Coffee Craze!

Are you a java lover?

I’m no addict, but I do enjoy a hot cup in the morning, maybe more when it gets cold. However, I am partial to coffee-flavored products.

Recently, my husband joined my local WeCookier’s business. He’s been such a blessing!

He is not a baker and wanted something easy he could do himself as an add-on to the business. We decided cream cheese mints would be good for him.

I bought some coffee extract made with real coffee so he could mass produce the ‘mints’. We market them as ‘Coffee Drops’ as an upsell to the decorated sugar cookies.

What does this have to do with decorated sugar cookies? Well, we now make crazy-good coffee cookies! Flavored with a full-bodied taste, blended with care (of course), we brew up decorated cookies in the java theme and add our ‘Coffee Drops’ when ordered.

I have changed the sign-up page to receive The WeCookier's Express newsletter to state:

"you will receive The Express around the beginning of the month. Once in a while, I will also reach out to you to ask for your opinion, advice, or a newsworthy update..."

Today's Highlights

Newest Page at WeCookiers.com

This page walks you through what are royal icing transfers, problems that could occur, how to make them, and where to buy them.

Click this link: Royal Icing Transfers This was the page before if you missed it ;) Cookies on a Stick page

Your Questions, My Answer

A: I let my cookies set out a few hours before placing them in the freezer. I find using those cheap plastic shoe-box containers at the dollar stores or Walmart work great.

I then place the cookies back-to-back (trying to use the same shapes together). I stack them as high as they will go. I do not use any wax or parchment paper. Just the cookies stacked. Arranging them as close together as possible, I fill the box. Depending on the shapes, I can get 8 dozen in them, larger cookies, usually 6 dozen. That's a great space-savor!

I almost always have at least 6-10 orders cut and in the freezer. Labeling the customer's name and theme on the box with masking tape is a great help!

To thaw, I take the containers out and let them set in the box, unopened, for a couple of hours.

Then they are ready to decorate.

Cookie Cutter Flips

So I'll share some of my photos of those cookies here:

Click the image to be taken to the Cookie Cutter Flips page.

(Sorry, if you have an email with just HTML, you will not be able to see the photos).

Crazy Good Coffee Sugar Cookies, Inspo

Business Sense: marketing yourself

If you know of someone who has a helicopter or small plane, have them drop a bunch of business cards or flyers over your community.

2. Do you have or know someone who has a drone? Ask them to do a video of your community's skyline or overhead view. Send it to your Chamber of Commerce or the City Department so they can post it and give your business credit.

3. Get together a cookie eating competition in your downtown area (or if you have a brick-and-mortar place that's even better). The one who eats the most cookies at one setting gets a prize.

You could even involve as many store merchants by sponsoring the event and donating one item or coupon so they also can share in the spotlight.

Quick Business Tips

Many times I'll have extra cupcakes or 6" cakes (I'm a professional cake decorator too), that I'll gift them with, telling them I truly appreciate their loyalty. They love those kinds of things!

2. One of my orders this week was 100 cookies for a retirement party our city was giving. I've been in this business for over 10 years. After all that time, I found a shortcut.

Instead of taking my 6" cookie lazy susan, I placed my dehydrator rack on a 10" lazy susan. I didn't have to pick one cookie up to outline or flood. I couldn't believe how fast it went! I saved 45 minutes doing it that way. (Perhaps I'm a slow learner).

3. I realized another shortcut this week (where has my head been all these years?!) So...when I make my royal icing, this goes for glaze as well, when I first add the meringue powder to the water to whip, I used to take a whip utensil to whip it to foam. All the while, why I didn't just use my whip attachment from my stand mixer I'll never know! One less item to wash is always a good thing, lol.

(If you would like to read more of his poems and quotes, his Pinterest link is below)