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Bake shop Cookie Dough Cowgirl has been serving the Lakeway and surrounding communities with fresh baked cookies, ice cream, coffee and more since September 2022.
Meet the baker
When the shop first opened, owner Leslie Perkins was taking a leap into unfamiliar territory.
"I didn't have any background in necessarily owning a business or even as a bakery owner, but I've always loved baking and always liked trying new things," Perkins said.
Prior to opening the shop, Perkins worked as a high school teacher and later a fitness instructor before deciding she was “ready for something new.”
“There's definitely a learning curve where you know you're going to make mistakes,” Perkins said. “My husband has his own businesses as well, and so luckily he was like, ‘These are mistakes everyone makes, and it's OK.’ ... You've got to be able to recover from it and just go with the flow. ... There's also a lot of reward when you realize, ‘I've made this work.’”
What they offer
The name Cookie Dough Cowgirl and many of the bakery items stem from Perkins’ love of animals she has owned, including horses, dogs and lizards.
The shop offers a variety of cookies made from Perkins’ own recipes such as Chico’s Chocolate Chip Cookie; Beardie’s Peanut Butter Cookie; Buddy’s Brownie Cookie; Sadie’s Sugar Cookie; the Cowboy Cookie with flourless peanut butter oatmeal, dark chocolate, caramel and pecans; the Rodeo Cookie with Oreo, white and semi-sweet chocolate, and sprinkles; and the Bonodoodle Cookie with cinnamon and caramel bits.
Other menu items include ice cream, coffee, tea, and the occasional specialized or seasonal dessert. The shop also features a small gift shop with tea towels, T-shirts, hats and more. This year, Perkins also added an area for children to take home books for free.
"I love when the kids come in and look at the books and then they start talking with their parents about them," Perkins said.
Staying local
So far, the biggest reward has been becoming part of the Lakeway community by speaking at local schools, such as Lake Travis ISD’s Kardivas program, and meeting customers, she said.
"The best part of this—because obviously it can be super stressful—is I've gotten to know so many people of Lakeway," Perkins said. "It's been really fun getting to know the community more. That's been my favorite part."
