Cookie Company is No Ordinary Bake Sale

Julie Tobolowsky and Karleen Kusin show off their cookie and chocolate-sauce concoctions. (Photos: Chris McGathey)
Julie Tobolowsky and Karleen Kusin show off their cookie and chocolate-sauce concoctions. (Photos: Chris McGathey)
When Preston Hollow moms Julie Tobolowsky and Karleen Kusin needed some cute teacher gifts, they didn’t want just any old thing. So they went to their kitchens and got busy.

“The chocolate sauces became our signature gift,” Kusin said. “We said, ‘well, maybe one day we’ll bottle it and sell it.’ Then we got busy raising our kids and after the last one left for college, we thought if we’re ever going to do it, this is the time.”

With kids at Greenhill, Winston, St. Mark’s, and Hockaday, there were plenty of teachers and friends to reap the benefits. Eventually, enough people took interest in the duo’s treats that the team was renting out a commercial kitchen space to produce enough edible creations.

“Then, we were looking at a very labor-intensive project, so until we got our own facility, we weren’t really able to start with the cookies,” Tobolowsky said.

That was the next step: secure a storefront on Lovers Lane and start selling their newest creation, the “microchip” cookie, alongside the chocolate sauces. Each cookie is roughly the size of an individual chip.

“It’s our little trade secret,” Tobolowsky said. “Everyone that works with us has to sign a non-disclosure agreement.”

Today, they ship orders across the U.S. and have received widespread attention. It’s no surprise, then, that Microchip Cookies are a hit for all sorts of gatherings, such as birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers, and wedding receptions.

“I was looking for something unique as a parting gift. I especially loved the ‘JK’ because that was what my husband and I used as our wedding logo — Joe and Kathy,” Highland Park resident Kathy Klingaman said. “I was shocked at how a tiny bite could taste exactly like a big cookie. As the saying goes, some of the greatest gifts come in small packages.”

With their third anniversary on the calendar, the team is renovating their Lovers Lane shop in order to include more bakery space at the counter and to better accommodate walk-ins and rush orders.

The ladies also experiment with new flavors, but they know when to stick with something good.

“We don’t have favorites,” Tobolowsky said. “They’re like our children. We love them all.”

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