A Haute Cookie is one of the many foodie attractions at the Beacon Atlanta on the Beltline in Grant Park. One of many, but perhaps the most elegant with its chocolate brown and pale turquoise color scheme and counters covered with cake stands and silver trays of cookies, cookie cakes and pies and frozen cookie dough bars.
So when you hear the voices of small children dissolving in laughter and see flour and sugar being sprinkled with abandon, it comes as a surprise.
But cookie parties (or as we think of it, cookie summer camp!) were part of the plan when Shiana White opened A Haute Cookie in November 2018. “I have four children of my own and thought baking classes for kids would be fun. We make raw sugar cookie dough from scratch, and then everyone customizes with chocolate, sprinkles, nuts, candy, cereal, whatever we have on hand.” She can accommodate up to six children at a time.
She offers classes for adults, too, with a couples class that features a glass of Champagne along with the chance to create both edible cookie dough and baked cookies.
We had a chance to visit while twins Alden and Harper Wright were hanging out with White’s sons Gionne and Jacadi Robinson and mixing up cookie dough. The Wright girls help their parents in the kitchen, but baking isn’t something they do much at home. The Robinson boys like to cook, but usually stick to savory foods like cooking eggs and sauteing chicken and vegetables. All took to their individual mixers like naturals. The cookie parties take place in the production space behind the cookie boutique, so any mess is contained and the kids go home with a recipe card so they can make edible cookie dough again and again. It’s a recipe that practically demands personalization, so not one they’ll get bored with soon.
White opened her shop after six years of running a food truck. The name and the decor reflect the influence of her Louisiana-born grandmother. “She was a little French lady, totally into fashion and baking. I love fashion, too, and the cookies reflect that. Some days, you want to wear jeans, and the next day, it’s a nice dress and heels. One day, you want cookies with nuts and chocolate; another day, you might want cranberries and marshmallows.”
And she reflected on today’s love of edible cookie dough. “I find that young people really love it. My older customers want ice cream sandwiches and baked cookies. It’s fun when parents come in. The parents want a baked cookie, and the kids are all into the cookie dough.”
Her daily menu has something for everyone with five flavors of edible cookie dough, designer cookie bowls, ice cream sandwiches, baked cookies, cookie pies and more.
She says baking cookies as a profession comes naturally. “It all started with me always being a cookie eater growing up. I was the oldest of five kids and always made cookies. It was often the family dessert, and we had dessert with every meal.”
She was 13, lying on her grandmother’s couch and eating cookies when she says she thought, “When I grow up, I’m going to miss this. What if I come up with a way to deliver hot, fresh cookies to college students?” From there, with her perfected chocolate chip cookie recipe, A Haute Cookie was born.
RECIPES
Shiana White of A Haute Cookie provided recipes for three sweet treats that are great to make with kids. The cookie doughs require refrigeration before baking or eating raw. White smiles when she says that’s so the ingredients “can fall in love together.” And it will give you time to clean up the kitchen, and the little bakers, before getting the cookies into the oven or scooping out dough.
White Chocolate Chunk Cookies
The combination of bread flour and cake flour isn’t essential here (substitute all-purpose flour if you wish), but try it and see what you think about the texture. We liked it.
If you like, top your warm baked cookies with crushed Oreos or finely ground peppermints.
— Adapted from a recipe provided by Shiana White of A Haute Cookie.
Edible Sugar Cookie Dough
At A Haute Cookie, the cookie dough is served in pint cups. We recommend scooping it into balls so no one’s tempted to down a half pint at a time!
Heat-treating the flour and using either pasteurized eggs or milk as an egg substitute eliminates any risk of foodborne illness from your raw cookie dough.
And yes, you can bake this dough. Use the egg instead of milk so you’ll have the benefit of its leavening power.
— Adapted from a recipe provided by Shiana White of A Haute Cookie.
Heat-Treated Flour for Edible Cookie Dough
— Adapted from a recipe provided by Shiana White of A Haute Cookie.
Brownies
Because this recipe requires melting the chocolate and butter, an adult is needed for the first part of the preparations. Using the heat of the preheating oven to melt the butter and chocolate is a great tip.
— Adapted from a recipe provided by Shiana White of A Haute Cookie.
CLASSES
$65-$150. A Haute Cookie, 1039 Grant St. SE B17, Atlanta. To sign up for classes, go to ahautecookie.com/bookus.
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