Fine Baking | Baking Ingredients

Flavoring Ingredients: Small quantities of strong flavoring ingredients are used to enhance the taste of the baked products. Flavoring agents are diverse and include spices, seeds, oils, alcohol, fruits, nuts, etc. Most of the flavoring ingredients have an outstanding taste by themselves, but many bakers combine two or more flavors to enhance the effect and bring uniqueness to their product.

Spices: Nutmeg, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, aniseed (saunf) and saffron are a few common spices used both in savory and sweet dishes. Certain spices like clove & cinnamon influence more than flavoring and have effects on baking properties. Spices lose their aroma and flavor in 3-4 months. Buy spices in small quantities and store them in airtight containers at cool temperatures.

Seeds: Seeds like those of sunflower, poppy, sesame, etc are popularly used as toppings in breads and rolls. The surface of a bread or roll is moistened with water or egg wash to hold the seeds sprinkled on them, just before placing in the oven. Seeds have plentiful oil and flavor; ensure the freshness of the product before use. Any off flavor may waste the entire batch of what you may be preparing.

Flavor Extracts or Essence: Essential oils of nuts and fruits that are dissolved in an alcohol base. They are used to add concentrated flavor to baked goods and desserts. Controlled use of extracts provides a pleasant background flavor, while excess use gives a bitter taste and unpleasant smell. Extracts are available as “artificial” or “pure” (for best results try to use only the “pure”). Among many flavoring extracts available in the market, the most widely used is vanilla. Vanilla extract is drawn from vanilla beans. 1 vanilla bean = 1 tsp extract.
Store extracts in airtight bottles or containers to prevent alcohol and flavor from evaporating. Buy small quantities at a time to minimize waste.

Alcohol: Spirits complement many desserts. They contribute to flavor, aroma and keep the cake moist for long. Rum, brandy and amaretto are the most commonly used by bakers. When desserts are made for kids, the spirit from the alcohol is evaporated and only flavor is added with sugar syrup. To prevent spirit consumption, flavor extracts of popular alcohols are available.

Fruit Rind or Zest: Zest is the colored portion of the outermost skin of citrus fruits, mostly orange, grapefruit and lemons. It has essential aromatic oils, which add or enhance the presence of the fruit in the food it is used. It is commonly added in raw form or candied for use in sweet goods. Zest can be removed with a zester or a peeler. When zesting, be careful not to include the white pith, as that adds a bitter taste.

Candied Fruits: Whole fruits or fruit-peels, cooked in sugar-syrup and encrusted with sugar crystals, are used to extend the life of a product. A popular Indian name for this form is murrabba Peels of citrus fruits (orange, grapefruit and lemon) and papaya are candied, to add flavor and enhance appearance of a dessert.

Chocolate: Chocolate is produced from Cocoa beans and the original flavor of chocolate is very bitter. Sweeteners are added in various levels to get the desired taste. Baker’s chocolate is different from the commonly available chocolate bars/candy. Chocolate is available in selections of dark, milk, white, semi-sweet and bittersweet. Chocolate can hold upto a year if kept well-wrapped, at around 68-72° F/20-22° C, away from strong odors. When you freeze chocolate and then thaw it out, it will have a greater tendency to bloom. To determine the "best" dark chocolate, use the following criteria:
Appearance: Chocolate should be lustrous and evenly colored, with no gray streaks or dots. Dullness and signs of bloom indicate that it has not been handled properly.
Aroma: Chocolate should smell rich and flavorful, not burned or harsh. The aroma is primarily chocolate and the fillings used should not overpower it.
Snap: Chocolate should break firmly and cleanly, not crumble or splinter.
Texture / Mouthfeel: The chocolate should be smooth and creamy, not greasy. It should melt in your mouth. When consumed, it should be described as: smooth, velvety, and creamy.
Flavor: The flavor should be harmonious, well-balanced, not too bitter or too sweet. Other flavors added should be harmonious and not overpower it.
Aftertaste: The flavor should linger in your mouth pleasantly, without a bitter or burnt aftertaste.

To determine the "best" milk chocolate, use the following criteria: Appearance--Fine chocolate should be rich in color, with a smooth, glossy surface. Cracked or dull-colored chocolate is an indication of poor quality.
Snap--High quality chocolate should have a decisive "snap" when it is broken.
Aroma--A strong chocolaty aroma - not one that's fruity or flowery - indicates good chocolate.
Mouthfeel--Fine milk chocolate should feel creamy and melt smoothly across the palate. The extra fine creamy texture is achieved by conching (agitation/blending) ingredients. The longer the conching, the creamier the chocolate.
Taste--The taste of high quality milk chocolate should be rich, sweet and chocolaty - never harsh or bitter.

Enriching Ingredients: Enriching ingredients are commonly used in sweet goods for substance, flavor and eating qualities. They contribute to the texture and add nutritional value of the goodies.
Nuts: Almond, cashew, walnut, pine nut, etc make excellent compliments to sweet goods. Nuts have natural oils with a strong aroma and flavor. Once slightly cooked these flavors are enhanced. They are either rolled in dough or batter, or topped on pies, or used as pastes in sweet goods. Ensure the freshness of the produce before use. Any off flavors may waste the entire batch. Nuts and seeds keep their flavor for a year if stored in airtight jar or bag at cool temperature.

For best results, bake the whole nuts at 350-375°F for 15-25 minutes, turning them occasionally. Cool the nuts completely before chopping or using the whole nuts.

Dried Fruits: Raisins, apricots, figs are soft moist fruits, which can also be plumped before use. They have a natural sweet and sour flavor, which compliment nuts, when used as a combination. The dried fruits have a tendency to burn out quickly and care must be taken to not expose them to direct heat when baking.

Milk: Milk is often used in making breads and pie crusts. Milk contributes to nutrition value and water in the baked goodies. It adds mild flavor and improves mouth feel by enhancing texture, crumb color and keeping quality of the baked loaf. It improves crust color through Maillard Browning reaction because of the lactose sugar it contains. It prevents wild fermentation and has therefore a stabilizing effect. Fresh milk is often replaced by Non-Fat Dry Milk (milk powder) for the convenience of storage, usability and consistent quality. NFDM is a dehydrated form of milk, which contains the same properties of fresh milk without any water.
If using fresh milk, ensure that it is odor-free and tastes naturally sweet. It is safest to use boiled and pasteurized milk. Fresh milk contains bacteria which will not only spoil the dough but may also do some harm when consumed.

Heavy Cream: Cream is obtained by separating milk into fat-rich cream from water. It contains 36-40% milk fat and sometimes stabilizers and emulsifiers. Heavy cream is an essential ingredient in preparing custards, icing and fillings for various sweet dishes. It adds rich flavor, a smooth mouth feel and enhances appearance if used for Icing. Heavy cream is also called whipping cream, because it has the ability to trap air and fluff up when mechanically beaten at high speed. The colder the cream, the easier it is to whip it. If the cream is not cold enough, it doesn’t ‘whip’, it 'churns' (no air is incorporated) into butter. Heavy cream is highly perishable and should be kept in the coldest part of the refrigerator. If stored properly, heavy cream can keep almost 2 months.

Corn Starch / Flour: A finely powdered dried starch present in a corn kernel. Corn flour is used to add body or consistency to batter, gravy, custards, etc. It has the ability to form short textures and is also used as a binder in many dough or mixtures, which are low on moisture or lack wheat flour.

Gelatin: An odorless, tasteless and colorless protein produced from animals. When dissolved in hot water and then cooled, forms a jelly. When used in small quantities it is a thickening agent. It finds application in custards, soft cake fillings, cheesecakes, fresh fruit desserts.