With how much time in advance do I need to place a custom order?

I normally require 2 weeks at least. This is because I like to organize my calendar and having your order in my plans will allow me to worry less and have more time to plan ahead. HOWEVER every now and then I get cancellations, have some extra frozen dough or can accommodate very last minute order, so reach out anyway 

Do you take last minute orders? Is there a rush fee?

As you can see in my pricing question, I cannot make cookies in less than 3-4 days allowing time to bake, decorate (and dry) and pack the cookies. So last minute orders will depend totally on how my availability is for the specific date of your event. It could be that I have many orders and I cannot take your order OR, you can get lucky and it could be that you asked just when I am about to start to work on an order and I can squeeze you in. If I can do it, I will be very happy to take your order and there WILL NOT be a rush fee. If I have the time I will happily do it; I am not going to charge more for it.

Why are custom cookies so much more expensive than regular sugar cookies from the store?

(I am not offended by this question and do not take it personal. After all it is your money and you absolutely have the right to know why you are paying more than regular store cookies :) )

I know you can buy tasty cookies at different stores for much less and that is a great option when your budget and/or time is limited. However handmade and hand decorated cookies take much more time than you can see when you appreciate my cookies.

Let me explain that part that you cannot see (time, hand work, equipment and skills):

All of my products need to be at room temperature before starting to prepare the dough, this allows the ingredients to mix nicely because they are all at the same temperature. Butter sometimes takes up to 4 hours to reach the right consistency and temperature to work with. This means I cannot just decide on the spot that I will bake on that day and time.

After baking (which doesn’t take much time to be honest) your cookies need to cool down and I normally just wait until the next day to start decorating.

Mixing colors is very time consuming as well, and I normally let the colors to “develop” overnight so that the food coloring reaches its maximum coloring potential which will result in brighter and more vivid colors. Each color is mixed separately and sometimes reaching that specific shade that you or your child love can take a lot of trial and error.

Decorating takes the most part of my time. Depending on the design you envisioned, I may need to use different techniques and equipment. For example, if you want a specific drawing or wording, I may need to use a projector to ensure it is exactly as the model. Each color takes about 8 hours to dry, sometimes I cannot put a second or third color or layer after at least 5 hours to avoid one color blending into the base or colors next to each other. So the more color you see in your cookies the more time it took to reach the beautiful design you’re eating.

Once the icing is dry, your cookies may be done or need still some details that I will add with edible marker, sprinkles, air compressor or any other addition. This cannot be done before the cookie is totally dry and it takes a couple of hours to dry as well. Otherwise they will get ruined once I individually bag them.

Finally each cookie will be placed in an individual bag and heat sealed to maintain its freshness. This part of the process can be very tedious and again takes time as I am packing each cookie, one at the time. Once your cookies are in individual bags, NYS law requires to put the information of my business in a visible place, so I put a sticker that has my logo, the ingredients and my business information on the back of each cookie. This is extra value that probably not everybody even notices, however I have to pay for the design, printing and shipping of my stickers and the bags. Those are hidden values that I have to add to the final cost. Please note that I do not profit on these extra values.  

 I love your cookies but I am not local, would you ship?

New York cottage laws do not allow me to sell or ship outside the state. However I know many bakers (not personally) and I could help you find a great baker in your area. Feel free to contact me and I will be more than happy to guide you.

Do you offer discounts for bigger orders??

Short answer is NO. Since each cookie is made individually it takes more time to make more cookies. In the same way, ingredients and supplies cost the same to me as I am a home backer and do not buy huge lots of ingredients (this last part is also to provide the best fresh ingredients).

Do you offer Gluten Free, Diary Free, Low/Free sugar, etc. …… cookies?

No. According to NY regulations in order to sell GF, Diary free or any other modification of my cookies, I have to guarantee that my kitchen is free of these ingredients and this is not the case.

What ingredients are in your cookies?

Flour, sugar, confectioners sugar, butter, eggs, meringue powder, cornstarch, salt and food dye. 

COVID Regulations, Politics and Ethics

I will NOT profit on, or bake cookies for tragic events if it implies making fun of such event. This includes actual social movements and national or international tragedies. I want my cookies to bring happiness and to inspire rather than increase hate, fear or bring any negativity even if it is on the form of a joke. 

COVID-19 is to blame for many human deaths worldwide and for me is not ok to take advantage of these events to grow my business. In the case of a lockdown, my business will close again following NYS regulations. I will NOT offer DIY kits or PYO cookies if the goverment declares another emergency. I want to keep you and your family -as well as mine) safe and heatlhy!

I will however be happy to contribute with my cookies to your nonprofit organization or event as supporting collaboration. This does not necessarily mean FREE cookies. Since this is a local and small business, my profit margin (as described before) is not large enough to give away my product. I would expect instead, that a local organization would be willing to support a small locally owned business the way I am willing to support a nonprofit cause. With that said, I will be happy to collaborate in support of local businesses, non-profit organizations and social movements.

Are there any designs you will NOT make?

Yes! Anything inciting hate, racism or any kind of discrimination or violence goes against my ethics and I will not be your option as a baker. I will not make any recommendations on who to ask about this either.