Going Solo: Single-Serving Desserts
Going Solo: Single-Serving Desserts
Customers are eating more desserts these days. Whether they’re seeking nostalgic desserts from their childhoods out of a need for comfort or looking for something over-the-top indulgent in a quest for new experiences, desserts are playing a larger role in people's daily lives all over the world. Currently, 38% of consumers eat dessert more than once a week, up from 24% in 2019.*
As we continue to seek comfort and indulgence, portion control becomes an issue! Single-serving desserts fit this need perfectly while also allowing customers to try a variety of flavors, textures, and concepts without committing to a large, family-style dessert.
Why are single-serving desserts so popular?
To any baker or shop owner who found themselves entrenched in the cupcake craze, this all sounds very familiar! The popularity of cute and creative personal-sized desserts endures, but it’s time to think beyond buttercream. Parfaits and verrines, individual tarts, cakes sold by the slice, and single-serving versions of desserts usually sold family-style are the impulse buys of choice popping up on social media, especially when they are irresistibly packaged.
Two To Try
Why not upgrade a favorite, as Chef Julie does here, with a chocolate cupcake? Or take a classic dessert and get it ready to travel! Chef Davide's portable version of tiramisu is a pick-me-up for one.
What should you think about when constructing a multi-layered, single-serving dessert?
Layered, single-serving desserts are a plated-dessert experience distilled into a portable container, so every aspect of a dessert experience should factor into your plan for a single-serving version of the dessert and, as such, is up for consideration.
Think about balancing sweet, salty, sour, even spicy, for a full flavor experience.
Smaller portions allow customers a low-risk way to discover new flavors, so get creative with regional flavors, tropical fruits, exotic spices, and “limited edition” flavors too. Have some go-to flavors as menu standards, then add a seasonal item or daily special.
For chefs, playing with texture might be the number-one feature of desserts in glasses. Create intrigue and excitement with layers that are creamy, fluffy, crunchy, gelled, chewy… you name it!
Start with Tarts!
Individual tarts are elegant and appealing, and they allow a chef or baker to layer textures and flavors. These recipes from our Chefs will get you started.
Individual Almond Rum Pound Cakes by Chef Dimitri Fayard
Reduce Waste and Streamline Production by Using What You Have
Think about your best-selling items. Can you offer a single-serving version? Simply making a selection of your customers’ favorites in a smaller format can open the door to numerous possibilities and higher sales. This can be as easy as offering a slice of cake instead of the entire cake or building the cake inside a cup or bowl.
Desserts in glasses are a great way to upcycle. Brownie bits, failed macarons, a batch of cookies that spread too much, a farmer’s market bargain that must be used immediately - all can be incorporated into a sundae or trifle that will delight your customers and reduce food waste.
More Recipes to Inspire You
Superstars for Single Servings
*Technomic Industry Insights: A roundup of noteworthy foodservice findings for the week of Nov. 1, 2021
Comments
Submitted by Edna Maria on Thu, 02/22/2024 - 13:08
Estou maravilhada, quero conhecer tudo que há de bom por aqui