Sweet desserts without sugar

Grodan is a classic among the many restaurants in Stockholm. At the same time it’s a restaurant which is in constant renewal – to ensure their guests ever new gastronomical experiences.

Nils Idevall has been the head pastry chef at Grodan for ten years. He is innovative, future-oriented and always keen to further develop the range of desserts at Grodan. He is driven by his determination to satisfy the guests, and by that he means each and every guest. Not least those who for various reasons usually pass on desserts.

– Lactose intolerants can pick and choose, as almost all dessert are lactose free. There is always gluten-free and vegan alternatives. The next step is desserts without added sugar, to reach a new target group, says Nils Idevall.

”We now serve more than just berries”

Nils Idevall recently introduced a beautiful and luxurious chocolate dessert with a fine, balanced sweetness – without added sugar. Another dessert is the elegant vanilla ice cream, served with a super thin Florentine wafer, also without added sugar. The sweetening comes from Eureba, Bayn’s tailormade solutions for sugar reduction.

– It is great fun to be able to serve such beautiful desserts. We have many large dinners and events in our banquet rooms, that we share with our neighbour the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences. There are often more than 200 guests, so it’s natural for us to have special dietary needs options available. To be able to offer a proper dessert that is sugar reduced that is not just fruits, nuts and berries has been a real challenge, before I found Bayn, he says.

Elegant sweetness

Nils Idevall presents dessert plates for tasting. They are delight to behold. But the proof is in the pudding, pun intended.

Under a surface brushed with gold powder brushed surface hides a luxurious mocha truffle, deliciously creamy and with a hint of crispness from ground coffee beans. The truffle melts in your mouth, the sweetness is well balanced and the flavours are just right. It’s impossible to guess that this dessert is both lactose-free and without added sugar.

The vanilla ice cream is shaped like a little egg. Small specks of vanilla dot the creamy white ice cream. A thin Florentine wafer and a garnish of berries finish the dish.

The ice cream is enticingly smooth and has a delicate yet clear vanilla flavour. The crispness of the wafer contrasts with the berries that explode in your mouth. The entire dessert is lactose-free and without added sugar.

For all those who want to enjoy the good things in life

What Nils Idevall has created is a stroke of genius: irresistible bits of heaven which can be enjoyed by, yes, almost anybody who want to finish their dinner with a treat.

– The waiters and the guests alike love both the mocha truffle and the ice cream. It is amazing that the ice cream can taste just as good as any ice cream made with white, refined sugar, he says.

The mocha truffle is made with Bayn’s Eureba C-02. It is a sugar reduction solution for dark chocolate. The vanilla ice cream is made with Eureba D-01 and the Florentine wafer with Eureba B-02.

– I haven’t had to change the recipes at all. Neither the amounts, temperatures nor cooking time. That is the strong point of Eureba, says Nils.

A healthier alternativeHälsosammare alternativ

To Nils Idevall and Grodan it is important to be the spearhead in the development. But it is not about following trends. Nils Idevall thinks that what we are seeing is more permanent than that. It is about constantly making the right choices.

– That’s why it’s important to always look ahead, to be able to offer healthier alternatives, to be able to constantly surprise our guests with something which is both delicious and which affects your health in a positive way, says Nils Idevall.

Conscious guests are the guests of the future

In principle all of Grodan’s desserts are lactose-free, many are gelatine free. The egg-free pavlova is yet another example. It has been on the menu for a long time, to the delight of quite a few guests. It is made with aquafaba – chickpea water – and tastes just like an ordinary meringue.

– That it’s vegan friendly is an extra bonus as vegans are usually only served a sorbet, or in the best cases a fruit salad. It is part of my philosophy, to be able to present something made with more consideration to each guest, says Nils Idevall.

Today’s guests are conscious of what they eat.

– This is only the start. In the near future we will probably see more of this. It feels good to be able to offer an alternative to traditional sugar without having to use strange sweeteners, says Nils Idevall.