Kirshenbaum Baking Co.: From Online Cookie Business To Westfield Bakery

WESTFIELD, NJ — What started as an online cookie business to make money during the pandemic has now evolved into Kirshenbaum Baking Co. — a full-fledged bakery that is set to open in Westfield in mid-September.

Pastry chef Uyen Kirshenbaum recently announced that the new bakery will soon make its debut at 62 Elm Street in downtown Westfield.

While she is in charge of the baking, Kirshenbaum's husband, Jeff, a former Wall Street employee, is the "operations and brains" behind the baking company.

When the duo found themselves jobless during the pandemic, Kirshenbaum said they decided to start a little business at home, selling cookies online.

At the time, the couple was living in Los Angeles with their kids. Kirshenbaum decided to rent out a commercial space where she was able to bake cookies.

"[The business] just grew and it grew, and to our surprise, our online cookie business really took off," Kirshenbaum said.

Before starting her own business, Kirshenbaum worked as a pastry chef in the restaurant industry for the past 20 years.

She studied to become a chef in Paris and later worked at restaurants in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Her previous job was working with David LeFevre — a famous Los Angeles chef. Kirshenbaum served as LeFevre's corporate executive pastry chef for his restaurant group in Manhattan Beach in Southern California.

But Kirshenbaum said the pandemic changed the course of the entire industry, which is what prompted her to start her own business.

Beyond cookies, Kirshenbaum had dreams to expand the business and create a brick-and-mortar shop. Jeff was born and raised in Fanwood, and the two decided to move the family across the country about a year ago to Westfield in order to live closer to Jeff's family.

"To be able to open a bakery in your hometown is an incredible gift," Kirshenbaum said. "And our downtown is gorgeous. I always had my eye on it when we moved here ... There's just a really great sense of community in Westfield."

Kirshenbaum said she was lucky that the space on Elm Street came on the market and that it was "meant to be."

Besides cookies, the bakery will sell everything from homemade breads and artisanal sandwiches to full-sized cakes and pies by the slice. Kirshenbaum said the bakery will also sell pastries, eclairs and coffee — with beans sourced locally from Boxwood Coffee.

The bakery also offers some dairy and gluten free cookie options. Some of the featured items include salted chocolate chip cookies, mint double chocolate cookies (gluten free and dairy free), rocky road (gluten free and dairy free), vanilla lavender and brown butter snickerdoodle.

Jeff's cookie collection is made up of all gluten and dairy free options, as Jeff cannot have dairy himself. You can check out those cookies here.

Kirshenbaum said she also plans to sell a gluten free pumpkin bread for the fall season.

The bakery will still offer two-day shipping nationwide via FedEx. You can find more information about ordering cookies and menu options on their website.

Have a news tip? Email remy.samuels@patch.com.