1. BYradhikasen
I
t’s the hottest
buzzwordintheworldofgourmet
cuisine:bite-size.Withmodern-
daydinerswhoareconstantly
keepingoneeyeontheirwaist-
lines,chefsareofferingupsinful
dainty
delights
Topchefsareservinguptinyspoondessertsforthecalorie-consciouswhowantto
indulgeinasmallway
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temptationintheformofminiaturedesserts
onspoonsthatarecreatingasweetsensation.
Everythingfromganachetomacaroons,
cheesecakesandcaramelcustardsaregoing
ontotinytastingspoonstosatisfyyour
sweetcravings.
“Witheveryonebecomingincreasingly
calorieconscious,spoondessertsareagreat
wayoftryingavarietyofsweettreatswithout
worryingmuchaboutyoursugarintake,as
weuselessthanhalfofthesugarcontentthat
goesintotheirregular-sizedcounterparts,”
saysexecutivepastrychefAnandPanwarof
DusitDevaranainNewDelhi:
AtDusit,dessertsonspoonsarecatching
onfortheirsimpleyetclassicflavourcombi-
nationsthathitthespotinjustonebite.“We
trynottoexperimentwithmorethanone
ortwoflavourssinceit’sjustasingleserve
dessert.Flavourcombinationslikechocolate
andmintorraspberryandmangoesor
coconutandberriesbalanceeachothervery
wellandleavealingeringtasteonthepal-
ate,”saysPanwar.Accordingtohimthetrick
istoslightlyincreasethequantityofsetting
agentslikegelatinsothattheminidesserts
sitprettyonthespoonswithouttoppling
overorcrumbling.
Whatmakesthesedelicatedessertseven
moreexoticisthatsomeofthemcomeon
ediblespoons.Whichmeansthatnotonly
canyoulickyourspooncleanafterdevouring
yourdessert,butalsoeatitorevendipitin
hotchocolateorsoakitinacupofcoffeefor
aniceaftertaste.
SohowwouldyoufancysomeminiCoco-
Spoondessertsareagreat
wayoftryingavarietyof
sweettreatswithoutpiling
onthecaloriesinabigway
nutandBerrySpheresservedonaChocolate
SpoonorperhapsajuicyRaspberryand
MangoBombonAlmondSprinkledTulip
Spoons?Theypromisetotasteasgoodas
theylook.
“Withediblespoons,wehavetobecareful
thatthey’restableenoughtoholdthedessert
butnottoughtobiteinto,andtheyshould
complementtheflavoursofthedessert,”notes
NaveeshLaul,executivesouschef,TajBengal.
Laulandhisteamarecraftingspoondes-
a sweet spoonful
(facing page) DusitDevaranaNewDelhiisplaying
withclassicflavourcombinationstomakespoon
dessertsliketheCoconutandBerrySpheresservedon
ChocolateSpoonswithanediblecolourspray;(right)
Popularlycalleda‘breakfastdessert’theHoneyNut
GranolaSpoonwithCointreauCreamisTajBengal’s
wayofsprucingupsimpleingredients
jagannegi
rashbeharidas
35/platinum/july2016

2. togiveitatry,soit’sallaboutbeinginnova-
tive,”addsLaul.
Healsopointsoutthatspoondessertslook
neaterandsaveonwastageofingredients.
“Whenpeoplesliceintoagateauxcakeora
triflepudding,itendsuplookingquitemessy
andunappealingonabuffettable,whereas
spoondessertsmovefast,thereareno
leftoversandtheyreallyaddtotheshowofa
spread,”explainsLaul.
Tomaketheseediblespoons,chefspour
themoltenmixturesintosiliconspoon
moulds,setitforaboutthirtyminutes,
demouldanduseitrightawaytoserveup
thedessertsastheysaythat’stheidealwayof
servingitfresh.Buttokeepbackupbatches,
thespoonsarealsokeptrefrigeratedtobe
servedlater.
Whileminiaturedessertsmightlookde-
ceptivelysimple,itrequiresskilledtechnique
toputthemtogether.“Spoondessertsshould
notbemistakenforbeingjustasliceofafull
dessert.Theseminiaturedessertsaremade
fromscratch,althoughwelargelyfollowthe
samerecipeastheirregular-sizedcounter-
parts,buttheplayoftextures,quantityof
ingredientsusedandblendofflavourscom-
pletelyvaries,”saysSiddharthAnand,pastry
chef,SofitelMumbaiBKC.
Theidealtasteofaspoondessertshould
beabalanceofsweetandsour.“Flavours
likechocolateandfruitsoreventwofruity
flavoursenhanceeachother,it’sbestto
avoidblendingverysharpflavours,”explains
Anand.Somedelectableminidessertson
spoonsthatfeatureinSofitel’sbrunchbuffet
menuincludeMadeleinewithBurntWhite
ChocolateGanache,VodkaJellyRedCurrent
BerryCompoteandLemonCurdSable,
whichisadelicatecombinationoflemon
mousseonbutterysablecookiesandserved
onpastryspoons.
Chefsbelievethatediblespoonsarecreat-
edtoserveasabaseforbite-sizedesserts.“The
spoonsshouldhaveacrunchytexturethat
complementsthecreaminessofthedessert.
Soalightcreamymousseonabitterchocolate
spoonwouldhavethatidealcombinationof
smoothnessandcrunchineverybite,”points
outVivekBhatt,executivechef,JWMarriott
NewDelhiAerocity.
ChefBhatthascomeupwithtempered
chocolatespoonstoserveupminimouth-
melterslikePistachioCrumblewithMas-
carponeCreamtoppedwithfreshberries,
MangoMacaroon,andChocolateQuenelle
sprinkledwithchocolatenibsandachocolate
sticktocompletethelook.Thespoonsarealso
agreatwayforBhatttotesthislatestsweet
creationswithdiners.
Similarly,SavioFernandes,executive
pastrychefatTheSt.RegisMumbaiisonan
experimentingspreewithhistastingspoons.
“Theideabehindspoondessertsisthatthey
shouldofferaburstofflavoursinonebitesoI
likeusingthreetofourelementsandalsoadd
alcoholicflavouringlikerum,champagne
andCointreauforanextrazing.Theportions
maybesmallbuttheyshouldbefillingand
haveanelementofsurprise,”hesays.Some
delicaciesthatcomeinspoonsatTheSt.
RegisMumbaiaretheLemonBriochewhich
islemoncurdandpistachiomeringueon
vanillabrioche,theFruitSherryTrifleand
theCataluñathat’sbakedorangecustardand
mascarponegarnishedwithacrunchyhoney
tuileandredcurrant.
Tomakethesedelicatedarlingsstandout
inbuffets,hotelslikeTajBengalareusing
blackslatesandfrostedglasssurfacesto
accentuatethespoons.OtherslikeSofitel
MumbaiBKCandTheSt.RegisMumbai
areusingfancytieredstandstodisplaythe
spoondesserts.
Sothenexttimeyoucraveforjust‘one
bite’ofdessertafteraheavymeal,getreadyto
wieldyourediblespoonsandwaveoffthose
calorie-countingthoughtswhilesavouring
thelittlepleasuresoflife. P
Everythingfrommacaroonstoganacheand
cheesecakesaregoingontotinytastingspoons
thatpromisetotasteasgoodastheylook
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sertstoshowcasesimplefoodinanattractive
waythattemptspeopletogoonadessert
tastingspree.AttheTajBengalbuffetspread,
youcanexpecttofindediblespoonserveslike
CaramelCustardonagolddustedChocolate
SpoonorHoneyNutGranolaSpoonwith
CointreauCream,andBlueberryCheesecake
onSugarcaneSpoons.“Whenwepresent
somethingasmundaneasgranola,whichis
actuallyabreakfastcereal,inaspoonformto
makeitlookquiteoutoftheboxitimmedi-
atelysparksthecuriosityofdinerswhowant
tiny temptations
(clockwise from right) TheSt.RegisMumbaiis
servingupdelectablespoon-sizeddollopsofLemon
Brioche,asinfulChocolateFeullentinemousseandthe
SpanishCataluñawhichisbakedorangecustardand
mascarponecheese;JWMarriottHotelNewDelhi
Aerocity’sMangoMacaroononaChocolateSpoon
hasjuicymangoslicessandwichedbetweenmacaroon
discsthatsitonatemperedchocolatespoon;The
LemonCurdSableatSofitelMumbaiBKCisadelicate
combinationoflemonmousseonbutterysablecookies
servedonpastryspoons jagannegi
gajanandudhalkar
gajanandudhalkar
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