Our columnist finds a new way to enjoy sweet treats from I’ll Bring Dessert by Benjamina Ebuehi
recipe BENJAMINA EBUEHI
MELISSA THOMPSON
Probably best to start with a disclaimer – I’m not a huge dessert fan. Sure, I love a slice of cake as much as the next person and ice cream is one of my favourite things, but at dinner I’m a starter-and-main rather than main-and-dessert person.
Benjamina Ebuehi is the opposite. She gives the impression that, at a meal, she’d forgo the first two courses altogether and just stick to pudding. In fact, in her third book, I’ll Bring Dessert, she goes as far as to say dessert “is the best part of a meal”. I disagree, but I’m happy to be convinced otherwise.
And such is her enthusiasm for the subject that, pages in, I find myself unexpectedly besotted with the sweet stuff too. Benjamina’s recipes excite in a way that is unusual with flavour combinations I’ve never seen before, but that aren’t simply different for difference’s sake.
It’s recipes such as hot honey peach shortcakes, hibiscus & buttermilk jelly, spiced orange chocolate mousse cake or peanut butter & blackberry tart that really grab my attention. They are recipes that on one hand feel familiar but at the same time are unlike anything else. I found myself nodding along and exclaiming, ‘Of course lemon tart would work brilliantly with basil cream.’
Benjamina, then a teaching assistant, reached the quarter-finals of Bake Off in 2016. On the show, she became known for how good her dishes looked, let alone tasted. Ever since, that has become her signature style; taking the adage ‘the eyes eat first’ and making sure they get a feast before the mouth gets in on it. Since Bake Off, she has gone on to write two other books, is a recipe columnist and food stylist. In I’ll Bring Dessert, Benjamina provides a resource for doing just that – bringing something sweet to finish off the meal at any gathering. She says she is that person – either through volunteering or being volunteered – while when I host a get-together and people ask me what to bring, I will request they “bring something for dessert”. Usually I’d be content with a tub of ice cream, but I might just buy this book for my friends as a subtle hint for them to up their game.
Benjamina poses important questions when it comes to deciding what to bring to a gathering, such as what the vibe is, if there will be vegans and what to make with minimum effort but maximum flavour.
Spiced pineapple tart with bay c
