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Pandan Leaves
Pandan is a herbaceous tropical plant with long green leaves. In Southeast Asia, pandan leaves are used to lend a unique taste and aroma to many Thai desserts and some drinks. Pandan paste is used in cakes and desserts, as it is sweet and imbues foods with a bright green color. It can be purchased as a ready-to-use paste in Asian specialty stores. If purchased fresh, pandan leaves should be pounded into a paste for use in desserts, adding water sparingly.
Paramount Crystals
Vegetable oils, mostly coconut oil, in small solid pieces and used as coconut oil.
Paramount Paper
A heavy, heat-resistant paper used in cooking.
Parchment Bag
Disposable decorating bag formed from a parchment paper triangle.
Pare
With knife, remove outer covering, such as with apples.
Pastillage
Rolled Fondant without any of the softening ingredients (glycerin, cornstarch or shortening). It is used mainly for decorative ribbons, three dimensional shapes and appliques, as it dries bone-dry and crusts more quickly than Fondant. It can be rolled very thin. It is also used to make sugar greeting cards, picture frames, bells, boxes or other containers which can then be decorated with piping or sugar flowers. Decorations made from pastillage should not be eaten.
Pastry Blender
A tool made of 5 or 6 parallel U-shaped steel wires attached at both ends to a handle. It cuts the butter into small pieces so the flour can coat the particles. Two knives may also be used.
Pastry Cream
A delicate milk and egg-based filling similar to pudding. Pastry cream can be flavored with vanilla, chocolate or coffee.
Pastry Cutter
A tool which is used to stamp out pastry, biscuits, scones, sweets and canapés. Pastry cutters are available in a wide range of sizes and shapes from the most popular plain or fluted round cutters to novelty shapes such as stars, animals, numbers and letters and can be made from metal or plastic.
Pastry Wheel
A small hand held tool with a fluted wheel on the end for cutting pastry and creating a decorative edge
Pattern
An illustrated design which can be transferred to an iced cake, then decorated.
Peaks
The mounds made in a mixture. For example, egg white that has been whipped to stiffness. Peaks are “stiff” if they stay upright, or “soft” if they curl over.
Pearls
Round, edible sugar balls coated with a pearl dust (in almost any color) used for decorative purposes. Pearls can be individual or in strings.
Pear Nectar
A thick, sweet, slightly grainy juice that is extracted from pears. Bottled pear nectar can be found in most supermarkets.
Peel
Pull off outer covering, such as with bananas or oranges.
Penuche
A fudge-like candy made from brown sugar, butter, and milk, using no flavorings except for vanilla. Penuche often has a tannish color to it and is lighter than regular fudge. It is formed by the caramelization of brown sugar, and thus its flavor is said to be reminiscent of caramel. Nuts, especially pecans, are often added to penuche used for texture, especially in the making of penuche candies.
Pepperoncini
Pepperoncini are a variety of the same species as bell peppers and chili peppers. They are also known as Tuscan peppers, sweet Italian peppers and golden Greek peppers. Pepperoncini are mild with a slight heat to them, with a hint of bitterness and are commonly pickled and sold packaged in jars.
Petals
The outermost segments of a flower.
Phyllo Dough
A dough or pastry that is paper-thin sheets of raw, unleavened flour dough used for making pastries in Turkish, Greek and Middle Eastern Cookery. Phyllo dough is made with flour, water, and a small amount of oil. It is almost always used in multiple layers separated by melted butter. When these are baked or deep-fried, they become crispy and the result resembles puff pastry, though the method is very different, and they are generally not substituted for one another.
Pie Dish
A deep round glass, earthenware or metal dish with sloping sides and a wide rim. Pie dishes can be used to make double crust (with a base and topping of pastry) or single crust (with a top crust only) pies.
Pillars
Used in a tiered cake, such as a wedding cake, to separate the tiers of cake. They can be made of plastic or wood in several lengths to achieve the desired look.
Pinch
An approximate tiny measurement of a powdered ingredient usually obtained by picking it up with the finger and thumb.
Pipe
Squeezing icing out of bag through a decorating tip to form decorations.
Piping
Decorative details created using a decorating bag and various metal decorating tips. Piping details include leaves, borders, basketweave, and flowers.
Piping Bag
A triangular shaped fabric or greaseproof bag that has large opening at one end and a small opening at the other. A nozzle is inserted into the small end, the bag is filled with a smooth, semi-solid mixture and forced out using pressure from both hands.
Piping bag tips
At the very least, you should have a #6 plain and a #7 star pastry tip for piping cream, frostings, and fillings. For decorating cakes and cupcakes, a good set of interchangeable decorating tips is essential. There are many sets on the market that feature a variety of tips; you might want to purchase one, or you can amass a collection as you bake more and more recipes, but always check before embarking on a new recipe to be sure you have the necessary tips. You can purchase them individually if necessary, or if you don’t want to buy a whole set right off. Interchangeable tips are small tips shaped to produce specific effects, such as grass, leaves, or the shape that mimics rose petals. You affix these to pastry bags with a coupler that acts as a dock or port for them. In addition to empowering you to create visual effects, tips and bags are also convenient: If you need to create different effects with the same color icing, you don’t need to fill different bags; you just change the tip. Throughout the book, I indicate when an interchangeable tip is called for; if a recipe does not indicate “interchangeable,” then you just drop the desired tip (a regular pastry tip) into the bag before filling it with the desired filling or frosting.
Piping Gel
Transparent gel that can be tinted any color for decorating, writing or pattern transfer.
Pit
Remove pit or seed, such as with cherries or prunes.
Practice Board
Hard surface that can be used flat or upright for practicing decorative effects. Also used to prevent Gum Paste and fondant flower sections from drying before assembling.
Preheat
To set the oven or grill to a specific temperature to allow the internal temperature to increase sufficiently before cooking.
Press
To apply pressure.
Proof
To let yeast dough rise.
Pulled Sugar
A technique in which boiled sugar is manipulated and pulled to produce flowers and bows.
Purée
Press through fine sieve or food mill.
Packed:
Refers to measuring brown sugars. Spoon brown sugar
into dry measuring cup and press down until firmly packed,
overfilling slightly, then leveling. When dumped out, should
hold its shape (as when making sand castles).
Pan:
Utensil used to hold dough or batter—may be rectangular,
flat or round; best surface for baking is heavy shiny or darkened
aluminum for best crust color; glass baking pans require
adjusted oven temperatures—reduce about 25° F.
Pancake:
One of humans’ oldest bread forms, hundreds of
types are shared cultures; batter may be thick or thin, and is
baked on a very hot surface for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a
snack. (Ex: crepes, blinis, hotcakes, flapjacks).
Panning:
Placing dough in or on prepared pans. Pans may
be lined with parchment, oiled, sprayed with pan-release, or
sprinkled with meal. Make sure the pan is the correct size for
the amount of batter or dough. NOTE: Some baking pans
should not be sprayed with lecithin cooking sprays—check
manufacturer’s care guidelines.
Pantry:
Storage space near the kitchen for food, pans,
ingredients and equipment.
Parchment paper:
Sheets of grease and moisture resistant
paper used in baking to line pans; replaces greasing or spraying
pans. Products are shaped or distributed directly on the
paper and are easily removed after baking. Great for making
disposable pastry bags too.
Pare:
To remove the outer covering or skin of fruit or vegetables
with a small knife or peeler.
Pastry blender:
A hand-held U-shaped tool with 5 or 6 sturdy
parallel wires used to “cut” cold butter or fat into smaller pieces
in a flour mixture without melting or smearing the butter or fat.
Pastry filling:
A savory or sweet mixture prepared to fill a
pastry dough or crust. See http://www.argostarch.com and www.
solofoods.com
Pastry filling:
A fine-textured, soft wheat flour with low-gluten and
high-starch content. It may be bleached, unbleached, or whole
wheat. Soft red or white wheat may be used to produce this flour.
Also http://www.jiffymix.com; http://www.bobsredmill.com
Peel:
Rimless, lightweight board, may have a long handle; used
to transfer proofed bread to hot baking stone in oven.
Percentage:
A part or portion of a whole; (A) Bakers
percentage = the percent one ingredient is of the total flour
weight—Ex: Sugar is 5% of the flour weight—(4 oz sugar out of
5 lbs (80 oz) flour). (B) The number of consumers in a consuming
group who feel or think something—Ex: 5 out of 100 (5%) think
the product is too sweet.
Pie:
A sweet or savory dish made with one or two crusts and
filling (pudding, fruit, meat or vegetables).
Poolish:
Polish origins, Viennese bakers promoted this preferment
starter in the nineteenth century.
Porous:
May refer to the honeycomb-like structure of white pan
bread.
Portion:
(v.) to evenly divide batter or dough to place on
prepared baking pans; n: the amount a person is served.
Preferment:
Partial (yeast) dough made of flour, water,
yeast and sometimes salt given a quick mixing and allowed
to ferment prior to mixing the full dough. Five traditional preferments
are: poolish (equal weights flour and water); scrap
dough (old dough–pate fermentee); biga (flour+50-60%
water+1/2% instant yeast); sponge (flour, yeast, water); mixed
starter (flour+water+small piece old dough; mimics sourdough).
Preheat
Heating the empty oven to
the recommended temperature
before placing the product to
be baked init.
Proof:
In bread baking, this term indicates the period of time a product is allowed to rise after it is shaped and placed on or in pans. Products are usually proofed until doubled in size,
or when a finger, lightly placed on the side of the loaf, leaves an indentation. Products are “proofed” in a humid, draft-free, 95° F. to 100° F. place. (Avoid to warm an environment!) In
homes, a barely damp, clean, non-terry cloth towel or plastic wrap sprayed with pan spray may be lightly placed over the product to prevent the dough from crusting (drying). Some ovens
have a proofing feature. Follow the manufacturer’s use guide.
Protein:
Comprised of amino acids, proteins are an essential
nutrient group; in baking flour, “high protein” refers to the
“strength” of the flour to produce gluten, comprised of two
amino acids, glutenin and gliadin for bread and pasta products.
Low protein flour will be used for soft, tender products (cakes,
biscuits, cookies, pastry).
Pumpernickel:
A medium- to coarsely ground, rye flour, light brown in color. It may be labeled “medium rye.” A mixture of rye and wheat flour used to produce a distinctive bread. Molasses are usually used to add color and flavor.
Punch down:
In reference to bread dough – when dough has doubled in size or when a dent remains after two fingers are lightly pressed ½ inch into the dough, make a fist and push it into the center of the dough. Pull the edges of the dough to the center and turn the dough over. Cover and let rest or rise again before shaping.
Puree:
To mash, process or sieve cooked fruit or vegetables to
form a thick smooth liquid. Purees may be used to substitute
for ¼ to of the oil or fat in some baked products.
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