Delhi-based Pastry Chef Daizy Sangla, founder of Bakez by Daizy, has been conducting baking workshops for children since 2018. She began with classes designed specifically for pre-schoolers at Ardee School in the capital and now hosts virtual classes for children ranging from 3-12 years of age.
“The idea is to teach kids what goes into the process of making their favourite cakes and goodies. In reality though, the teaching goes beyond baking—they learn how to work in groups, the importance of teamwork and being responsible. It’s also a great stress buster - the perfect way to expend their energy in a positive manner!” she explains.
An alumna of Le Cordon Bleu in London, Chef Sangla recently completed 10 years in the business. She claims the USP of Bakez by Daizy is the innovative use of Nutella—the creamy hazelnut chocolate spread, which was difficult to find in the Indian market just a few years ago. No preservatives are used in her offerings, and everything is prepared from scratch. Some baked goods like biscotti, cookies, and pre-designed baking kits are delivered pan-India. Plastic is used minimally, and their ‘Recycle Reuse’ programme uses discarded Nutella jars to grow low-maintenance plants, which are given out as complimentary gifts with orders.
Bakez by Daizy’s interactive workshops with the ‘Little Chefs’, as she calls them, are particularly popular. “The kids tell us what they want to learn next and we curate special recipes that are child friendly based on these requests,” she shares. Though she thoroughly enjoys working with children and revels in the delight on their faces when they leave with their baked goodies in hand, she highlights that it is quite challenging too. Adapting to and dealing with 30 new children in every workshop is not an easy job.
This led to her initiating a vertical where she takes maximum five children per session for personal classes in her own kitchen. Each participant receives focussed attention and the experience is more like a fun play date. After being dropped off by parents, the children bake, take breaks to be served ice cream and snacks, and end with a certificate distribution ceremony for completing the workshop. Her classes are also popular as children’s birthday party attractions.
When the pandemic threw a curveball her way, Chef Sangla took a break but was inundated with requests from parents to continue the workshops. “We started ‘By Kids…For Kids’ virtually, where the classes were held by my 14-year-old niece, Simar Sangla, who has fabulous baking skills. She taught the children under my guidance, and because I was keen to give back in some way while teaching them the concept of sharing, all proceeds from these virtual workshops went to the NGO Spread a Smile India in support of underprivileged children,” she explains.
DECONSTRUCTED OREO CHEESECAKE
Ingredients
✥ ½ cup unsalted butter
✥ 2 ½ cups Oreo biscuits.
¼ cup for the filling
✥ 1 cup powdered sugar
✥ 400 gms cream cheese
(room temperature)
✥ 1 cup whipping cream
✥ Extra Oreo biscuits for sprinkling (Oreo can be replaced with any cookie of your choice)
Method Crust
✥ Break the biscuits into smaller pieces
✥ Put in a blender till they turn crumbly, for about 1-2 minutes
✥ Melt the butter in a bowl. Add melted butter to the cookie crumble and mix well. It should resemble wet sand.
✥ In a 9-inch dish, spread the crumbs and press down. Take your time and use the back of a measuring cup or bowl to make sure the crumbs are tightly packed at the bottom and side
of the dish.
✥ Place the dish in the fridge and start preparing the cheesecake filling
Cheesecake Filling
✥ Place the cold heavy whipping cream in a bowl and beat on medium speed till medium
peaks are formed
✥ In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar on medium speed till creamy and smooth, scraping sides as needed
✥ Combine the whipped cream with the cream cheese mixture
✥ Use a spatula to fold the cream cheese mix into the whipping cream to form a soft mousse like filling. Then add the extra crushed Oreo biscuits.
✥ Put this cheesecake filling on the crust in the dish.
✥ Tap to remove any air bubbles and use spatula to smooth the top
✥ Sprinkle and decorate with cookie crumbs
✥ Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight or minimum for 4 hours