A white oven mitt illustration, with the text "Oodle Poodle" and "Our Story" written in decorative fonts on a black background.

Our Story

I have been baking cookies since 1972 when I was a third grader helping my fifth grade sister bake chocolate chip Toll House cookies for our snack after school every week in Oakland, California. My family has lived in Oakland for 106 years, ever since my grandparents immigrated to California from Canton, China in 1920. We also have long connections to Emeryville since my dad opened his retail pharmacy after his graduation from Idaho State’s pharmacy school in 1959. He worked at the store until his retirement in 1997.

A man and a woman smiling for a selfie in a pharmacy, with shelves of health products and medicines behind them. The photo appears to be from 1978 and was taken at Cal's Pharmacy, located at 2878 S. Tranel, E. Emeryville, California.
A group of eleven people posing for a photo in front of a wall, with a smaller framed photo of the same group in the background.

Birth of Cookie Proper

My sister would let me assist her by allowing me to crack the eggs into the cookie batter whereby I would imaginatively reenact World War II bombings. Also, my baking was inspired by memories of my mom baking butter cookies, 7-Up cake (7-Up and butter), and of course, the requisite Betty Crocker Lemon Chiffon cake for our birthdays.

In 2015, aside from teaching art, I decided to start my cookie business: Cookie Proper, as a friend wanted a side gig and I’ve enjoyed baking cookies since 1972. Cookie Proper offers a creative variety of 15 cookie flavors from chocolate chip to a cookie baked with a Reese’s Peanut Butter baked inside it.

Photo Caption: An actual photo of me with my hand in a cookie jar!

Black and white photo of a young child wearing a white long-sleeve shirt, light-colored pants, and sneakers, squatting on a bed with a small plastic container in front of him. The bed has a blanket with a floral pattern, and there is a simple wooden headboard. The background features a plain wall with a visible electrical cable and what may be a light fixture or ceiling reflection.

Today

Cookie Proper only uses natural and healthy ingredients in our cookies. Everything is locally sourced, fresh, of high quality, and we never use anything artificial. Once an order is taken, a cookie batter is made according to the choice of flavor as well as the amount requested. The cookies are baked in a home kitchen.

With the help of nieces, a nephew, a grand cousin, and their friends, the cookies are packaged and ready to be delivered. Cookie Proper has baked for corporate events, celebrations such as weddings, showers, and gifts. If you want to try snacking on unique cookies, give Cookie Proper a try!

Lanny Lee, owner of Cookie Proper, serving cookies at the Alameda Art and Wine Faire (bottom left). Top right: Lee with his nieces and nephew, who help with baking and preparing cookie dough. Bottom right: Lee’s mother, Mrs. Lee, packaging cookies in the home kitchen. Cookie Proper is a family-run business based in Oakland, California.

A man in black clothing, sunglasses, and a cap with a bridge logo is preparing cookies at a food stall at an outdoor event. There are several plastic containers of cookies on the table.
Four people sitting on a gray couch in a living room, smiling at the camera.
An elderly woman with gray hair smiling while sitting at a counter with a tray of cookies nearby, in a cozy kitchen or bakery setting.