The Dessert Directory brings Lahore's top bakers under one roof

I have a confession to make: I crave for meetha at the most ungodly hours.

So, naturally, hearing and reading on food forums about this place called the Dessert Directory piqued my interest. The name was intriguing: could it really be a ‘directory’ of all things desserts, I wondered.

Also read: Cake off — Who are the best small scale bakers in Karachi?

Hidden away behind the bustling Y-Block, DHA market and facing a park, Dessert Directory looks like one of those patisseries from the movies. Upon entering, you’re welcomed into a cosy little store that’s decorated with white, gold and light blue and pink. Very easy on the eye. The seating is limited, but that’s not what this place is about; preferred options are takeaway and home delivery.

Muniba and Khadija, the lovely duo behind this dessert heaven that opened its doors in February this year, say the concept was to provide a space to home-based bakers – besides themselves -- to stock their products. They currently have 10 brands on board, including their own Prime Edibles. The best part: they deal solely in desserts, and coffee and a handful of drinks to accompany the sugar rush.

The first dessert I tried was called The Universe created by Prime Edibles to resemble one. The delicate Belgian dark chocolate dome with shades of pink is any chocolate lover’s dream. Lift one half of the dome, crack it and devour it. Inside the other half is a dollop of velvety dark chocolate mousse, delicious pomegranate ganache, pomegranate concentrate, crunchy golden rice bowls all resting on a bed of soft chocolate cake. So if you’re not into too much chocolate, there’s the pomegranate and crunch from the balls for respite. A balanced, luxurious dessert priced at a good Rs550 for all the imported ingredients and time and technique it requires.

The Twix Cheesecake by Bano standing tall in a glass is not as rich as The Universe, but indulgent in its own way. With cookie crumble as its base and airy cream cheese, caramel, Twix chocolate and chocolate ganache in layers, this one ticks all the boxes: it’s creamy, chocolaty, nutty, crunchy. What more could one ask for, and not a bad deal in Rs310.

The Toffee Coffee cake by La Patisserie is no less than a decoration piece. Moist coffee cake with bits of nutty toffee, topped with a delicious toffee sauce and decorated with a chocolate coin, wafer stick and shards is luxuriousness on a plate. This Rs300 mini cake is appropriately sweet with the coffee balancing the sugary toffee.

The Rs360 Snickers Pie by Cakery Bakery is one heavenly dessert. If you like Snickers chocolate then this one’s definitely your thing. What you get is a thick slice of pie with a crunchy crust, gooey baked brownie, a yummy peanut and caramel jumble topped with whipped cream and sprinkled with cocoa powder.

Dessert Directory also stocks the velvety, flavourful ice cream handcrafted by Lahorelicious in divine flavours such as the newly introduced banana nut honey and date, strawberry cheesecake, mint and Lindt, almond praline, strawberry among many others.

This humble dessert bar holds a lot of promise. Imagine not having to think for a second when deciding where to satisfy one’s sweet tooth from. Truly, a one stop shop for desserts and nothing but.

Originally published in Dawn, December 4th, 2016