Embellishing Desserts

Rich, decadent, delicious! These are all words that make us think of dessert. But don’t forget to indulge in the decorative details. These embellishments add a finishing touch to your sweet treat— and ensure it looks as tantalizing as it tastes. Here are some simple ideas to give desserts that little something extra:

• Use sweetened whipped cream:
  • Beat 1 cup whipping cream with 2 tablespoons powdered sugar or brown sugar.
    • Serve on foods such as cakes, brownies or custard or cream pies.

• Add something crunchy:
   
  • Chop nuts, candies or cookies.          
    • Sprinkle on desserts with toppings such as whipped cream, ice cream, chocolate, or frosting.

• Add a sauce
  • Make or purchase a sauce. Choose popular flavors such as chocolate, vanilla or caramel.
    • Spoon warm or cold sauce over ice cream, cakes or pie slices.
    • Spoon or drop small bits of sauce around pieces of cake or pie.

• Fresh fruit:
  • Popular fruits are raspberries, strawberries and blueberries.
    • Scatter a few berries around slices of cheesecake.
    • Create a strawberry fan: Wash and dry a large strawberry; do not remove the stem end. Make 4 or 5 slices from tip to stem end. Gently spread the slices. Place the fanned strawberry in a dollop of whipped cream on top of desserts such as refrigerated pies or cheesecakes.

• Chocolate:
  • Sprinkle a small amount of cocoa onto whipped cream.
  • Make chocolate curls or shavings with a vegetable peeler and add to top of desserts with whipped cream or frosting.

Next time you serve dessert, add a simple finishing touch garnish to make it extra special. Then listen for the rave reviews!