Understanding the terminology used in the kitchen can significantly enhance your cooking and baking skills. This guide delves into various kitchen terms and techniques, providing clarity on the language used by chefs and pastry chefs. Whether you're deciphering a cookbook or following a recipe, these definitions will be invaluable.
Bain Marie - A French term for a water bath. In candy making, it involves placing a container (such as a baking pan, bowl, or dish) in a larger pan of warm water, functioning as a double boiler.
Bark - A confectionery coating used for making candy and dipping.
Chocolatier - An expert in working with chocolate, knowledgeable in all its aspects.
Citric Acid - A natural fruit acid that adds tanginess to sour candies.
Crystallizing - A method of preserving fruit or flowers by coating them with superfine sugar after dipping them in beaten egg whites.
Dipper - A utensil used for dipping candies or for decorative purposes.
Divinity - A fluffy white candy made with egg whites.
Dragée - Tiny gold or silver hard candy balls used for decorating cookies, cakes, and other candies.
Embellish - To decorate.
Emulsifier - An agent that binds food ingredients together.
Enrobe - To coat candy with an outer layer, usually chocolate.
Extracts - Pure oil flavorings used in cooking and baking.
Fondant - A sugar syrup made with glucose to keep it soft and creamy. It is kneaded until smooth and used for draping over cakes or cutting into shapes.
Foot - A pool of chocolate that collects and hardens at the base of a piece of candy after dipping.
Ganache - A mixture of chocolate and boiling cream, stirred until smooth. It can be used as a filling or a base for truffles and other chocolate candies.
Glucose - A substance used to prevent sugar from crystallizing during boiling.
Jellies - Candies made with unflavored gelatin as a thickening agent.
Marzipan - Sweetened almond paste used for making candy and other decorations.
Molds - Transparent plastic shapes that allow chocolate to be poured in and released easily when hardened.
Nougat - A French candy made by whipping egg whites until frothy, then adding a sugar or honey syrup and nuts like almonds, pistachios, or walnuts. Its chewy texture is achieved by weighing it down.
Penuche - Brown sugar fudge.
Praline - Nuts covered in caramelized sugar.
Pulled Candy - Candy made from a sugar syrup that is repeatedly pulled and folded to incorporate air bubbles. Taffy is a type of pulled candy.
Spun Sugar - Candy made by spinning sugar that has been boiled to a high temperature. Cotton candy is a common example.
Summer Coating - A confectionery coating with a chocolate flavor, but not real chocolate. It may contain small amounts of cocoa butter or chocolate liquor, but primarily consists of other vegetable fats and cocoa for easier handling and faster setup. Colored summer coatings have a vanilla flavor.
Temper - A procedure that stabilizes the fat crystals in chocolate to prevent streaking and maintain a glossy finish.
Toffee - A candy made by boiling brown sugar or molasses with butter and sometimes nuts. It can be soft and chewy or hard and brittle.
Truffle - A rich candy made from a combination of chocolate, butter, and cream. It is scooped or rolled into balls and then covered in optional coatings.
Understanding these terms and techniques can elevate your culinary skills, making your kitchen endeavors more successful and enjoyable. For more detailed information on chocolate and its various uses, you can visit The Spruce Eats or BBC Good Food.
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