1. A dessert always consists of sweet food of some kind, and in the
usual meal it is served as the last course. Sometimes, especially in
more elaborate meals, another course, such as cheese and coffee, may
follow, but ordinarily the dessert is the last food that is served.
The eating of something sweet after the heavy course of a meal has
undoubtedly become a habit with almost every person. At any rate, a
dinner in which a dessert is not included generally leaves one
unsatisfied and gives the feeling that the meal has not been properly
completed. Some housewives, however, make the mistake of serving a heavy
dessert after a large meal, with the result that those served leave the
table feeling they have had too much to eat. If this occurs, the same
combination of food should be avoided another time and a simple dessert
used to follow a dinner that is already sufficiently heavy.
2. There is nothing fixed about the dessert course of a meal. It may be
very simple or it may be as complicated and elaborate as desired. To
make an elaborate dessert usually requires a good deal of time, and
unless time and care can be devoted to such a dessert it should not be
attempted. However, whether a dessert is simple or elaborate, it should
always be made sufficiently attractive to appeal to an appetite that is
already almost satisfied. Besides providing a chance to end a meal in an
attractive and appetizing way, it offers a splendid opportunity to carry
out a color scheme that may be adopted for a meal. Of course, this is
seldom done, except for a party or a company meal, for a color scheme
has no particular value other than to appeal to the esthetic sense.
3. The cost of desserts is also a matter that may be varied. For
instance, it may be low, as in plain rice pudding, which contains merely
rice and milk, or it may be high, as in such concoctions as mousse or
parfait, which may contain cream, eggs, gelatine, and fruit. It is
possible then, with correct planning, to make the price of the dessert
equalize the cost of the meal. For example, if the previous courses have
contained expensive foods, the dessert should be an economical one,
whereas an expensive one is permissible either when an elaborate meal is
desired or when the cheapness of the food served before the dessert
warrants greater expense in the final dish.
4. The fact that desserts are often a means of economically utilizing
left-over foods should not be overlooked. A famous cooking expert is
responsible for the statement that any edible left-over may be utilized
in the making of soup, salad, or dessert. This is an important truth to
keep in mind, for, with the exception of a knowledge of the correct
purchase and cooking of foods, nothing makes so much for economy in
cookery as the economical use of leftovers.
5. Desserts are really of two kinds: those which are heavy, such as hot
puddings and pastry, and those which are light or of a less substantial
nature, such as gelatine, custards, ices, etc. In general, light
desserts are either frozen or allowed to cool before they are used and
consequently may be made some time before the serving of the meal. It is
with desserts of this kind that this Section deals, the heavier desserts
being discussed elsewhere.