My House Cookies Combines Chocolates, Creates Blackout Cookie

A My House “blackout” cookie consists of three types of chocolates mixed, baked and served in one chewy, delicious and meltable-in-mouth treat.

A pastry chef of 20 years, Marie Connell now has her own sweet spot for when little children bite into her cookies at the My House Stand at the Malvern Farmers Market on Saturdays. She and her husband Tom Connell co-own the twelve-year old business which operates in Philadelphia.

Marie Connell worked for many years in various bakeries in northeastern Pennsylvania as well as San Francisco, CA where she trained at Tante Marie’s Cooking School.

“I wanted to strike out on my own — I love cookies,” she said. “My husband said one time, ‘You should sell these,’ and now we’ve moved into pies.”

Connell defined her methods as “all natural, all from scratch” and obtains the ingredients for her cookies, pies and also scones and quiches from sustainable vendors. Her favorite is the blueberry pie, which evokes memories of picking blueberries at her grandmother’s house as a child.

While the pies are seasonal, the cookies are available in six year-round flavors: oatmeal cherry, orange coconut, chocolate chip, ginger spice, chocolate chip with walnuts, purely peanut butter and blackout.  

Connell and her husband adopted the “what sells today, hopefully will sell tomorrow” motto for product sales. Their goal is, simply enough, to keep paying the mortgage.

Their staff consists of six bakers, and some of their hours kickoff at 4 a.m.

On the joy that she experiences when young ones enjoy her homemade cookies, Connell noted, “They’re not doing that for the tomatoes.”

My House confections are also available at the Downingtown Farmers Market, Oakmont Farmers Market and Lansdowne Farmers Market. Some of their retail locations include Whole Foods, Carlino Specialty Foods and Pagano’s Market in Philadelphia.