Types of Fillings and Decoration
Techniques
Taken from the book “Practical
Cookery”
Finishing Techniques
• Adding finish to savoury products is known as
garnishing.
• GARNISHING
• There are many different herbs and vegetables which
are used as garnishes:
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Chopped herbs
Sprigs of herbs
Twirls of onion
Skins used to create roses
─ Watercress
─ Twist of fruit or cucumber
─ Carved flowers
─ Small side salad
Finishing Techniques
• PASTIES AND PIES
• Pies and tarts are usually decorated with left
over pastry in a variety of styles:
– Lattice work – strips of pastry are crossed
– Leaf decorations – tops are garnished with pastry leaves
– Fluting – edges of pastry are secured together by a fork
Finishing Techniques
• GLAZING
• Glazing is a technique where a liquid is coated
onto un-cooked pastry, bread and biscuits so that
once cooked it adds to the finish of a dish:
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Milk – aids browning
Beaten Egg – aids browning provides shine
Sugar Glaze – adds shine (water + sugar)
Colour Wash – water dyed with food colouring
Poppy Seeds + Sesame Seeds – sprinkle on bread
Finishing Techniques
• Adding finish to sweet products is known as decorating:
• FILLINGS
• Cakes, sponges and biscuits may be filled or sandwiched together
with a variety of different fillings, this adds to the finish of the dish.
Examples are:
• Creams
– Butter Cream
– Whipped Cream
─ Pastry Cream
─ Clotted Cream
• Fruit
– Fresh fruit puree
– Preserves and jams
─ Dipped, crystallised or carved fruit
• Pastes and Spreads
– Chocolate
– Praline
─ Nut
─ Curds
Finishing Techniques
• SPREADING AND COATING
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This is where smaller cakes and gateaux are covered top and sides with either
of the following:
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Fresh whipped cream
Fondant – water, glucose, sugar
Royal Icing – icing sugar, egg white, glycerine
Water Icing – water, icing sugar
─ Chocolate
─ Meringue
─ Buttercream
• PIPING
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Piping is a skill which takes practice. Many different types of piping tubes are
available to create different shapes. The following mixtures can be used for
piping:
– Royal Icing
– Fresh Cream
─ Chocolate
─ Meringue
─ Fondant
─ Boiled Sugar
• DUSTING, DREDGING, SPRINKLING
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These techniques are used to give the product a final design or glaze during
cooking:
– Dusting – a light even finish
─ Dredging – heavier dusting with sugar
– Sprinkling – a very light sprinkling of sugar
Can use icing, caster, granulated white, Demerara, muscavado, or dark brown sugar – can
also add vanilla or flavourings to the sugar, can also add food colouring to colour the sugar
Finishing Techniques
• Please remember that decorating sweet products is an art form and there
are a range of equipment and products you can use
• GLACE AND CRYSTALLISED FRUITS
– Cherries ─ Lemons
– Pineapple ─ Figs
─ Oranges
• CRYSTALLISED FLOWERS
– Edible flower petals painted with egg white and sugar
• CRYSTALLISED STEMS
– Angelica
• NUTS
– Almonds
– Brazil Nuts
─ coconut
─ Pistachio
─ Hazelnuts
• CHOCOLATE
– Rolls
– Vermicelli
– Angelica
─ Flakes
─ Chips
─ Chocolate piping
Finishing Techniques
• DECORATION FOR CAKES
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Marzipan – ground almonds, eggs
Ready to roll icing
Cake boards
Ribbons
Marzipan and icing decorations
Colouring pens and icing
Edible glitter
Edible sprinkles – chocolate, sugar,
Edible paper – printed photographs, flower shapes etc