Shivesh with his book
Cakes made by his maternal grandmother are the most treasured childhood memories of Shivesh Bhatia, 22, a baker whose desert pictures are a sensation on the social media.
Shivesh was in class 9 when his grandmother got a paralytic attack and she could not bake ever again. Shivesh and his cousins missed their grandmother's cakes so much that one day they decided to bake her favourite classic vanilla and chocolate cake.
Though the kids failed in their first baking attempt and burned the cake, sixteen-year-old Shivesh loved the experience. He spent months on mastering the art of baking a perfect cake. " I threw so many cakes into the bin as they were simply inedible before I started baking descent cakes," he says.
Shivesh with his preparations
Shivesh's passion for baking made this political science graduate, a much sought- after baker. He has over 125 K followers on Instagram, where he posts the pictures of his creations. He won the Outlook Social Media award in 2016 and got featured in Vogue’s list of “20 Under 26," list that features passionate youngsters, who are doing wonders in their respective field. CondeNast Traveler India also awarded him the ‘Social Media Media Star of the year’ in 2017
Shivesh 's first book 'Bake with Shivesh' is published by Harper Collins India. The book is a collection of 54 of his best recipes, his tips on baking and baking essential, food styling and food photography.
Shivesh works as hard on making the dessert look tempting as on getting the texture and taste right. He loves experimenting with the layering and toppings of his desserts, be it cakes, muffins, tarts, and pie. "I have a sweet tooth and I am a big time foodie. Dessert both western and Indian--are my weakness," he says.
But how does he keep fit? "It is a challenge to burn the extra calories that I take as I keep tasting the deserts I bake. But I know it is very important and I am trying to reduce the portion size as well as be regular with my workouts," he says. "Besides, I am looking at healthier alternatives to sugar and flour."
Besides, he says, he is working on refined -sugar-free desserts. “I replace dairy products with soy or almond milk, I am also using oats quinoa instead of refined flour in many of my desserts. These alternatives increase the nutritional value and add a distinctive taste to the desserts," he says.
Healthy Breakfast Biscotti
B R E A K FA S T B I S C O T T I
This biscotti is made with whole-wheat and buckwheat flour, sweetened with jaggery and loaded with nuts and seeds. Don’t be afraid to throw in dried fruits, nuts and seeds that you have on hand.
Ingredients:
1 cup whole-wheat flour 1/3 cup buckwheat flour,
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs 2/3 cup jaggery, finely chopped
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup mixed nuts, coarsely chopped (I used walnuts and pistachios)
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon cucumber seeds
Procedure:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine whole-wheat flour, buckwheat flour and baking powder.
3. In a separate bowl, mix eggs, jaggery and vegetable oil together. Fold in the dry ingredients.
4. The batter will be very thick. Fold in the dried cranberries, dry fruits, chia seeds, sesame and cucumber seeds.
5. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Bake at 180°C for 20 minutes until the top is golden-brown.
6. Let the loaf cool and then cut it into 3-inch-thick slices.
7. Lower the oven temperature to 150°C. Bake the biscotti for 5 minutes on each side. Let it cool completely. Be very careful when you’re slicing the biscotti.