I’m off sugar – white sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, maple syrup, honey, the lot – and have been for quite a while. In doing so, I have become that awkward person at the dinner party, pitied by the other guests, who tuck in with relish and think why miss a delicious pud for the sake of a few calories, but I couldn’t feel better for it.

It hasn’t always been this way. A definite pudding instead of starter devotee until age 25, homemade brownies and pavlovas were two of my sweet party pieces and I was often seen replacing lunch with a bar of chocolate in the office. And though my desire for intensely sweet food lessened with age and increasing culinary sophistication (I stopped considering chocolate as a complete meal), I still enjoyed pudding and cake on occasion. Continue reading →