When Deborah Frazier baked cookies for her nieces and nephews in the 1980s, she didn't know that simple act of kindness would change her life.

Frazier found a new passion in baking and dreamed of having her own store. "I always had my eye on opening up a little cookie shop. I had my eye on that prize."

That dream became a reality when Frazier opened DD's Gourmet Cookies at the Shops at Sunset Place in South Miami this past February.

The cart, located next to the mall's movie theater ticket window, sells Frazier's hand-baked cookies in several varieties, including peanut butter, oatmeal raisin, and a lemon drop sugar cookie inspired by the lemon drop martini.
The baker's special cookie, the one she's proudest of, is Backyard All the Way. A peanut butter cookie is lavished with white and dark chocolate chips, Reese's Pieces, maple bacon, caramel, and a dash of sea salt. Frazier says this cookie can make even a cloudy disposition sunny. "This cookie has a lot of personality. It puts you in a good mood. It's a wonderful cookie."

The kiosk also offers gluten-free, vegan, and sugar-free varieties, allowing nearly everyone, regardless of dietary needs, to enjoy freshly baked cookies. Regular cookies cost $1 each, $2.75 for three, $5.25 for six, and $10.50 for a dozen. Specialty cookies (including Backyard All the Way and gluten-free) cost $1.50 each, $3.50 for three, $8.50 for six, and $17 for a dozen.

Frazier's journey to opening her business was nearly three decades in the making. Before setting up her cart, the cookie entrepreneur went door-to-door, selling her treats to neighbors and members of her church. Soon she asked local restaurants to purchase her cookies. "I was very well known in Coconut Grove," she says. Frazer's clients included the Last Carrot and GreenStreet Cafe. "Everyone has a dream. You have to start from somewhere. I would tell the [restaurant] owners that."

DD's Gourmet Cookies
Open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in front of AMC Sunset Place 24 inside the Shops at Sunset Place, 5701 Sunset Dr., South Miami; 786-294-5222.