The best tips for making spring desserts include those that allow a cook to prepare a dish featuring fresh, seasonal, and memorable ingredients suitable for a particular occasion and tailored to his or her cooking resources, abilities, and preferences. High-quality ingredients evocative of spring and a dessert suited to a cook's experience and tools on hand are great ways to produce a unique dessert. Planning all of these areas in advance can also save time. Small changes or additions to familiar recipes as well as tasteful presentation can add to the experience of both preparing and eating the dessert.
Seasonal fruits can often provide spring dessert inspiration, as these ingredients are likely to be of the highest quality because conditions are optimal for their growth. Berries, stone, and tropical fruit, as well as some citrus like limes can be found in the produce section or farmer's markets. Choose one or two main ingredients to feature for a simple but tasty dessert that highlights the fruit's natural flavors. For instance, a berry medley does well with little more than a dash of rum, sugar, and chopped mint garnished with whipped cream.
Shopping at your local farmer's markets can bring rare and fresh surprises. You may find a high quality cocoa square or rare fruit that you want to turn into a centerpiece treat. Using quality ingredients also can transform a recipe, and many specialty market growers offer produce and goods with exceptional taste or exotic flavor.
The best spring desserts are carefully chosen for their occasion. For instance, individual custards in ramekins may be appropriate for four dinner guests, but baked goods served in larger dishes will likely be more appropriate for a picnic. A cook's time limits and abilities also affect which spring desserts will be the most enjoyable to prepare and eat.
Simple ingredient additions or substitutions can make spring desserts stand out. Adding fresh mint to fruit or chocolate recipes, for instances, adds a kick and contrasts with fruit's sweetness and chocolate's velvet, buttery taste. Lime gives sweet dishes more complexity, adding a tart note. Substituting refined sugar with honey or maple syrup also changes a dish's texture and sweetness. If you have a recipe in mind but want to give it a spring touch, replacing the main ingredient in fruit desserts to a similar but seasonal pick can be effective.
Planning ahead and considering how much kitchen space, bakeware, and utensils that you have on hand can help you to determine which desserts you're equipped to prepare. For instance, creme brulee requires a culinary torch or extremely careful broiling in a gas oven for proper preparation. A novice cook with no torch and an electric stove may want to choose an alternate classic dessert.
Presentation can substantially effect quality of spring desserts. Garnishing with fresh, seasonal flowers or displaying desserts on mismatched antique dishes add color, fragrance, and character to a dessert. Simple and sleek dishes can give a gourmet touch, and pieces with elaborate designs or patterns can bring to mind homemade and comfort food. Spring colors and motifs add seasonal flare to the presentation.
