Types of desserts (cold and hot)

Cold Desserts

Ice Creams and Sorbets: These frozen treats are loved worldwide. Ice creams primarily contain milk or cream, while sorbets are dairy-free and made with fruit puree and sugar.
Mousses and Puddings: These are creamy, indulgent desserts. Mousses are light and airy in texture due to the incorporation of air bubbles. Puddings are typically denser and are set using a thickening agent such as eggs or starch.
Cakes and Pastries: This category includes many types of sweet treats from simple sponge cakes to complex pastries. The variety of flavours, textures, and techniques involved makes this an extensive and fascinating area of dessert-making.
Tarts and Pies: These typically consist of a pastry base filled with a sweet or savoury filling. Sweet tarts and pies usually contain fruit, custard, or cream-based mixtures.
Jellies and Custards: These are more sophisticated chilled desserts involving gelatin (for jellies) and eggs (for custards), often infused with different flavours.

Hot Desserts

Pies and Crumbles: Unlike cold pies, hot pies often have a pastry covering on top. Crumbles are similar, but instead of a pastry topping, a crumbly streusel mixture is used.
Puddings: Not to be confused with the general term for dessert in the UK, hot puddings include desserts like treacle pudding, sticky toffee pudding, and rice pudding.
Soufflés: These are light, airy cakes which are served immediately out of the oven, before they have a chance to ‘fall’. Soufflés are notoriously difficult to get right, requiring careful handling to ensure a good rise.
Baked Fruits and Compotes: Simple, yet delicious – baked fruits are often seasoned with spices and served warm. Compotes, meanwhile, involve fruit simmered in a syrup.
Tartes Tatin and Clafoutis: These are French-style desserts that are baked and served hot. Tartes Tatin is an upside-down pastry with caramelised fruit, and Clafoutis is a baked fruity custard dessert.

Remember, each dessert type involves specific techniques and considerations in terms of temperature, timing, and ingredient selection. It’s important to understand the fundamentals of each type for successful execution and presentation!