Two UH tastes go great together

Rachel Gross and Libby Stineman.

If you’re old enough, you certainly remember the Reese’s commercial. A young guy is dancing down the street eating chocolate, while around the corner, a young lady is eating from an open jar of peanut butter with her fingers. (It was the 1970s, and things were weirder then.)

The two collide. She protests that he got his chocolate in her peanut butter, while he expresses the inverse concern about her peanut butter being on his chocolate. But they soon are delighted that, while perhaps unexpected, these are two great tastes that go great together. One can assume they got married and lived happily ever after.

Like our clumsy and hungry pedestrians from a generation ago, two female-owned businesses in University Heights have discovered their own taste sensation—the Mish Mosh Mix Cookie.

Rachel and Sarah Gross of Bialy’s Bagels have teamed up with Libby Stineman of Milk and Cookies on the new taste sensation.

“When Rachel and Sarah suggested creating a Mish Mosh cookie collaboration, I couldn’t wait to get into the kitchen,” Stineman said. “It’s the perfect balance of sweet from my cookie and the salty and savory from Bialy’s famous Mish Mosh seasoning.”

Persistence pays off, said Rachel Gross. "After sending us a few messages, Libby offered to bring us samples of her cookies in hopes of partnering up to collaborate on a cookie. Well, that was all it took! Sarah and I each took one bite of Libby’s Simply Chocolate Chip and knew instantly we wanted to work with her," she said.

"This cookie was next level!" said Gross. "Mish Mosh Mix goes well on anything, so why not all mixed up in a cookie? Libby’s excitement to work on developing a Mish Mosh Cookie was all the confirmation we needed. When she returned with two renditions of the cookie, we couldn’t believe how well they both turned out! The cookies have been flying off our shelves."  

The cookie base is slathered with a sweet cream-cheese frosting, and sprinkled with a light dusting of Mish Mosh Mix.

Stineman is thrilled to team up with the award-winning bagel shop. “I grew up eating Bialy's Bagels, and to be able to collaborate with a beloved University Heights, female-owned business is beyond exciting,” she said. “Rachel and Sarah inspire me with their determination, work ethic, and dedication to the community. The values they embody are ones I work to instill in my business, and also my daughters.”

City Hall staffer Ben Schaefer is a convert. “Being a big fan of both Bialy’s mish mosh bagels and Milk and Cookies’s treats, I was both excited and a bit skeptical about this crossover,” Schaefer said. “But wow! Salty, sweet, and the unique, but not unwelcome, blast of garlic is an excellent combination. I may have bought a few already.”

For now, the Mish Mosh Mix cookie is available exclusively at Bialy’s. The bagel shop is open Wednesday through Sunday.

Mike Cook

Mike Cook is the communications and civic engagement coordinator for University Heights.

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Volume 15, Issue 6, Posted 9:58 AM, 05.26.2022