Marzipan, Nougatine, and Pastillage

This chapter and the next are an introduction to the pastry chef’s art of making decorative items out of sugar and other materials. Although all the ingredients used for these pieces are edible, and many of these items are used to decorate cakes and other desserts, they are, in many cases, made as showpieces, such as centerpieces for dessert buffet tables, and are not intended to be eaten.