A new low for sugar

I have noticed an upsurge in chefs putting a healthy spin on desserts, but with the challenges of achieving a sweet product that’s both appetising and lower in calories. Chefs are relying more on the natural sweetness found in fruit, as well as using caramels and bitter chocolate to overcome the obstacles.

Not only are chefs using less sugar for health reasons, they are embracing a reduction in sugar in their desserts to enhance the flavour and deliver more interesting concepts. Using less sugar isn’t always easy, however, because it does more than make food sweet; sugar affects the texture and shelf life of food. Chefs must therefore be clever in how they cut back on sugar and strive to use it in a way that brings out the other flavours of a dessert. When you don’t focus on added sugar and achieving sweetness, desserts can have an amazing flavour. Head Patissier of Le Meurice Paris, Cedric Grolet, who taught three exclusive classes at Savour School in 2017, is one pastry chef embracing the reduction in added sugar. Instead, Cedric uses the natural sweetness found in fruit when developing his infamous sculpted fruits.

Veganism and gluten-free are concepts that have revolutionised the food industry as a whole. Many of your favourite recipes can be made vegan by substituting a few key ingredients such as eggs, milk and butter. But does it work for the overall product? Warsaw based pastry chefs Sabina Hambarava and Alexey Korotkevich of Physalis, have set the bar high for vegan desserts. Physalis is based on creating traditional delicacies such as bon bons, macarons and entremets but using only vegan and natural ingredients; there’s no refined products or palm oil. I’ve been able to incorporate gluten-free elements into my recipes and videos for Savour Online Classes. For Australia Day, I introduced a gluten-free sponge to my lamington petit gateaux—a perfect way to forgo gluten while refusing to sacrifice on flavour and indulgence. There is a growing demand for gluten-free options and it’s important to recognise that and cater for that market.

For chefs to produce successful results, understanding ingredients and how they interact with one another is vital. From there, you can work out what it takes to create healthier patisserie products and desserts that taste delicious. Jordi Bordas is a highly esteemed Catalan pastry chef who won the World Pastry Cup in Lyon in 2011. Since then he has launched B·Concept, where he teaches other chefs how to study ingredients, techniques, processes and reactions in order to develop their own unique recipes. This allows chefs the freedom and creativity they need in producing new products, instead of simply following other recipes. The method has allowed Jordi himself to develop and create patisserie which is healthier, lower in fat and calories, and easier to digest, but with all the flavour and lightness you’d expect.