Baking. The very word conjures up dreamy images of sinful treats. And with the likes of Rachel Allen, Nigella Lawson, Tom & Henry Herbert (The Fabulous Baker Brothers), Heston Blumenthal and many more making baking glamorous (and within reach), the last few years have seen a revolution of sorts with women and men around the world exploring the world of butter, sugar, eggs and flour.
This has also meant a great opportunity for some to tap into their baking potential and tens of thousands across India now sport the title of 'home baker'. They pursue it either as a hobby or as a business and compete with established bakeries catering to the enormous market for birthday cakes, corporate events, weddings and a lot more.
While modern baking is usually associated with high-calorie treats made from refined flour, butter and sugar, a new trend is emerging, with bakers experimenting with alternatives like whole wheat and millet flours or nut flours like almond in place of maida. They are using palm sugar, jaggery, fruit/dates purée in the place of refined sugar, finding substitutes for the egg and butter used in baking, doing away with frosting ('naked' cakes) and catering to the small but growing market for vegan products. At the upcoming Grand Annual Bake Sale being organised by the Home Bakers Guild and Hindustan International School, a clutch of bakers is focussed on catering to this growing segment and want to drive home the message that baking with healthier alternatives is just as tasty and decadent.
Radhika Radhakrishnan of 5to7 Baker, for instance, focuses entirely on baking with whole wheat. She shuns refined sugar (and instead uses jaggery, fruit and dates) and eggs, includes a range of fruits and vegetables in her baking and is completely focussed on catering to the growing demand for vegan in the city. On her menu are a range of breakfast breads like apple ginger, carrot coconut and banana chocolate and a variety of brownies that include millets, red beans, pumpkin and carrot.
The duo of Nandini Sivakumar and Dr. Bhavna Rao, of Lotsa Lavender, is best known for their 100 per cent organic and mostly vegan baking. Using only whole grains including millet, palm sugar and jaggery, they take their love for all things organic very seriously – the grains are roasted at home and ground at the local mill; no store-bought flour for them. Bake Sale picks: desi masala loaf (100 per cent whole grain loaf spiced with green chillies, ginger and coriander), pure vanilla extract and paan cake, which is flavoured with betel leaves and gulkand.
While Smitha Kuttayya (Baked Delightss) is most at home using organic whole wheat flour with the branpalm sugar instead of refined sugar, Dr. Sunitha Raja (Sugar Cube) specialises in gluten-free baking using alternative flours like millet flour, almond flour and coconut flour. Look out for her whey protein-loaded FIT cupcakes; they may not turn you into Arnold Schwarzenegger overnight, but can save you that extra half hour on the treadmill.
The Grand Annual Bake Sale is at Spaces, Besant Nagar on January 24, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Be warned though, the early bird gets the...cake.
The author is the founder of Home Bakers Guild.
If none of these appeal to you and it is gourmet, indulgent and comfort food that is more up your alley, here are the top picks at the Bake Sale: hazelnut shooters, tiramisu, motichoor badami cheesecake, deconstructed desserts in jars, gulab jamun cupcakes, doubledecker raspberry brownies, french macaroons, homemade ice-cream, peanut butter cup brownies, Coorgi cuisine (including the famous pandi curry), meatloaf and much more.
WHAT ELSE TO LOOK FOR |
