The Custom Cookie Craze
The Cookie Monster was onto something!
We’ve always loved them. Plain cookies. Stuffed cookies. Frosted Cookies. You name it, we love it! Especially at Christmas time when families get together for a little baking and decorating and making sure Santa is set for the big night. But our big blue friend knew cookies were for every day! What he may not have known is how these tasty little discs made of butter, flour, eggs, and sugar could be turned into artistic masterpieces!
In the last few years, decorated cookies have been highlighted on the Food Network with the Christmas Cookie Challenge. You can find them across social media where we ooh and aah at the stunning sweets and the creativity of these amazing cookie artists, or cookiers, the name given to those who specialize in decorated cookies. Mostly, we wonder how anyone can eat these cookies. They are simply too pretty!
That is the joy of it all. They are meant to be eaten. The prettier they are, the more decadent and special the treats feel. You’ll find that many cookiers are trained designers and artists who turn to cookies as their canvas. To see people’s reactions and to be a part of their lives, through custom cookies, is deeply fulfilling and rewarding for them.
Finding a true cookie artist can be a challenge though. Sure, you can find decorated cookies at some big chain bakeries. Now, we aren’t dissing them, but there is a well-known bakery that sells these pumpkin cookies for $3.29 each.
Ok, sure. They are decorated.
But are they really decorated?
The fact is, most large bakeries cannot afford to take the time and attention to provide next-level decorated cookies.
So where can you find a place to order these custom decorated cookies?
That’s where cottage bakers come into play. Many of the artists on our site are certified cottage bakers. This means they have been approved by the state to sell their baked goods from their home kitchens. Each state can have different rules and regulations when it comes to distribution, meaning, some are not allowed to ship out of state, or ship at all. No worries! Find a local cookie artist where you can pick them up or have them delivered without shipping. And be sure to look for special pop-up events!
Of course, there are still local bakeries that do focus on decorated cookies. Sometimes they simply grow out of their home space and make the leap to a commercial building. You can search on the site for those specifically with a storefront as well.
This directory will make it easy to find cookiers in your area, or halfway across the country if needed.
We’re friends here, so we do want to give you a heads-up. If you are new to the decorated cookie world, you may experience sticker shock when ordering a dozen or more. Let’s be honest, these are luxury items. You can learn more about the cookie process in one of our other posts, A Little Bit of Luxury.
With that said, they are still, most definitely, worth it. They are out of the ordinary, extraordinary, supercalifragalistic… well, you get the idea.
You will be a rock star when you show up with these gems at any number of get-togethers for events such as:
- Birthdays
- Teacher Appreciation Days (don’t be afraid of being the teacher’s pet!)
- Calendar Holidays: Halloween, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter
- Weddings/Bachelorette Parties
- Bridal Showers/Baby Showers
- Anniversaries
- Work Events: Retirements, Promotions, Leaving for Greener Pastures
- New House Purchase: Real Estate agents use them as closing day gifts
- Your dog won an agility course
- Wait, what? You want custom? There is probably a cookie for it!!
