Overview

Have you ever stood in a pastry shop and looked in awe at the amazing treats on offer? Do you wonder how they make them look so good and how they are made? You might be surprised to learn that the base for an extensive array of pastries consists of a few simple ingredients such as flour, water, salt and fat. The combination of these ingredients begins the pastry journey, one in which the initial base may end up as a sweet or savoury pie, tart, danish or even croissant. The list of types and combinations is almost endless!

Historically, pastry had quite humble beginnings. The Egyptians used a basic form of pastry, a paste made from flour and water, to wrap around meat and soak up the juices as it cooked. Although pastry has evolved into a precise and intricate art form, its intrinsic purpose remains the same, to complement the flavour of the fillings and to provide casing.

Whatever function pastry may serve, one thing is certain, pastry is a popular and delicious form of cookery.

In this unit you will learn how to:

• Prepare pastries and pastry products.
• Decorate and present pastry products.
• Store pastries.