Behind every great cookie, there’s a great story.

Take Chicago Butter Cookies, the city’s latest sweets company.

Owner Mary Astor Smithe emigrated to the United States as a refugee from Croatia in the ’90s during the War of Independence. A stranger in a strange land, she grew nostalgic for the butter cookies she’d baked as a little girl at her grandma’s knee.

Smithe tweaked the family recipes until she’d created six subtle flavors with a revelatory, light-as-air texture.

Each wholesome cookie contains high-quality, all-natural ingredients. We love the original butter variety but can’t deny the effects of chocolate and sea salt, a hint of orange zest, or chocolate and mint.

Order a box for yourself or enlist Smithe to cater your party or event, replete with servers decked in retro pinup gear (she designs the outfits herself).

Now that’s a happy ending.

Available at peapod.com. For more information, go to chicagobuttercookies.com.

Photo: Courtesy of Chicago Butter Cookies