Baking Diva - Deeya Chopra
For many, the festive season means gifts, decorations, shopping, mistletoe, parties and carols. For Deeya Chopra, the cool and crisp weather means the enticing aroma of freshly baked goods! As lovely as her name, Deeya is absolutely passionate about sugar and chocolates and baking gives her the joy of using those two ingredients to create delicious, heavenly treats. We kid you not when we tell you that this pretty girl can spend hours in the kitchen whipping up cakes and cookies. “If you are interested in baking, you need to be patient and have fun with it”, she tells us. Tinsel Gupshup gives you Deeya Chopra…the Diva who is hooked and happy on baking.
TG: Tell us a bit about what got you started in baking?
DC: I am a complete sugar addict and is there anything better than freshly baked sugar? I suppose my love for sweet things got me hooked on baking.
TG: What is the first thing you baked and how was it?
DC: The first thing I ever baked was Red Velvet Cupcakes. I was given a Seven on Ten for my first attempt and that is not bad for a first time at all!
TG: Do you bake for yourself or do you enjoy baking for others?
DC: Honestly speaking, I don’t bake for myself. In fact, I rarely taste what I make. When my sister was pregnant I used to bake a lot for her during that time. I enjoy indulging my friends and family.
TG: Tell us a bit about the desserts you have baked so far?
DC: Let’s see…I have baked Carrot cake, Chocolate brownies, Chocolate cupcakes and my famous Red Velvet cupcakes.
TG: If someone is a beginner and wants to bake, what would you recommend they start with? An easy dessert maybe?
DC: I think a simple Chocolate cake will be a good dessert to ease into baking. It is easy to make and absolutely delicious. I would say, don’t go for a very fancy dessert if you are just starting out.
TG: Have you ever had a panicky moment during your baking journey?
DC: Oh, I have had many many moments of panic! Nearly burnt the house down a bunch of times!
TG: What is your signature dessert?
DC: I am very proud of my Fudge Brownies. They come out really well.
TG: Do you watch any shows on baking? Who is your inspiration?
DC: Though I would love to watch and learn, I really have not had the time to catch any baking shows on television just as yet. I remember this show called ‘If Yan can cook’ and the recipes on that show were very easy to follow. I would love to watch that show for some tips and inspiration.
TG: Do you have a sweet tooth? What is your weakness?
DC: Oh God, I eat so much sweet stuff…so worried I won’t have any teeth left at all! CHOCOLATE is my absolute weakness!
TG: What is the best compliment you have received?
DC: I have received many compliments on my baking but I would like to believe that the best one is yet to come! Practice makes perfect so each time I bake something, I get better at it…so the compliments will get better as well.
TG: If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only have one dessert or bread…what would it be?
DC: Oh, most definitely some dessert! I believe that the sugar will give me energy and help me survive!
TG: Who would be your dream taster? Someone you would love to bake for?
DC: I love baking for children. They love to tuck in and live to eat sugar!
TG: What is the most adventurous dessert you have baked?
DC: It has to be the Red Velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Believe me, it sounds way easier that it actually is.
TG: What are the essential tools for beginner bakers?
DC: A good oven, spatula for folding and some funky shaped baking tins to spice things up!
“There is something really calming and soothing about having everything measured out and stirring it and preheating the oven and getting it all worked out” – Taylor Swift
Photo credit: Deeya Chopra
©Tinsel Gupshup
