Thats how the cookie crumbles

KOCHI: Cookies occupy a rather low position in the otherwise sophisticated pantheon of sweet treats. They are so common that many shun or classify them as a snack, rather than a dessert and as so ordinary that whipping up a batch hardly requires expertise in baking.  In the Indian culinary context, the word itself is a recent import, resulting from a sustained diet of American movies, television and pop culture. The cookie is also often confused with its English cousin, the biscuit.

Very few of us know that, strictly speaking, a cookie is a soft and chewy version of the biscuit. Kochi-based brothers Sahadev and Nakul S Kumar chanced upon this crucial difference one fine day during the lockdown. Bored, they decided to bake a batch of New York style cookies on a whim. The first attempt was not bad, but they decided to give it another go. With each try, the duo knew they had something special on their hands. Wasting no time, they set up The Cravory, a home-baked venture that arguably offers the best chunky stuffed cookies in town.

“Everyone who tried the cookies loved them. Our friends told us we should start selling them. Neither my brother nor I has any experience or training in baking. It just happened one day in March out of boredom and we learnt is everything from the internet. The final recipe is a combination of a few methods we experimented with,” says Nakul who is a recent engineering graduate while Sahadev is a Class XII student.

The Cravory’s menu is limited to just about seven variants. There are, of course, the classic chunky chocolate and white chocolate options which are also the best sellers. But those craving a little extra, can choose from double chocolate, cookies and cream, peanut butter chocolate and the experimental ‘smores’ which come with a stuffing of melted marshmallow.

The fresh-out-of-the-oven warm treats will reach your doorstep within hours of placing the order and what you get is one cookie the size of a hearty muffin. Take one bite and you will realise what you are savouring is a love child between a dense, rich cake and a crumbly wafer. The chunky chocolate variant with chocolate chips and chocolate sauce filling is unpretentious but also a winner.

 “Our goal right from the beginning was to make really chunky and fat cookies which are gooey in the middle. We, fortunately, achieved that. When we started around four months ago, we sent over samples to a few food bloggers to try. They got back with very encouraging feedback and that motivated us to go ahead with the launch. The dough is prepared in advance but the baking happens only after we receive an order,” says Nakul.