Kristen Wight’s cookies had become so legendary among family, friends and co-workers that on many occasions she’d been urged to venture into her own business to bake wonderful confections for more to enjoy.

So she did just that.

“Last Christmas, I surprised them all!” she explained. “I wrapped my cookies up with clear-foil bags, including labels and gold ties, and passed them out and announced the beginning of Em’s Edibles.”

The name came from Wight’s sister, Emily, who she adores and is inspired by.

“My sister has autism, and we never knew if she would ever become independent. She attended Strive U in Portland and is now living on her own. To watch her grow, become independent and live on her own has been so amazing, so moving. It gave me motivation to start my business. I kept a picture that Em drew of her with my cookies, so I use that as my label.”

Turning a passion for cookies into a profitable business requires more than just flour and sugar. It takes experience, smarts and a lot of experimentation, which for this talented lady began in 2010 while attending the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City.

“I was working and living in Portland at the time, and commuted once a month, attending weekend conferences learning from nutrition experts, which put me on the path of being mindful of the ingredients. I became fascinated with food, and after graduating I got cooking gigs in Rockport and learned from so many amazing chefs.”

Craving a new experience, Wight applied and got a job as a chef in Rhinebeck, N.Y., at the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies.

“One of the perks of working as a seasonal staff member at Omega was that we had access to free classes exclusively for staff. I chose to take a business guild where I worked with seasoned and aspiring entrepreneurs on developing business ideas. My project was to develop a food business, but it seemed like a pipe dream at the time.”

Sticking to her path of mindful ingredients, Wight began testing organic baking.

“I started with chocolate chip cookies,” she said. “Going organic doesn’t really change up the structure of the cookie. It’s just exchanging the ingredients for purer, unprocessed ones. It’s a big difference using unbleached flour, organic sugars, local butter, organic eggs, aluminum-free baking powder, baking soda that’s pure sodium bicarbonate and pure extract. With fresher and less processed ingredients, the flavor is richer and our bodies also respond better to unprocessed foods, so you can even feel a bit better about eating a cookie. I knew I had it right when my stepdad would eat my leftovers in alarming quantities!”

Wight currently works as a cook in her hometown of Auburn at the Hospice House. She started making her organic chocolate chip cookies for patients and staff. The feedback was “mind boggling.”

“I even had one lady, who has a licensed kitchen, spend a half-hour with me. . . . It was like she was giving me a message. It seemed so intimidating, but that pipe dream of mine kept coming to the forefront. I took a deep breath, put one foot in front of the other and started the business.”

Her hard work and tons of chocolate bits full of experimenting have paid off.

“They are selling! And I couldn’t be more pleased. As a way to give back, I donate part of my profits to Strive U to help other young adults become independent like Em.”

Understandably, Wight is hesitant to divulge the secret blend of ingredients she uses for her cookies, but she is more than happy to give general tips on baking chocolate cookies.

“Have you ever wondered how chocolate chip cookies can be crispy, soft, flat or thick with basically the same recipe yet different baker?” she asked. “The ingredients aren’t all that unique, but cookie baking demands accuracy and care, such as precise measuring.”

“Temperatures of ingredients and knowing what role each plays is important in creating a cookie that is perfect for your tastes,” she said. “Melted butter will create a flatter, crispier cookie. Chilling the dough will cause less spread and have a gooey center. If a recipe calls for baking powder, it will be puffier and cake-like. More brown sugar, the softer the cookie. Humidity can also affect how they come out.”

The process is also important.

“First thing you need to do is to leave the butter out for about 20 to 25 minutes. Then cream it with the sugars in a stand mixer at a medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes, making sure the butter is well blended. Continue mixing as you add the egg and vanilla, and be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl now and then. Carefully measure the dry ingredients and shake or sift together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until a dough has formed. Throw in additions and then gently mix,” she said.

And now for the baking.

“Be sure the oven is at temperature and has been for at least 10 minutes. There is usually no need to chill the batter, but you can if you prefer a reduced spread or want to bake the cookies off at a later time. Line parchment paper onto a cookie sheet and use a scoop for the dough, which will make each cookie the same size, baking evenly. Use the middle rack and check the first batch often. Remove when cookies ‘just’ stop looking wet, as they continue to cook once removed. You can slide the parchment onto a drying rack or counter.”

Want to save some of that dough for later use?

“Dough freezes easily in a container or rolled in a tube shape,” she said. “Another great way is to scoop or roll dough into balls, and (temporarily) freeze right on the cookie sheets. Once frozen, place the balls into an air-tight container, (put them back in the freezer) and pull out however many you want to cook.”

So what is this cookiepreneur’s next step?

I’m starting small right now,” she said. “Em’s Edibles chocolate chip cookies can be found at Axis Natural Foods and the North Pownal General Store; eventually getting them into more stores, farmer’s markets and food fairs. I hope to expand the selection, as long as my family and co-workers are up to more taste testing. I know my stepdad is!”

For more information, check out Wight’s Facebook page at EmsEdibles.

Three recipes from Em’s Edibles owner Kristen Wight

Chocolate chip cookies (with oatmeal flour)

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, room temp

1 cup organic sugar

1 cup organic brown sugar

2 free-range eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups unbleached, organic flour

2 1/2 cups finely ground, organic oatmeal

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

12 ounces (high quality) chocolate bits

1/4 pound (high quality) chocolate bar, grated

1 cup nuts – optional

Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream butter and both sugars for 3-4 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Combine the next five dry ingredients and then gradually add to wet ingredients, mixing till dough forms. Fold in chips, chocolate and nuts. Scoop dough onto cookie sheet lined with parchment, placed 2 inches apart. Bake for 6 minutes or as desired.

Chewy molasses crinkles

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups butter, room temp

2 cups organic sugar

1/2 cup molasses

2 free-range eggs

4 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour

4 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Beat together butter and sugar on medium speed for 3-4 minutes. Add in the eggs and molasses, and beat on medium-low speed until combined. Whisk together dry ingredients and add to wet ingredients; beat until combined. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes.

Roll the dough into small balls. Dip and roll in additional sugar until completely coated. Place on parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake for about 8-10 minutes, until the cookies begin to slightly crack on top.

Oatmeal cranberry white chocolate chip cookies

Ingredients:

4 sticks butter, room temp

2 cups organic brown sugar

1 cup organic sugar

2 free-range eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 cups all purpose, unbleached flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

5 cups organic rolled oats

11 ounces Ghirardelli white chocolate chips

5 ounces dried cranberries, no sugar added

Shredded coconut, optional

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream butter and sugars for 3-4 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and mix for another 2-3 minutes. Add dry ingredients and mix till dough forms. Fold in chips, cranberries (and coconut). Scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Transfer to wire rack.