Desserts without guilt? Unbelievably healthy, low-fat, and delicious

▲ Feeling guilty about eating desserts? (Photo / Reporter Chen Ziying)

Reported by Chen Ziying / Taipei

“Desserts = weight gain.” Most people feel guilty about eating desserts because of this notion, but if the desserts are made without sugar or dairy, they’re surely much more guilt-free. But can sugar-free, dairy-free desserts still be rich in flavor and texture? Chef Hong Guangming, a hotel consultant, came up with a series of “healthy desserts” that are creatively diverse in taste while retaining the deliciousness of traditional sweets.

“Throw away the false happiness that white sugar brings you,” says Hong Guangming. Many commercially available sugars are bleached, butter leads to fat accumulation, and cornstarch is hard to digest—making desserts an unhealthy choice. However, the human body still needs “sugar” to maintain energy. So Hong Guangming thought of using brown sugar, raisins, or honey, along with the natural sweetness of fruits such as bananas, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins, to create the effect of sugar. He substitutes coconut oil for butter, soy milk for fresh milk, and even uses yam to create a silky texture similar to fresh cream—removing the burden and making it safer to enjoy.

Hong Guangming said that his “sugar-free banana raisin muffin” is completely free of sugar. First, he soaks raisins in hot water to release excess sugar. Then he mixes the soaked raisin water, olive oil, and bananas, and adds mashed yam and Job’s tears to vary the texture. The result is a muffin with a fragrant, naturally sweet taste.

▲ The “sugar-free banana raisin muffin” contains no sugar at all, using raisins to create sweetness and replacing fresh cream with mashed yam and Job’s tears. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ziying)

 
 
▲ Chef Hong Guangming’s creative healthy desserts remove body-burdening ingredients while remaining delicious. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ziying)

The richly flavored “coconut milk rice pudding” uses soy milk instead of fresh milk. Taiwan’s organic brown rice must be boiled for three hours first. Hong Guangming explains: “Brown rice not only has a nice chewy texture, but also higher nutritional value than white rice, containing B vitamins, E, K, and high fiber.” After stir-frying the brown rice with coconut oil, he sprinkles raisins on top. It offers a warm, comforting feeling in early autumn, with the fragrance of rice spreading in your mouth.


▲ The “coconut milk rice pudding” replaces fresh milk with soy milk, resulting in a rich yet mild flavor. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ziying)

We’ve all heard of apple pie and pineapple pie, but have you tried guava pie? In Taiwan, guava is often eaten raw, but in Cuba and Central and South America, it’s commonly used in desserts. Hong Guangming thinks Taiwanese guava is so delicious and nutritious that he combines it with cinnamon, cardamom, and lemon juice to create the refreshing “Cuban Guava Pie.” And that’s not the only variation—he also bakes guava with bananas, then uses low-fat yam and Job’s tears to replace fresh cream, resulting in the “Banana Guava Pie,” which has a smooth, creamy texture and a flaky crust.

 
▲ Using guava in desserts is actually quite common in American countries. Left: Cuban Guava Pie, Right: Banana Guava Pie. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ziying)
 
[Shop Info]
Ambassador Hotel Aqua Lounge
Address: No. 63, Section 2, Zhongshan N. Rd., Taipei City
Phone: (02) 2100-2100 ext. 2186
Business Hours: Monday to Sunday, lunch hours 11:30–14:00
Price: Weekday lunch NT$600+10% per person, children NT$350+10%
                      Holiday lunch NT$650+10% per person, children NT$350+10%
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