Debbi Fields

Entrepreneur, Author, TV Host

If you are someone who thinks dessert should be eaten before the main course, then National Dessert Month (October) is for you. Melissa's would like to contribute to the celebration by honoring the woman who started a dessert empire back in the late 70's, elevating the chocolate chip cookie to new chewy and chunky heights.

Early Years

Debbi Fields began her love affair with baking at the age of 13 in her parents' Oakland, California kitchen. Five years later she used her first paycheck to buy the very best ingredients to make a batch of cookies, and the smiling reaction from her family and friends encouraged her to pursue her love of baking desserts. Convincing a bank to finance a business concept that had never been tried, Debbi Fields opened the world's first chocolate chip cookie bake shop and store in August, 1977.

Current Projects

Fields, founder and former chairman of Mrs. Fields Cookies, currently consults for the company which she sold in 1993. She has now turned her attention to sharing her fascinating success story and her love for baking through her cookbooks and TV shows. In Debbi Fields' Great American Desserts (Simon & Schuster, 1996), Debbi shares 100 of her favorite recipes for spectacular all-American desserts. Lavishly illustrated with 70 full-color photographs, the easy-to-prepare recipes include Fruit Tarts, Nut Pies, and Special Occasion Desserts, and so dedicated cookie lovers aren't disappointed, a mouth-watering recipe for soft and chewy Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies is also featured. The companion PBS television series hosted by Debbi Fields is currently airing on many PBS stations throughout the United States - please check your local PBS station for day and time in your area.

From the very beginning, Debbi Fields has taken her personal interpretation of classic desserts to new heights for everyone to enjoy. "Desserts are a source of unending pleasure", from the process of making them to the pleasure of sharing them with family and friends.

Recognition

Epitomizing true entrepreneurial spirit and the American dream by growing to a $100 million business, "Mrs. Fields" has become a symbol of quality known and respected throughout the world. Having established her place in the "Sweet Treats Hall of Fame", Debbi has since authored two best-selling cookbooks, and has hosted cooking shows/series about desserts on the Food Network and PBS. Her talent, intuition, and dynamic personality have also made her a much sought-after motivational speaker.