Iowa cafe's "Obama cookies" flying off the racks

DES MOINES, Iowa — Want an example of the change Barack Obama is bringing to the country?

Check out cookie sales at Baby Boomers Cafe in Des Moines.

Ever since word spread about the president-elect and his family's fondness for Baby Boomers' chocolate-chunk cookies, the small restaurant can't bake them fast enough.

"Two months ago I was giving these cookies away," said co-owner Rodney Maxfield. "Now, it's like 'I need two dozen cookies. I need four dozen cookies.' "

The Obamas became frequent visitors to the cafe in summer 2007, when the Illinois senator devoted much of his time to Iowa, where the state's precinct caucuses kick off the presidential nominating process. Obama's main office was next door to Boomers, and his staff made the cafe a second home.

His daughters, Malia and Sasha, would stop by with their mother, Michelle, and Maxfield said they loved the cookies. During a stop in Iowa last month, Obama's staff ordered about a dozen cookies for the family. That's when word got out about their affection for the treat.

Suddenly, sales of 400 cookies in a good week soared to more than 1,000 a week, with requests coming from as far away as Mexico.

Alas, the price is going up, from 50 to 75 cents a cookie to make up for the time it takes to make more each day.