Bite Into Something Good

For Dale Muramoto, baking served as a calming method for relieving stress and providing sweet treats for her two young children.

Little did the culinary craftswoman realize that her confectionary concoctions would eventually lead to a business opportunity, and a new moniker that says it all. Known affectionately as “The Cookie Lady,” Muramoto has passed her love for baking on to daughter Terilyn Lee, who four years ago took her mother’s hobby and turned it into an eatery appropriately dubbed The Cookie Lady.

While The Cookie Lady has grown in popularity, Lee continues to produce cookies with “love” in each batch — the goal of the business is not to mass produce products, but rather to prepare the delicious treats for customers as if they were baked at home for family members.

Muramoto has “played around with” and perfected her various recipes for the past two decades — a process that began while she baked and prepared goodie baskets for family and friends. The resulting treats were so delicious that recipients implored Muramoto to open a cookie shop, an idea that Lee helped bring to fruition. While she is now semi-retired, The Cookie Lady still has a hand in the baking process as customers continue to enjoy the family recipes.

Situated in Waipahu above Hans L’Orange Park and the Filipino Community Center, The Cookie Lady resides in a spacious, inviting storefront that is also home to the business’s baking operation. Muramoto explains that the baking team can generate upward of 700 cookies at a time, when necessary. The delicious cookies are constantly in demand, as was the case during a recent visit by Dining Out that saw grinning customers toting bags and bags of the treats out the door.

The Cookie Lady features 12 standard flavors available in bags ($6.50 each) and jars ($20 each). Customers clamor for the popular flavor combinations, including top-selling Lemon as well as Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter, Cornflakes, Oatmeal, Furikake Mix and Shortbread/Macadamia. Each month, The Cookie Lady introduces a new flavor to the cookie mix, and those who stop in during March can enjoy Mochi Krunch — a tasty mixture of sweet and salty flavors and texture.

“Every time we bake the cookies, I’ll eat one from each batch — I like them all!” says Lee, when asked to name her favorite cookie variety.

In addition to purchasing cookies directly from the Waipahu shop, customers will also find The Cookie Lady’s creations at a handful of local small businesses. Currently, the cookies are available at Maruki Tei (Windward Mall), Made in Hawaii (Aiea), Karen’s Kitchen (Cooke Street near downtown Honolulu), Samurai (Kalihi) and Carousel Candyland (Kahala Mall).

Readers are encouraged to take advantage of a special Hot Deals Hawaii offer good for $22 of The Cookie Lady products for just $14. Simply log on to www.HotDealsHawaii.com now through Tuesday, March 25, to take advantage of the can’t-miss offer, which can be redeemed through Sept. 30, 2014. As a reminder: The Hot Deal is not valid on special orders or mini bags; printed voucher must be present for redemption; one voucher per party per visit; and the deal is not combinable with other offers.

The Cookie Lady also offers fundraising opportunities, and those interested are encouraged to inquire about the various packages available. Lee also advises customers to keep an eye out for money-saving coupons that occasionally appear in MidWeek.

“Cookie Lady” Dale Muramoto and Owner Terilyn Lee with a tray of assorted cookies.

The Cookie Lady

94-449 Akoki St. #102, Waipahu
671-4715
Tuesday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
closed Sundays and Mondays
TheCookieLadyHawaii.com