Today we’d like to introduce you to Crystal Goeringer.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Even at an early age, I had a passion for making and creating to share with those around me. It was my mom that set the example of baking and sharing sweets with everyone. Each December she would make several different types of holiday treats to share throughout the season. Later in life, I found myself always trying out new dessert recipes at get-togethers. Although my favorite treat to share was always decorated cookies, especially for our annual family fish fry. Eventually, over time, I wondered what it would be like to make and sell confections. I made a joke on social media about making a ton of holiday cookies one year, and said: “Just Call Me Cookie!” My uncle shared with me that my grandma would go by Cookie to all her nieces and nephews. I knew then that I somehow had to incorporate that into my business name, if and when I were to get it started. Later on, my cousin would order baby shower cookies, and after that, I was hooked for sure! I knew I did want to do this more and worked on figuring out my business name and how to get going on it all. The fall of 2017 was my first-holiday presale and Cookies Confections by Crystal was started.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I come from an art background, which helps with color schemes and design, but I would learn that the actual cookie decorating is a constant learning adventure. I didn’t know much an out the cookier world when I first started, but I knew that I enjoyed making cookies for people’s events and holiday gatherings. Looking back on my skills from the first couple of years, I had a long road of learning and honing my skills to help advance and grow my business. I started following various cookiers and learned by watching, and practicing over and over techniques they share for decorating and tips for selling and to help grow your business. Through this, I also learned how to adjust recipes to adapt them to what I need them to be and work for my business. I changed my icing style and recipe from watching, learning, and lots of trial and error. Ultimately us cookiers learn from each other, whether it be new techniques, or how to shapeshift a cutter into that certain shape you need for your next order. It’s a community of learning and growing, and I am happy to be a part of the cookies world.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I started working in restaurant industry while still in high school. I’ve experienced a lot of different roles in this industry. From server to bartender, different aspects of management, pastry counter worker, and now, and also my two favorite, Cookier and Pastry Chef. When I started my cookie business, I was also managing the pastry counter at a local bakery and almost two years ago I transitioned from front-of-house management into to a pastry chef position. I really do believe that my skills that I’ve developed through decorating cookies helped in achieving where I am today in my cookier career and my pastry chef career.
The most exciting event that has happened through decorating cookies when I entered and placed first in a 2-d cookie decorating competition.
Any big plans?
Reflecting on my current career I would say that I’m pretty thankful and grateful for both, but there’s always room for improvement and growth. I couldn’t be more thankful to my cookie business which helped me in finding and achieving my ultimate career journey as a pastry chef. I wouldn’t change a thing about my busy creative life. Pastry chef by day, Cookies by night. In the future, I would like to focus on growing holiday sales and seasonal pop-ups. I had taught a few basic holiday cookie decorating classes, and would possibly like to get back into that at some point.
Pricing:
- $48/dozen decorated 3″-4″ cookies
- $48/two dozen decorated 2″ cookies
Contact Info:
- Email: Cookiesconfections@yahoo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cookies_confections_by_crystal/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/cookiesconfections/
Image Credits
Crystal Goeringer
