The proof is in the pudding: a review of Khanisa's

When you’re at the mall and craving dessert, many of the usual vendors surround you. There’s the overpowering scent of cinnamon buns or the brightly decorated cookie stands, the artificially-dyed icing blaring through the glass case. However, this Saturday as I walked through the mall, I stumbled across a unique dessert shop that has quickly become my favorite place for a treat: Khanisa’s.

Owned by Khanisa and Sean Darby, Khanisa’s is a new local business with a shop at the Lehigh Valley Mall which sells a variety of delectable puddings. These desserts all riff off the same idea: cream pudding, layered with cookie wafers and fresh fruit or chocolate. Flavors range from a simple pudding and cookies, to classic banana pudding, to even marshmallow and chocolate s’mores, all served in cutely designed single-serving cups.

I had a chance to interview Khanisa herself, in which she shared with me the origins of her business. She described to me that the desserts sold in the shop are those that she had been making for friends and family for years. Beginning with a recipe for good banana pudding, Khanisa experimented with tastes and ingredients, creating the variety of flavors that can be eaten from Khanisa’s today. After bringing a big dish of her pudding to a gathering, she found that very quickly the dessert would be gobbled up, and those who ate her pudding loved every bite. With her husband Sean, who is experienced in sales and marketing, Khanisa strives to share her “symphony of sweet” with everyone.

I—quite excitedly—tried four of Khanisa’s puddings. I first tasted the Southern Classic, a banana pudding with incredibly creamy, silky pudding layered with fresh sliced bananas and wafers. The pudding was wonder- fully light and fluffy, just sweet enough to accent the mellow flavors of the banana. The wafers were soft and cake-like, adding a delightful contrast of texture to the dessert.

The next flavor was Lovers Lane, which gave a twist to the banana pudding by adding juicy strawberries. I was told by Khanisa that this was their most popular dessert, as in it, the smooth and velvety banana could meet together with the punch from the tart strawberries to create something that almost everyone could enjoy. After trying it, I could see why—the already delicious combination of strawberry and banana was made even more so by mixing it in with Khanisa’s pudding.

The third flavor was Mix N’ Mingle, which featured blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries layered with the cream and wafers. This variety was my personal favorite; it is reminiscent of an early summers day, the bright burst of flavors from the berries combining perfectly with that sweet, cool pudding.

Finally, I tried One Happy Island. With its fun, more tropical flavors of pineapple and coconut, this treat is just as good as a piña colada.

What stands out more than anything while eating a pudding from Khanisa’s is how comforting it is. Many dessert-makers are able to create delicious and flavorful treats, but very fe

w are able to capture that special taste of home cooking, that can only be reached if the dessert is made with love.

From the first sample I tried at Khanisa’s stand at the Lehigh Valley Mall, I felt that these puddings were something truly unique. So, the next time you get a craving for a good dessert, need something sweet as a therapeutic treat, or even if you’re missing a taste of home, stop by Khanisa’s and give some of this pudding a try.

Khanisa’s can be found at the Lehigh Valley Mall, a quick trip on the Muhlenberg Grey Shuttle. Make sure to check out their business on their website and through social media, where you can see some tempting pictures of their desserts: http://www.khanisas.com, FB: www. facebook.com/khanisas, Instagram: @khanisas.

Photo courtesy of Julia Lipkowitz