Don't Call Me a Tart

Growing up in a family of eleven children, sisters Elizabeth Beekley and Ceceila Korn understood early on that learning to cook equaled survival. Learning to bake, on the other hand, provided one with the valuable "favored sibling" status within the ranks. One could escape a whole lot of hairy family situations with a fresh batch of cookies on hand. It made perfect sense, then, that the sisters not only survived their youth by honing their baking skills, but later went on to support themselves with their flour, sugar, and butter-fueled obsession. In 2007, the sisters opened Two Tarts Bakery. It quickly became a farmers market darling, drawing long lines at their Saturday PSU stall. A retail store quickly followed. Tucked away in a corner of Portland's Alphabet District, this tiny, shoe-box-of-a-bakery produced a product often hailed by customers as the "crack cocaine of cookies," The tiny, diminutive treats were cleverly packaged as ready-made gifts. It was a warm, happy, inviting spot, where many a friendship was kindled, and many a laugh was shared. Years later, when it came time to peel back on the work hours and retire, customers implored the sisters to create a cookbook by which they could recreate their favorite Two Tarts cookies at home. So here you have it! More than 30 of our most popular recipes, with detailed instruction and saucy commentary to boot.