1. The Art Of Plated Desserts
Where does the word dessert come from? It is the French term for “clear the table”.
Dessert

2. Remember dessert is the last impression
Remember dessert is the last impression. We eat with our eyes but the second bite is determined by the first.
It’s gotta look good, but it had better taste GREAT”. -Dan Budd CEPC - CIA

3. A great dessert is a fine balance of…
FLAVOR
TEXTURE
TEMPERATURE
COLOR
(not always in this order)
“Desserts must have the four cornerstones to be successful.” - Chef Robert Wemischner

4. Flavor Olfactory Senses Both physical and mental process
Physical is the tongue
Mental is “Retro Nasal Perception”
Your brain remembers the smell from past memories.
A smell can trigger memories and cause reactions.
Large percentage of what we label as taste is attributed to smell
The Tongue Tastes
SWEET, SOUR, SALT, BITTER
Mouth feel, temperature and textures are important factors
Discuss Flavors being picked up though different sensory and that a blend of these is a plus

5. Flavor: Sweet and Sour Sweet How to add sweetness Add sugars
Natural sugars
Honey
Apples
Watermelon
Process of sugar release through cooking procedures
Sour
Not all sours are “Airheads Candy”
Right proportion of sour can work with the sweetness of most desserts
Citrus fruits and wines are great additions
Sugar can have many profiles depending on the application of carmelization process

6. Flavor: Salt and Bitter
Salt is a flavor balancer
Opens the pores allowing for full flavor
WARNING – don’t add too much!
Bitter
Most times an unexpected result in pastry, but it can be a great counterpart to sweet dishes.
Examples:
Coffee
Un-sweetened chocolate
Coca powder
Cranberry
Orange zest
A touch of salt is sometimes all that is needed to balance the dessert

7. Flavor Strategies
Sweet tastes should not overpower the natural flavor of the components
Accentuate the sweetness with traces of salt, combine with bitter flavors, or sour/acidic flavors
salt – butter cream, salted caramel
mocha profile- classic example of bitter and sweet
lemon meringue pie- classic example of sour and sweet
Study wine and food pairing techniques and concepts
Matching flavor with food or opposing the flavor
Study books on taste and flavor

8. Textures
Crunch factor is a major quality point to create a texture contrast. Examples:
Tuiles
Sugar Garnishes
Mille-Feuille
Density contrasts of creams and fillings.
Examples: Italian meringue based mousse, Bavarian cream, egg custard, heavy ganache, gelée, pate de fruits
Creamy texture contrasted with crunchy textures
Examples: Tuiles, croquant, crisp baked meringue
“This lends itself to choices in composition”

9. TEMPERATURES People love to experience hot and cold on a plate
Hot and Cold Tips
Hot should be Hot (Soufflés and Tatins)
Fresh fruits should be cold and clean
Coulis cold & caramel warm
Frozen creams should be frozen but not hard
Examples
Crème Brûlée
Apple Pie and ice cream
Molten chocolate cake with coconut sorbet
Temps in Contrast are helpful to make well composed items. The blend of cold and hot has always been a plus think Pie Ala Mode

10. COLORS Remember you eat with your eyes
Careful with Whiteout or Blackout
Colors should be pastel, natural looking, and never gaudy. Shine and matt contrast in the finish is also important
Balance is good and can be achieved
Colors should be on the plate Not in the Plate….White plates are a nice palate to work on. “whiteout” plates means white/light sauces on a white plate, and “blackout” plates means dark sauces on a black plate.

11. ALWAYS LEARNING Read National Culinary Review Giga Chef
Chefs Companion
Pastry Chefs Companion
The Great Dessert Book by Christian Teubner
The Advanced Pastry Chef by Bo Friberg
Dessert Art by Robert Oppeneder
Frutta Prima, Dessert Composition from Albert Uster Imports
LOOK AT LOTS OF PICTURES
GET INSPIRED
Remember the pastry community is small. Imitation is frowned upon!!!!! Gather inspiration but make the dish your own
Take a look at your audience if more are young student culinarians then imitation is ok as they are young and still learning.

12. MOST FAILURES OCCUR BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF KNOWLEDGE…
CUSTOMER
INGREDIENT
TECHNIQUE
EQUIPMENT OR FACILITY
Remember to watch techniques, clean lines, perfect piping, proper baking and finishing techniques.
This is straight forward but the emphasis is on Educating yourself as a Chef

13. THE 3 “P’S” PLANNING PROCEDURE PERFORMANCE
Execution with precise clean lines and perfect technique are the mark of the expert pastry chef
Planning Know your basics
Know your goal
Know the path to get there
PROCEDURE
Know your Basics
Know the Execution
Precision and Professionalism
PERFORMANCE
Know your basics (get the point)
Know your Final Plate
Cold is Cold
Hot is Hot
Positively Reach the goal

14. Knowledge combined with repetitive practice = excellent execution
KNOW YOUR ENVIROMENT
KNOW HOW INGREDIENTS WORK……
TOGETHER
KNOW THE MASTERS AND GIVE THEM……..
RESPECT
Knowledge combined with repetitive practice = excellent execution
This is important and usually where a student or young culinarian loses focus
Also where the chef understands that usually three flavors is enough

15. GARNISHES Everything on the plate should be edible.
Garnishes should promote harmony in flavor.
Give contrast in texture.
Should give height.
Examples
Fresh fruits, berries and zest
Thin sliced de-hydrated fruits miniature apples and pears
Cookies- Tuiles, Hippenmasse, Linzer cookies, Sable cookies
Chocolate garnishes- Filigree, plaques, curls, cigarettes
Sugar garnishes- bubble sugar, sugar corkscrews, caramel decorations
Garnishes should make sense and add something to the plate not be a deterent

16. Putting it all together The Menu
The menu should represent diversity.
Do not prep so many components that you never go home.
Times the number of components on the dish by number of guest to make sure it can be completed
A variety of textures and temps
Remember Where you are , Who you Are, and What the facilities Capabilities are this really gets discussed in slide 16

17. The Industry Standard Examples: Creamy dessert Chocolate dessert
Nutty dessert
This is Standard conversation the wild card is chefs choice though and important to the creativity for most chefs

18. The Industry Standard Examples: Frozen dessert Signature dessert
Citrus dessert
Frozen dessert
Signature dessert
Warm/hot dessert
This is Standard conversation the wild card is chefs choice though and important to the creativity for most chefs 18

19. Styles Plating
Strategic plating

20. THREE MAIN SAUCE STYLES…
Sauces are an compliment to dessert items of a dryer nature
Add enough sauce for every bite
Placement can be controlled sauce painting or loose sauce
Try a hybrid of both (Combo)
Don’t choose the sauce for the color
There are many choices for products in sauces
There are 3 main types of painting
And all 3 …………have a place ……what are your reasons for the plate to have sauce and how it works

21. Sauce Painting Techniques
When sauce is an integral part of the dessert
Free flow compotes, crème anglaise, swirled in with two or three sauces
When sauce is used as an artistic accent
Brush on chocolate piping filled with fruit coulis

22. DURING SERVICE Frozen should be frozen Hot should be hot
Served on cold plates
Hot should be hot
Served on hot plates
Develop a sense of urgency
Don’t serve anything you wouldn't serve yourself or someone you love
This is most important ….lots of hard work got it here

23. DURING SERVICE Anchor items to the plate
Use a product that compliments the dish
Make sure the anchor is edible and goes with the other items on the plate
Use honey, molasses, glucose or chocolate
This is most important ….lots of hard work got it here 23

24. Tips for exams and competitions
Group mise en place scaled ingredients by order of preparation
Make frozen items or gelatin bound creams first using (to give time to freeze or set in a short time)
Bake or cook all items (Cookies, tarts, sauces to leave time for cooling)
Make fillings (creams etc.)
Prepare garnishes last (relax and concentrate on breathing slowly in order to make the most intricate, delicate garnishes)
Plate up and present

25. Tips for exams and competitions
Develop good recipes first and review and dissect each component separately and combined
Practice at least 6 to 8 times
Allow extra timing for any issues that could happen
Get other experts advice prior to exam or competition
Work clean and organized every day so as to become second nature
Practice in another kitchen or bake shop because exam or competition will be in unfamiliar site

26. YOU HAVE TO STAY….. Clean Focused Fast Effective Efficient
Purpose driven
Most importantly….”Organized”
It is the end of the meal make sure you achieve the goal

27. Points to ponder… Dessert is the last impression!
You can’t please all of the people all of the time…go for the majority.
Dessert course should be included as part of the entire dinner menu
Check plates when they return
Visit the tables when possible
Walk a freebie by for everybody to BUY!
Get feedback from the service staff
They are the sales force (so don’t piss them off)

28. REMEMBER …… Be inspired by the media that you absorb.
You will become your own “Pastry Chef” with your own style over time.
Tie things up and offer questions at this point