The sober drunk eat

Whether itrsquos chocolate mousse infused with Baileys or a lusciouslytextured Bourbon brownie spiked desserts are twice as much fun as their sober colleagues To ensure teetotalers donrsquot lose out chefs are now whipping up ldquoboozyrdquo treats minus the spirit Because the infusion of alcohol substitutes in baking can be tricky we reached out to two experts to tell us how you can have your dessert and drink it toolsquoIt took a lot of trial and errorrsquoChef Bianca Manik founder and head pastry chef BlanchetteChef Prateek Bakhtiani making macarons and cake with alcohol substitutes at Ether WadalaWhile training at Le Cordon Bleu Paris Chef Bianca Manik experimented frequently with boozy desserts ldquoI loved the depth and warmth that alcohol components brought to my dessertsrdquo Once back in India Manik realised that due to restrictions in using alcohol as well as obtaining the required licenses she would not be able to offer liquor desserts at Santacruz East store Blanchette ldquoInitially I was a bit hesitant to use nonalcoholic substitutes I felt that they would not taste the same as the real thing I experimented with nonalcoholic beer in cake as well as alcoholfree champagne in mousse Neither made the cut A lot of trial and error went into getting it rightrdquoOne of his goto options to replicate the flavour of gin is Seedlip a warm aromatic blend of spicesShe cracked the formula with a ldquowhiskeyrdquo and dark chocolate combination now one of her bestsellers Here she uses cocoa sponge a nonalcoholic whiskey creme that contains vanilla caramel and paprika While picking the substitutes Manik says you must ensure that the ingredient comes as close to the actual flavour as possible ldquoWith our whiskey and chocolate cake I needed the substitute to impart notes of vanilla caramel and malt in addition to the flavour of alcohol and peat that whiskey impartsrdquolsquoNever overdo itrsquoChef Prateek Bakhtiani EtherChef Bianca Manik making a whiskey cake PicAtul KambleMost substitutes that attempt to replicate the alcohol or ethanol flavour of liquor are usually a lost cause thinks Prateek Bakhtiani founder of artisanal chocolate brand Ether ldquoThey all tend to taste incredibly artificial Thatrsquos why itrsquos pointless to try and get a vodka substitute Most other spirits get their primary flavour from other distillates juniper for gin or peat and rye for whiskey so using other expressions of those flavours can hint at the alcohol without having to use the alcohol itselfrdquo To replicate the effect he uses pursquoer and lapsang tea blends that add intense smoky notes of whiskey Seedlip a warm aromatic blend of spices for gin and barrelaged coffee and tea for notes of barrelled spirits such as whiskey and rum Using a paste that has vanilla paprika and caramelRum oilbased flavouring is kosher too which he believes is the most successful alcohol flavouring substitute If none of these suggestions impress you can try using agave vinegar in small amounts that offer notes of tequila when paired with citrus One of his popular offerings is the tiramisu with barrelaged coffee ldquoIt tastes like it has got aged spirit in it but those notes come just from the barrel aging of the coffeerdquo While achieving the spirity effect is not overtly challenging Bakhtiani feels it is not rewarding either ldquoYou have to cheapen the intention of the dish by having to replace an important ingredient with a substitute that can be great but will never be perfectrdquo What he looks for though is elegance in the flavour given that using too much or too little of an alcohol substitute can ldquocheapenrdquo the balance of the dessert A word of caution to those attempting this ldquoDonrsquot overdo it Realise the limitations of the substitute that you are using and make sure you are being clever to conceal those limitationsrdquoSubstitutes worth consideringBourbon ndash 1 12 to 2 teaspoons of nonalcoholic vanilla extractBrandy ndash Water apple cider or apple juice diluted peach or apricot syrupsChampagne ndash Ginger ale sparkling cranberry juice or sparkling white grape juiceTriple Sec ndash Orange juice concentrate orange juice orange zest or orange marmalade