Metro

Sunday April 13, 2008

Good to look at and devour

By RENITA CHE WAN

STAYING healthy and fit is all the rage now, but how can you possibly resist the temptation to sink your teeth into one of those sinfully delicious desserts that you so deserve?

Perhaps controlling your eating habits could be the answer by having one dessert every few days and then hit the gym right after before they go straight to your thighs.

Artistic touch: Stephanie Yong has been in the business since 2006 and she has done more than 1,000 designs of jelly cakes.

Or perhaps it is restricting yourself to having only one dessert on special occasions and pray that you won’t physically resemble that big, fat, calorie-laden moist devil’s chocolate cake that you had devoured.

All these sound pathetic, no?

If you had answered with a resounding yes, fret not as there is an answer for those who love their desserts as much as they love their waistlines.

Snuggled somewhere in Bandar Puchong Jaya, in Puchong, Selangor, is a bakery shop that has been getting a lot of raves not only from adults but from children as well.

You can see the little kids standing close to the glass door of the shop, squinting their eyes, trying to get the best view of the desserts. The ‘action’ doesn’t stop there as they would wheedle their parents into entering the shop and buying the desserts.

Happy Zoo Animals Jelly Cake

“It’s so cute to see how they would cajole their parents into giving in to their demands and just looking at them makes me feel like I’ve done something right,” says 33-year-old Stephanie Yong, owner of Q Jelly Bakery Shop.

The bakery has been in business since 2006 and it specialises in something that may never have crossed your mind – jelly cakes.

These adorable jelly cakes come in different designs, from Barbie dolls with big gowns and fruitcakes to animals at the zoo and Marvel superheroes.

“The difference between my jellies and those of others is that not only are they low in cholesterol, they also contain nearly 87% water and are rich in vitamins as well as other important nutrients.

“The food colour dyes are approved by The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States.

Choo Choo Train Jelly Cake

“On top of that, most of them do not contain eggs or dairy products and they are certified as halal,” she explains.

More than 1,000 designs of jellies are available for you to choose from and they even do custom-made ones, according to your heart’s desires.

There are quite a number of flavours, too, like Pandan, strawberry, chocolate, mocha, blueberry, fresh mangoes, honeydew, watermelon, dragon fruit and orange.

According to Stephanie, the hot favourites so far are the pandan-flavoured Barbie dolls and the chocolate-flavoured aquatic designs.

“We also welcome those who bring their own pictures for us to design and they get to choose the flavours they prefer,” she adds.

The whole idea of making jellies came from her mother who was an avid cook and would spend most of her time educating Stephanie on baking and cooking at home.

“She even got me to take up baking and cooking courses just so I won’t forget whatever she had taught me earlier,” Stephanie says.

“I would say that I started making my first jellies was when I was only 11 years old, and that wasn’t the coolest age to be doing that.”

Like many little girls who were exposed by their parents to do a certain task, Stephanie in the end grew fond of making these sweet gelatine desserts so much so that she decided to make some for her friends and family just to see their reaction.

“They absolutely adored them! Some suggested that I do it as a business so here I am, doing this for two years already,” she exclaims.

What most people don’t know is that jellies come in different grades, thus some would be more expensive than others.

“Most of my products are from Japan and, to me, they are the best jellies one could find because of the smooth texture and they do not contain food additives and are animal-product free,” she explains.

“Of course they are pricier, but I assure you that my jelly cakes won’t disappoint you.”

It is advisable that you finish the cake on the day you buy it but should you need to keep it, the longest period is between four and five days, and at a temperature of below 10°C.

Stephanie has two outlets: one in Ikano Power Centre (Lower Ground, next to the bowling alley), and the other in Bandar Puchong Jaya.

If you would like to visit the one in Bandar Puchong Jaya, the address is No.15, Jalan Kenari 18B, Bandar Puchong Jaya, Puchong.

Call her at 03-8076 1159 if you have questions and log on to www.qjelly.com to see the list of designs.

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