Glaze (Cooking)

A glaze is a glossy, translucent coating applied to the outer surface of a dish by dipping, dripping or brushing, used in both sweet and savory cooking and applied either before or after the food is cooked depending on the effect wanted; a sweet glaze in pastry work is also called a glacage. Typical glaze ingredients include confectioner's sugar, egg whites, icing and jam, sometimes combined with butter, milk, oil or fruit juice, as in a simple doughnut glaze of powdered sugar and water or a glossy mirror glaze applied to a cake. Savory glazes include demi-glace, made from reduced stock and brushed onto meats or vegetables, and a glazed ham, whose coating may be applied before baking, during basting, or afterward using heated brown sugar.