’Tis the season for sweet treats—and DeeDee’s Kitchen has plenty to go around.
Banana pudding, chocolate toffee, salted caramel cheesecake—this might sound like the dessert feast of your dreams, but it’s actually just a glimpse of the selection at DeeDee’s Kitchen.
October marks one year since Debra Bragg started her home bakery. A lot has changed in that time—her customer base has grown, her selection of flavors has expanded, and she’s connected with other local entrepreneurs. But one thing has stayed the same: her passion for baking great cookies.
We sat down with Bragg to find out what secret ingredient makes DeeDee’s Kitchen so sweet.
What inspired you to start DeeDee’s Kitchen?
Debra Bragg: I used to work at the mall, and it was a community of people. I used to make pumpkin rolls and give them to the managers to share with their stores, and everybody always loved them. And my husband was like, “You bake all the time, why don’t you sell them?”
Where did you get your passion for baking?
DB: I get it all from my grandmother. She was a wonderful cook. She would cook for the family every week when everybody was busy. We all lived close, so she had a bell on her porch and would ring the dinner bell. That’s where I get most of my cooking skills. My dad always said I’m the cook in the family, and I credit that to her—and I have her dinner bell on my porch now.
You sell a variety of baked goods, but your largest selection is cookies—why cookies?
DB: I do pumpkin rolls, cinnamon rolls, and cupcakes, but I don’t do fancy writing and all that. I’ll buy sprinkles and decorations, but I’m a one-man-band. My husband loves carrot cake, so I do make him a made-from-scratch carrot cake every year for his birthday.
You have some interesting cookie flavors, like West Virginia coal and West Virginia potato chip—what’s your process for coming up with recipes?
DB: I’m born and raised here, so I just love everything West Virginia—everybody keeps asking me to make a Mothman cookie. I love Mister Bee chips, and the West Virginia coal cookie is a rich espresso, dark chocolate—I’m just always thinking about those things. I’m working on a West Virginia pothole cookie—except, they have been fixing the roads lately.
What is your personal favorite?
DB: I have quite a few. I love the iced snickerdoodle, because my dad’s favorite was snickerdoodle. The campfire is fantastic. And I just came out with brown butter walnut chocolate chip and one for the holiday with cranberries, walnuts, and white chocolate. I don’t really have a favorite—I like them all.
Find 13 varieties of Bragg’s tasty treats at the last Arts Walk of the season downtown on Friday, November 7, from 6 to 9 p.m. Or you can place an order at deedeeskitchenmorgantown.com, or visit locations in town that carry her home-baked desserts:
Weezer’s Hotdog Shop
Sorella’s Pizzeria
The Local Market
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