The emergence of the art of confectionery. A little bit about sweets and confectionery art My achievements in confectionery

For knowledge and entertainment, we have prepared for you 9 interesting facts about the art of confectionery, which will surely inspire new appetizing achievements!

No. 1. Thank you Egyptians

It turns out that confectionery was first imported into Europe during the Muslim invasion in the distant 7th century - before that, unspoiled Europeans pleased themselves only with fruits, fresh or dry. The idea of ​​sweet delicacies immediately captured the minds of the culinary maestro, and they began to create with no effort. The first, after all, were and remain the Egyptians, who prepared delicious desserts from a mixture of honey, fruits, spices, various seeds and grains.

No. 2. Si, Senor Candiere!

Did you know that if the story had turned a little differently, the word “confectioner” could have sounded completely different, for example, “tsukrovar” or “marshmeller”? The word "confectioner" comes from the Italian verb "candiere", which means "boil in sugar". It was from him, from our irreplaceable sugar, that the confectionery business began in Europe, or rather in Venice in Italy, where it developed most rapidly by the end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th century.

The main rule of confectionery art is the observance of proportions. Only those who have given practice not one or two years can afford such a luxury as measuring “by eye”. In the confectionery business, you need to carefully monitor the cooking temperatures and follow the recipes exactly. One small inaccuracy - and goodbye, reputation! That is why the pastry direction is considered the most difficult in cooking and is an order of magnitude ahead of gastronomic skill, where fantasy and improvisation often become synonymous with professional victories.

No. 4. You are not French!

Years have passed and now, like snow on the head! After everything experienced and baked, it turns out that the croissant was invented not in France, but in Austria! There is even a legend in confectionery annals, according to which, in 1683, the Viennese baker Peter Wendler prepared the first croissant in honor of the failure of the Turkish siege of Vienna. One day the bakers of the candy store, who worked at night and cooked for the townspeople fresh buns towards morning, they heard a suspicious noise from hoes and picks. They realized that the city was under attack - the Turks were digging under its walls. Having warned the soldiers about this in time, they thwarted the plan of the Ottoman army and saved Vienna. This is the first true story of the jubilation and victory of confectionery art over bloodthirsty conquerors!

No. 5. At least one more piece

Have you imagined yourself at least once as a taster, for example, a judge of an international competition, where you need to taste the products of the contestants for several days? They can be tasteless, overly spicy, special, and simply unbearable - but the task remains the same. You have to understand the texture, flavor combinations of at least 30 desserts a day and make your own verdict. During this difficult period, the maestro try to eat at least outside the competitive arena, and also never finish eating a single dessert, even if it is fabulously divine!

No. 6. Suspicious Willy Wonka River

Did you know that the delicious chocolate river in Charlie and Chocolate Factory was truly made from chocolate and consisted of over 500 liters of water mixed with cream and chocolate! The creators of the sweet miracle admitted that the freshness of the reservoir did not last long and did not cause appetite after.

No. 7. Don't boil my favorite pasta

Our favorite macaroni biscuits, in their final role familiar to us, were invented in the famous French pastry shop Laduree, which exists to this day, is famous for the same pasta and continues to open its luxurious sweet parlors throughout Europe. Plain macaroons, with no color palette or toppings, were made famous by sister nuns who baked them to survive the French Revolution in the late 18th century.

At the turn of the 1900s, the successful entrepreneur and master of Laduree, Pierre Defontaine, remembered pasta. He decided to combine the pasta halves with ganache (a fragrant cream based on fresh cream, chocolate and butter). Avoiding the sad fate of the ordinary macaroons, the pasta has become a delight, with a thin crispy crust, soft almond meringue and a velvety filling.

No. 8. Kronats exist

In 2013, American confectioner Dominique Ansel made a new confectionery breakthrough and invented a croissant and donut hybrid (donuts), which was given the awesome name cronuts! For some time, a real “cronuts epidemic” reigned in New York - incredible multi-kilometer queues lined up at Ansel's pastry shops!

No. 9. Favorite dessert of the Côte d'Azur

Did you know that the most popular and colorful dessert of Saint-Tropez, one of the most famous towns on the Cote d'Azur of France, is Tarte Tropezien, a nutritious treat based on sugar brioche cut in two, stuffed with custard and whipped cream. A treat for real sweet teeth appeared in Saint-Tropez in the 50s, when the Polish emigre pastry chef Alexander Mika offered a dessert according to his grandmother's recipe in his own pastry shop.

Popularity came 5 years later during the filming of the film "Et Dieu" by Roger Vadim. Alexander prepared catering for the actors and the dessert captivated their hearts and stomachs forever. Brigitte Bardot was also delighted, and she gave the dessert the name "Tarte Tropezien".

To be continued…

Modern confectionery art has been formed thanks to centuries of experiments by amateurs and professionals, dreamers and innovators who have put their soul into sweet creations. And although our main goal is to find the best culinary school and organize admission, today we are pursuing an educational mission. How? We expand your horizons by talking about incredible facts related to the art of confectionery. After reading, you are sure to be inspired to prepare a dessert with a twist.

It all started in Egypt

Did you know that the first masters of confectionery art appeared not in France, but in Egypt? Until the 7th century, European sweet tooths were content with fruits in different types eat them fresh and dried. But the Egyptians actively experimented and pampered themselves delicious desserts from honey, spices, seeds, grains and sweet fruits. The Muslim invasion in the 7th century allowed the treats to migrate to Europe, where the confectionery frenzy began, literally.

Italian origin

However, for several centuries, the Arabs maintained a "monopoly" on sweets. The fact is that they knew and used sugar since 850, and the Europeans put it into circulation only at the end of the 15th century. It was from this time that active development began, the center of which was Venice. The word “confectioner” itself comes from the Italian verb “candiere”, which means “boil in sugar”. By that time, the Latin word “confectioner” was in use, that is, a cook. As a result of accidental confusion, in the XVIII century Europeans began to call "confectioners" all those who knew how to cook sweets.

The secret past of pasta

A few years ago, the traditional French pasta dessert conquered the whole world. Delicious sweetness made from protein, sugar and ground almonds literally melts in your mouth and captivates with a variety of flavors. And if everything is clear with the public's love for pasta, then his past is foggy. The gastronomic encyclopedia Larousse refers the origin of this dessert to Venice and the Renaissance. Many believe that pasta was first cooked in France in Cormerie several centuries earlier. The third version says that the delicacy was nevertheless brought from Italy after 1560.

We do not have a time machine to unravel this mystery, but we know for sure that you can learn how to cook the perfect pasta at the culinary and pastry school. For details about programs and tuition fees, please contact STUDIES & CAREERS consultants in any of the convenient ways.

Exact science

From the first classes, students of confectionery schools understand that the “sweet business” is an exact science, where proportions, temperature and cooking time cannot be neglected. Compliance with the recipe is the success of any dessert. Thus, the pastry direction is recognized as one of the most difficult in cooking.

chocolate river

We are sure that you have watched the colorful film "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". Remember the huge river that flowed through the kingdom of the protagonist? Yes, yes, we are talking about an endless chocolate flow. We reveal the secret, this river was "prepared" from real chocolate with the addition of 500 liters of water and cream.

Polish dessert in France

In the beautiful 50s, a Polish pastry chef Alexander Mika worked in Saint-Tropez, who owned a pastry shop. One fine day, he put on the counter a dessert made according to the recipe of his beloved grandmother. The treat was a sugar brioche cut in two, stuffed with custard and whipped cream. After 5 years, Roger Vadim, together with his team, came to the Cote d'Azur of France to shoot the film "And God Created Woman." By a happy coincidence, it was Alexander who was engaged in catering, treating the actors delicious delicacies. The main performer of the film, Brigitte Bardot, was amazed by the Polish dessert and gave it the name "La Tarte Tropezienne", i.e. "Tart Tropezienne".

For details on where you can learn to become a confectioner, check with STUDIES&CAREERS specialists.

Citrus. The preparation of most desserts is indispensable without citrus zest and juice. It is important to choose fruits that are not treated with chemicals, since harmful substances are concentrated in the peel of citrus fruits. For flavoring confectionery the colored part of the zest is used (yellow for a lemon, orange for an orange and green for a lime). With a knife for peeling potatoes, a thin layer of zest is removed from the fruit. The white skin, which gives the confectionery a bitter taste, is removed.

Butter . Butter is churned from cream and contains approximately 80% fat. Due to its excellent taste and delicate texture, the oil is indispensable for making creams and pastries. Important note: only fresh oil is used in cooking. Butter can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 weeks, and in the freezer for 3 months.

Cocoa. Cocoa powder consists of pure chocolate and a small amount of cocoa butter (8% to 20%). For the preparation of confectionery, as a rule, bitter cocoa powder is used.

chestnuts. Chestnuts are valued in the confectionery business for sweet taste and flouriness. Chestnuts are boiled, peeled and peeled and mashed. Boiled chestnuts can be stored in a hermetically sealed glass container for 1 week, in the refrigerator (in plastic containers with ventilation holes) - 1 month, in the freezer - 6 months. Chestnut puree is stored in a hermetically sealed container in the freezer for 6-8 months.

Chocolate. The Latin name for chocolate (Theobroma cacao) translates as "food of the gods". Chocolate is made from cocoa beans and cocoa butter. High quality chocolate should contain at least 35% cocoa butter. In the confectionery business, bitter, milk and White chocolate, made without the addition of cocoa, but with a high content of cocoa butter. In specialized stores, chocolate for glazing cakes is sold, which, due to the high content of cocoa butter (up to 50%), melts easily and quickly. Chocolate should be stored in a dry, well-ventilated area at 16°C.

Flour. For baking, soft wheat flour is usually used, which is lighter, with a high starch content. Flour should be stored in a sealed container in a cool, dry place.

Potato starch . Potato starch looks like white powder. It is used to thicken sauces and puddings. When added to the dough, starch is first mixed with flour.

Cheese. Cheeses such as ricotta, mascarpone, English cream cheese (better known as "Philadelphia"), French fromage frais, German quark are famous for their delicate aroma and therefore are widely used in culinary business. Cheeses go well with fruits and are one of the main ingredients of all kinds of sweets. Cheeses are stored in the refrigerator from 2 to 7 days.

Fruit. For the preparation of desserts, fresh ripe fruits are selected. Peeled and sliced ​​apples, pears and bananas are sprinkled lemon juice so that the fruits do not turn black. Boiling water is poured over apricots and peaches to make it easier to peel the fruit. The berries are washed in ice water, and then dried on a kitchen towel.

Dried fruits. One of the main ingredients in the confectionery business. Dried fruits of good quality should be soft and have a bright rich color. Too dry raisins are soaked in hot water for 15-20 minutes, and then dried on a kitchen towel.

Gelatin. On sale you can find gelatin in plates and granules. Usually, 7 g of gelatin is taken per 1/2 liter of liquid. Creamy mixtures require more gelatin. Before use, gelatin is soaked in cold water, and then either dissolve in a water bath, or add to a hot cream and mix the mass until the gelatin dissolves. It is important to know that fresh pineapple contains enzymes that inhibit the jelly-forming properties of gelatin.

Glucose. Grape sugar, which is found in honey and fruits. Glucose is usually sold as a syrup.

Milk. In the confectionery business, cow's milk is mainly used. Desserts are prepared only from fresh milk (watch the expiration date of the milk). For the preparation of some confectionery products, powdered and condensed milk is also required. Fresh milk is stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Yeast

Brewer's yeast (natural yeast) is placed during kneading in a thick, heavy dough. Yeast ferments the sugary substances contained in the flour, decomposing them into carbon dioxide and alcohol. Bubbles of carbon dioxide lift and loosen the dough. The ideal fermentation temperature is 30°C. On sale you can find fresh (in cubes) and dry brewer's yeast. fresh yeast should be stored in the refrigerator.

As a baking powder for biscuits, shortcrust pastry, pancakes and pancakes usually use chemical yeast, which includes baking soda and an oxidizing agent (usually - cream of tartar). These substances become active when they react with water. Chemical yeast should be added to ready dough, because they act within 10 minutes.

Corn starch. White starch, made from corn kernels, is used in cooking to thicken creams and puddings.

Honey. Different varieties honey differ in color and smell. It is believed that the lighter the honey, the more fragrant it is. The addition of honey gives desserts not only a special taste, but also allows you to keep confectionery fresh longer.

nuts. Almond, hazelnut, walnuts, peanuts, pistachios, pine nuts are widely used for the preparation of confectionery. Nuts must be fresh, as rancid nuts will spoil the taste of any dessert. Shelled nuts can be stored for 2-3 months in a cool, dry place, and without shells - in hermetically sealed jars. Nuts can also be stored for 3 to 6 months in the refrigerator and 1 year in the freezer.

coconuts. To test the freshness of a coconut, shake it: a fresh nut contains coconut milk. Grated coconut meat is used to make cakes and puddings, and as a topping. Opened coconut can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 week and in the freezer for 9 months.

Walnut and olive oil . In some areas of Italy, olive oil is used to make traditional sweets such as castanaccio (chestnut flour cakes). For baking, it is better to choose high quality refined olive oil. Peanut butter is ideal for frying because it is odorless and does not foam when heated. For greasing pudding molds and Cooking hazelnuts, it is best to use light and aromatic almond oil.

Cream. For the preparation of confectionery products are used only fresh cream. Cream can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 3 months. However, after being stored in the freezer, they are not suitable for whipping.

Spices. We have listed here the spices that are most commonly found in recipes:

Cinnamon (pieces of cinnamon or cassia bark). In cooking, it is most often used in ground form.

Cardamom. The seeds of this plant of the ginger family are used as a spice. Cardamom is commonly added to fruit desserts.

Carnation (dried flower buds of an equatorial plant). The aroma of cloves (as well as cinnamon) goes especially well with the taste of apples.

Juniper. The crushed cones of this coniferous plant of the cypress family give a special taste and aroma to spicy bread.

Nutmeg and mace is the seed and dried seed of the nutmeg tree.

Vanilla is the fruit of a plant in the orchid family. Since vanilla pods are very expensive, vanilla essence or vanillin, synthetic vanilla, is mainly used in cooking. However, vanillin does not have such a subtle and rich aroma as natural vanilla.

Ginger. In cooking, the rhizome of this tropical plant is used as a spice. For the preparation of desserts, candied ginger and ground ginger are most often used.

Eggs. Only very fresh eggs are suitable for making desserts, so it is recommended to use them within 3 weeks from the date of purchase. In order to check the egg for freshness, it is dipped in water: very fresh egg stays at the bottom the egg, which is 2-3 weeks old, floats vertically; rotten egg - remains on the surface of the water. Whole eggs are stored in the refrigerator; yolks with the addition of a small amount of water - in a hermetically sealed container in the refrigerator; proteins remain fresh for 2 weeks in a sealed container in the refrigerator and several months in the freezer. Thawed squirrels whip just as well as fresh ones.

Yogurt. Fermented milk product. Made in Italy from cow's milk. Fatter and thicker Greek yogurt is made from sheep's milk. Yogurt combined with yeast is often used as a starter for dough.

Sugar. A sweet substance extracted from beet or sugar cane.

advertising ideas

Today, doing a confectionery business and not having your own Instagram is simply indecent. Examples of delicious pages from popular confectioners and ordinary mothers on maternity leave, which sometimes give them a head start.

Multi-storey and unrealistically stylish cakes to order from the Moscow confectionery studio "Annushka Cake". The number of sweet "exhibits" is amazing. The portfolio of the studio masters has everything: from photo cakes to skyscraper cakes, from conceptual cakes in the form of gifts from the world of high fashion to children's cartoons. In a word, it is better to see once than to hear a hundred times.

Chocolatier from Mexico named Jose Ramon Castillo is an American TV star and participant in various cooking shows. In addition to his beloved Castillo, he also posts his products, which are distinguished by bright colors and positive forms. Apparently, the Mexican really likes to indulge in icing and feast on chocolate women's shoes.

The author of the Ivcakes account, Victoria Sagirova, loves flowers, greenery and minimalism very much and does not work with mastic in principle, making cake decorations exclusively from cream. According to the creator, the project was originally born as a “cake for yourself and your loved ones”, but over time it grew into something more. Now anyone can order Victoria cakes, being sure of the naturalness and freshness of the products.

The creations of Dinara Kasko from Kharkov are not just confectionery art, but also confectionery architecture. By education, the girl is a designer-architect, and she creates her confectionery products using 3D modeling and 3D printing technologies. Dinara's talent has been repeatedly appreciated at international competitions.

The Instagram of a journalist, food photographer and author of several books on culinary topics Anastasia Zurabova is very full of goodies. Anastasia is the ideal of many women who manage to raise children and fulfill themselves, tirelessly doing what they love.

A beautiful and tasty account that sells cake stands, photo backgrounds and wooden decorations for flowers and confectionery.

Instagram of the charming confectioner from Milan, Gianluca Fusto, who consults restaurants and pastry shops, and also gives master classes in different countries peace. There are so many fans of the Italian’s work that fakes appear on the account every now and then.

An account with a huge number of desserts from food blogger and traveler Andrey Rudkov. The photographs are brought to the highest degree of appetizing, and many products are specially presented in the cut or in the process of eating, so that the viewers salivate.

An excellent example of self-branding is the page of Nina Tarasova, a consultant in the field of confectionery art, who travels with master classes all over the world. In her blog, the girl shares not only beautiful photos of products, but also an equally interesting process of their creation.

Darina Kossar is a food photographer and food art specialist who creates amazing works of fruit, berries, chocolate, whipped cream and other products. In her hands, the goodies are transformed into edible animal paintings, landscapes, portraits of stars and famous places from different countries.

When Lilia Vasilyeva draws on her cookies and gingerbread, time stops for her. For five years now, Lilia has been doing her own thing and creating a unique sand and chocolate chip cookie, gingerbread, meringues and other gift sweets, sometimes putting predictions in them.

High confectionery art from French confectioner Cedric Grolet, who works at the Le Meurice Hotel in Paris. The filigree technique of this master and the ability to create confectionery fruits that are indistinguishable from real ones brought the Frenchman a whole army of admirers. The account has almost a million followers, and each post gets tens of thousands of likes.

Page of the Moscow cafe YUMBAKER | Cafe with an emphasis on “expensive” black. Initially, the project began as an online cafe for Moscow mother Yulia Maryukha, who baked her first cake in 2010 for her daughter's birthday, after which she was so imbued with this activity that many confectioners would envy her today.

Wedding, cakes, donuts and cupcakes from HOORAY magazine! An account where you can find not only goodies, but also many inspiring ideas for organizers and decorators of wedding celebrations.

Bright and positive account about home baking from an American woman named Ruth, who married a Canadian, moved to live in Toronto and began to do what she loved. The author of the blog brings up children and maintains his culinary blog Cook Til Delicious.

Another Instagram account from the representative of the "old guard" - chocolatier Philip Bertrand. His titles "chef" received back in the 90s. Bertrand is one of the people who today determine the global trends and guidelines for the professional activity of confectioners.

A bright page of a young happy mother Larisa, who brings up two daughters, travels the world and delights her subscribers with colorful cakes, pastries and other sweets.

An example of an inspiring confectionery page by Natalie Eng from Singapore. Photos of the girl are imbued with love for France, where she often visits with a unique Parisian spirit.

Yann Duytsche makes the best panetonne pie in Spain, owns his own bakery, runs pastry classes and writes books. A real pro in his field, whose talent attracts people from all over the world.

If you're looking for inspiration to create eclairs, then your best bet is to take a look at the ingenious creations of Joaquim Prat. Prat owns the Maitre Choux confectionery in London and is considered one of the creators and trendsetters of eclair fashion.

Confectioner Ekaterina Shulzhenko draws her inspiration from nature. In the art of confectionery, the author prefers cream cakes, which are beautifully decorated with berries.

I do not like to go to guests empty-handed, and it is not in my rules to receive guests with an empty refrigerator. Unfortunately, the assortment of sweets in our stores is not large enough, and sometimes the soul wants something very unusual and tasty. At one of those moments, I decided to try my hand at confectionery.

From birth, I helped my mother with baking, she is also a big lover of sweets, and I gradually memorized all the step-by-step actions and techniques. Although none of my family is professionally engaged in confectionery.

It is difficult to imagine a holiday without a cake, because it is not just a confectionery product, but the main decoration of the event. And to congratulate your relatives by preparing a cake for them with your own hands, adding such an important ingredient as love, will be the best gift.

History of the origin of confectionery art

The word "confectioner" comes from the Italian verb "candiere", which means "boil in sugar". Only by an accidental coincidence with this verb of the Latin word "confectioner" - a master who cooks food, who knows how to taste it - as the Romans called cooks, explains the fact that in Europe of the 18th century they mistakenly began to call sweets makers not kandiras, but confectioners, or confectioners, for by this time every people had long called cooks not borrowed foreign, but their own national name: Russians - a cook (a person who cooks, cooks), Germans - koch (the one who cooks everything, boils), French - a culinary specialist, or chef de cuizin (head of the kitchen, master of the kitchen), Italians - kuokko (boil, fry anything on fire).

The art of confectionery itself arose and received the greatest development in Italy, in Venice, only with the advent of sugar at the end of the 15th-beginning of the 16th century. Until then, sweets in Europe were bought from the Arabs, the oldest confectioners in the world, who had known sugar since 850. It is no coincidence that in the East, in Arab countries and in Iran, the most diverse sweets in the world are still being created. While in Europe the confectionery business was developing in the direction of cakes and cookies, the Arabs were the first to pay attention to the fact that boiling or melting sugar - candling - opens up wide opportunities for preparing a variety of sweet, dessert, confectionery products and dishes. The first products that began to be boiled in sugar were the juices of berries and fruits, and the berries and fruits themselves. In some nations, they are ground, turned into a puree, in others they are only crushed, in others they are whole. This is how syrups, marmalades, jams, figs, jams, marmalades, Russian jams, Ukrainian dry jams, and Transcaucasian candied fruits appeared.

From time immemorial, a confectioner and a cook were different professions that sometimes required different qualities and talents. So, for example, in Italy and France, people who were good at drawing were accepted as confectioners, and in the process of learning they read a course in the history of architecture and the history of art, taught drawing, ornamentation, drawing, modeling - subjects, as if far from kitchen craft. While the cooks studied zoology, botany, animal anatomy, and thus stood closer to the students of natural biology faculties.

My achievements in confectionery

Here are some handmade cakes.

Picture 1 - cherry pie

Figure 2 - Cake With love, first used oil cream

Figure 3 - Biscuit cake with protein cream

Figure 4 - Fruit biscuit cake using protein cream

Figure 5 - Orange Soufflé Cake with addition chocolate icing

I really like to cook, it's such a magical process of creating something delicious.

Usually I come up with cake recipes on my own, with the exception of the biscuit and cream recipe, since at these moments it is a failure to deviate from the given criteria.

My cakes, of course, are far from ideal and some well-established rules of confectioners. But this is a job for the soul. Cooking for relatives and friends is an even more responsible task than serving a cake to a stranger.

The smiles of my loved ones are the greatest reward for my work. It inspires me to try new recipes, invent my own cakes and let my imagination run wild during decoration.