She officially launches this week and has started taking orders.

“My daughter and I were talking about cookies — how much we like Crumbl Cookies and how they’re not here — and I’m like, I could make some like that,” Wallen said.

She began baking cookies for the Gladbrook Farmers Market and decided to branch out to offering delivery once a week.

“Instead of having the business control me, I want to control it, and I just have some extra time,” she explained. “I forgot how much I love baking until I started doing it again for market. It’s the best of all the worlds.”

Wallen

Wallen describes the cookies as “jumbo” and bigger than your hand.

“What my plan is, is to offer chocolate chip cookies every week as a standard, and then switch out two more flavors each week, so three a week,” she said.

This first week’s offerings will include raspberry lemonade and chocolate caramel.

“There will always be a sugar kind like a wedding cake or birthday cake flavor,” she added. “And then one more fun one in there.”

Wallen said the recipes came about through experimenting.

“The chocolate recipe is like a chocolate brownie batter cookie, basically,” she said. “From there, you can really kind of expand on those. I do a take on monster cookies with different candies in there too. So basic recipes, and then just have fun creating.” The cost is $4 per cookie or $12 for a variety pack. Orders are due by noon on Saturdays for delivery on Tuesday afternoons.

The minimum order for free delivery is $12. The business is delivery only as there is no brick and mortar storefront.

“If this works out the way I think it will, I’ll be at vendor shows too,” Wallen said. “When I closed my brick and mortar (More Good Vibes) because of rent increase, I started really putting shows in my lineup for the weekends.”

She still does session work for More Good Vibes, wherein she offers meditation and is a crystal practitioner and holistic healer.

“A lot of my clientele has been in person, and once your clientele has an in-person experience, it’s hard for them to go virtually, so I’m rebuilding that clientele, doing shows, the wire-wrapping. I’m kind of a mobile person now,” she said.

She points out that her baking isn’t meant to compete with other local entities, as she permanently closed down Heavenly Breads and gave her recipes to Lisa Niedermann-Scott, owner of Heavenly Sweets.

“When I needed to close that with the pandemic, I told her to move forward and go with it,” Wallen said. “I want to offer variety in the area, and not competition. I just haven’t seen cookies like this anywhere around, so that was super important. You straighten other people’s crowns, not knock them off.”

Wallen doesn’t see the cookie business growing too fast too soon.

“I’m not going back to catering full-time or doing the cookies full-time. I want this to be fun and keep my passion in there, so orders will be limited,” she said. “I really miss people. I’m not used to not being out in the public so (delivering cookies) is going to meet that need for me as well.”

Orders can be placed via the Doughlicious Gourmet Cookie Facebook page (send a message), at 641-751-7729 or Mcdonoughleona@gmail.com.