Back in the Dark Ages, people used to mix up cookie dough and then — follow us here — put it in an oven and bake it. These days, cookie dough is a standalone treat that’s a pure hit of nostalgia, hearkening back to the time when your mom let you lick the mixing bowl, or maybe just to the time you and your best friend fixed a late-night treat and never managed to get it into the oven.
Edible cookie dough parlors like DŌ, Cookie Dough Confections in New York, are a hot new concept all around the country. Tony and Haley Fritz are two Minneapolis, Minnesota, entrepreneurs who began their culinary careers with every comfort-food lover’s dream job — running a food truck devoted to grilled cheese sandwiches, O’Cheeze. Now, they’ve brought the cookie dough trend to a Dough Dough food truck that serves up sweet treats throughout the Twin Cities.
Haley was inspired to pursue the new concept after realizing that cookie dough was her go-to gift for a sick friend. “We started doing some research and seeing others having success, and we asked ourselves ‘why wouldn’t we do this?’” Haley says.
No eggs, no worries
While the health risk factor of raw eggs is a concern with traditional cookie dough, The Fritz’s have skirted that issue by creating a dough that has eliminated eggs from the recipe. “We even pasteurize our flour,” Tony says. The two top sellers are Monster Cookie (peanut butter, M&M’s, chocolate chips and oatmeal) and Chocolate Chip. They even offer a vegan, gluten-free option made with coconut oil and pasteurized oats.
In addition to the food truck’s successful launch, the couple is having success with corporate events and weddings. “We bought a tricycle for indoor events, which allows us to serve from inside,” Tony says. “We’re serving it as a midnight snack or as part of a dessert bar. It seems to be the latest dessert option beyond cupcakes and doughnuts.”
The couple will be opening a retail store at the Mall of America in November. “We’ll be doing handmade cones, raw dough, cooked dough (aka cookies), local sodas on tap and ‘sipping milk’ with flavored jams,” Tony says.
Words to the wise
“My advice to other chefs and operators is to be sure to balance the sweetness in the dough,” Haley suggests. “We spent a lot of time taste-testing our recipe. You want it sweet but not like a pile of sugar, so it’s more of a balancing act. And while it’s a rich treat, you don’t want it to be so rich that people don’t come back again.”
Resources
Read more
Raw Nostalgia: Cookie Dough Is the Latest Dessert Trend
Edible cookie dough craze hits the heartland
Recipe
Try this sweet treat drizzled with this Chocolate Bourbon Sauce
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