It's not a sin to feast: which desserts are suitable for Lent
Lent this year will last until April 19, and for all who observe it, this is a time of significant restrictions in food, involving a complete rejection of animal products. The bans also apply to the sweet table, which should not contain items containing such key ingredients for confectionery as eggs, milk, butter and gelatin. Izvestia found out what acceptable desserts restaurants offer their guests during this period and what alternative ingredients they are prepared from.
How and why is the popularity of lean desserts growing
In recent years, more and more restaurants have introduced special menus for guests who observe food restrictions during Lent. The list of dishes necessarily includes a variety of lean desserts, the popularity and demand of which is constantly growing.
"Lean desserts have really become popular in restaurants, and during lent, the demand for them increases, as guests seek to diversify their diet and satisfy the need for sweets," Tatiana Lavrentieva, pastry chef at Sapiens restaurant, told Izvestia. — At the same time, interest in them remains on normal days, as many today adhere to the principles of a healthy diet and consume less animal products.
Coconut panna cotta with honey and fresh mango
According to our interlocutor, one of the most fashionable trends is the creation of lean desserts based on plant products — fruits, vegetables and cereals. Lean pastries (muffins, pies, and cookies) are also very relevant. For example, the Sapiens restaurant makes a pie based on blanched apples soaked in cinnamon syrup. The dough contains almond flour, which gives the dessert a brighter taste. The pie is served with condensed milk cream made from coconut milk, coconut pulp and dates, and decorated with caramel pecans.
— The fashion for such proper desserts originated several years ago and over the past time they have evolved greatly, — says the pastry chef of the Buro restaurant.Tsum by Eglute Zubkova. — Today they are made in the form of fruits or tartlets, and they are visually completely indistinguishable from the usual ones. When guests see such a beautiful dessert and then find out that it is absolutely lean in composition, interest in it immediately increases. Our menu includes buckwheat tartlet, which looks like an ordinary cream tartlet, but inside there are simple but delicious ingredients without the use of animal products.
Buckwheat tart with hazelnut condensed milk
Despite their popularity, lean desserts still have a fairly narrow circle of fans, our expert continues. But the demand for them will always be maintained regardless of the time of year, because there are many people among the guests who are not allowed lactose or gluten, and everyone loves sweets.
Which lean desserts are the most popular
In the world of lean desserts, there are several favorites that remain consistently popular with guests. As a rule, these are apple pies, pear strudels, and lemon muffins. Coconut panakota with exotic fruits and berry sorbets are among the lighter options. At the same time, each restaurant will definitely have its own hits that best reflect the tastes of their audience.
"Oatmeal cookies, chia puddings, chocolate-covered fruits and berry mousses are among the most popular among the guests," says Denis Sarapulov, pastry chef at the Russian cuisine restaurant Matryoshka. — The secret of their success lies in their versatility, as they can satisfy various taste preferences and dietary restrictions, which makes them accessible to many. Other important factors in the popularity of these desserts are the simplicity of their preparation and healthy and understandable ingredients, which correspond to modern trends in nutrition.
Dried fruit pie
As an illustration to his words, our interlocutor cited berry mousse, which has been liked by the guests of the Matryoshka restaurant for several years. It is made from cherry juice, which is first brought to a boil, and then semolina is added to it and boiled over low heat (stirring constantly to avoid the formation of lumps) until creamy. Then the mass is cooled and whipped with a whisk or blender until a light and airy texture is obtained. When serving, the whipped mousse is laid out on a plate in the shape of a small mound, watered with strawberry jam and decorated with fresh berries. Thus, almost ordinary semolina porridge becomes a full-fledged dessert that can be prepared both at the end of a meal and for breakfast.
"Year after year, Sicilian red orange jelly is especially popular with us," says Irina Dumbadze, pastry chef at Butler Restaurant. — It is light in itself, and in the lean month it also refreshes with a juicy taste.
Cedar nut praline mousse with sea buckthorn sauce
In the lenten menu, our interlocutor usually adds two or three desserts that are completely different in taste. For those who prefer positions with puff pastry, they make milfey with plates of crispy phyllo with fruit puree and nuts. A lighter version of the delicacy is a mousse dessert made from muesli with prunes, cedar praline, vegetable cream and sea buckthorn sauce. There are requests for such sweets outside of fasting, and for those who are on a diet or have health restrictions, the restaurant can specially prepare something lactose-free and low in sugar.
What products are used to make lean desserts?
To prepare lean desserts, you can use products that do not contain animal ingredients, but at the same time have good taste qualities. First of all, these are fruits, berries, vegetables, nuts, seeds, bitter or dark chocolate. Cow's milk is now easily replaced with soy, coconut, almond, banana or oat milk, and butter with cocoa, coconut or high—quality margarine analogues. These ingredients allow you to create delicious desserts that are suitable for anyone who is fasting or looking for healthier substitutes for traditional sweets.
"In early spring, when there are no seasonal berries and fruits yet, it is very good to use pineapple for desserts, because this product is the same all year round,— advises Fyodor Verin, chef of the Central House of Artists restaurant. — You can roast it a little (as was customary in the cuisine of the Russian aristocracy 200 years ago), bake or cook dessert tartare with it, after marinating in alcohol with the addition of lime juice.
Roasted pineapple with cardamom sorbet
Our interlocutor said that he traditionally pays special attention to apple desserts and cooks either strudels or tarts with them, and this year he is baking the whole fruit with a dough with honey and nuts. He also recommends making various jelly combinations with citrus fruits and other available fruits and berries during the fasting period. You can thicken such desserts with pectin and agar-agar. In the case of the latter, it must be borne in mind that the jelly structure turns out to be quite fragile, and in order for it to retain its beautiful appearance and not deform, it is better to use semicircular shapes, from which it will be easier to extract it.
— Tofu is very suitable for lean desserts, as it can be used to prepare many different creams, sauces and use it as a main ingredient, — Kirill Abakshev, pastry chef at Ugolëk, Pinch, and Fullmoon restaurants, shared his opinion. — I make cheesecake from it with dark chocolate and mango and passion fruit puree, and as a base I use crushed nuts mixed with date paste.
Lime, cashew and meringue cake
Another option that our expert liked for using tofu is imitation yogurt with granola. For him, soy cheese is mixed with a blender with coconut or any other alternative milk, salt, sugar are added and mixed with a snack. The pastry chef prefers to cook lean panakota with coconut or almond milk, so it gets a richer taste. Instead of gelatin, he advises using starch, and the whole mass must be brewed harder so that it reaches the correct consistency. "Experiment with new products and don't be afraid to try something non-standard — it will help create really interesting and delicious lean desserts," the interlocutor summed up.
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