Back in 2007, I was working as an event assistant in Manhattan and one of our clients wanted custom logo cookies for their event that we were producing. This is where my love of cookie decorating began. As I was researching I came across Eleni’s Cookies and I was absolutely inspired. I wanted to know exactly how you can transfer a plain sugar cookie to a piece of art. I didn’t have a huge background in painting or drawing; I remember from high school, compared to the rest of my class, my work was pretty mediocre. Maybe I just didn’t apply myself enough.

Then my boyfriend, now husband got me a KitchenAid stand mixer for Christmas. I know, what guy gets his girlfriend, (who I will also add was still living in her parents house,) a kitchen appliance for their first christmas together?? Let’s just say he stole my heart; at the time it was an item on the Oprah’s favorite things list (Note: you can never, ever go wrong with a gift from the “Oprah’s favorite things” list). In all seriousness if you like to bake and you don’t have a KitchenAid stand mixer, drop whatever you are doing, grab a Bed, Bath and Beyond coupon and buy yourself a mixer. Heck, I will mail you a coupon, I get them sent to me weekly with no BB&B for thousands of miles. It’s an investment, but it will last you a very long time, mine is going on 9 years! Along with my new mix, I also bought myself a copy of Cookie Craft by Valerie Peterson and Janice Fryer and a box of assorted Wilton cookie cutters and I was all set!

 

Now, what cookie designs did I want to choose first…

I think I got a bit ambitious when I first started! But not too bad for the first time around. It’s crazy how I was able to create all of this with royal icing, a piping bag and flood bottles. I mean, you should see my handwriting, it is horrible! But finally I found a hobby that I loved and could share with other people.

Once I moved down to Louisiana, when I started to make some new friends, I would tell them that “I make cookies!” They probably thought I was a weirdo, like “okay you can make batches of double chocolate chip cookies; I can make some mean slice-and-bakes!” I would show them some pictures on my phone, like I was showing off a baby and then I would see their faces light up, telling me I could sell these things. That is where the little seed got planted in my head; Maybe I could do this one day! But in the meantime, I am excited to share with you more of the cookies I have made along the way.