Startup of the Week: Mastering the art of making perfect brownies

Updated 09 April 2019
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Startup of the Week: Mastering the art of making perfect brownies

JEDDAH: Brownies are easily the toughest sweet treat to make. With the crisp top and bottom and a melt-in-the-mouth middle, they can often turn out stone dry or gooey beyond redemption.

Finding good ones is hard.

The owners of the Instagram-famed bakery Melted, Al-Anoud Albraikan and Haya Al-Jamal, had that exact problem.

“We were inspired by the fact that we could not find any good brownies anywhere around, all the places had either packaged brownies or ‘cakey’ brownies. Therefore, we decided to make our own.”

Their brand, Melted, has since mastered the art of making the perfect brownie. With their simple recipe, it blew up on Instagram, and has over 4,500 followers.

The brownies are not just chocolate though, and come in an array of different flavors to accommodate the taste buds of the customer.

The classics are called the “Oh Fudge!” brownies, with milk chocolate chunks, and the peanut butter brownie.

There are also Arabic coffee brownies that were supposed to be a seasonal flavor for Ramadan, but the customers loved them so much that they stayed.

Also on the menu are blondies, which consist of the chewy and soft texture of brownies, but for people who do not like chocolate. On Melted’s menu, they have “Lotus” and “Birthday” options.

The passionate bakers told Arab News: “Our idea behind the business is to build a bridge between Western and Eastern flavors. We love to experiment with our brownies and coming up with new flavors, like the Arabic coffee flavor.”

They also sell chocolate chip cookies and chewy cookie bars, and have their trademark style of packaging, using glass jars with their logo filled with their products. Melted was established in 2016.

“We were two graphic designers who shared the same passion and love for food, and the response of friends and family was overwhelming. It was only fair to share these sweet treats with the rest of the world,” Albraikan and Al-Jamal said.

In the beginning, the girls struggled with juggling Melted and their full-time jobs, but as the business expanded, they put together an efficient team.

They consider their biggest achievement to be the word-of-mouth popularity that the brand has generated.

“Our plan is to open up a local shop, as we are still operating from home and supply our products to different shops. But we would like to have our own place to sell and serve our loyal customers.”


Saudi Arabia, UAE and allies condemn Gaza ceasefire violations

Updated 34 min 59 sec ago
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Saudi Arabia, UAE and allies condemn Gaza ceasefire violations

  • They joined Qatar, Jordan and Egypt, who on Saturday also condemned ongoing violations

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Sunday led renewed regional condemnation of Israel’s repeated violations of the ceasefire in Gaza, which have resulted in the killing and wounding of more than 1,000 Palestinians.

In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the Kingdom, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkiye said the breaches represented a dangerous escalation that risked inflaming tensions and undermining efforts to restore calm and stability, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

They joined Qatar, Jordan and Egypt, who on Saturday condemned what they described as ongoing ceasefire violations and warned they threatened de-escalation efforts and regional stability.

The ministers said the latest developments come at a critical moment, as regional and international efforts intensify to advance the second phase of the peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump and implement UN Security Council Resolution 2803, SPA added.

They warned that the repeated violations pose a direct threat to the political process and could derail attempts to create the conditions for a more stable phase in Gaza, both in security and humanitarian terms. They stressed the need for full adherence to the ceasefire to ensure the success of the next phase of the peace plan.

The statement called on all parties to assume their responsibilities during this sensitive period, exercise maximum restraint, sustain the ceasefire, and avoid any actions that could undermine current diplomatic efforts. It also urged steps to facilitate early recovery and reconstruction in the Gaza Strip.

Reaffirming their commitment to a just, comprehensive and lasting peace, the ministers said this must be based on the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state, in line with international law, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.