Food
June 1, 2004
Doc's Oldkinda Cookies is a family kind of business.
Nowadays, the cookies are made at a commercial kitchen in Little Rock,
Ark., and sold through phone orders in 18-ounce tins. But Dolly Kyle
Browning says she and her husband, company founder Robert "Doc"
Browning, also like to crank out a few batches themselves to give away
to friends and acquaintances.
"We still often bake 900 cookies before breakfast without batting an
eye," she says.
Mr. Browning, athletics coach at St. Mark's School of Texas, tinkered
with a ginger cookie recipe for years until he found just the right
mixture of ingredients to create a soft, sugar-dusted treat. They make a
sweet reward for, say, taking extra laps around the track. The couple
served the cookies at their wedding eight years ago.
"I worked for years, baking cookies and washing cookie sheets each time,
before I found out about baking paper," Mrs. Browning says. "I can't
believe all that we didn't know."
In 2001, Doc's cookies found a home in the Neiman Marcus Christmas
catalog. Mrs. Browning says they get a lot of repeat business from
customers addicted to the cookies. They're made with organically grown
ginger from Madagascar, organic whole-wheat flour, shortening, brown
sugar, molasses, honey, eggs and spices.
Doc's Web site,
www.docsoldkindacookies.com , offers guidelines for eating. After your
first bite, take a deep breath and exhale completely before taking your
second. As you consume the cookie, "continue inhaling deeply and
exhaling completely, letting the comforting aroma soothe your mind and
take you back to a slower, more carefree time."
Some customers believe that the cookies help relieve nausea, and Mrs.
Browning says Doc's has been happy to share samples with people
undergoing chemotherapy.
The cookies are $20 for a tin of about 3 dozen. To order and get
shipping information, call 214-528-3627. Toll-free: 866-528-3627.
Email: msheridan@dallasnews.com
