During our talk about her cookie business, Kayla Moser and I are almost completely derailed by our love of public libraries. “I could talk about libraries for as long as anyone would listen,” Moser says. Libraries are easy to praise for their books, programming and resources, but for Moser, the reasons are different. “I bake all of my cookies at the Mid-Continent Public Library.”
Dough Drop Cookies has been serving familiar favorites and new flavors for over a year in Kansas City, providing made-from-scratch baked treats through its website and as a pop-up at local festivals.
When Moser decided to dive into the cookie business, she was working at a job she loathed and needed to make a change. “I wanted to do something that I loved,” she says.
While searching for whatever that “something” was, Moser’s partner reminded her of the joy she found in making cookies for family and friends. Moser is a self-taught baker. She is not the product of a culinary school. Rather, her instruction came from cooking with encouraging grandparents.
Moser started to investigate the possibility of turning cookie-making into a business. Something about starting in her own kitchen didn’t feel invested enough, though, so she sought commercial kitchens to make cookies at scale. All the options felt too far from home or too expensive. Months passed and she started to lose hope. “Just when it felt like it was a lost cause, it seemed like the stars aligned and the Mid-Continent Culinary Center opened,” Moser says with kinetic joy in her voice.
Located at the Green Hills Library Center, the Mid-Continent Culinary Center provides commercial kitchens for rent, classes to support start-ups and routes to navigate funding for small businesses. Moser applied for one of the library’s scholarship programs and was accepted. She dreams of having her own kitchen and storefront someday, but for now, she does her baking at the library, and people can schedule to pick up online cookie orders there.
Her goods can be ordered through her website, found at local festivals like The Strawberry Swing or bought at a smattering of coffee shops, mostly in the Northland. A coffee shop favorite is her Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tart cookie. doughdropcookies.com
Kayla Moser’s
Perfect Day in KC
Coffee
“The Mid-Continent Public Library would be involved in any version of my best day, likely with a mocha from the Novella Espresso Bar at the Green Hills location. But the Mayan Mocha with cayenne, dark chocolate and cinnamon syrup from the Gusto Coffee Shop in Parkville is a particularly delightful treat if you like a little spice in your sweet.”
Breakfast
“It’s biscuits and gravy from The Farmhouse in the River Market. I would like to say something more interesting, like their huevos rancheros, but I’m a biscuits and gravy girl.”
Lunch
“I have been going to Lulu’s Thai Noodle Shop for years, and I still only order pad see ew (chicken, egg and broccoli over wide egg noodles) with thai iced tea and crab rangoon because, obviously, crab rangoon.”
Dinner
“St. Louis-style pizza at Caddyshack. I love the crispy crust and Provel cheese.”
