Triya Gulati
Every bite of Dohful’s Yin Yang dark chocolate cookie with a luscious flow of molten white chocolate filling transported us to the charming ambience of European cafés. This indulgent experience unfolded in India’s largest dine-in cookie store, the recently launched Dohful outlet, spread across a 750 square foot area in H block, Noida Sector 63 – a marketplace teeming with restaurants. Arushi Sachdeva and Chaman Raj, the founders, have infused their personal touch into Yin Yang, a renowned Amsterdam cookie, by refining its flavours. “The concept is European, but the flavours have been derived and perfected at Dohful,” says Sachdeva, a self-taught chef who has created the 12 unique recipes. Yin Yang, Hazelnut Brownie and S’mores are their bestsellers.
In 2018, Dohful began as an online business. Last year, they established two outlets within five months, from August to December – one in Hauz Khas (a takeaway joint) and another in Noida. “Initially, we were uncertain about the necessity of a dedicated cookie store, but the overwhelming response at the Hauz Khas outlet boosted our confidence,” says the husband-wife team, which is now pursuing its dream of transforming Dohful into a 100-outlet chain.
The couple crossed paths during their MBA programme at IMT Ghaziabad. Their love story and their initial business unfolded simultaneously in 2013. They first tried their hand by running a small quick-service restaurant named Sandwedges, which is still thriving with an outlet each in Ghaziabad and Noida. In 2015, they tied the knot. Despite Sandwedges enjoying considerable success, the couple felt something was missing from their life. An encounter with a soft-baked cookie during their honeymoon in Europe in 2016 changed everything.
Sweet encounter
“In an Italian coffee shop, they served us an extraordinary cookie, an experience that changed our perspective as cookie non-enthusiasts,” Sachdeva recalls. “The size of a palm, the cookie was exceptionally soft, and upon breaking it a delightful gooeyness oozed out.”
Back in India, when Arushi and Chaman tried looking for similar soft-baked cookies – from Delhi to Mumbai and Bengaluru – they faced disappointment. “The Indian market has biscuits, not cookies. When you break them, you hear a snap. A cookie is something between a cake and a biscuit; the outer portion should be crunchy, and the centre should be gooey,” Raj explains. “We wanted to be the first ones to introduce soft-baked cookies in the Indian market, and we did it.”
Getting started
Securing a small space in South Delhi’s Shakurpur, they established their first Dohful kitchen and initiated experiments in cookie making in 2018. It took three months for them to crack the first recipe—the Choco Chunk Cookie, their take on the classic choco chip cookie. “Even if I figure out a recipe, I test it at least ten times for consistency before putting it on the menu,” Sachdeva says.
The couple believe good flavours matter, but consistency is the key. The carefully crafted dough combinations are then blast-frozen before being dispatched to the two outlets. At the respective outlets, the kitchen staff takes charge of the baking process, ensuring each batch is prepared to perfection. During our visit, we witnessed a live demonstration: a worker arranged a batch of eight dough balls of the chocolate brownie cookie on a baking tray, placing them in a preheated oven. “The dough spreads out on its own in the oven, resulting in that irresistibly soft texture. It will take about 12 minutes to bake, followed by another few minutes to cool it down,” explains Sachdeva.
The conversation is interrupted by a delighted customer, who commended Sachdeva for the exquisite flavours of the Tiramisu Latte – a concoction comprising a glass of coffee adorned with a freshly baked ladyfinger, a dollop of Tiramisu cream, and a sprinkling of cocoa powder. “I’m definitely coming back for another cup,” he says.
New flavours coming up
The popularity that Dohful enjoys did not happen in a day. Despite being somewhat asocial, the couple decided to take matters into their own hands in January 2020. Sachdeva shot a 30-second clip on her cookies. “It took me two hours to get it right. But now, you turn on the camera, and I’ll start speaking,” she says with a laugh. It is different now. Having tasted success, the two are ready to expand their cookie business and, therefore, raring to go. Exciting flavours are currently developing at the Dohful kitchen. Drawing inspiration from her mother’s delectable apple pie, Sachdeva is working to transform the sweet treat into a cookie. Next in line is a lemon pie cookie. “Anticipate its launch this summer. It is a recipe I’ve been refining for the past two years, though it hasn’t achieved consistency yet,” she says.
How is she planning to take care of the completion? On the street where they stand, right next to them are other places with diverse cookie offerings such as Mr Brown, Third Wave Coffee and Haldirams. The response is confident. “If our competitors manage to replicate our offerings, we have an arsenal of 20 more unique recipes ready to join the menu,” says Sachdeva.