At the age of 24, Shivesh Bhatia is already an author of two cookbooks. The self-taught baker and food blogger’s first book Bake with Shivesh was published two years ago. His latest – Desserts for Every Mood, has over 100 recipes for desserts of every kind – from cupcakes to tarts, pies to tiramisu! Shivesh considers bringing this book to fruition one of the most special milestones because it’s not something he had imagined for himself. “While it’s something I had always wanted to do, it seemed like a far-fetched dream – definitely not something I thought I’d get the opportunity to do so early on in my career,” he tells us.
The Delhi-based chef shares that it was overwhelming to get an opportunity to write his first book at 22, and that too with HarperCollins. “I learnt so much while working on the book and when the feedback started coming in, I realised I had written a book that people were actually interested in picking up for themselves,” he says. He confesses that putting the first book together was one of the most challenging projects he has ever worked on, but he also found it thrilling to work on a book from scratch and to hold the final copy in his hands. “As soon as I got the offer for a second book, I accepted it in a heartbeat! This time it was a challenge to work on 100 fresh recipes and I absolutely loved the process. Like last time, I’ve also shot and styled all the photos in the book. 
‘Desserts for Every Mood’ is one of the biggest milestones for me and I’m extremely proud of how the book is looking. After two years of working on the book, I’m beyond excited to finally share it with everyone to see and bake from,” he adds with a smile.
Bake with Shivesh came out two years ago. What is different about Desserts for Every Mood?
With Bake with Shivesh, the focus was on food styling and photography, too, besides the recipes. Also, a lot on how to dress up the dessert and get it ready for the camera. The theme of Desserts for Every Mood is more on enjoying the process of baking. It’s also a result of me rediscovering my love for baking. There was a phase when I had started baking only for content and Instagram and this book was an attempt to reconnect with baking and remind myself about why I fell in love with it in the first place. This book is to get the readers to not only focus on what the final product would look like but fall in love with every aspect of creating it too! I’ve shared over 100 recipes that have brought me so much joy over the years. There are cakes, pies, tarts, cookies, cupcakes, frozen desserts and so much more that I promise everyone to find a dessert in the book for their every mood and craving.
What are some of your personal favourites from here?
One of my favourites from the book has to be the lovely Paris Brest. Choux is anyway one of my 
favourite pastries and I love how it uses the most basic ingredients like butter, flour, sugar and water and gives you the most elegant desserts. Some other favourites include Brookies, Lemon Lavender Bundt Cake and Creme Brulee Tarts.
What does baking mean to you? What is the best and worst thing about it?
In the beginning, baking was something that allowed to me disconnect with the world out there but as I began blogging and baking full time, it wasn’t just a stress buster anymore. Baking became a source of connecting with so many people out there and this warm connection is one of my ultimate treasures.
The best thing about baking is what it does to your senses. When I’m in the process of baking something, it’s like each sense gets heightened and I can’t help but feel grateful. The worst thing has to be the clean-up haha! The beautiful desserts are a result of lots of bowls and whisks and plates.
Brownie Pecan Tart
RECIPE BY SHIVESH BHATIA
INGREDIENTS
½ cup butter
¼ cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup cocoa powder
FOR THE FILLING
1 cup dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ cup butter
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
½ cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup pecans
METHOD
- To make the tart shell, beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Whisk in the egg and vanilla extract. Add the flour and cocoa powder and mix until the dough comes together.
- Transfer the dough to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Use your fingers to press the dough into the bottom and the sides of the pan in an even layer. Refrigerate the shell for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- To make the brownie filling, melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan set over low heat. Let the mixture cool.
- In a bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs. Pour in the cooled chocolate mixture. Now add the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder and mix until just combined.
- Pour this brownie filling into the tart shell and arrange the pecans over it.
- Bake the tart for 25–30 minutes, or until the filling is set.
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