filling or glazing … .
Cookie Kinds: Bakers classify cookies according to how the dough is shaped. Drop cookies are made by dropping the cookie batter unto the baking sheet using a spoon. Pressed cookies are made by pressing the dough through a cookie pistol or pastry bag. Molded cookies are cookies that are cut out from rolled cookie dough, using any implement or cookie cutters, and bar cookies refer to cookies cut (in the shape of bars or squares) from dough that has been baked in a pan.
Custard Sauce: Also known by the more sophisticated name of ‘Crme Anglaise’, custard sauce is commonly served with cakes, puddings and fruit desserts. It is made by cooking milk, sugar and egg yolks together at very low temperatures for an extended period until it reaches the desired thickness.
Dacquoise: This cake, named after a town in France, is made of layers of nut-flavored meringue held together with buttercream or whipped cream.
Docking: This is the process of piercing pastry dough with a fork to allow the steam to escape. This prevents the dough from becoming misshapen because of internal bubbling.
Flaky (Quick Puff) Pastry: This is the conventional pie pastry used in the U.S. To make it, use your fingers to rub butter and shortening into flour then moistening the mixture with water. To obtain less grainy dough, the shortening should be rubbed into the flour more thoroughly.
Gateau: Gateau is the word the French use for cake.
Glaze: Glaze is used to coat desserts (cakes, tarts etc). It provides a thin, shiny coating and can be made with various ingredients, depending on the desired result.
Ladyfingers: Small sponge cakes, typically 3 1/2″ long, lady fingers are mostly used for making Charlottes.
Lemon Curd: A rich, tart spreading cream, lemon curd is basically a cooked mixture of lemon juice with egg yolks, butter and sugar.
Meringue: To make meringue, beat egg whites and sugar until stiff and bake like cookies. Meringue frosting is uncooked.
Pastry Dough: Made with butter and shortening, this is the standard American dough for pies.
Petits Fours Secs: These are thin, delicate cookies sandwiched with praline paste or preserves.
Petit Fours Frais: These are miniature pastries that are filled with buttercream or pastry cream.
Petits Fours Glacs: These are petite iced cakes, daintily decorated and sandwiched with ganache, buttercream or preserves.
Royal Icing: A classic English icing, this is made with a mixture of egg whites and confectioner’s sugar. It hardens when it dries and is often used to create filigree designs and to ice traditional English wedding cakes.
Tarts: These resemble small, shallow one-crust pies. They are usually baked in tart pans with removable bottoms.
Torte: This is the Eastern European name for cake.
Knowledgeable contributing article writer Anya loves offering her useful creative secrets on home baking. Not to mention her greatest tip happens to be her spot for finding ebible cupcake toppers and edible Christmas toppers.
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