Dan's Papers - May 8, 2009 - In Times of Belt Tightening

Store-bought cookies offer uniform flavor and consistency, an eternal shelf life and an inferior quality of life. I don't mean to knock any household favorites, but there isn't anything quite like a fresh-baked, homemade cookie. If you are among the baking-challenged, "homemade" might be a forgotten concept, but it doesn't have to be this way. Even if you are a gifted baker, finding the time to devote to baking can be challenging.

Fortunately, there are some who have made it their livelihood to step in where others default. Their business is not only to recreate the taste of home, but also to deliver them right to it.

Lisa's Cookie Shop, founded in 2004 and based in Warwick NY, is just such an artisan bakery. After leaving a corporate post in Manhattan to start a family, Lisa Ciriello started the business by baking cookies in her kitchen. When she shopped her home-style cookies around, the response was far greater than she could have imagined, and to accommodate the surplus of orders, she and her husband built a commercial bakery on their property. Despite the space upgrade, Ciriello's cookies maintained the same homemade taste and texture and, thanks in part to positive press attention, has continued to grow. The cookies appeared on the "Rachel Ray Show" (Feb. 4, 2008) as the featured snack of the day and in Florence Fabricant's New York Times column (July 2, 2008). On her baking triumph, Ciriello said, "I can safely say that my husband and I have never worked harder or put in such long hours, but the pride that running a successful small business as a stay at home mom (and dad) provides is worth everything."

The cookies are available online at lisascookieshop.com and are $7.50 for seven, plus shipping. Some of the many varieties available are the classic chocolate chip cookie, a harvest oatmeal spice cookie and their most popular variety, the kitchen sink, an oatmeal cookie packed with macadamia nuts, coconut, chocolate chunks, and cranberries. If you'd prefer to have your cookies spend less time navigating the US postal system, a closer to home option is My Uncle Michael, located in East Hampton. My Uncle Michael has a similar mission, delivering homemade cookies right to your door. Michael Jurado, the Michael of My Uncle Michael, bakes a variety of cookies in his home kitchen and emphasizes the simplicity and purity of his ingredients. Only the most intuitive of ingredients make it into his peanut butter, oatmeal raisin, sugar and orange zest cookies. Beyond providing a tasty, nostalgic product, My Uncle Michael tries to give back to the community in a variety of ways. Programs benefiting animals, women and gay teens receive most of My Uncle Michael's generosity.

These cookies can be found at select stores on the East End, but the easiest way to sample them is to order them directly from his web site, myunclemichael.com. They are $25 for two dozen and $45 for four dozen, including shipping. My Uncle Michael also offers a monthly subscription.

If you need a quick cookie fix and can't wait for them to be delivered, there are plenty of local options. Amber Bakery, located at 30 West Water St. in Sag Harbor, offers a variety of flavors including peanut butter, chocolate chip, ginger and pecan. The bakery also offers catering and plans to distribute its baked goods to food shops and farm stands around the area.

The pleasure of homemade cookies should be available to everyone, including those who lack the baking gene and those who simply don't have the time. Hopefully businesses like these can help us to remember what cookies are supposed to taste like.