Vermont Moonlight Cookies

Barbara Bacchi started baking in Brooklyn at the age of twelve when she and a friend attempted holiday spritz cookies in between scenes of "The Wizard of Oz." She had so much fun that her Mom bought her a Miro cookie press — one of the first on the market. Can you guess her age? Let's just say that she was a Dodgers fan when they won the '55 World Series. 'Nuff said. She has a few years of baking under her belt.

Barbara and her husband moved to Vermont in 1973. Through the years, she made holiday cookies for friends and family. Her perfectionism allowed her to gift only cookies with no touches of over-baking or other flaws, discarding those not meeting her high standards. Actually, "discarded" meant her family was allowed to eat them. It became a running joke whenever anyone saw them in the cupboard that these were "rejects" but no one complained as they munched away.

The idea of starting a specialty cookie company became a reality when her three children were grown. She researched all the companies out there and decided that her cookies had to be unique in order to stand out among them. So she began hand-cutting cookies with Vermont themes, using quality local ingredients. The cookies have whimsical names and shapes that pay homage to the Green Mountain State.

Barbara's goal is to first impress her customers with exquisite packaging — a touch of country with a bit of elegance — and then amaze them with her delicious cookies inside.