By Jaime Schick
Texture is a critical element in any well-balanced dessert. It offers a unique sensory experience by providing contrasting sensations on the palate such as creamy and smooth with chewy and crunchy. When it comes to creating an engaging dessert, opposing textures keep the diner engaged in the eating experience. Each bite offers a new and pleasurable sensation.
Each element of a dessert delivers a different function on the plate. These functions can range from creating visual appeal to adding flavor or offering a textural contrast. Texture is a noteworthy element because it serves multiple functions in a dessert.
Different textures have been shown to affect how we perceive flavor. Using a chewy component will cause the diner to keep that component on their palate longer, prolonging the tasting experience and providing more perceived flavor. Whereas a thin or watery texture will provide a quick burst of flavor and then clear the palate quickly leaving little flavor behind.
Visually, different textures create dimension on a plate. This can be demonstrated by plating a smooth and shiny molded item with a rough, dull, and organic one. This will catch the eye and create immediate visual appeal.
You can see an example in the dessert below that displays the intentional use of rough, organic garnishes with a smooth molded mousse filled with a shiny sauce.
Elements of texture that provide a sensory experience on the plate through textural contrast are best categorized with descriptive words such as smooth, creamy, crunchy, chewy, spongy, tough or tender, among other adjectives. Each component on a dish is an opportunity to enhance the plate’s overall textural profile. When creating a well-balanced dessert, aim to use three to four different textures on a plate. This creates not only an engaging eating experience, but also provides the guest with a feeling of satisfaction. Here is how texture plays a role in different components on a plate.
Sauces mainly add flavor that can contrast or enhance a dessert. They can also offer texture depending on the style of sauce. A few examples of textural sauces include foams, which are light and airy, and add visual lightness. Fluid gels appear velvety, smooth, and dense. Reductions are sticky and add visual shine, while gelees are smooth, shiny, and precise. Finally, a coulis is shiny and thin. The tart in the dessert below is a great example of how using sauces creates visual texture. Notice the shine, aeration, and roughness of the different sauces and how they contrast against the dull and smooth finish of the shell.
Lastly, garnishes are the perfect opportunity to add crispy and crunchy textures through various tuiles, tempered chocolate, fruit chips, sugar glass, dried meringue and cookies. Chewy textures can be added through items such as candied citrus zest, pate de fruit and marshmallows.
The textures of components can also be manipulated through cooking. Fruit can be served fresh or it can be softened through a variety of cooking methods. Cakes can be toasted or reheated to provide a crispy outside and items can be breaded, battered, or fried creating a crispy crust and soft or creamy interior.
To add texture and dimension to desserts, you can use repeating flavors in different textural variations while maintaining cohesiveness throughout the dessert. One example is having a chocolate mousse (smooth, creamy, dense) with a chocolate sauce (shiny, thin) and chocolate soil (dull, rough, crunchy). This results in multiple textures of chocolate, creating a different experience with each bite that can be emphasized through purposeful plating.
Incorporating multiple textures in a dish can become innate to seasoned pastry chefs, but should be a consideration when developing a dessert. Remember, when multiple textures are used on a plate, they create visual interest and dimension, and when they are eaten together they create multiple layers of depth to the diners experience.
Author Bio
Jaime Schick is an Associate Professor at Johnson & Wales University in the International Baking and Pastry Institute where she teaches courses ranging from baking and pastry foundations to contemporary plated desserts. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Baking and Pastry Arts, as well as a Master’s of Education in Teaching and Learning.
(This article appeared in the Summer 2024 issue of Pastry Arts Magazine)
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