Saniya Hasan Ellahi, owner of Sweet Affairs, a quaint Lahore-based bakery, jots down the dessert ingredients she can’t get enough of
Fresh fruits
Nothing excites me more than strawberries and mangoes. A handful of fresh fruits mixed with my favourite combination of whipped cream, custard and jelly is so traditional, yet it just never gets old. My new Strawberry Caramello Trifle was a huge hit. I can’t wait for the mangos to ripen and hit our markets this season, I’ve already been brainstorming ideas for them.
Salted caramel
This simple sauce brings out the flavour in everything. Layer it on chocolate brownies to make delicious salted caramel brownies or drizzle it on the dessert of your choice to make a delicious caramello trifle. It is the key ingredient that makes caramel bread-pudding the hero of my dessert menu.
Chocolate chips
This ingredient is the star of our famous chocolate-chip cookie skillet and an essential ingredient in all my desserts. Hershey’s chocolate chips are always a part of my grocery list – for me it’s a box full of happiness.
Brown sugar
I love the caramelized taste and colour it brings to almost everything. My favourite dessert to whip up with it is a brown sugar sponge, which I top with salted caramel and whipped cream. It’s a sin to not use this ingredient every now and then, especially with the health benefits it brings.
Chocolate ganache
Pour it, drink it, lick it, or fill your tarts with it, the world is your oyster with this ingredient, which is my favourite coverture chocolate that I hand-temper myself. It is the perfect filling for my brownies, and can be used to make the most delicious fudge. Forget love, I would rather fall
in chocolate!
Almonds
What I love about almonds is the crunch and texture they add to every bite. In my famous Nutty Granola at Sweet Affairs, the layer of roasted almonds adds the perfect amount of crunch, and makes it much more enjoyable than if it had only been yogurt and fruits. I love topping almonds on fresh croissants and literally every other dessert that we make. I’m addicted to this special ingredient!
Nutella
It goes without saying that Nutella makes every dessert a top seller! It’s a must-have on the Sweet Affairs menu. Drop a dollop in some milk and blend to make a delicious Nutella shake or drizzle it over some pancakes, to turn them into sweet bites of heaven.
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