Chef furloughed during pandemic launches cookie delivery business from her home

After being furloughed due to the coronavirus pandemic, acclaimed pastry chef Uyen Kirshenbaum found it was the perfect time to launch her own small business.

"I was furloughed in March," said Kirshenbaum. "So, I started just sending cookies to the people I missed."

Before long, friends started asking for boxes of cookies to send to loved ones during the pandemic.

"It just became Kirsh Baking Company with a lot of love and a lot of joy because it's cookies," Kirshenbaum said.

Kirshenbaum's career as a pastry chef spans 20 years, from Paris to Las Vegas and, most recently, Manhattan Beach, California. The Long Beach mother of two is the executive pastry chef at three restaurants, including The Arthur J, Manhattan Beach Post and Fishing with Dynamite.

Although Kirshenbaum is back to work with the Simms Restaurant Group, she and her husband were furloughed earlier this year. The couple officially launched the Kirsh Baking Company website in May while taking care of their two children under the age of three.

"My daughter goes to bed at 8:30 p.m., so that's when I'll start baking, which turns us into vampires," Kirshenbaum said.

Kirsh Baking Company delivers cookies all around the country.

"My menu is pretty limited," Kirshenbaum said. "I did that because I've chosen the cookies that I know that can ship well."

In addition to the classics, Kirshenbaum also offers gluten-free and dairy-free varieties. For more information, visit kirshbakingcompany.com.