Dessert Encyclopedia

S

• ShortcakeA tender, sweet biscuit or cake split and filled with fresh fruit and whipped cream, most...
• Shortcrust pastryA crumbly pastry of flour, cold fat and a little liquid, used for pies, tarts and...
• Simple syrupA syrup of sugar dissolved in water, usually equal parts, used to sweeten drinks and to...
• SmoothieA thick, blended drink of fruit with yogurt, milk, juice or ice, sometimes with vegetables, nuts...
• SorbetA smooth frozen dessert of fruit juice or purée and sugar syrup, made without dairy.
• Sour creamCream that has been fermented with lactic acid bacteria until thick and tangy, used to add...
• Soybean AllergenSoybean is one of the nine major U.S. food allergens. Soy allergy is most common in...
• Sponge cakeA light, springy cake raised mainly by whipped eggs, with little or no fat.
• SprinklesTiny colored candy decorations scattered over frosting, cookies, doughnuts and ice cream.
• Storage and TransportationStorage and transportation covers how food and ingredients are held in warehouses, pantries and vehicles so...
• StreuselA crumbly topping of flour, sugar and butter, often with spices or nuts, scattered over muffins,...
• StrudelA Central European pastry of very thin, stretched dough rolled around a filling, most famously apple.
• Sugar cookieA simple cookie made from butter, sugar, eggs, flour and vanilla, made soft and chewy or...
• Sweet shortcrust pastryA sweet, rich, crisp pastry dough made with butter, sugar and egg, used for tart shells....
• Sweetened condensed milkMilk with much of its water removed and sugar added, cooked into a thick, very sweet,...
• Swiss meringueA meringue made by warming egg whites and sugar together over simmering water until the sugar...
• Swiss meringue buttercreamA silky, light buttercream made by beating softened butter into a Swiss meringue.

T

• Tahitian vanillaVanilla from the Vanilla tahitensis species, mostly grown in French Polynesia, known for a floral, fruity,...
• TartA pastry with a crisp, open-topped shell, usually baked in a shallow pan with straight, fluted...
• Tart panA shallow metal pan with fluted, straight sides, usually with a removable bottom, used to bake...
• Temperature ControlTemperature control means keeping perishable food out of the range where bacteria multiply fastest, by cooking...
• Tempering chocolateMelting, cooling and gently rewarming chocolate so it sets with a glossy shine and a clean...
• TiramisuAn Italian layered dessert of coffee-soaked ladyfingers and mascarpone cream, dusted with cocoa.
• ToffeeA hard, buttery candy made by cooking sugar and butter to the hard-crack stage, then cooling...
• TraceabilityTraceability is the ability to follow a food and its ingredients through the supply chain, at...
• Tree Nut AllergyTree nut allergy is a reaction to nuts such as almonds, cashews, walnuts and pecans. FDA’s...
• TurnoverA pastry made by folding a square or circle of dough over a filling to form...

U

• UV SanitizingUV sanitizing uses short-wave ultraviolet light, mainly UV-C, to inactivate microbes on surfaces, in water or...

V

• Vanilla beanThe cured seed pod of the vanilla orchid, prized for its sweet, floral aroma and the...
• Vanilla bean pasteA thick vanilla syrup made from vanilla extract and ground vanilla bean seeds, giving both flavor...
• Vanilla extractA flavoring made by steeping vanilla beans in alcohol and water, the most common way vanilla...
• Vanilla ice creamIce cream flavored with vanilla extract or vanilla bean seeds, the most popular ice cream flavor...
• Vanilla puddingA smooth, creamy stovetop pudding made from milk, sugar, cornstarch and often egg yolks, flavored with...

W

• WaferA very thin, light, crisp baked biscuit, often layered with cream filling or rolled into cones.
• WaffleA batter or dough cooked between two hot, patterned iron plates until crisp outside and tender...
• WalnutsWrinkled, rich nuts from the walnut tree, with a slightly bitter skin, used in brownies, banana...
• Water bathSetting a baking dish inside a larger pan of hot water in the oven, so delicate...
• Wheat AllergyWheat allergy is an allergic reaction to wheat proteins. It is not the same as celiac...
• Whipped creamCream beaten until it traps air and turns light and thick, used as a topping, filling...
• Whipped cream frostingA light frosting of whipped heavy cream, sweetened and stabilized so it holds its shape on...
• WhippingBeating a liquid such as cream or egg whites quickly to incorporate air, making a light,...
• Whipping egg whitesBeating egg whites until they form a foam of tiny air bubbles, used to lighten cakes,...
• White chocolateA sweet confection made from cocoa butter, sugar and milk solids, without the cocoa solids that...

Y

• YeastA living single-celled fungus that eats sugars in dough and gives off carbon dioxide, which makes...