Gourmet desserts can be intimidating, especially if there are several components involved in the recipe. Whether it's a layer or mousse or a final topping of whipped cream, there are items you can take a shortcut on. In other words, you don't have to make everything from scratch. Best of all, no one will know if you cheat a little bit. Here are just five shortcuts for gourmet desserts.
Mousse Mixes
There are many gourmet desserts that have a layer of mousse. Whether it's a cheesecake or layered cake, this is something you can make from a mix. No one is ever going to now that you used a mix to create the mousse in a dessert, unless mousse is all you're serving. If you want to better your chances even more, try adding an extract to the mix.
Pudding Mixes
Another area you can take a shortcut on is pudding. If you're making a trifle or another dessert that has a layer of pudding, you can use a mix and get the same results. The trick is to use the cook and serve pudding. Instant pudding has a terrible after taste and will be noticed right away. Take the time to prepare the pudding ahead of time and chill so that you can use it for desserts. Or, purchase high-quality prepared pudding to reduce the workload even further.
Prepared Whipped Cream
Whipped cream is the final touch for many gourmet desserts. Of course, after spending hours preparing the dessert, the last thing you want to do is make fresh whipped cream. Thankfully, you don't have to. Prepared whipped cream not only tastes great, but you can also add a bit of vanilla extract to make taste even better.
Fruit Glazes
Tarts and other fruit desserts are often glazed to make them look fancier. However, you don't have to waste time on this ingredient. A simple way to prepare a fruit glaze for tarts is to simply heat fruit jam in the microwave until it thins out. Then, use a pastry brush to glaze the fruit.
Pie Filling
Last, but not least, pie filling is used in a number of desserts and in most cases canned pie filling works just fine. Of course, the most obvious recipe you want to avoid using canned pie filling in is pies. People will be able to tell that you used canned pie filling when the fruit is the star of the show. Instead, use canned pie filling in trifles, cakes and other desserts where the filling plays a minor role.
Gourmet desserts can be easy when you take a few shortcuts. After all, no one said you had to spend all day preparing the perfect dessert.
