Rising Stars: Meet Larry Woodland of Koreatown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Larry Woodland.

Hi Larry, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Cookies and Dream started as a conversation with my husband David in 2008. It has taken 17 years to bring this idea to reality. While we debate who came up with the name, we agree that this business pays homage to our families where food was used to show love and care.
I became a vegetarian in 2006 for health reasons and learned a lot about how to meet all my nutritional needs. I have always had a sweet tooth. As I started to focus on my health, I wanted to find healthier cookies which never seemed possible so I started baking. I became interested in learning more about vegan baking and started my journey as a began baker in 2020 with the goal of making a vegan snickerdoodle that tasted like a traditional snickerdoodle. I learned more about food science, plant-based substitutions, and texture. In the process I hacked and developed several cookie recipes for vegans and vegetarians. Cookies and Dream is the result of years of trial and error and the quest for a great homemade cookie. I hope you all enjoy the results.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a lot of trial and error learning about starting a baking business. One obstacles was finding a community kitchen and I ended up getting a cottage license to bake at home. As a baker getting your recipes just right is always a challenge and its fun. I also am always thinking about how to lift the stigma of vegan baking. Everyone assumes the worse including that the ingredients are not natural and most of them are from plants and seeds.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a vegan baker who specializes in cookies and other baked goods including muffins and brownies to name a few. The star cookie is the snickerdoodle which is a sugar cinnamon cookie. My baked goods are known for their flavor and texture which is a challenge in vegan and gluten free baking. I am proud that I am starting this business and a black queer man.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was born in Washington DC and raised in Maryland. I have a large extended family and I am one of the youngest in the family so I grow up being the baby of the family. My dad introduced me to music which became my first love. I played the clarinet, flute, and saxophone for years. I also discovered cooking from my grandmother who was a master baker. I learned a lot from watching which is a reason I also became a social worker and a therapist. My attitude for my life has been follow you instincts and live your life on your turns. I love that I have so many interest and that I give myself the permission to give it a try.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cookiesndream.com
• Instagram: @cookiesndreamLA

Image Credits
Matt Cali Photography