Behind the Scenes: A Look into the Cookie Process

I will often get questions from individuals about a last minute cookie order or people wondering why my decorated cookies cost what they do. Well, here is a little behind the scenes action and some explanation as to why my cookies are valued at what they are.

I love cookies. I love cookieing. I love being able to get a request for a design for a set of first birthday cookies, wedding cookies, and party cookies that will be a part of something special. I love bringing my creativity to the table for people to enjoy. But these cookies are not a quick thing. I can't just whip up the dough, bake, and decorate them in a matter of hours, or even a day. They are a process. They take many hours to complete. The more decorated, colorful, and precise they are means more hours to even days to finish.

Since I am a one woman homestead baker and not a commercial bakery I am the one doing the mixing, rolling, cutting, and baking. Once the cookies bake they need to be cooled completely and even dry overnight so that the oils from the butter do not seep into the icing and ruin the decorations. Once baked, cooled, and dried it is up to me to then mix up and color the icing. These are all necessary steps before decorating can even begin. Then it takes time to plan out and design the cookie sets.

Finally, the decorating can begin. This part of the process is my absolute favorite. I love decorating these cookies. This can also be incredibly time consuming. Multiple colors and multiple layers of colors and designs mean that the icing needs time to dry before other colors can be added. Once all of the colors and decorations have been meticulously piped onto the cookie they must again dry overnight to ensure that all icing is hardened and ready for packaging and shipping or pickup.

A fellow home cookier and person I follow regularly for tutorials puts it this way:
"Cookies take a lot of time, and your time is worth money" ~Sweet Sugarbelle on cookie pricing

Cookies are something I love doing. I love that I can be creative and then people can enjoy not only the look of the cookie but also the taste. As much as I wish I could give you all cookies for free I can't. Ingredients cost money. Butter and eggs cost more money now than ever before. Cookies take time. A lot of time. And these cookies are worth both the time and the money.

So, if you want me to whip you up a batch of cookies be sure to give me enough notice and don't be surprised when I tell you that most cookies, with the exception of miniatures, will start at around $2 each. Yes, you can absolutely go to your local grocery store to pick up a dozen or so cookies that will be good. But they won't be custom, hand decorated, works of art that are made from scratch and baked with love.

Now, with all that said. Who wants to win a free half dozen 4th of July cookies??! This giveaway is for 3 full sized and 3 mini cookies just in time for the 4th of July! To be entered into the drawing you must "like" Cookies by Sarah B on Facebook and comment on this blog post with your email address by Monday 6/29 at 8pm Central time. At 8pm I will check entries and then pick a winner!

It is also not too late to order your 4th of July sets, email me at cookiesbysarahb@gmail.com with what you would like!