Getting a bake just right comes dow n to the little details and it’s our mission
to make all your bakes perfect with these essential tips, ideas and tools.
BAKING ESSENTIALS
96 baking heaven SEPTEMBER
Julie Walsh, the Head Pâtisserie Chef
of L e C ordon Bleu, one of t he lead ing
schools for culinary arts, wine and
management, has shared some tips
for choosing the right fruits for your
recipes, desserts and cakes, using a
variety of culinary techniques.Fruits
Fruits fall into five categories: fruits
with stones; citrus fruits; exotic or
tropical fruits; hard and soft fruits
and berries. They can also be
classified in more detail: simple,
aggregate or multiple. A simple fruit is
one that has developed from a single
pollinated flower and these are the
more commonly found fruits, such as
apples, pears and tomatoes.
Aggregate fruits refer to several parts
put together to make a whole fruit
which is the case for strawberries,
raspberries and some citrus fruits
belonging to the Rosaceae family,
such as lemons and oranges. There
are many fruits where one fruit
develops f rom mult iple f lowers, such
as pineapples, pomegranates and figs.Health benefits
It is impossible to d iscuss f r uits
without highlighting their variedhealth benefits. The Diploma in
Gastronomy, Nutrition & Food
Trends, which can be completed in
3 mont hs in Spr ing or Aut umn, is for
t hose who wa nt to d iscover seasona l
recipes that are both delicious and
nutritious, while understanding the
benef its of each ingred ient.Choosing fruit
So, how do you decide which fruit to
use? The a nswer lies w it h k now ing
just how each f r uit is supposed to be
prepared and cooked. This will help
you decipher what w ill work well for
your particular recipe. Soft fruitscan either be poached or oven baked.
Citrus fruits, such as pineapples,
c a n be ha rd or sof t a nd a re eit her
poached or used in a juice. When it
comes to sof t f r uits, ha nd le w it h c a re,
as t hey c a n be easily br uised a nd
damaged. To avoid this, if you need to
wash sof t f r uits, do so w it h cool water
under a low pressure. Berries are best
when cooked quick ly, such as
sautéing. If you are baking a cake with
berries, a top tip is to use frozen
ber r ies in your scone dough, c a ke
bat ter or c a ke mi x t ure as t his w ill help
prevent it f rom bleed ing out. A s hard
fruits tend to lack moisture, they
cook best in poaching liquid, as t his
helps t hem to absorb more liquid.
Apples a re ha rd f r uits, st rong in
f lavour a nd, to retain t his f lavour,
apples work best when t hey a re cut
into pieces. Take the recipe for a tarte
Tat in (a reversed apple ba ked tar t), in
which the apple is diced into small
pieces to help release its f lavours. This
recipe is taught in t he Diplôme de
Pât isser ie at L e C ordon Bleu, a mong
many other dessert recipes. This
programme can be completed in either
9 months or 6 months intensive and,
by t he end of it, you’ ll gain creat ive a nd
practical skills and techniques.Le Cordon Bleu’s guide to...
baking with fruit
Please v isit t he Le Cordon Bleu website to f ind out more about t heir prog rammes
and courses: http://www.cordonbleu.edu/london/home/enIm
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CITRUS FRUITSTONE FRUITGot a pack
of flour you've
had open for a
while and not
sure it’s fresh?
It should feel
light and smell
fresh. I f it has
a chalky texture,
it’s time to
replace it.Making
meringues?
Make sure your
bowl and whisk
are completely
grease-free
otherwise they
won’t whip up as
they should. You
can rub half a
lemon around
the bowl to get it
squeaky clean,
then dry it
thoroughly
before using.