Sugar Free Desserts To Make a Convert Out of Me

Mon, March12th of 2007

6:51 pm

sugar-nots-new-desserts_rs.JPG

Whenever I interview café owners, they always tell me how large the market is for sugar free desserts. And me, the sugar-full fiend, can’t help but agree. I’d be blind not to see how sugar free everything has pervaded supermarket shelves and restaurant menus; even my favorite home bakers have a sugar free item or three on offer. So, whether it’s for health or medical reasons, it looks like sugar free is here to stay. Thank goodness then for sugarnot!, the world’s first sugar free bakery-café, which is right here in the Philippines. Hooray for us!

While I will admit that I haven’t eaten any of sugarnot!’s desserts since my last feature on them, I’ve gone back more than a few times for their latte. I waxed lyrical about it in that post and I still maintain that it’s the smoothest latte in Manila with a lush, velvety undertone. I love it.

So when I’m invited back to sugarnot! by CEO Wolf Lambsdorff, I just about fall off my chair when he says, “Lori, you love our lattes here, right? Care for a cup?” It’s a rhetorical question, if I ever heard one.

I’m back here to sample sugarnot!’s newest dessert line, a fancy foursome destined to send any dessert lover’s heart aflutter. Defiant sugar lover that I am, even I can feel my knees getting weak at the sight of these beauties.

ultimate temptation

First is the Ultimate Temptation (P158), an upgrade of the Last Temptation (P128), sugarnot!’s signature chocolate ganache cake encasing a truffle filling. While I chuckle at the idea of “upgrading” any temptation, Wolf explains “… we added caramel to make it more moist and creamy as well as a few other ingredients.” So, if the Last Temptation beguiles, its “Ultimate” sister beckons and bewitches with her bombshell combination of chocolate frosting, Belgian chocolate, low fat whipped cream and caramel, all encompassing a middle layer of truffle ganache. “Umph, sugar free but not calorie free,” I groan as I succumb to this temptation. Even with my eyes wide open, there’s no way that I’ll believe that this diminutive little thing is sans sugar. The flavor is substantial and expansive, every tender bite echoing chocolate and more chocolate.

chocolate mousse

Sitting on a soft chocolate cookie crust is the triple chocolate mousse (price unavailable). A study in contrasts and a fascination of three types of chocolate gradations, I’m ashamed to admit that I almost turn away. You see, I’m no fan of mousse – in whatever flavor or form. I eschew it in cakes and I almost always scrape it off. I even despise chocolate mousse, usually served in elegant goblets. But as food critic Jeffrey Steingarten said, “The goal of the arts, culinary or otherwise, is not to increase our comfort. That is the goal of an easy chair.” So I wrench myself out of my imaginary La-Z-Boy and shove a forkful of the triple chocolate mousse into my mouth.

It’s an epiphany. Like a fool who finally sees the light, my taste buds open to the pleasing combination of elements in a whole: white, milk, dark – all chocolate, with a lilting texture and just the slightest hint of gelatin. While I won’t run ‘round proclaiming the triple chocolate mousse is my favorite, it’s perfect for people like me who view mousse with trepidation.

Oreo mousse cake

From one mousse to another, if I’m going to face my food fears, then let me face them head on. The cookie crumble cake (P148) is a squat little thing, unmistakable with its chocolate cookie garnish. There’s something comfortingly familiar about desserts made from chocolate sandwich cookies, perhaps because it’s assuring to know that I’ll come across one flavor I already recognize. Here, the crushed cookies are entangled in white chocolate mousse, glints of brown in a web of white. The white chocolate shines through, milky and rich, none of that pasty substance best left for putting up election posters.

Wolf is a German who’s lived in the Philippines for so long that he already considers himself a “Filipino at heart.” “Oh, like an honorary Filipino,” I tease. But I hear him talking to the sugarnot! staff, and soon, I’m left wondering who between the two of us is the rightful Pinoy. The guy speaks even better Tagalog than I do!

orange cream cake

Wolf tells me that a jar of Smuckers orange jam, sugar free of course, was the inspiration for the last dessert, the orange cream cake (P108). “It’s a simple sponge cake with cream fortified with the orange jam. It [Smuckers] jelled really nicely with the cake and cream.” I’m no orange jam fan but once again, I wrest myself off my culinary laurels and open wide. Like the lightest cake with an almost gossamer texture, the cake is a testament to the orange. Zests of the citrus fruit playfully dot the cake’s surface, further pointing up the orange flavor. The icing, which is simple whipped cream, is a foil to the dessert’s zestiness.

sugarnot!
Check website for location details.
sugarnot! cake price list

Thanks to sugarnot!’s Wolf Lambsdorff and Blooey Singson of Press Inc.

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16 Comments »

Hi Lori! I bought the orange cream cake for my Mom who’s diabetic and she loved it. I love their lattes…their heavenly! Thanks for having this yummy blog :)

[Reply]

Comment by chingza — March 12, 2007 @ 7:32 pm


Just wanted to clarify some things. I read back to your original review, you mentioned that frying is forbidden at the store. So, am I right to assume that the potato chips were baked? Do they make that themselves?

And the CEO’s comment at the bottom caught my attention. They use non-dairy whipping creme… is it vegetable fat-based? Would it contain (partially) hydrogenated vegetable oils? I’m concerned because transfats are supposed to be worse than most animal fats.

Thanks.

[Reply]

Comment by kayenne — March 13, 2007 @ 1:07 am


Hi Ms. Lori! We’re glad you enjoyed Sugarnot.
‘Til the next dessert adventure, and more power to your site :)

[Reply]

Comment by blooey — March 13, 2007 @ 2:17 pm


Thanks Lori.

Sundays were always problematic.

I could never find a sugarfree dessert for my diabetic father in law worth serving.

Plan to visit Sugarnot soon. Great Pictures as always.

[Reply]

Comment by Franco — March 13, 2007 @ 4:33 pm


Dear Lori!

We at sugarnot! are speechless with all the praise and high notes you’re giving our products. Thank you so much for the beautiful feature story on our new cakes.

The pictures are awesome, too! You’re a self-taught food photographer?! Hard to believe, you shoot like a pro! Galing mo talaga ;) )

So … as a confessed convert for sugar-free desserts … ummm … are you considering renaming your website? hehehe …. ;-)

See you soon, ingat and
Cheers,
Wolf Lambsdorff (sugarnot!)

p.s.: ei lori!!! want some latte?? ;-)

[Reply]

Comment by Wolf Lambsdorff — March 13, 2007 @ 5:01 pm


Hey Ms. Lori,

The look of the your new site is really good. Good thing you changed the font also. If i’m right, this is not the font you used for your initial posts here. Hehehe. I’mjust OC when it comes to fonts.

God bless!

[Reply]

Comment by carina — March 13, 2007 @ 5:16 pm


Dear Kayenne,

1. Potatoe Chips

Yes, we are using baked potatoe chips. As of now we are still buying them in bulk (imported – mahal!), but our R&D department is already working on a sugarnot! version.

2. Non Dairy Whip Cream

We are not using any [partially or fully] hydrogenated vegetable oils. We are using low TFA (trans fatty acid) oils / fats. Zero per cent TFA does not exist because tiny amounts of TFA are formed whenever oils are deodorised. Thus you will always have tiny amounts of TFA in every product that contains fat.

In lieu of the above, let us state that we just recently tied-up with Abbott Laboratories. One of the tasks at hand in this newly inked partnership will be Abbott providing us with all the pertinent nutrient facts (i almost said fats ;-) ) of our products. Ergo, we will be even more transparent with our customers pertaining recipe, cooking / baking procedure and ingredients.

As of today we already have product tags sporting the nutrient facts for most items in our showcase. For this purpose, we contracted another (foreign) laboratory. Cons hereto were, it’s very expensive and very slow (1 – 2 months per product). All the more we are very happy about our partnership with Abbott Laboratories.

Please contact us anytime in case you require more information and we will be happy to answer you. :-)

Cheers,
Wolf Lambsdorff
wolf@sugarnot.com.ph

[Reply]

Comment by Wolf Lambsdorff — March 13, 2007 @ 6:08 pm


Both my parents are insulin dependent. I’m sure they’ll be in heaven when I bring them there. There’s this danger though: of panic buying!!!

[Reply]

Comment by Joey — March 13, 2007 @ 10:01 pm


Thank you for you!

I’ve been visiting your blogsite a lot lately since I’ll paying my parental unit a visit next week – and having a diabetic father, these (blog entry, sugarnot and you)are heaven sent. I also have my “must try resto.” list from your site as well.

[Reply]

Comment by Jean B — March 14, 2007 @ 6:00 am


I guess the trick is remembering that these are only sugarfree and not CALORIE free (i.e. I’m sure they still use real chocolate, cream, eggs, milk, etc?). =)

[Reply]

Comment by wysgal — March 14, 2007 @ 4:02 pm


I loove desserts, in fact when I go to a buffet I first check out the dessert counter. And having a diabetic dad (which makes me a good candidate) I am sooo glad to see Sugarnot open not one but two branches near me Podium and Megamall =D =D
I wonder if they use Equal or Splenda as sugar substitutes? =D

[Reply]

Comment by bex — March 14, 2007 @ 4:39 pm


Mr. Wolf:

Thanks very much for the information. While I’m not that big a fan of sugarfree items, I am encouraged by your transparency regarding the use of ingredients in your products. I’ve been watching my transfat intake, and your clarification gives me a peace of mind. My gramps is a diabetic (2), so perhaps the next time I come across your store, I’ll be able to buy some for him, too.

kayenne

p.s. no offense. you have a very interesting name. =)

[Reply]

Comment by kayenne — March 15, 2007 @ 2:30 am


Hi Wolf!

:-)
Miren

[Reply]

Comment by Miren — March 17, 2007 @ 12:07 pm


i love love love sugarnot!
i have gone to their podium branch quite a few times. never fails me. i never reconciled the cakes and the fact that they are sugar free =D

[Reply]

Comment by sigh — April 10, 2007 @ 6:34 am


Dear Lori,

Glad to hear you love the latte at Sugarnot! I also love their cakes and pralines. Impressive blogsite.

[Reply]

Comment by Cherry Cruz — May 14, 2007 @ 10:05 pm


Will definitely try pastries from this place when I am super desperate for my sweet fix na.

Thank you, Lori.

[Reply]

Comment by Aina Luna — August 6, 2009 @ 5:15 pm



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