Preparing and Cooking Paste and Dessert Products

1 Prepare and cook paste products

• Paste and paste products: short, sweet, puff, choux, convenience products pasties, savoury flans, fruit tarts, flans, vol au vents, sausage rolls
• Ingredients: flour, sugar, butter, milk, eggs, cream, vegetable oil, fruit, dried fruit, spices, preserves
• Quality points in ingredients: appearance, colour, aroma or smell, texture
• Tools and equipment: mixing bowls, wooden spoons, metal spoons, rubber spatulas, baking trays, whisks, wire cooling trays, measuring jugs, rolling pins, cutters, palette knife, piping bag, sieves, scales
• Preparation: weighing and measuring, sifting, rubbing in, creaming, resting, piping, rolling, laminating and folding, cutting, shaping, trimming, lining
• Cooking methods: time, holding, baking blind, baking, boiling, temperature control, use of steam, testing
• Dish qualities: appearance, colour, aroma or smell, texture
• Storing: appropriate temperatures, light and air exposure, use of airtight containers, display cabinets, including temperature-controlled cabinets, refrigeration, chilling and freezing

2 Finish paste products

• Tools and equipment: ovens, salamander, deep fat fryer, crepe pans, steamer, mixing bowls, wooden spoons, metal spoons, rubber spatulas, baking trays, whisks, wire cooling trays, measuring jugs, rolling pins, cutters, palette knife, sieves, scales
• Techniques: fillings, glazes, creams, icings e.g., crème pâtissière, frangipane, fresh fruit, cream, butter cream, preserves or jam, finishing and decorating techniques e.g., balance, glazing, dusting, portioning, icing, piping, filling, rolling, smoothing.
• Product qualities: appearance, colour, aroma or smell, texture, glaze
• Storage: temperatures, dates, labelling, covered, position, stock rotation.

3 Prepare and cook hot desserts

• Hot desserts and puddings: batter based, soufflés, sponge based, milk puddings, egg based, cereal, suet paste based, fruit based, crêpes.
• Ingredients: flours, sugar, fat, dairy, fruit, dried fruit, spices, preserves,
• Quality points in ingredients: appearance, colour, aroma or smell, texture
• Tools and equipment: ovens, salamander, deep fat fryer, crepe pans, steamer, mixing bowls, wooden spoons, metal spoons, rubber spatulas, baking trays, whisks, wire cooling trays, measuring jugs, rolling pins, cutters, palette knife, sieves, scales
• Preparation: weighing and measuring, creaming, piping, lining, addition of colour or flavour, folding, moulding, mixing, aeration, slicing, portioning, chilling, combining, puréeing.
• Cooking methods: boiling or poaching, stewing, baking, steaming, combination cooking, frying, bain-marie
• Dish qualities: appearance, colour, aroma or smell, texture
• Storing: appropriate temperatures, light and air exposure, use of airtight containers, display cabinets, including temperature-controlled cabinets, refrigeration, chilling and freezing

4 Finish hot desserts

• Tools and equipment: ovens, salamander, deep fat fryer, crepe pans, steamer, mixing bowls, wooden spoons, metal spoons, rubber spatulas, baking trays, whisks, wire cooling trays, measuring jugs, rolling pins, cutters, palette knife, sieves, scales
• Techniques: colour, balance, appearance, piping, filling, saucing, glazing, dusting, portioning, additions
• Product qualities: appearance, colour, aroma or smell, texture
• Storage: temperatures, dates, labelling, covered, position, stock rotation.

5 Prepare and cook cold desserts

• Cold desserts: gelatine-based desserts, egg based, rice desserts, fruit-based desserts, ice cream based, meringue-based, convenience products.
• Ingredients: eggs, flours, sugar, milk, cream, chocolate, gelatine, fruit
• Quality points in ingredients: appearance, colour, aroma or smell, texture
• Tools and equipment: ovens, salamander, deep fat fryer, mixing bowls, wooden spoons, metal spoons, rubber spatulas, baking trays, whisks, wire cooling trays, measuring jugs, rolling pins, cutters, palette knife,, piping bag, sieves, scales
• Preparation: weighing and measuring, creaming, piping, lining (moulds), addition of colour or flavour, folding, moulding, mixing, aeration, slicing, portioning, chilling, combining, puréeing.
• Cooking methods: time, holding, baking blind, baking, boiling, temperature control, use of steam, testing
• Dish qualities: appearance, colour, aroma or smell, texture
• Storing: appropriate temperatures, light and air exposure, use of airtight containers, display cabinets, including temperature-controlled cabinets, refrigeration, chilling and freezing

6 Finish cold desserts

• Tools and equipment: ovens, salamander, deep fat fryer, steamer, mixing bowls, wooden spoons, metal spoons, rubber spatulas, baking trays, whisks, wire cooling trays, measuring jugs, rolling pins, cutters, palette knife, sieves, scales
• Techniques: piping, run outs, cut outs, moulding, chocolate transfer sheets.
• Product qualities: appearance, colour, aroma or smell, texture
• Storage: temperatures, dates, labelling, covered, position, stock rotation.

7 Work as an effective member of the team

• Communication:
• ~spoken e.g., tone of voice, terminology
• ~written e.g., documents, forms, reports, presentations
• ~body language e.g., posture
• Situations: formal, informal, queries or requests, complaints
• Codes of conduct: workplace policies, rules and procedures
• Reporting: supervisor, line manager, challenges, issues, queries

8 Follow health and safety procedures

• Common workplace hazards: slips, trips, falls, breakages, hot surfaces, chemicals
• Health and safety procedures: following fire regulations, fire drills, evacuation, manual handling, safe use of chemicals, report accidents, first aid
• Workplace emergencies: accidents, fire, breaches of security, illness
• Emergency procedures: raising alarm, calling emergency services, firefighting equipment, evacuation procedures
• Security procedures: control of keys, electronic systems, surveillance, control of entrances and exits, staff and visitor identity badge, reporting of suspicious persons and packages to line manager

9 Follow hygiene procedures

• Personal hygiene:
• ~clean clothing, footwear and headgear
• ~hair neat and tidy
• ~wear a head covering e.g., hairnet, hat
• ~washing hands
• ~no jewellery
• ~cover cuts and grazes
• ~report illness and infections to the proper person
• Cleanliness of work areas: clean cloths for wiping and cleaning between tasks, equipment used for preparing, displaying and serving food are clean and in good condition, waste disposed of promptly, hygienically and appropriately, use of correct cleaning chemicals
• Handling and storing food:
• ~covering food, separation of raw and cooked food, contact surfaces and equipment
• ~storage temperatures e.g., fridge, freezer
• ~food labelling and dates,
• ~food temperatures e.g., cooking, serving re-heating,
• ~cleaning and washing-up procedures
• ~handling of food waste