Heartland Nutri Cookies

When I first moved to Calgary, there was a cozy little place in the Sunnyside neighbourhood called The Heartland Country Store. On my days off, I’d go for long walks by the river and eventually make my way to this homey haven. In an old brick building block, with tall steamed up windows, the greeting upon entering was the sound of milk being foamed, dishes rattling and people huddled together reading, talking and laughing. After waiting my turn in line, and gradually peeling my hat, mitts and scarf off in the meantime, when I got to the till, I always ordered one of their Heartland Nutri Cookies because I knew it’d still be warm from the oven. Along with a piping hot latte, and the comfort of that cookie, just being in such a place made me feel like someday I’d belong in this huge new-to-me city.

I remember being in awe of the owners as they brought pots of soups and trays of sticky buns and wholesome sandwiches from the basement kitchen. They’d created such a special place for people to gather and offered real quality. Never did I dream I’d get to work with them years later once I entered the food realm. One of the crew at Heartland was Sal Howell who has been the proprietor of Calgary’s River Cafe for over 25 years now. We became friends volunteering together for Slow Food Calgary. The founders of the cafe were the Schwartz family and I got to work on a couple of fun projects with father Ron and daughter Bev after they moved their wonderful cafe to Okotoks many years later.

This recipe comes from Heartland’s best-selling cookbook. These cookies have it all – crispness, crunch, lots of chew-ability and chocolate too. Make them three to four inches wide, like they did at the cafe, and make yourself a latte too. After your done, go forth and conquer.

Print