Feb. 10—NIAGARA FALLS — Cookies — the delicious, homemade kind like grandma always made — have been an important part of Cory and Brittany Flament’s relationship since its earliest days.

In fact, Cory says it was the first batch of cookies Brittany made for him using her grandmother’s recipe that made him think, as a teenager, that he may have met the woman of his dreams.

“She made me these holiday cookies and I brought them back home and I told my family, at 17 years old, I think I found my wife,” he said.

The Flaments, now happily married now, are embarking on their next adventure in life — the Niagara Cookie Co., a specialty shop in LaSalle that offers homemade cookies, pre-made meals, naan pizzas, croffles (a combination croissant and waffle) and other delicacies.

The business, located at 10065 Niagara Falls Blvd. in LaSalle, will celebrate its grand opening at 11 a.m. today.

The Flaments have extensive experience as small business owners. The Utica natives previously lived in St. Louis where Cory, an active duty serviceman with the U.S. Navy, was stationed before being assigned to duty in Niagara Falls. In St. Louis, the couple owned and operated four pizzerias under the name “Flamentco’s: The Place.”

Cory worked in and managed a pizza shop as a teenager. Brittany convinced him to take the plunge and invest in the first pizza place of their own.

“She was like, ‘Now’s the time,’ and I’ll be honest, I was scared,” Cory said. “She was like, ‘No, now’s the time.’ So we buckled down, emptied our bank account and opened our first pizzeria.”

A self-proclaimed dough “addict,” Brittany’s faith in the business was spurred by the belief that New York-style pizza would go over big in Missouri.

“When you grow up in New York, it’s not a lot of the corporate chains, it’s the mom-and-pop shops that have a passion and love in their recipes. That’s what we want to bring and carry out in everything we apply ourselves to,” she said.

After moving to the Falls last summer, the couple shifted their focus from pizza to cookies. All of Brittany’s cookie recipes are inspired by her grandmother, Theresa, a woman who loved to bake and cook because she loved to spread joy through sharing food with others.

“She was always saying, ‘What can I get for you to eat?’ ” Brittany said. “She made everything with love. I don’t think I realized it when I was young, but she took joy in satisfying her loved ones and that’s what I want to do with everyone I come into contact with — spread joy with love.”

One of the Niagara Cookie Co.’s unique treats: chocolate chip cookies made with brown butter. Other specialty cookies include cookies and cream and strawberry and cream stuffed cookies as well as Ube, a Filipino variety made with sweet potatoes. The shop also offers fruit-infused delights and specialty cheesecakes.

The Flaments know people cannot live on cookies alone, which is why the Niagara Cookie Co. menu includes much more than just sweet treats. Customers will be able to buy all-natural protein bars, macro-based meal-prep and lunch and dinner items. Several offerings were brought over from the couple’s St. Louis-based restaurants, such as house-made calzones, Naan pizzas, Buffalo chicken mac and cheese, Philly cheese steaks, chicken salad croissants and Caribbean chicken subs.

“We’re more than just cookies,” Cory said. “We want to give you something sweet and indulgent, but we also want to give you healthy options so that you don’t have to feel so guilty about eating the world’s best cookies.”

The Niagara Cookie Co. will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays. Customers can view the menu and place orders online by visiting niagaracookie.com and can find out more about the business by following Niagara Cookie Co. on Facebook.