Image is for illustrative purposes only.
This is the clear glaze that goes over fresh fruit on a flan, a tart or the top of a gateau. It is nothing more than neutral glaze let down with water and brought to the boil, and once it cools a little it brushes on as a thin, bright, colourless film.
The glaze keeps cut fruit looking fresh and stops it drying out, and it gives that glossy, professional finish you see on patisserie fruit tarts. It sets soft rather than hard, so the fruit is still pleasant to eat, and it can be warmed and used again from a jar in the fridge.
Ingredients
The weights in the recipe table below will yield the following 'weight per unit' and 'number of units'. If you would like to change the recipe to cater to a different 'weight per unit' and/or 'number of units',
you can use the Recipe Calculator Tool below the ingredients table.
Note: The Recipe Calculator Tool is available to subscribers.
Weight Per Unit: 283
Number of Units: 3
Unit Size: 25 cm fruit flan or tart top
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WEIGHT
(grams)
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ALTERNATIVE METRIC
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INGREDIENT
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IMAGE
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CONDITION
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A
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350 |
1.5 cups
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Water
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B
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500 |
17.6 ounces
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Neutral Glaze
Neutral glaze is a clear, flavourless gelling preparation of sugar, glucose and a setting agent such as pectin, sold to bakers for coating fruit. It is diluted with water and boiled, then brushed over fruit to give a shiny, protective film that keeps the fruit from drying out.
clear, flavourless
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850
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Recipe Calculator Tool
Using this tool, you can alter this recipe for your own requirements. Use the two fields below to generate new weights for the ingredients above.
STEP 1. Enter your Custom Weight Per Unit
The 'Custom Weight Per Unit' is already loaded with the weight per unit for this recipe but can be changed if required. If all you wish to do is change the number of units (or servings), just leave the current weight per unit.
STEP 2. Enter your Custom Number of Units
This is the number of units (or servings) you want this recipe to yield.
STEP 3. Click Calculate
The new weights for your adjusted recipe will be displayed in the table above.
Method
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STEP
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ACTION
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DETAIL
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CONDITION
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1 |
Prepare |
Have the fruit already arranged on the tart or cake, and a soft pastry brush ready. Glaze goes on best when the fruit is dry on the surface. |
Fruit dry, no free juice sitting on top |
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2 |
Combine |
Put A and B (water and neutral glaze) together in a saucepan and stir to break up any lumps. |
Smooth and evenly mixed before heating |
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3 |
Boil |
Bring the mixture to the boil over medium heat, stirring constantly so it does not catch on the base of the pan. Let it boil for a few seconds only. |
Clear and slightly thickened, no cloudiness or lumps |
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4 |
Cool |
Take the pan off the heat and let the glaze drop to about 60°C (140°F). Skim off any foam from the surface. |
Still fluid and pourable, but no longer steaming hot |
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5 |
Glaze |
Brush the warm glaze over the fruit in light, even strokes, working from the centre outwards, or spoon it over and let it run. |
Thin, even, glossy film with no pooling at the edges |
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6 |
Set |
Leave the glazed cake at room temperature for a few minutes, then chill until needed. |
Glaze set to a soft, clear shine |
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7 |
Store |
Pour any leftover glaze into a clean jar, cover and refrigerate. Reheat gently, with a splash of water if it has thickened, before using again. |
Smooth and pourable again when reheated |
Important Notes
At the scale given this makes about 850 g of glaze, enough for roughly three 25 cm fruit flans depending on how much fruit is on top and how thickly you brush it. Apply the glaze warm, not hot: too hot and it runs off and dulls the fruit, too cool and it drags and leaves brush marks. Keep leftover glaze covered in the fridge and reheat gently to use again. The glaze is clear and flavourless, so it will not change the taste of the fruit.
Tools & Arrangements
Kitchen scales, small saucepan, heatproof spatula or whisk, soft pastry brush, thermometer (optional), clean jar with a lid for storage.
