Cakes, cookies, Pies, and Candies Ch. 26

Cakes 2 kinds of cakes: shortened and unshortened Shortened: contain fat Also called butter cakes Tender, moist, velvety Unshortened: contain no fat; called foam cakes Leavened by air and steam, light and fluffy Chiffon cakes: cross between shortened and unshortened Contain fat like shortened cakes and beaten egg whites like unshortened cakes

Cakes Shortened cakes Unshortened cakes

Cake Ingredients Cake contains: flour, sugar, eggs, liquid, and salt Shortened cakes: contain fat Flour: gives structure Can be made with cake flour and ap flour Sugar: gives sweeteness; granulated or brown sugar Eggs: improve flavor, and color cakes; also provide structure Liquid: provide moisture and helps blend ingredients Salt: provides flavoring Fat: tenderizes gluten (chiffon cakes contain oil instead of solid fat)

Cake Ingredients continued… Leavening agent: added to most shortened cakes to make cakes rise and become porous (spongy) and light. Cream of tartar: an acid that makes egg whites whiter and makes the cake grain finer. (stabilizes the egg white proteins, increases volume) Flavorings: not essential but help make cakes special

Measuring Ingredients Flour, fat, sugar, liquid and eggs affect the development of gluten To much or little of certain ingredients may affect outcome To much flour: cake is compact and dry Too little flour: coarse, and may fall apart Too much sugar and fat: overtenderizes gluten and weakens it Too little of “: will be tough Too much liquid: make a cake soggy and heavy Too little liquid: make cake dry and heavy Too many eggs: make cake rubbery and tough

Mixing Cakes Important to add ingredients in the order in which is stated in recipe and mix for the specific time that is stated. Will produce smooth batter and delicate cake. Overmixing: gluten will overdevelop Undermixing: could cause cake to be dense and not allow all ingredients to be blended together

Baking Cakes Place cakes in preheated ovens Unshortened cakes: don’t grease pans, batters must cling to sides Shortened cakes: grease pans Bake cakes in correct size pans

Preparing Shortened Cakes Can be mixed either by the conventional method or quick mix method. Conventional method: cream together butter and sugar, then beat in eggs, then add dry ingredients alternating with liquid Quick mix: also called one-bowl method, takes less time, measure dry ingredient in one bowl, beat fat and part of liquid with dry ingredients, then add remaining liquid and unbeaten eggs. https://www.bing.com/videos/sea rch?q=conventional+method+for+ cakes&&view=detail&mid=4FF8592 3089652F62CC54FF85923089652F62 CC5&&FORM=VRDGAR

Preparing a Shortened Cake Pour batter into prepared pans and smooth batter evenly. Place pans apart from one another to prevent hot spots. When done: press fingers on cake and if springs back it is finished. Let cool for 10 minutes before taking cake out of pan. Let cool completely before icing cake.

Characteristics of a Shortened Cake High quality: velvety and light Small fine cells with thin walls Crusts: are thin and evenly browned Top crusts: smooth or slightly pebbly and gently rounded. Flavor: mild and pleasing

Pound Cakes Shortened cakes that contain no chemical leavening agent Rely on air and steam Fat and sugar are creamed thoroughly Eggs are then added and creamed till fluffy to incorporate enough air.

Preparing Unshortened Cakes Angel food cake is the most popular unshortened cake made. Beat the egg whites with some of the sugar until stiff. Carefully fold the flour and remaining sugar into the beaten egg whites. Carefully pour the batter into an ungreased pan. Bake according to directions. When finished baking suspend the pan upside down so you do not lose volume with the cake. Cool cake completely before removing.

Sponge Cakes Contain whole eggs rather than egg whites. Egg yolks are beaten until thick and lemon colored Liquid, sugar, and salt are added to the yolks, continue beating until mixture is thick. Flour is gently folded into the yolk mixture. Then stiffly beaten egg whites are folded into flour yolk mixture.

Characteristics of Unshortened Cakes High quality: has large volume and symmetrical shape Crust: should be thin and golden brown. Top crust: slightly rough and cracked appearance Interior: fine, porous texture with thin cell walls Cake is tender and moist, but not gummy

Filling and Frosting Cakes Ganache: mixture of chocolate and cream that can be poured over a cake to create a glossy glaze. Cooked frosting: use principles of candy making. Often beaten until fluffy Fondant: consistency of pliable dough. Rolled into thin layer and placed over a cake. Uncooked frosting: cream cheese and buttercream are well-liked Frostings only enhance flavor and appearance. Frosting is used as glue to hold pieces together.

Cookies 6 basic groups: rolled, drop, bar, refrigerator, pressed, or molded Rolled: stiff dough is used. Roll to a thickness of 1/8” to 1/4” Ex: sugar Drop: soft dough is used. Drop or pus the dough from a spoon. (leave 2” apart)Ex: chocolate chip cookie Bar: soft dough is used. Spread dough evenly in a jelly roll, square, or oblong pan. Ex: brownies Refrigerator: contain high proportion of fat. Form stiff dough into long roll about 2 inches. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate until firm. Ex: pinwheel cookies Pressed: stiff dough. Pack stiff dough into cookie press. Ex: Swedish spritz cookies Molded: stiff dough. Small pieces of dough are shaped with the fingers. Ex: Mexican wedding cookies and almond crescents.

Cookies Rolled Drop

Cookies Bar Refrigerator

Cookies Pressed Molded

Cookie Ingredients Cookies contain the same basic ingredients as cakes. Most cookies contain more fat and sugar and less liquid than cakes. Many cookies call for ingredients such as spices, nuts, coconut, chocolate chips and dried fruits.

Preparing Cookies Many cookies are made using the conventional mixing method. Blend sugar and fat until smooth. Then add eggs, liquid, and flavorings. Followed by the dry ingredients. Most cookies are crisp or chewy rather than light and delicate. Fat and sugar do not need to be creamed as thoroughly. Macaroons, meringues, and kisses contain beaten egg whites. They are mixed like angel food cake and sponge cakes. The recipe will specify which method to use.

Pans for Baking Cookies Bake drop, rolled, refrigerator, pressed and molded cookies on flat baking pans or cookie sheets. Cookie sheets should not have high sides= uneven baking Bar cookies: baked in pans with sides Baking pans with bright, shiny aluminum= reflect heat=light, delicate brown color. Dark pans: absorb heat=dark cookies

Storing Cookies Cookies should be cooled completely before storing. More exposure to air will dry out cookies. Cookies should be stored in air-tight containers. For best quality, cookies should be eaten within a few days. Frozen dough should be used within 3 months.

Pies Most pies begin with pastry. Pastry: dough used to make piecrusts. Not only is pastry used for dessert pies but also for savory pies.

Kinds of Pies 4 kinds of Pies: Fruit pies: usually 2 crust pies. May have solid or decorative top crust. Cream Pies: usually 1 crust pies. Filling for cream pie is a cornstarch- thickened pudding mixture. Often have meringue on top. Custard Pies: 1 crust pies filled with custard made from milk, eggs, and sugar. Ex: pumpkin pie Chiffon Pies: light and airy. 1 crust pies filled with a mixture containing gelatin and cooked beaten egg whites. Must be chilled until filling sets.

Pastry Ingredients 4 basic ingredients: flour, fat, water, salt Flour: gives structure Fat: makes pastry tender Water: provided moisture (only small amount needed) Salt: contributes to flavor to pastry

Preparing Pastry Biscuit method (sometimes called pastry method) Combining flour and salt and then cutting in the fat. Then water is added, a tbsp. at a time, just until mixture is moist enough to form a mass when pressed together. Blind baking: baking the crust before adding the filling Docking: press fork or a docker on the bottom of the dough before blind baking. Pie weights: used on top of dough while blind baking to prevent the dough from puffing up.

Pies Video on making pie dough

Candy Candies must be mixed correctly and cooked to the exact temperature specified in the recipe. Fudge, divinity, peanut brittle, toffee, and caramels are examples of candies.

Kinds of Candy Crystalline noncrystalline Cooked candy Contain fine sugar crystals Smooth and creamy Fudge, fondant, and divinity Cooked candy Do not contain sugar crystals. Can be chewy or brittle Caramels, peanut brittle, and toffee

Food Science Principles of Candy Making All cooked candies begin with sugar syrup. Mixture of sugar and liquid that is cooked to a thick consistency. Crystalline candies: sugar syrup should form crystals (need to be very small and fine) Sugar syrup should be heated to a certain temp and then be cooled to a specific temp and then beaten vigorously. Noncrystalline candies: sugar syrup should not form sugar crystals. Can be prevented by heating the syrup very high temps and interfering substances like milk, cream, butter, etc…. Use candy thermometer! Temperature is important!

Candy Divinity Fondant

Candy Peanut brittle Toffee

Chocolate To melt: chop bars into small pieces or use chocolate chips. Place chocolate over a double boiler over hot water and stir constantly. (microwave: heat in 30 second intervals and stir between each interval) Do not get any water in the chocolate: can cause chocolate to seize up. Overheating chocolate can cause the chocolate to seize as well.