I truly shed a tear when I found out about "The Cookie Lady" Debbie Kuehn. In 1986 - Debbie had 1 mission - she wanted to "change the world one cookie at a time" and opened up her Santa Fe Cookie Company. She started out serving up her freshly made cookies in the local mall and at various ski resorts as a means to fuel her travel whims, but as she grew older - her love for baking cookies & her love of the city of Denver made her decide to stay put. 

She settled into a warehouse in downtown Denver making wholesale cookies to sell to local businesses. But when word got out that the cookie maestro was back to baking - the locals wanted more! And that's when she had a brilliant idea - to test the limits of human spirit and create a completely "honor system" cookie sales counter where $1 got you 3 freshly baked cookies. She relied on people's honesty and used a bucket to collect the cookie dollars. She often donated portions of her profits to local public radio and her favorite Rocky Mountain Feline rescue. "She brought love to the world - one cookie at a time." 

But then earlier this year, tragedy struck and Debbie passed away at the far too young age of 57 from a brain tumor! Reading comments left by her fans made me incredibly sad. She truly sounded like an incredible woman who's love of sweet treats inspired a lot of people. 

Now her niece Alexis McLean who worked routinely with her aunt at the Santa Fe Cookie Company for years is taking over with big plans to grow the business - continue her aunt's legacy, and share those delicious recipes with the world. She did raise the price to $2 a bag - but after tasting a TON of these cookies - let me tell you. It's worth it. These were easily some of the best cookies I've ever had... straight from the oven, they were warm, comforting, luxurious, and amazing. But even after sitting a few days, they developed a crunchy chewy texture that was absolutely perfect. 

I'd totally recommend the peanut butter & chocolate chip cookies - those were my favorite, but after chatting with Alexis, it sounds like she has even more fun concoctions up her sleeves! There were some tasty looking cookie sandwiches and cupcakes on the counter - that I'm sure I'll have to try next time. Plus she's kept the same bucket her aunt instituted all those years ago - so you do get the chance to experience a little bit of Debbie's charm when you wander into this cookie oasis!

Santa Fe Cookie Company

303 16th Street

Denver, CO 80202

(303) 623-0919

Open Monday - Friday 10am - 3pm