The table was covered in white and atop it sat a line of bowls, pans, spoons, a hand mixer and tiny cups. The sweet smell rose from the containers as the mini-desserts slowly set. The creations of Bhuvan Ravishankar, the pastry chef at the Oberoi, attracted much attention at UB City recently, where he conducted a demonstration of two easy-to-make mini desserts ideal for a bridal shower as part of Jaguar Trousseau Week.
The chef demonstrated how to make ‘tiramisu’ and dark chocolate cup cake with chocolate chips. Talking about mini-desserts at weddings, Bhuvan says, “Durings weddings, mini-desserts are popular because guests like to taste two or three different kinds of desserts, and if you give them a large portion of anything, they won’t be able to try and relish everything.” He adds, “People don’t have time for elaborate processes anymore, and these are simpler. They can be consumed in two bites or spoons. And it is the best thing for people who are conscious of the calories.”
He says the important thing to remember with mini-desserts is that one must incorporate everything one would in a large-sized dessert but keep it simple. “It is about being as creative as possible and incorporating all the complicated components and making them look simple.”
What are the essentials to making a good mini-dessert? Bhuvan says, “One needs to keep the common flavours in mind, something that everyone would like. It is easy as long as the basic ingredients are right. Take for example chocolate — you can make mousse, ganache pastry with fresh fruits...It is about how one builds on to a single cup.”
Are mini-desserts easier to make? “They are easier because there is a smaller portion to fill. But at the same time, you might complicate it by adding unnecessary components to it. Usually, you try to avoid complicating it by trying to have one major component. Like, you would never make a mini-dessert of chocolate, orange and raspberry...use just two of those ingredients.”
Bhuvan says his favourite combination is chocolate and raspberry. “You know a dessert has turned out well when it is comfort as well as when it has the essential flavours. It should give people a good mouth-feel and a surprise when they dig into it,” he adds. He states that although a mini-dessert may not be a perfect replica of a large dessert, one can take some of the components, play with the base and turn it into something amazing.