Tempting you with Chocolate!

2 October 2014 09:47 am

Dark Temptations by Dimitri

By Shihara Maduwage Sink your teeth into a soft, gooey brownie from ‘Dark Tempations’ and you will never look at a brownie in the same way again. Oozing with chocolate, these rich, decadent treats will melt in your mouth and make your taste buds dance for joy. The indulgent chocolatey goodies are the ultimate treat to satisfy the endless cravings of a chocoholic. Walking into Dimitri Karunaratne’s residence in Nuggegoda, I was greeted by the tempting smell of baked chocolate goods before I was greeted by Dimitri himself. Dimitri whose hobby is baking and cooking is the driving force of ‘Dark Tempations.’ Dimitri who is employed at a bank during the day, finds time for his baking whenever he is free. Even though he works in the corporate sector, Dimitri claimed that his real passion is baking and cooking. “I have always loved cooking and baking. In fact my whole family loves to cook. I always bake treats for my family and friends and about two years ago I was inspired to turn my hobby into a business venture and thus began Dark Temptations,” said Dimitri. “I usually start my baking late at night and go on till the wee hours of the morning. Depending on the amount of orders. I sometimes don’t get any sleep at all but all the same, this is what I love to do,” Dimitri said enthusiastically. Since its inception two and a half years ago, ‘Dark Tempations’ has continued to grow, attracting more and more chocolate lovers who just can’t get enough! ‘Dark Temptations’ has an exciting array of brownies, cupcakes and other goodies on their menu to make any chocoholic’s dreams come true. Some of the mouth-watering treats include the Original Brownie, the Nutty Brownie, the Chocolate Ganache and Strawberry Brownie, the Ferrero Rocher Brownie, the Oreo Brownie, the Snickers Brownie, M&M Brownie and his signature treat, the Nutella Brownie. Apart from the brownies, ‘Dark Temptations’ also has a range of cupcakes including Strawberry Surprise Chocolate Cup Cake and Nutty Chocolate Cup Cakes as well as chocolate mousse, Chocolate Trifle and Chocolate Biscuit Pudding made according to a secret family recipe. Even though chocolate is Dimitri’s specialization he has a few other items on his menu for those who love their desserts sans chocolate or with just a pinch of chocolate. These include the passion fruit mousse and Strawberries and Cream Brownie. I had the chance to try some of the treats from ‘Dark Temptations’ and simply put they can be described as “divine.” My favourite was the Snickers Brownie which combined the nutty caramel taste of the candy bar with a generous amount of chocolate. In my opinion another must-try item from ‘Dark Temptations’ is the signature Nutella Brownie which basically feels like biting into a bar of the chocolate spread in brownie form. Honourable mentions must go to Nutty Brownie and the Chocolate Ganache and Strawberry Brownie as well as the Original Brownie and the cupcakes, all of which were delightfully scrumptious and fresh. I also tried the Chocolate Biscuit Pudding which was not made out of icing sugar but instead had a thick chocolate sauce between the biscuit layers and tasted much richer than the usual biscuit pudding. According to Dimitri, the secret behind his yummylicious treats are that they are baked with the best of ingredients and are kept extremely fresh. Also, a healthy amount of love is injected into each treat. “I usually bake just a few hours before the order is due so that what you pick up is straight from the oven and still warm. For me customer satisfaction is the most important aspect so I try to give them the best of the best and do a job that is above and beyond their expectations,” the happy baker highlighted. If you are looking for a way to spoil a loved one, a treat to reward yourself or simply to indulge in chocolate, ‘Dark Temptations’ is the ideal place for you. So lose yourself in a chocolate treat because one bite simply won’t be enough! Photographs by Nirmala Dhananjaya