Probably the more interesting one out of the duo of new desserts at The Masses. In fact, what boggles the mind here is the lack of cheese mentioned in the composition of ingredients on the menu — it features elements such as Horlick Mousse, Almond Crumble, Smoked Apple Puree, Horlick Ice-Cream, Paprika and Apple.

Yes; the dessert does taste a bit cheesecake-esque for the mousse but it's pretty light overall — cheesecake lovers might prefer a punchier profile but this does work for those who prefer their cheesecake to come a little more manageable in flavour. The Horlick Ice-Cream helps to enhance the flavours of the Almond Crumble that delivers the crunch — both elements replicating the Graham Cracker base normally found in New York style Cheesecake. What quite got us rather intrigued was the Paprika; the light hint of spiciness adds a rather oddly appealing umami flavour profile to the dessert — not sure how well it might sit with others but it did grow pretty well with me. Thought I could do without the chunks of apple; sure, they were decent to have with the entire dessert by providing a juicy crunch, but they don't quite feel like as though they fit anywhere with the other elements at the same time.

It's always interesting to see The Masses come up with inventive desserts with a twist like this (and also the Deep-Fried Camembert) — the adventurous play of ingredients that sees flavour profiles that hit all round the palate achieving a multitude of flavours. Would still recommend first-timers to go straight for the Deep Fried Camembert (the temperature contrast of the camembert is something this cheesecake lacks), but the Not Your Average Cheese Cake is a good choice to move on to try when you are done with ... erm ... that first love.

  • 6 Likes