Bakes and Cakes in a healthy way

You run a culinary school, please tell us how different is it to run a culinary school as compared to a full-time bakers? 

Pooja Lakhotia:- Yes it’s different. For me it’s a 24*7 learning as well . I need to stay updated with market trends. I keep experimenting in my home kitchen and using my home only as my studio for baking workshops. 

Where do you like to go for culinary travel?

Pooja Lakhotia:- Well have not travelled much for this reason . But yes I am a big foody and love to try different restaurants and hotels . This way I enhance my knowledge as well. 

What are some things you do differently now than when you first started cake decorating?

Pooja Lakhotia:- I started as a chocolatier in 2010 and later turned into a baker as well. What I do differently is just keep adapting myself with new trends and insist people who come here to learn to use the best quality products and couverture in their cakes. Now I am more health conscious and believe that cakes can be baked and decorated in a healthy way also. 

If you don’t have time to get super creative and elaborate, what’s the one dessert that always wins over the crowd? 

Pooja Lakhotia:- That is Dark chocolate mousse biscuit pudding or sometimes a simple Chocolate Brookie. 

Bakery is not considered to be not healthy and clean. What is your take on the same? Please tell us about the bakery items that are healthy and clean? 

Pooja Lakhotia:- Yes I agree . The bakeries who are in bulk production, it is very difficult for them to produce everything healthy according to market trends and demand. As people go after super delicious only , health comes secondary for them. But most of the people who are coming to me are aspiring home bakers or hobby bakers. I tell them to create many items most possibly preservative free, with healthy grain options, refined sugar free options and using less colours and more natural flavours and extracts. Most importantly I always say ‘Educate your customer for healthy options and best quality ingredients’. For example many people still do not even know the difference between compound and chocolate. Plain dry cakes, refined sugar free cakes, whole wheat and multigrain breads and biscuits are Better choices for clean eating. 

“Bakery world is not only about cake and cupcake”, please tell us how do justify this statement and what is the most unknown bakery item? 

Pooja Lakhotia:- Bakery is about baking many things apart from cakes. We have different types of pastries as well with sweet and savoury options.(pastry does not mean cake as many people know it to be ) Nowadays due to social media I guess everyone knows about all the items generally available in bakeries. Still I feel scones may be people do not know much about it. 

Which is your favourite flavour of macarons and why? Has the demand for macarons increased in India?

Pooja Lakhotia:- Plain shell with dark chocolate ganache. They go best with each other. Yes in the past 2 years demand has increased and now it’s very popular with vegan options also. 

Please tell us your most cherished baking memory. 

Pooja Lakhotia:- That was the baking workshop done in September, 2018 for a good cause with 120 people. 

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