Summer Desserts | From your Herb Garden

By Kishi Arora

With food culture evolving and fusion food being touted as the “in thing”, the contemporary style of adding herbs to desserts makes for relatively stirring recipes. Experimenting with herbs in desserts is an art involving matching the potency of the herb to the might of the associated item. As a chef, I have always felt that herbs add more than just visual appeal as garnish on desserts- they also subtly alter its dynamics, leaving a unique after taste on the tongue.

In India, though we’ve always abundantly used spices, the influence of middle-eastern dessert recipes in our cooking cannot be undermined. Fortunately, hookah isn’t the only middle-eastern import! We’ve taken their art of flavoring desserts with herbs. and made it our own- it might be ‘made in Arabia’, but we’ve found a way to perfect in India. As promising as this fusion seems, there hasn’t been much innovation in our tryst with herbs in desserts. We’ve confined ourselves to chocolate and mint, and rarely venture beyond that. I remember my grandmother baking (whilst I sauté or poach) fruits with herbs. Summers consisted of citrus with mint and lemon. Winters were visited by cinnamon, cloves and nuts. In contrast to this, back in school our idea of accessorizing a cake was simply adding mint leaves.

{Foodaholics Mint & Chocolate Cake}

But it’s never too late to get started, right? Here are simple ways to elevate your dessert from blasé to one flavoured with wonderful herbs. Ever heard of Caraway, Basil, Sage, Thyme, Lavender, Rosemary and Dill?  These gorgeous herbs add unique character to desserts! So lets put the trio of basil, garlic and oregano on the back-burner and look at herbs seldomly used in our homes.

Lavender

image courtesy: peasepudding.wordpress.com

From its striking mauve coloured flowers, to its remarkable, pleasing and relaxing fragrance, Lavendar is one of my favourite ingredients to use in desserts or food. Making food is therapeutic for me, and the beautiful smell of lavender is aromatherapy in a way! It adds modishness to a dish. While using lavender, or any herb for that matter, one needs to ensure that the balance of flavour is maintained and the dish isn’t overpowered by the herb. Simply put, your dish shouldn’t smell like a scented candle.

This is where I use lavender. Try it at home!

• Scones work with lavender so well. I had doubts initially, but once made these are absolutely tantalizing.

• In cakes- I’ve used lavender syrups to soak cakes. I’ve also pair it with different chocolates. You see, I love French chocolate and French lavender is the icing on the cake! Mix the two and revel in the scrumptious combination.

• In candied flowers, or buds as they call it, and I use these as decoration on my cakes. Showcasing the ingredient as a decoration isn’t only inventive, but adds plenty of that rustic and charismatic look to a cake. It’s been one of my favourite innovations and you heard it here first!

• Any dessert that calls for cream- you can steep the cream with lavender and get a new dessert altogether!  Ice-creams can be flavored with lavender as well. It won’t be long before cup-cakes pick up the trend as well. Lavender panna cotta is something I make very regularly.

Rosemary

image courtesy: www.herbalsongstress.com

It has an astringent-like, sharp taste, which harmonizes well with an assortment of foods. It makes a lovely addition to cakes, both in batter and as garnish. It combines well with fruits like pear, apple and lemon, and you will find it commonly used in cakes containing lemon peels.

Basil

image courtesy: www.southernliving.com

The dazzling champ of this new culinary fashion which unites desserts and herbs wonderfully is basil. It has become a key player in the sweet game of luscious desserts. One can add it in Crème Brule, oat crumbles, all manners of fruit puddings; it can partner with nearly every fruit from peaches to strawberries, making it the perfect herb to add a spring of flavour. And for all chocoholics out there, guess who fits snugly into chocolate? Basil! Personally, I love the mish-mash of chocolate and basil in a brownie.

Fresh basil is paramount; its leaves are used in gelées and syrups, and it’s frequently added to desserts and salad dressings.

They say beauty lies in the details. For a delicious dessert, add a hint of herbs to give depth to its taste. So the next time you’re in your kitchens baking a cake or trying your hand at a brulee or brownies, keep these tips in mind and spice up your palate!

About the Author | Kishi Arora is a Delhi based Chef, and the vision & chef-extraordinaire behind ‘Foodaholics‘; offering a range of cakes, desserts and puddings.