A chocolate twist to Deepavali: Choose from couverture chocolate hampers and crunchy kunafa cups and indulgent brownies

Why were so few desserts in Coimbatore made with real chocolate? A question that led founders Sibi and Jeyanth to build Melt & Mingle, a dessert café around couverture chocolate, the kind used by chocolatiers abroad.

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For the upcoming festive season, the café has taken that same chocolate into a festive gifting range, as an alternative to the traditional box of sweets.

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"The idea came from customers who wanted to gift something different during the festive season, but with the same warmth that Deepavali gifting carries," says Sibi .

The range brings together speciality brownies, crunchy kataifi (kunafa) cups, hand-rolled truffles and savouries, all made in small batches in the café's own kitchen. The desserts are eggless and made with couverture chocolate.

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There are petite Signature Minis and an elaborate Magnum Opus boxes to choose from. The Magnum Opus, the café's grandest hamper features 16 desserts, including Rocher, dulce de leche and Biscoff brownies; kunafa cups filled with pistachio, Kinder Bueno and mango white chocolate; and truffles in white chocolate pistachio, milk fudge and Biscoff.

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These are paired with cheese-roasted cashews and spiced granola, all in a keepsake box made to be remembered long after the last piece is gone.

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"We wanted people to open the box and pause for a second," says Sibi. "Deepavali gifting is about thought. We just wanted to add a little delight to it."

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For businesses, the café offers customised boxes with personalised greeting cards and branding, along with two booking-only hampers, the Noir Reserve and the Emerald Reserve.

Prices start at ₹499, with the Magnum Opus at ₹1,799. Call 99623 17111 or visit Instagram @melt_n_mingle

Back with Brownies

Six years after starting with brownies, Deepika Kumaran of Dee's Cookhaus cloud kitchen returns to her first love by launching a range of brownies with a twist. "I didn't want to launch just another brownie box. Everything that goes into the brownies is made in-house with contrasting textures and combinations that people may not have experienced locally. We use Belgian Callebaut chocolate and even make our own hazelnut spreads and fillings," she says.

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Launched for Deepavali, the gift box brings together four brownies and two blondies in six flavours. Every bite is wholesome, and indulgent. The flavours include classic triple-chocolate brownie, salted caramel and cookie dough, and hazelnut with dark and white chocolate and house-made gianduja.

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The blondies offer a different take on the familiar brownie. There is a pistachio and milk chocolate blondie with a creamy filling, alongside a Biscoff and caramelised white chocolate version. Break one open and a creamy centre awaits.

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The new product launch, she says, gave an opportunity to reinterpret familiar desserts in unexpected ways. For example, the millionaire shortbread brownie. It brings together the richness of a brownie with a distinctive layer of toffee sauce made using muscovado sugar and the caramel-like notes adding another dimension to an already indulgent creation.

"Each flavour has been developed to offer something memorable rather than simply another variation of a classic brownie. For me, this launch is both a return to our roots and a step forward."

During the lockdown, she began experimenting with baking at home. The brownies she made for family and friends soon found takers, prompting her to turn the hobby into a business. "I was self-taught. I hadn't taken any formal baking course. People started liking the brownies, and I thought, why not start a business out of it?" she recalls.

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What began as a brownie venture gradually evolved into a cloud kitchen serving Asian and European menu, including nasi goreng, quesadillas and empanadas. Krumble and Chip, offers around 24 flavours. Deepika believes Coimbatore's appetite for trying new flavours has grown considerably over the past six years. "Desserts are an integral part of celebrations, whether they are shared with family, served to guests, or given as a thoughtful gift. I wanted these brownies to be memorable."

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Gift boxes start at ₹650 for a four-piece brownie set while a set of six is ₹1000. For orders, WhatsApp 9894632072 or visit deescookhaus on Instagram

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