The Alphabet

The Pastry Alphabet is a tool that brings together a collection of basic recipes created by the team of chefs at Cacao Barry®. These recipes form part of the foundations used to make all kinds of day-to-day traditional confections and also can be used in new creations. 

The book is divided into four main blocks:

1. Biscuits: 

   As in the various pastry recipes where we suggest uses for the different chocolates in the range, in the cake recipes we suggest using cocoa powders, cocoa mass and couvertures from the Pureté range. For this project, the cakes have been divided into two broad categories.

   Whisked sponge cakes: This family of products includes classics like sponge fingers, Dacquoise, Joconde, Pain de Genes, Sachertorte, etc.

   Creamed sponge cakes: Also called butter or oil cakes, this is the family of cakes made without whisking the eggs. Brownies, muffins, financiers, madeleines, etc., are some examples that can be the basis for assembled cakes, or can be served on their own at room temperature. 

2. Crèmes & Mousses: 

   In this section, we bring you the main recipes used by pastry chefs to assemble layer cakes and fill tarts and small desserts. The recipes cover a wide range of textures to fulfil different culinary needs, from thick, all-purpose ganache to the most delicate macaron filling, crémeux, whipped ganache, crèmes pâtissières and three different kinds of chocolate mousse. 

   For every recipe of this category, we have created a basic recipe which can be combined with any choice of dark, milk or white chocolate couverture from the Cacao Barry range. The resulting texture will be similar regardless of the couverture used, with the aromatic profile of the chosen chocolate.

3. Glaçages: 

   For this project, the glaçages or glazes have been organised into two main categories:

   Glazes for products that will be stored and/or displayed at room temperature. In this case we have suggested a basic recipe with variations to adapt it to the different chocolates in our range, so that you can choose your preferred chocolate for use in your creations.

   Glazes for products that will be displayed in cabinets at a temperature of 0 to 6°C and possibly frozen at -18°C. This category includes four different solutions so that you can choose what works best for your creations.

4. Pâtes: 

   In this section, we've put together a collection of recipes to make the most essential pastry and pâtisserie doughs. In general, these different products serve as a basis for different types of tarts, adding their characteristic flavour and a texture that can be more or less fluffy, crisp or crumbly.

   As these products are to be baked in the oven, the recipes mainly use cocoa powder and cocoa mass as they do not contain sugar, and as such, will not affect the final texture. Cocoa powders are perfect for using in pastries and doughs. The value of cocoa mass lies in the fact that its flavour is closer to that of chocolate with the advantage of not containing any sugar.

In each block you will find different recipes illustrated with photographs and a description of:

• Recipe characteristics
• Uses
• The recipe measurements given in grams, and the ingredients in the order in which they are used in the process
• Tips
• Storage
• Allergens
• Scientific explanation

The Pastry Alphabet is Cacao Barry's seal of guarantee to mastering pastry basics with the most simple yet effective elements of pastry.

The Pastry Alphabet: DNA of your creativity.