Local Find: You & Me Cookies

Every so often the fine art of sampling in grocery stores uncovers a delicious new product. While shopping last week in Fairway Market in Stamford I stumbled across a local business, You&Me Cookie, that is creating three scrumptious versions of old-time favorite cookie recipes: the original Chocolate Chip, a Cranberry and Dark Chocolate Chunk, and a modern version of an old-fashioned Oatmeal Raisin. I sampled and loved all of the varieties. With one bite I knew I had an obligation to let our readers know that You&Me Cookies are now available in Fairfield County. After two years of successfully selling through specialty stores in Westchester County, co-owners Heather Mahland and Kyle deLasa have expanded their distribution with the addition of Walter Stewarts in New Canaan, and Plum Pure Food, Starlight Café at the YMCA and Caffé Bon in Greenwich.

The recipe for their cookies, affectionately referred to as Jumbles, is traced to Heather’s Grandma Ida. As a child Heather baked with her grandmother and the cookies’ flavor and texture centers around Grandma Ida’s secret ingredient from the 1940’s, Grape Nuts CerealTM. The updated Grape Nuts CerealTM base recipe for all of the cookies adds rolled oats, white and brown sugars, butter, eggs and other traditional cookie ingredients. The Chocolate Chip version includes chocolate chips, the Cranberry and Dark Chocolate Chunk edition adds dried cranberries and chocolate chunks, and the final rendition, the Oatmeal Raisin Jumble adds plump raisins. I love the crunchiness that the Grape Nut cereal adds to the cookies and the sweetness from the additional ingredients. All of the versions have a mild caramel-like flavor that complements the sweetness of the chocolate, cranberries and raisins.

For those with a nut allergy, I was happy to note that all of the You&Me Cookies are nut free with no preservatives. As the owners prepare to expand their selling region, they are also experimenting with other varieties. I look forward to munching on these delicious cookies and glad that You&Me Cookies are now available in Fairfield County.