AUGUST 12 • 2021 | 11
B
aking with one’s bubbie
is a fun and memorable
activity, and something
that Yocheved Perlman-Magier
“wouldn’t change for the world.
It’s priceless.
”
Yocheved, of “Cookies and
More by Shelly and Yocheved,
”
loves blending her passion for
baking with spending weekly
quality time together with her
bubbie and zaydie. Together,
they bake everything from chal-
lah to cookies, cornbread, choc-
olate cinnamon babka, donut
holes, all the way to custom
cakes for every occasion.
However, baking wasn’t
always the plan for Yocheved.
When she was in 12th grade,
she planned to open a restau-
rant. Other plans were to do
nutrition or physical therapy.
Plans changed in 2015 when
her bubbie, Shelly Perlman,
asked her if she would like to
help her bake.
After a while, Yocheved
attended Schoolcraft College for
a Baking and Pastry Arts cer-
tificate. Going to a non-kosher
baking program was “absolute-
ly weird” for her, as she was
unable to taste anything she was
working on nor any finished
products — something she left
for her partner to do.
Her final was to create a wed-
ding cake, to which she said,
“I’m going the nerd route hard-
core”
, as she made a gorgeously
detailed Harry Potter-themed
wedding cake; to this day it’s
one of her favorite creations.
Unfortunately, for kashrut rea-
sons, she was unable to have a
slice.
While in school, baking with
her bubbie slowly grew. They
began with cookies and stuff for
the holidays. In the summer of
2017, they began to do things
for Shabbat. When Yocheved
graduated from her program
in 2018, they began to make
custom cakes, which quickly
became their bread and but-
ter. Thanks to Facebook and
Instagram, as well as word of
mouth, they got many orders.
Their original goal was to
make a bakery in the com-
munity; however, Yocheved is
unsure if they would continue
to do everything they currently
offer, or simply focus on cakes.
In the meantime, they cook out
of each other’s homes, varying
each week with a menu posted
on their social media accounts.
When asked what her favor-
ite thing to bake is, Yocheved
replied, “I have to pick just
one?” and said that their peanut
butter and chocolate cookies
“are so much fun to make
because they look so beauti-
ful when they come out.
” She
likes decorating custom cakes
because she’s about to try new
techniques, and she loves the
feel of the dough when braiding
challah.
Although turning a hobby
into a business can be daunting,
she said it’s fun for her because
she gets to spread the delicious
results of her bubbie’s recipes
within the neighborhood, as
well as create new delicacies and
flavors together. Their menu has
received both in-town and out-
of-town orders. “Cookies and
More” originally was named by
Yocheved’s bubbie back when
she was selling cookies to her
friends and also selling at a
local farmer’s market. Once
Yocheved joined in they added
their names to the title.
When Yocheved was getting
married earlier this summer,
she wanted to create and bake
her own wedding cake. When
she learned that was not possi-
ble because of kashrut reasons
with the caterer, she made one
for her Sheva Brachot (week of
celebration) instead.
Newly married, she balances
her work and her baking time
and leaves her evenings to
spend with her husband. When
needed, her husband will join in
the fun.
Cookies and More by Shelly
and Yocheved has experience
baking gluten-free and vegan
products; and do their best to
cater to the needs of their clients.
Their menu rotates weekly, with
some items like the challahs and
certain cookies being a staple.
They then pick the items they
are in the mood to bake that
week and add it to the menu.
Yocheved’s bubbie and zaydie
find it all to be fun, and they
benefit by spending time with
their granddaughter while
helping her passion grow into a
business.
You can view their weekly menu, usu-
ally posted on Mondays, and contact
Yocheved to place orders at
facebook.com/cookiesandmore2016
or via Instagram at
@shellyandyochevedcookiesam.
OUR COMMUNITY
Yocheved
Perlman-Magier
loves to bake
with her bubbie.
Cookies
and More
DOVID NISSAN ROETTER
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
PEOPLE WE KNOW & STORIES WE DON’T
Yocheved
Perlman-
Magier
Shelly and
Yocheved