Classic desserts from grandma’s recipes

Kishali Mendis

By Fathima Riznaz Hafi

Kishali Mendis’ late grandmother was a wonder in the kitchen and her delectable desserts were known to utterly delight. Grandma Doris was so immersed in this art that she produced thick books in which she wrote all her recipes neatly and beautifully by hand, paying great attention to detail and even drawing step-by-step illustrations where necessary.

I was struck by awe as I went through the pages of these books that Kishali so proudly spoke of, noting the meticulous nature of Grandma Doris’ work. 

Doris wouldn’t have imagined that many years later her granddaughter would use those books as her guide to make desserts, eventually resulting in the launch of her very own dessert-making business, which she has aptly named ‘Dori’s Desserts’.

After talking to Kishali, I pulled myself away from those amazing books and walked over to the table that was laid with a dessert spread that was so gorgeous I didn’t know where to start. I went for the one that was most appealing to me first…

Marshmallow Pudding

This soft, fluffy, soufflé-like creation was as sensational as I had anticipated. A bunch of mini marshmallows thrown together resulted in a sweet, sticky, gooey texture that left me in utter bliss! This is not the typical dessert you find around town anymore – Kishali says it’s the stuff the older generation enjoyed but is confident it’s so good that it will go far. I have no doubts there. 

Marshmallow Crunch

This one consists of three layers – biscuit and nut mix layer at the bottom, a layer of marshmallow at the centre and a buttery cream topping.

Although more effort was obviously put into it, what with the crunch and all, my preference lies with the Marshmallow Pudding I tasted earlier which offered just pure, soft, marshmallow glory! 

In this case the crunch got in the way of my enjoyment of the pure softness of the marshmallow but then again it’s a matter of preference – some may prefer this combination of crunch and softness. 

Biscuit Pudding

The rich, creamy pudding was presented with a luxurious spread of chopped, roasted nuts as its topping. The deliciously-flavoured creamy texture is a result of a mix of coffee and chocolate cream layers with soft, mushy biscuit and I must add that her generosity with the roasted nuts spread was well appreciated. 

Chocolate Biscuit Pudding

She makes this with chocolate lovers in mind. The biscuit-based pudding with its alternate layers of chocolate and biscuit comes with a creamy chocolate layer as topping along with roasted nuts. It had all the ingredients intact and the presentation was perfect with the lovely blend of chocolate and biscuit showing as I scooped in, but when tasting, something seemed wrong with the consistency – it was a tad dry, slightly lacking in moistness and sweetness.

Butterscotch Pudding

This was absolutely delightful! It had a rich toffee-like flavour and was sweet, smooth and silky, with each glossy spoonful simply melting in the mouth. Have this warm on a cold day or have it cold on a hot day – it’s quite the comfort food. 

It serves well as a light yet delectable dessert and would be an instant hit at family parties. I thought I liked the marshmallow pudding the most – until I tasted this! 

Chocolate Pudding

This heavy Chocolate Pudding comes with a fluffy spread of whipped cream on top and is sprinkled with a generous amount of thinly-sliced almonds. It was sweet and tasty, with a lovely silky texture. 

Milk Toffee

This may be a common sweet but her mouth-watering Milk Toffees have got to be tasted! The childhood favourite had a nice milky, crunchy taste (thanks to the cashew nuts) and the pieces are quite big and satisfying. These are ideal to be stored in our cookie jar at home to have that ‘anytime of the day’ sugar-fix. 

Love Cake

The blend of a range of rich flavours can be tasted in every bite of this extraordinary cake. Taste buds are left with a peculiar tinge making you want to come back for more. A legacy from the Portuguese rule, this addictive sweet is made up of dried fruit, nuts and spices and tastes just as the Sri Lankan classic is supposed to taste. It was very moist, chewy and nutty, with the richness of a fruit cake.

Jaggery Cake

Another cake from colonial times, the jaggery cake tasted just as the old recipe demands. It produced a pleasant rustic flavour and was a sweet, tasty delight, with the crunch of nuts. Though normally served at special occasions this would be delightful to have on a regular day too.

Date Cake

In addition to being very low in fat it had a lovely light, moist texture, thanks to the dried dates and nuts. Soft and with just the right amount of sweetness and nuts, it makes a pleasant alternative to the conventional fruit cake.

Date Square

The Date Square is the crunchier version of the Date Cake, with a squishy layer of pureed vanilla-scented dates sandwiched by two buttery layers of oatmeal crust.

It was not as sweet as the Date Cake because the Date Square is preferred by many as their breakfast snack whereas the cake is more of a dessert, therefore being the sweeter one.

Pineapple Upside-Down 

I enjoyed sweet, moist and juicy bites of fruity goodness with this one, owing to the glistening slices of caramelised pineapple nestled on a soft, light and fluffy cake. This would interest people who like fruit, especially pineapple in their desserts. 

Conclusion

An awesome spread and just about everything offered was delightful. Dori’s Desserts is definitely one to try out as its nostalgic sweetness offers something different from present-day desserts. Kishali is doing a good job of bringing desserts that were once enjoyed by the older generation back into the limelight.

Pix by Upul Abayasekara