Cooking techniques (steaming, poaching, frying, baking)

Steamed Desserts

Steaming involves cooking food in the vapour produced by boiling water. For desserts, this method is often used for puddings, sponge cakes, and dumplings.
To steam a dessert, you need to prepare a steamer. You can use a dedicated steamer, a steamer basket, or a heatproof dish in a lidded saucepan with a little boiling water.
The main point to remember here is that the water should not touch the dessert that you are steaming. The aim is to cook the dessert in the steam created by the boiling water.
Steaming cooks food gently, helping to preserve its moisture, flavour, and texture. If the steam produced is not enough, you might need to top up the boiling water.
Always be careful to avoid steam burns when removing the lid. It’s better to take the lid off away from your face.

Poached Desserts

In the poaching technique, the dessert is typically cooked in a simmering liquid until it becomes tender. This method applies to fruits, dumplings and some puddings.
The poached desserts retain their original shape during the cooking process. Importantly, the liquid should not be boiling; keep the heat low for the gentle simmer.
Common poaching liquids for desserts include wine, sugar syrup or fruit juice. These enhance the sweetness and impart additional flavours to the dish.
The poached dessert can be served with the poaching liquid or it can be reduced to make a syrup.

Fried Desserts

Frying is another way to prepare desserts such as fritters, doughnuts and churros. It involves cooking the dessert in oil or butter.
Frying can be done in two ways: shallow frying, where the food is not fully submerged, or deep-frying, where the food is completely immersed in the hot oil.
The most crucial aspect of frying is temperature control. If the oil is not hot enough, the dessert will soak up too much oil and become greasy. If it’s too hot, the dessert will cook too quickly on the outside and remain raw on the inside.
Use a thermometer to ensure that the oil is at the correct temperature for frying.

Baked Desserts

Baking is a dry heat method of cooking where food is enclosed in an oven and cooked by hot air. This is suited to a wide range of desserts including cakes, cookies, pastries and pies.
To bake a dessert, preheat your oven to the required temperature. This ensures an even and consistent cooking temperature throughout.
Unlike the other cooking methods mentioned, baked desserts are typically left undisturbed during the cooking process. Opening the oven door frequently can lower the internal temperature and affect the dessert’s cooking.
Additionally, remember to position your dessert in the centre of the oven where the heat is most even.

Remember: Each dessert will have a cooking method that suits it best. Understanding the appropriate technique to employ can significantly improve your dessert preparations. Practise these different methods to ensure that you become comfortable and skilled in using each one effectively.