Christmas 2018: 10 desserts that are sweet but won't make you cheat

Cheesecake with fresh strawberriesKETOAt the Pantry Kala Ghoda the Keto strawberry cheesecake is not just for those on a low carb diet but also those who arent This it turns out was manager Vijay Mohits brief to the bakers We were changing the anatomy of one of the most popular desserts in the city by eliminating sugar and flour This for sure was the biggest challenge Also we wanted everybody to enjoy it he says Only 23 days old on the menu the dish comes with an almondbutter base that brings in the crunch with a soft and creamy centre The strawberries on top add the right amount of sweetsour flavour he saysWhere The Pantry YashwantChambers Military Square Lane FortCost Rs 375 a sliceCall 22700082Cinnamon starsKETO DIABETICFRIENDLYInspired by Zimtsterne a delicious blend of ground almonds and cinnamon topped with a meringue glaze Rachel Goenka of Chocolate Spoon Company has given the German Christmas cookie a lowcarb and diabeticfriendly twist She calls it the keto cinnamon stars I wanted to create a healthy range because my dad happens to be diabetic The cookies had to carry the essence of this season and what better than a warm cinnamon flavour to do the job she says To give it a healthy spin Goenka has used egg whites as a binder instead of butter powdered sweetener to replace regular white sugar and almond flour to make it ketoWhere Sassy Teaspoon Shop No3 Ground Floor Pali Darshan 16th Road Bandra WestCost Rs 125 plus taxes for a pack of 5Call 7666556655The cauliflower cheesecakePALEO VEGAN SUGARFREE NUTFREEWe almost did a double take on learning that the entire range of cheesecakes at Colabas Easy Human is prepared using cauliflower Sandeep Sachdev nutritionist and director says it was borne out of their quest to find that one dairyfree ingredient which could lend a creamy texture to their cheesecake Cauliflower can be turned into a creamy textured puree and has high nutrition value with low calories he says The most challenging part for the team was disguising the taste with lemon zest and balancing it for richness with nut butter without increasing calorie contentWhere 75 Park House Annexe Wodehouse Road ColabaCost Rs 501 for a sliceCall 9820605552Christmas puddingSUGARFREENo Christmas feast is complete without the traditional pudding And to cater to the growing breed of the calorie conscious Rahul Dhavale executive chef of The Westin Mumbai Garden City rustled up a sugarfree version Even though the idea is not novel the style is unique he says By and large the recipe is fairly standardised however Dhavale has substituted sugar with stevia keeping in mind the lifestyle demands of his guests We macerate the fruits over a year hence they acquire a very mellow taste and flavour making it far from boring he says In Dhavales words the end product is wholesome fruity nutty spiced warm and immensely comfortingWhere The Westin Mumbai Garden City International Business Park Goregaon EastCost Rs 450 small Rs 600 largeCall 61470000Raspberry VerrineVEGAN SUGARFREETurns out a healthy chocolate mousse does exist The lessthanamonth old artisanal store Deli By The Blue has rolled out a raspberry verrine that contains white chocolate and a dairyfree mousse making it perfect for vegans and sugar watchers Our first focus was to understand the different flavours from each ingredient and then see how it tasted when they blended together Also we saw how each ingredient could either compliment another or offered a contrast in a satiating manner says Anurita Ghosh consultant pastry chefWhere Le Sutra Hotel 14 Union Park Off Carter Road Khar WestCost R 210 for a pieceCall 33951532Dietary icecreamsVEGAN SUGARFREEOne look at the new range of dietary icecreams by Papa Cream and you know that they have you covered The flavours mdash peanut butter chocolate mango mdash range from vegan and sugarfree Making these taste as good as the regular indulgent scoop was the overarching concern for founder Tanvi Chowdhri People associate healthy eating with a compromise on taste Our aim was to change this mindset she says Shes especially proud of the vegan peanut butter and jelly ice cream derived for the classic PBJ sandwich The best part is that we have some clients who dont have dietary needs but have still migrated to our vegan rangeWhere 18 Eros Building ChurchgateCost Rs 500 for 500 mlCall 22855844Orange and almond cakeORGANIC VEGAN GLUTENFREEThis is a detox dessert to make up for the months debauchery Made from oranges almond flour and sweetened with unrefined coconut sugar the base is prepared using a mix of organic dry fruit and organic raw cacao Chef Raveena Taurani founder and CEO of Yogisattva calls it the naked cake cake without frosting I love the combination of orange and almond because it has a warm Christmas feeling to it she saysWhere Yogisattva Pinnacle House 7th Floor 15th Road Khar WestCost Rs 295 per sliceCall 9867455009Buckwheat dark chocolate brookiesSUGARFREE GLUTENFREEChef Manish Khanna founder and partner at Brownie Point had to go back to the drawing board when he decided to whip up a brookie a brownie and chocolate chip cookie rolled into one Personally I feel if I didnt tell anyone that it was a glutenfree option then they wouldnt be able to tell the difference says Khanna The idea came up when they were experimenting with muffins Since cookies are fast movers the space seemed inviting Its when I saw my kids heartily binge on dark chocolate cookies embedded with chocolate chunks that I thought why not do a brownie cookie Here Khanna uses jaggery coconut or sunflower oil and buckwheat flour The latter because it has lesser fat zero cholesterol and more dietary fibre as compared to other milletsWhere Brownie Point 30 Terrace Building MahimCost Rs 1800 per kg get 2025 brookiesCall 9820504444Espresso walnut raw browniesVEGAN SUGARFREEBrownies are usually equated with decadence but at Garde Manger Cafe they do not contain eggs and butter Instead it has dates walnuts cocoa powder and powdered coffee beans It is essentially a raw dessert which means there is no baking it has no flour baking soda and buttermilk says food consultant Vinita ContractorWhere Garde Manger Cafe Vile ParleCost Rs 250 per portionCall 7045004488Gooey chocolate brownie cakeVEGAN GLUTEN FREEDeliciae PatisserieThe fact that theres nothing quite like a fudgy chocolate cake made Bunty Mahajan founder of Khars Deliciae Patisserie rustle up the gooey chocolate brownie cake which is vegan gluten free and oil free cake It comes with a layer of raspberry puree and sugar free chocolate on the topWhere Deliciae Patisserie Khar Danda Road Khar WestCost Rs 1650 for a kgCall 9029021260Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates