Remembered as a classic Kuwaiti tea and coffee cake served at family gatherings, two young Kuwaiti ladies with a heart of gold have taken Khanfaroosh into the new millennium. Sisters Fatima and Anfal, both young professionals by day each with their separate careers, have taken the role of transforming their mother’s most prized recipes into a thriving family business. 

For our readers who cannot fathom the meaning of the word Khanfaroosh, bazaar had the pleasure of receiving a lesson in the arts of traditional Kuwaiti dessert. “We know it could sound scary, ”Anfal explains while fighting fits of laughter, “For someone who doesn’t know what it is, we’re sure the name would throw them off base! Khanfaroosh is a traditional dessert found in most Gulf countries, especially Bahrain, Kuwait and the Emirates. People might not remember this, but traditionally, it’s a fried pancake. Taking a more health-conscious approach, you would see that people nowadays tend to bake Khanfaroosh.” For first time tasters, expect a soft tea-cake with a surprisingly sweet and pleasant blend between saffron with a hint of freshly ground cardamom seeds dipped in chocolate. Describing Khanfaroosh as a traditional dessert with a delicious twist, sister Fatima believes that “baking it is one thing, yet dipping Khanfaroosh in the finest Belgian chocolate makes for an amazing experience.” Besides, Khanfaroosh, the ladies offer a variety of other desserts, including an exciting interpretation of a coconut based Basboosa ‘cake’, also dipped in the finest Belgian chocolate. Anfal remarks, “Growing up around our house, Khanfaroosh made a normal appearance on our coffee table, as our mom didn’t save her delicious recipes for gatherings or special occasions. We simply wanted to share our passion for this lovely dessert with our community.” According to the ladies, the best way to serve Khanfaroosh is over breakfast next to a hot cup of tea with milk. One can also try their favorite approach of taking a single Khanfaroosh cake and dipping it into a steaming cup of black coffee. We’re absolutely sold.

Fatima and Anfal present themselves as a team, where each sister’s talents are deeply encouraged by the founder of the lovely recipes, their mother. Studying food science at its core, Anfal brings to the updated version of Khanfaroosh healthier options that are focused on using natural sugars and finer blends of chocolate rather than processed sugars to deliver an exciting organic taste. Fatima, on the other hand, has employed her studies in graphic design to develop the elegant packaging and professional branding strategy behind the beautifully packaged desserts. Nonetheless, the growing following for Khanfaroosh is truly attributed to a collaborative effort individual to the sisters’ whole family. When asked who would they consider is the captain steering the ship, Fatima explains, “It doesn’t really matter who takes the orders from the customers, or who comes up with the packaging theme. The whole idea is for us to work together to continue to refine our products and develop loyal customers. It’s all about our customers’ final experience and how the dessert reaches our customers.”

Paying special attention to every last detail, sisters Anfal and Fatima have worked on developing a complete packaging scheme for Khanfaroosh, where customers can choose to purchase fully prepared dessert arrangements or gift boxes in the traditional decadent silver and gold packaging. Not only so, customers may choose to create color-schemed gift boxes or dessert arrangements in a variety of colors that are custom suited for special occasions or casual family gatherings.

Encouraged by positive accolades from their loyal customers and a growing following online, the sisters believe that their favorite part of running a family business involves listening to the positive feedback from their clients. Recently adding the option of ordering dark chocolate coated Khanfaroosh cakes to their production line, they continue to showcase their creations on their facebook fan page. Looking to develop and expand the Khanfaroosh brand even further, sisters Anfal and Fatima are planning new recipes and coatings for the traditional Khanfaroosh cake, and are looking for a new location to launch a specialized Khanfaroosh boutique.

To get your fix of Khanfaroosh with your next cup of coffee, please call 6770 1052, or visit the Khanfaroosh facebook fanpage, Facebook: KhanfaroOsh.