Allison Malec is a Marketing Manager at Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House, and is an editor at The Recipe Club. She lives in New York City, and loves to cook, bake and eat. She loves anything sweet, especially Momofuku Milk Bar’s Compost Cookies, Ben and Jerry’s Oatmeal Cookie Crunch Ice Cream, and Vanilla Mr. Softee cones with rainbow sprinkles.
We sat down with Dawn Casale and David Crofton, the owners of One Girl Cookies in Brooklyn, NYC. Our visit to the bakery was absolutely wonderful! We sampled a bunch of their treats (the Orange Butter Drops were my personal favorite), chatted about the upcoming second location of One Girl Cookies, and got to take a few photos. Their debut cookbook, One Girl Cookies: Recipes for Cakes, Cupcakes, Whoopie Pies, and Cookies from Brooklyn’s Beloved Bakery, is on sale 1/10/2012.
1. So tell us. How did One Girl Cookies start? Did you always dream of opening a bakery?
Dawn: Well, as I mention quite a bit in the cookbook, food and experiences involving it were and are so much of who I am and how I was raised. Deep down, I always knew that I’d spend my days and earn my living by sharing that with people. It wasn’t always clear that it would take the form of a bakery, but I’m sure that most people that have known me for a long time weren’t that surprised that is where my decision led me. So, in early 2000, the time seemed right to take the jump. It was the scariest, most exciting thing I’ve ever done.
David: Dawn did all of the hard work on this – I just jumped on the wagon!
2. Once you opened One Girl Cookies, did you immediately know what would be on the menu?
David: No – the menu started with a solid group of cookies, but then the other items have really evolved organically. Some additions we made were meant to just be around for a little bit, but then customers asked us to keep them around (like the pumpkin whoopies). All of the breakfast items were late additions because we did not offer breakfast for the first few years we were open. Now, some of the breakfast recipes are customer favorites and we can’t stop making them.
Dawn: Our menu is still an evolving thing, which is a beautiful thing. It allows us the freedom to experiment and go with our creative impulses. Though, when we opened, the one thing that was clear was that the six classic cookies that I began the company with had to be a part of the repertoire. And they still are!
3. How often does your menu change? Do people get upset when you change up the items?
Dawn: We actually add new things all the time, though you’re right, we must be very careful about eliminating things. Interesting what a deep bond people form with their favorite sweets!
David: We mix things up pretty frequently. We recently added bundt cakes – small ones, of course – and it is a lot of fun for us to develop new recipes and introduce them to the customers. Of course, sometimes we may take out a cookie that is not selling well, and there will be a few sad faces, but we try to offer up a lot of choices so there is always something for everyone.
4. What is the most popular baked good that you sell?
Dawn: Pumpkin whoopie pies. Hands down.
David: Pumpkin whoopie pies, followed closely by the vanilla cupcakes.
5. What is your favorite cookie/baked good? It must be so hard to choose!
Dawn: This is both my favorite and least favorite question we get asked. I like that it really gets me to think about it but it’s so hard to narrow it down. Right now, I am loving our graham crackers. Ask me in a few days and the answer very well may be different!
David: Right now I’ve been eating a lot of currant scones. They really are great for breakfast.
6. Your bakery is beautiful! Who designed the bakery, and what inspired you to incorporate these personal, vintage elements?
Dawn: A terrific design firm called MADE (in Red Hook, Bklyn) were the geniuses behind our shop design. When we approached them, OGC already had an established personality (including the vintage elements & photos). Their challenge was to incorporate it so that our brand was strengthened, but remain cautious about not creating a shop that was too kitschy or cute. I think they did a fantastic job of straddling that line.
7. Was it fun to write your cookbook? What did you think of the process?
David: I would say that I was naive in thinking how easy it would be. Once we started writing, and the process got rolling, it went very smoothly, but in the end you put so much thought and care into each page that it takes a lot to put it all together. It was a good feeling when we finished, but then you start thinking of all sorts of new recipes that could fill up a second book!!!
Dawn: Writing the cookbook was not only fun, but insightful and so rewarding. It was different than any other experience I’ve had and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m already looking forward to the next!
Check out some more photos from our visit!
Recipe for Old-Fashioned Graham Crackers from One Girl Cookies:
Graham crackers are the embodiment of nostalgia. I’d always been happy with the ones in the red box at the supermarket—until I tried our homemade ones. The difference in texture is immediately apparent. These cookies are less flaky and crumbly than the store-bought version, and they have a great snappy crunch. We also use a high-quality cinnamon, which has a nice spicy quality.
Makes 24 cookies
2 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
1⁄4 cup whole wheat flour
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄4 teaspoon table salt
1⁄2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
1⁄4 cup packed light brown sugar
1⁄4 cup turbinado sugar
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until the mixture is light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add a third of the flour mixture and ¼ cup of water. Mix for 30 seconds. Repeat this step once, then add the remaining flour mixture and mix just to combine. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for about 10 seconds. Divide the dough in half. Cover one half with plastic wrap and set it aside.
Place a sheet of parchment paper on a work surface, put the dough on the parchment, and top with a second sheet of parchment. Roll the dough out to about ¹⁄8-inch thickness. Repeat with the second half of the dough. Chill the dough for about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator, peel off both sheets of parchment, and put the dough on a cutting board. Using a square cookie cutter, cut out the dough, rerolling the scraps twice. Put the cookies on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of turbinado sugar.
Bake, rotating the sheet halfway through, for 20 minutes, or until the cookies are a dark golden color around the edges. Let cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
