Cakes are our weakness! Especially for me! Often in my dreams, I see cakes flying with wings, and I sit on my magical broom (Firebolt) to catch them. Meeting up with patisserie chefs also gives us the opportunity to stuff our faces into cakes!

Our beautiful city, Jaipur has many bakeries that serve us with desserts that tease our taste buds, oh, so well! At the same time, customized cakes are also a new trend, which has instigated many Jaipur women to start their own businesses. Thus, the JWB troop of “women warriors” marched onto one such place called, ‘Sprinkles.’

Rajshree Puri and Naina Puri are the spectacular chef sisters (also, founders of Sprinkles), who are into the culinary arts. Naina says, “It all started with a ‘Let’s have a bakery’ and here we are.”

Before we got our eyes on the delicious-looking brownies, we started our meet with some chit-chat with the Puri Sisters.

JWB: What was life before ‘Sprinkles’?

Naina: We were both working in the corporate sectors. I was a banker whereas Rajshree was into International Sales Marketing.

JWB: That’s quite a major transformation. What caused such a big switch?

Rajshree: Well, when you keep doing the same thing it begins to become tedious, and you need a change. Earlier, we had gone through this grind of getting an MBA. It does sound all fun. But after some time you want to slow down a bit. I barely found any me-time.

And Masterchef Australia makes everyone want to be a cook! *wink wink*

JWB: What attracted you towards baking?

So, I started reading this book on the science of cooking. It is by Heston Blumenthal. This book taught me that cooking is not vague. There’s a reason for everything you do. I got into that. And I started experimenting at home. Later, I went to Le Cordon Bleu, London.

JWB: Why ‘Sprinkles’?

Rajshree: Sprinkles is sweet, and it’s colorful. Plus, it goes on top of everything. 

JWB: What about hobbies other than cooking?

We always travel like there’s no tomorrow and love collecting souvenirs from different cities and countries. Likewise, we are also fond of purchasing snow globes from all these places that we visit.

JWB: What are your plans for the future?

It’s just baking. But we are planning to get a cafe kind of space with us that would have more variety. 

JWB: That’s wonderful. So, what are you baking today?

Rajshree: We’re baking a lemon tart! Let’s barge into the kitchen!

We asked Rajshree to pick her favorite dessert, and she said, “Lemon Tart! That is why I’m baking it today.”

While the chefs made baking preparations, I learned one great lesson: When life gives you lemons, make lemon tart!

The ingredients she used were hard to catch up with. I guess it takes much memory power to be a chef. I mean, if I were to refer to the recipe book at every step, something would be burning in the kitchen at the same time. *giggles*

When asked about the usage of fondant, Rajshree told us that in Europe, people prefer having fondant cakes because they keep it for one whole year and eat it on their first anniversary in Europe. Like, WHATTT.

That’s amusing.

Here’s the recipe for all you bakers and dessert lovers:

Pastry

Ingredients:

• 200 gms Flour
• 100 gms Cold butter
• 1 egg
• 5 gms Sugar
• 5 gms Salt
• 5 g vanilla
• 10 g cold water

Directions: Sift together flour, salt, and sugar. Rub cold butter in the flour with your fingers till it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg, vanilla, and cold water and form into dough. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll out and line a tart pan. Cut the edges and cook in a pre-heated oven at 180-degree centigrade for 30minutes.

Lemon Filling

Ingredients:

• 120 ml Lemon juice
• 150 g Sugar
• 3 eggs
• 30 g Butter

Directions: Heat lemon juice and sugar till sugar dissolves. Add egg and cook while stirring continuously. Cook till the lemon filling thickens and coats the back of the spoon.
Strain and add butter.

Italian Meringue Icing

Ingredients:

• Four egg whites
• 240 g Sugar
• 70 ml water

Directions: Cook water and sugar to soft ball (120degree centigrade). Add to egg whites while continuously whisking. Whisk till the meringue cools down.

Assembly

Directions: Pour the lemon filling into the tart and set in the fridge for 30 minutes. Pipe meringue on top and lightly toast with a blowtorch.

So, when the tart was done, Rajshree brought it out to the table and garnished it with ‘Meringue’. Attractive, isn’t it?

After feeding our gluttony, we all came to the conclusion that the lemon tart had a unique flavor. It was definitely very “lemony” and sour. I’d say if you enjoy the extreme tangy flavor, the tart is a must have!

Our tummies had hoited out, and we forced ourselves off the chairs, it was time to resume work!