Out of the Bronx, Cookies Inspired by Africa

Heather McCartney has turned a lark into a sweet business. Inspired by a trip to Africa, Ms. McCartney, a Bronx dance teacher, bakes chocolate and spice cookies shaped and decorated like African masks, drums, dolls and the continent itself. Her company, Ethnic Edibles, now produces not just the deliciously buttery cookies but also a baking kit with cookie cutters and a chocolate cookie mix. They are sold at Exotiqa, 284 Columbus Avenue (73d Street), and 260 City Island Avenue, City Island, the Bronx; the Harlem Collective, 2533 Frederick Douglass Boulevard (135th Street); the Brownstone, 2032 Fifth Avenue (125th Street), and Brooklyn Women's Exchange, 55 Pierrepont Street, Brooklyn Heights.