Finding the right ingredients to make some dough

In operating a small business, a Bolingbrook mom is attempting to provide a delicious product while raising a family.

Linda Hardin, a gourmet cook, has created a line of cookies that she says are healthier and taste better than others on the market.

"Our recipes are unique in that they use whole grain, organic oat flour, organic sweetener and they taste absolutely fantastic," Harlin said. She sells pre-shaped frozen cookie dough.

Hardin, who operates The Dough Girl's Kitchen, has been negotiating with food service companies and school districts. As she continues this lengthy process, she started selling the dough online at www.chrysaliscookies.com.

Hardin has been making the cookies for family for years. When friends tasted her creations, including chocolate chip and cranberry oatmeal, they continued to suggest that she sell them. When two corporate chefs moved in next door, they persuaded her to take her recipes to the next level.

"It hasn't been easy," said Hardin.

Because health regulations prevent her from making the dough in her kitchen, the entrepreneur has to have her cookies made in a professional kitchen.

Getting people to try her cookies is also a difficult task. She admits that once customers try them, they're hooked. The cookies are all natural with no preservatives or trans fats.

Because she offers a healthier alternative, Hardin has been attempting to sell to schools and hospitals. This is proving difficult because they often work with big food companies.

"It's frustrating. I'm plugging along," she said. She's also working with grocery stores. She's in Earth Fare stores in the Southeast.

Locally, the Bolingbrook Country Club is selling her product as well as the coffee shop at the Bolingbrook Hospital.

She's now marketing the Chrysalis Cookies on the convenience factor. When shoppers order them online, they're delivered on dry ice and ready to bake. Vanilla, chocolate crinkles and molasses spice cookies are other options. They sell for about $26 for three dozen.

"I've had really good feedback from customers so far," she said.

The idea for the cookies originated based on her children's food allergies. When her son was 2, he was constantly sick. She finally figured out he was allergic to wheat and dairy.

The former Amoco biochemist started making an array of meals and treats in the kitchen without wheat or dairy. Her cookies are based on this philosophy.

"I'm picky. My recipes have to be perfect," Hardin said. "It was a full-time job," she said of creating the menus.

Hardin and her husband, Fred, who works in the computer industry, are raising their children Christopher, 14, and Elizabeth, 12, in Bolingbrook.

For more information, call (630) 865-6929.