Summer pastry: heat-proof creations
Summer is not an easy season for the pastry shop. Hot days predispose to sobriety and concerns about the figure and the swimsuit test advise against eating excesses, especially fats and sugars. What to do then, melt away and wait for autumn to come back?
Not at all. According to Iginio Massari, to overcome the seasonal impasse and still attract the customer to the pastry shop, you need to focus on creativity. The Maestro affirms “Today, even when it comes to sweets, people are attracted by curiosity. To be successful, we focus on quality in innovation. The proposals must first of all be good, but also repeatable.” Let’s see ingredients and processes to offer good and original creations in pastry shops even with the thermometer exceeding 30°.
Cold pastry
The three main examples of cold pastries to offer in your business are the parfait, the semifreddo and the mousse.
The parfait is a typical sweet of Sicily, a cold dessert served at -15°C. Its structure is given by a precise balance of sugars, liquids and fats that do not contain gelling agents. It is a fresh and delicious dessert, perfect for
enjoy after dinner.
The semifreddo is a light preparation served at -15°C. If we also add custard among the ingredients, this dessert will take the name of Italian semifreddo. Its structure is given by a precise
balance of sugars, liquids and fats as in the case of ice cream and do not contain gelling agents. For the summer, its variations range from coffee to fresher ones such as lemon, delicate and light, to green apple, original and delicious.
mousses are light and airy preparations whose ideal serving temperature is between 1 and 4°C. In the heat, its fresher versions with fruit such as strawberries, lime and raspberries are particularly appreciated.
The great Classics in a summer key
In summer, creativity in pastry rhymes with fruit. Here then the great classics are reinvented with fresh flavors that soften the sense of guilt for the sin of gluttony.
Even if cheesecake is not a natively Italian dessert, it has become a much appreciated creation over the years. In summer you can think of an apricot or watermelon cheesecake, to be presented in the usual form or even in a jar with fresh cut fruit garnishes.
Sorbet is the worthy ending, almost implied, of any self-respecting Italian restaurant dinner. In the heat, you could try the Mojito or Prosecco variants, or the melon and red fruit versions if you prefer something non-alcoholic.
Tiramisu is the most popular summer birthday cake. It’s not exactly a cake but it’s still a fresh dessert, perfect for summer and for the sweetest palates. Furthermore, it can be made in numerous variations:
strawberries, pineapple, pistachio, berries.
For the panna cotta and the Bavarian cream, however, make room for strawberries, kiwis and exotic fruit, perhaps daring with a pinch of spice.
The great Classics in a summer key
Summer sees ice cream as the sweet protagonist also of pastry creations, giving life to a delicious combination.
The torta ice cream is a classic – like homemade ice cream, on the other hand – which is often chosen, even if more for celebrations and special occasions than for “everyday” consumption. The customization possibilities are endless for ingredients and shapes. From the most classic, stuffed with cream-based flavors and sprinkled with rum, brandy or alchermes, to the more exotic and particular ones, based on fruit and with unusual and colorful toppings.
The combination of ice cream and pastry also works in the opposite direction, i.e. in the creation of tastes with the flavor of pastry specialities. Combining these two worlds is a challenge since a great deal of skill is required in balancing the
ingredients as in creating flavors that contain alcohol. Examples of pastry flavors brought to the ice cream parlor are babà, pastiera, puff pastry, croissant, biscuit, tiramisu ice cream and Sicilian cannolo flavored ice cream.
The summer pastry creations stand out for their colors and freshness. It is essential that they have the right visibility and exposure to attract the customer and convince him to taste that particular dessert with a glance.
The vertical display cases of Orion Blue, Cosmo and Vert guarantee functionality and design and thanks to their characteristics they allow you to give the right prominence to every delicious summer delicacy.