By Tisa Conway-Cunningham
Oh, that crisp outside, that ooey gooey center, the cream sandwiched between two halves, whatever the reason for loving a cookie, we can all agree that cookies have a little something for everyone.
Oh, Look … Cookies!, by The Kentucky Kids, is the brainchild of three young entrepreneurs, Ryann Lee, 15, Maks Lee, 12, Christian Coleman, 8, and their mother, Kiauna Browning Coleman. Back in 2020, the trio came to Kiauna with the idea to start their own business. The love of baking was passed down from Kiauna’s mother to her, and then to her children, and became the basis of ideas for the business. The young entrepreneurs knew they loved sweet treats and baking and ultimately settled on cookies.
Oh, Look … Cookies!, stemmed from the franchise company, Cookie Now, which allows small businesses access to all of Cookie Now’s cookie recipes. The business operates as home-based processors under Kentucky’s Cottage Bakery Laws, is fully licensed and registered with the Kentucky State Health Department and the Secretary of State. This gives the small business creative rights to their branding, marketing and editing of all their products. They accept personal orders, custom orders, large orders, pick up and delivery for a small fee.
Cookies — something so simple and easy to produce but delivers the ultimate sweet treat experience. The options are endless, and nothing is more inviting than the sweet, buttery, smell of freshly baked cookies. Think, chocolate chip, pumpkin white chocolate, red velvet chocolate chip, s’mores, cinnamon roll, salted caramel pretzel, snickerdoodle, strawberry milkshake, cookies and cream and so many more flavors. Oh, Look … Cookies! offers a variety of classic and innovative cookie flavors on a rotating monthly, seasonal and holiday basis.
Baking her way to cookie perfection, Ryann has become the sole baker of the company’s cookie creations. At 15, Ryann navigates individual orders, large parties, catered events and all the company’s baking needs. At first bake, Ryann can identify cookie perfection or butter babies (oopsies) on-site and smell. Too much butter, missing ingredients, French vanilla instead of vanilla extract, Ryann can identify, correct and command her kitchen to ensure that all customers are getting the optimal cookie experience.
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At 12, Maks is the head of sales and marketing. Whether it is scripting a video for Facebook content or coming up with strategies to get the cookies in the customer’s hands, Maks is the guy who does it all. At events, he navigates crowds and vendors to ensure that everyone knows where to find their tasty treats. Check out the Oh, Look … Cookies! Facebook page, and you will find an immersive page filled with opportunities to win free cookies, gift cards and fun content that showcases the company’s cookie creations.
Christian may be the youngest sibling, but make no mistakes, he is a powerhouse. He, too, works alongside Maks to make cookie sales. He also makes package labels under the direction of his mother, Kiauna. Christian is a math guy, though, so he does one of the most important jobs, which is to count the money. Let’s not forget the very important role of taste tester, which is divided among the three siblings.
Although their cookie business keeps the three siblings busy, they all still live a very active life outside of the kitchen. Ryann is a sophomore in high school. She is enrolled in the School for the Creative and Performing Arts (SCAPA) as a voice major. She began her vocal training in fourth grade, and since has performed at Carnegie Hall and won singer of the year for the International Model and Talent Association in Los Angeles. She is also a part of the All-State Choir and currently is in the second round of the Governor’s School for the Arts. Ryann participates in the school’s culinary arts program and drama department. She is currently in the school’s production of “The Little Mermaid.”
Maks is in the Spanish Immersion program at his middle school. This is a rigorous program where students spend at least half of their day in core-content classes speaking only in Spanish. He will continue the program in high school and will graduate bilingual, fluent in both English and Spanish. Maks plays lacrosse, is in choir and plays the saxophone in the school band. He won class vice president this school year but claimed the presidential role when the other president was unable to finish his term. Next year, he will move up to eighth grade president. Maks enjoys coding, making video games and making animations. He also serves on the Fayette County Public School Student Council, which includes a combination of all their school’s student government members.
Christian is also in the Spanish Immersion program at his elementary school. His core content classes are all in Spanish, with a goal to graduate bilingual in English and Spanish too. Christian enjoys math, loves reading and writing books. One of his most recent book series is titled, “Cat Guy,” which follows the main character who is a guy and a cat, and follows along on adventures with him and his pet dog. His books are usually three-chapter books but have multiple books in a series. Along with friends, Christian is a proud creator of new outdoor games, such as under tag, which was thought up on a rainy day under one of the school’s covered outside areas. Both Christian and Maks are dedicated gamers, but sister, Ryann holds the high score in the Nintendo Switch Sports, golf.
Kiauna is a kindergarten teacher with Fayette County Public Schools. She obtained three degrees, a bachelor’s in elementary education, a master’s in instructional leadership with an endorsement in biliteracy P-12, and principalship. She is currently working on her Ed.D. in instructional administration. One of Kiauna’s goals for her children is to show them all of the opportunities that are available in multiple career paths. Whether they take the route of college, tech school or move straight into their careers, she works hard to ensure that they are well traveled, experienced and skilled in diverse areas.
An exciting endeavor that, Oh, Look … Cookies! began last year is their Porch Pop-Up Cart. Customers can order online and pick up in person from the cart. On the day of the pop-up, customers are given the location of the cart, whether it is outside their home porch in Frankfort, or at a visiting location. Customers can go to the cart, browse cookies, make selections, pay for cookies, bag them, and then take them away to enjoy.
They can buy single items, small batches, half dozen or dozen orders. This is a safe and easy way for the Kentucky Kids to sell cookies and for customers to enjoy their cookie delights.
While they have been closed for the winter season, Oh, Look … Cookies! has still been baking up opportunities to share their cookies. They deliver cookies to non-profits like Arbor Youth and their staff, deliver cookies to special events and have been sharing at different engagements. They recently visited Bellarmine University’s marketing class where they spoke to students about their business and their marketing strategies.
Oh, Look… Cookies! opened for the season in early March. Make sure you are following them on Facebook at Oh, Look … Cookies! By The Kentucky Kids. Visit their website, www.thekentuckykids.co, for dates and times. They are usually open from 10 a.m. until sell out — and they always sell out.
Contact The Kentucky kids at info@thekentuckykids.com or 859-279-1916.
Famous 100 Cookie Recipe
Ingredients:
500 grams butter
¾ cup (170g) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
395 grams sweetened condensed milk
5 cups (750g) self rising flour
Your choice of flavors/add-ins, such as malted milk, M&Ms, peanut butter, chocolate chips, raisins, mini marshmallows, sprinkles (stir some through but also roll the dough balls in extra sprinkles), white chocolate chunks, crushed Cornflakes, peanuts, dried cranberries and dark chocolate chips, dried apricots and white chocolate chips.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line baking trays and set aside (use as many as will fit in your oven). Cream the room-temperature butter and caster sugar together with handheld beaters or a stand mixer until light, creamy and fluffy.
Add the condensed milk and beat through. Add 1 cup of self-rising flour and beat through. Add another cup of self-rising flour and beat through. Continue until all 5 cups have been mixed through.
Divide the cookie dough between bowls and flavor each however you’d like. Roll into teaspoon-sized balls and place onto the prepared baking trays. Press down lightly with a fork. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes on the baking trays before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
