Festive months are all about indulgences. But two patisserie chefs tell us how they tweak their celebrity clients’ favourite desserts to make them healthier. Are you taking notes?
Select pictures are for representational purposes only; (right) Katrina Kaif
Katrina Kaif
ADVERTISEMENT
What she orders: Pancakes
How is it customised: Katrina has pancakes during every festival. These are hot-chocolate pancakes made with cinnamon, Belgian chocolate, and buckwheat flour. There is no added sugar, and we don’t use sweeteners either. The cinnamon lends some sweetness, and she has it with a cookie butter spread. Again, we make a healthier version using buckwheat and almond butter. Since the spread has coconut, it also lends a sweet taste.
Tips to make pancakes healthier: If you plan to make pancakes, use yogurt instead of butter. Yogurt will lend the pancake the same kind of fluffiness and softness that butter can. If you are vegan, you can also use coconut yogurt.
Juhi Pahwa caters to Katrina Kaif, Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa, and Jacqueline Fernandez
Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa
What do they order: Vanilla cakes
How do you customise it: They don’t like chocolate, and [prefer cakes] with yogurt frosting, fresh vanilla and berries. The texture resembles whipped cream, but it is made of yogurt. We may add maple syrup.
Tips to make cakes healthier: We need to remember that it’s not only about calories. The substitutes may have the same amount of calories, but they will have more nutritional value. So, celebrities prefer the alternatives. For example, coconut has the lowest glycemic index, so, it will give you the lowest sugar spike. Also complex carbs like jowar will make your body burn more calories to [break them down].
For those who count their calories, we also serve subscription boxes. For example, Bhavna Panday has our 85-calorie cupcake subscription. So, anyone consuming it can keep track of how many calories they’ve had.
Also Read: Katrina Kaif: When I met him, I was won over
Jacqueline Fernandez
What she orders: Jowar nutty cake
How is it customised: It is made of Belgian chocolate, and has a molten centre.
Tips to make cakes healthier: Gluten-free versions that are made of oats or jowar flour are better than maida, which has no nutrients.
Substituting the flour will not hamper the taste of the cakes. In 2022, let’s get rid of the notion that healthier options are not equally tasty. Instead of processed oil, use olive oil or avocado oil. The latter has a high smoking point, so the nutrients are retained. Refined oil is only fat, and is thus best avoided.
Kajal Aggarwal
What does she order: She orders our box of cupcakes. Out of six cupcakes, five will be different varieties of chocolate cupcakes.
How do you customise it for her: She doesn’t have maida or sugar. We make the vegan cupcakes gluten-free.
Tips to make cupcakes healthier: For regular cupcakes, choose yogurt frosting. I use jaggery, dates or honey. If you are only starting to make healthier choices now, take small steps. For example, instead of one portion of maida, use half portion of maida, and half portion of a multi-grain flour. Replace sugar with jaggery or coconut sugar. If you need a binder, dates are a great option. Avocado oil is a great replacement for butter. Both of them lend the final product a lot of moisture. Avocado oil is neutral-tasting too, so, the taste [won’t bother] anyone.
Natasha Gandhi caters to Kajal Aggarwal, Armaan Malik, and Erica Fernandes
Armaan Malik
What he orders: Indian sweets
How do you customise it: Armaan wants everything to be sugar-free and vegan. If it is gluten-free, it is a bonus. It is tough to get vegan options in Indian sweets, because everything normally has ghee. I make vegan besan ka ladoo, chikki, and nankhatai for him.
Tips to make Indian sweets healthier: Use Indian flavour appropriately. I use jaggery and saffron to mask the taste of the gluten-free flour. Jaggery and nutmeg complement Indian flavours very well, and it is easier to achieve a taste that’s closer to regular Indian Mithai.
Erica Fernandes
What does she order: Fruit cakes
How do you customise it: Erica is very strict [with her diet]. She has gluten-free and sugar-free desserts. She likes to avoid butter and milk. She likes the mango and strawberry fruit cakes we prepare during the respective seasons. She prefers a Greek yogurt [frosting] and doesn’t mind a jaggery base.
Tips to make fruit cakes healthier: Apple purée is a replacement for eggs, and a natural sweetener as well. Berries are great for one’s health, and so are seasonal fruits, which can be added atop the frosting.
Play Quiz: Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt-starrer Brahmastra
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
