The whats, whys and hows of cookie dough
For people who were taught to never, ever, ever eat raw cookie dough, the edible cookie dough craze can be tough to wrap one’s brain around. Here’s a primer culled from dough makers and food safety experts: What makes it safe?: Those who make edible versions avoid raw eggs (a salmonella risk) and raw, untreated flour (a risk for e.coli), the two bugaboos cited by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. How did this trend start?: Although home cooks may have been eating safe versions at home for years, two companies — Cookie Dough Cafe and Edoughble — were at the forefront of the commercial movement. Edoughble founder Rana Lustyan, a Los Angelesbased pastry chef who once worked at Boulevard in San Francisco, created an edible recipe after hearing about a dough recall in 2009. She launched online sales in 2013. Cookie Dough Cafe was founded in 2011 by sisters Joan Pacetti and Julia Schmid, who pitched their idea on the “Shark Tank” in 2014. How many calories are in edible cookie dough?: Generally speaking, about the same as in premium ice cream. An analysis of the Cookie Dough Cafe’s dough reported 200 calories in a 2-ounce serving. Assuming the average ice cream-size scoop is 4 ounces, that would make a dough serving about 400 calories. Can I bake edible cookie dough?: Some versions yes, some no. If the dough contains some sort of egg substitute, then you’re good to go. However, some recipes do not include the ingredients needed to achieve a properly baked cookie. How should cookie dough
be stored?: You must refrigerate the dough. Many commercial versions will last several weeks in the fridge, longer in the freezer. But check with your purveyor if you purchase from a local shop; their recipes may not contain any preservatives. Where can I buy edible cookie dough in the Bay Area?: Shops open: Cookie Dough Parlor, 1418 Pinole Valley Road, Pinole; open daily from noon or 12:30 p.m. until 9:30 or later; www.cookiedoughparlor.com DOUGHP at The Myriad, 2175 Market St., San Francisco; new hours will be noon-10 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, until 8 Sunday; www. doughpsf.com Shops coming soon: Out the Dough, 4664 Clayton Road, Concord; opening date and hours TBA; www. outthedough.com
Grocery stores: Cookie Dough Cafe’s products are sold at New Seasons market in San Jose, New Leaf markets in Santa Cruz and on the coast, and Walmart in San Jose, Santa Clara, Gilroy, Pleasanton and San Ramon.