For a while, desserts on restaurant menus or at highly Instagrammable holes-in-the-wall were all about provocation. They were dismantled, deconstructed or pumped full of liquid nitrogen; a ‘freak’-this, a ‘mess’-that. All style, little substance. But just as the best beauty looks aren’t about trying too hard, it seems that our favourite pastry chefs are coming around to the idea that simple can be excellent. Desserts aren’t meant to make you think – they’re meant to comfort, delight and make you feel good. Chocolate mousse, warm vanilla custard, a big old slice of really-fucking-delicious CWA-worthy cake. The renaissance of simple and, yes, nostalgic sweets is frankly irresistible, because they won’t just whet your appetite, they’ll tug on your heartstrings, too.
Take, for instance, the ice-cream sandwich. The history books track its…
