Simply Floured

Remember those days when cookies signified a special occasion? With the variety of crisp buttery delights now on offer, you no longer need a reason to reach for the cookie jar

THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT COOK-IES. They make you immediately nos-talgic and bring back memories of the good old days. It must be the aroma of the crisp buttery somethings that evokes pleas-ant associations. Time was when cookies were reserved for special occasions like Christmas holidays or birthdays. Today, cookies are a part of our daily staple, thanks to the presence of innumerable brands competing for a share in the cookie market. So, gone are those days of the baker with an apron tied around his waist, fretting over flour and butter. As competition hots up, the demand for cookies has almost doubled in the last five years. Says Ravish Arora, director, Invenue Hospitality, which owns the chain Baker8217;s Basket in Pune: 8220;To-day, people are going in for fancy and healthy cookies, made of wholewheat, bran and oats. In fact, cookies have become a part of our lifestyle.8221;

The market is flooded with a variety of cookies. Chocolate-chip, ginger, cherry-chocolate and Australian cookies are some of the most popular varieties. The Biscotti, crisp Italian cookies, traditionally flavoured with anise, are also quite the rage. The American Ex-press Bakery lo-cated in Bandra, Mumbai, dips these cookies in wine to lend them an exotic touch.

8220;The generally hard tex-ture of the Biscotti makes it ideal for dipping in wine or coffee,8221; says Ross Tarvalho of the American Express Bak-ery. Such is the popularity of this 80-year-old bakery that renowned clubs and hospitals like Prince Ali Khan Hospital order their cookies from here.

The rise of cookies has seen a decline in the popularity of wrapped biscuits. Jalalud-din Dawoodani of Cakes 038; Cookies, Bandra says: 8220;The concept of freshly baked things has caught people8217;s imagination. So, even though these items are slightly costly, they don8217;t mind paying as quality is assured.8221;

With malls mushrooming everywhere, cookie chains have opened outlets at malls in most cities. 8220;Whenever I go to Mumbai, I love passing by the Cookie Man kiosk at In-orbit Mall. The aroma is so irresistible that I can8217;t help but buy a batch,8221; says Nupur Panemanglor, a student of Pune-based Fergusson College. Cookie Man, the Aus-tralian cookie chain, set up shop in India in January 2000. Sandeep Sewal, se-nior vice-president of the chain, says: 8220;The unregulated cookie market in India is huge. Players like Britannia and Parle in the field for long, but we are the first to have brought the concept of freshly baked cookies to the market. Our turnover has nearly doubled, and the idea has paid off.8221;

With 80 varieties available, you can choose from a range of crispy crunchy cook-ies, super cookies, chocolate-dipped ones and the cream-filled variety. However, old timers like Delhi-based Wengers and Pune-based Kayani feel that this rise in the de-mand for cookies is nothing new. 8220;There is nothing new about their popularity,8221; says Ashok Gupta of Wengers.

As the action hots up in the cookie mar-ket, things will only get better for cookie-lovers like us.