LOS ANGELES — Saying Chocolate and the Chip owner Lola Marie has a sweet tooth would be an understatement. She lived for desserts even before starting her own cookie business.
“If I would have told my 10-year-old self that I would have vats and vats of sprinkles, she would have been very happy,” said Marie. “My sweet tooth is out of control, but I don’t just snack. I don’t just pick up a candy bar. It really needs to be an event. It needs to be a moment."
Her cookies are a moment, but they weren’t always. Marie would make her boyfriend chocolate chip cookies from recipes she found online, but due to her love of sweets she knew she had to come up with her own. After some time, she perfected her cookie dough and it was a hit. It’s actually a brown butter base, which is used for all her cookies from the OG chocolate chip to the funfetti.
“It’s bold and nutty and there’s coffee in it too and it brings out the chocolate nutty flavor,” said Marie.
One of her other secret ingredients is cinnamon. Marie's flavors get even more fun from there. The Hot Chip Summer variety is made with bourbon and a potato chip on top.
“There is real bourbon in it because why not?” said Marie with a laugh.
With the recipes in hand, Chocolate and the Chip was born. From a small commercial kitchen in Inglewood, Marie started selling on Etsy and now ships nationwide through her website and Goldbelly with pop-ups around Los Angeles. Formerly a full-time singer/songwriter, baking keeps her creative juices flowing.
“It’s kept me busy. It’s kept me creative. I’m self-taught, so I have impostor syndrome but I really love doing this,” said Marie.
One of the new flavors she really loves is the Disco Ball. It starts with the brown butter base and has some coffee concentrate. Then it is stuffed with caramel and activated charcoal added for color.
“The dark black against that gooey caramel, when you open it, it’s an experience,” she said.
Even with her local and nationwide success, she keeps it simple, making everything from scratch and not adding too much to what she thinks is a great cookie.
“Everything is done by these hands, so I always make the dough. I really stand by the recipe. Anyone can make a cookie, but you have to make a good one. I think I did the best I could do and I’m very proud of it,” said Marie.
You can learn more about how to order from Chocolate and the Chip through their website and Instagram.