A Ton of Extra Cookies?

Hi, Kirsten, Congrats on making your first post. I look forward to many more to come!

Your nit going to like my answer.  In all of my years of baking I have never had trouble finding a home for my cookies.  I have many people who are excited to take my cookies and immediately dig in.  So my advice is to go bake to basics and work on your cookies.  Many people overbake their cookies and/or use cheap ingredients.  Taste your cookies when they are a couple of days old.  Many people compare sugar cookies to cardboard.  I’m sorry if I’m harsh, but the cookie should be as important as the decorating.

I think I maybe didn't word my question correctly... I was asking for ideas on what to do with all of the cookies.  Who do y'all give them to?  Do you sell cookies?  My family has had their fill of sugar cookies and I feel like every week I am loading our employees up with cookies.  I just need some ideas on what to do with all of them.  I don't want them to go to waste because they take me a long time to bake and decorate plus the ingredients aren't cheap so I just didn't want all that time and money going no where.

I'd keep giving them away - what about your husband's workplace? neighbors? church mates? people in any other community groups to which you belong? Perhaps your local shelters will take them? But you'd have to investigate that. Many don't take open or homemade items due to food safety concerns. I wouldn't sell them unless you feel you've perfected your product (or are close to that point) and are compliant with all of your local business and department of health regulations/licensing requirements. And, in the process of giving them away, I'd also ask people to fill out short feedback forms on their like and dislikes. Feedback is the best way to perfect your product. Hope that helps.

P.S. I'm glad to see another cookie convert who's loving the craft of decorating!

Thank you for your reply!  That definitely gave me some good ideas!  I just didn't want to waste but was stuck on what to do with them... I have been baking a dozen or two every week because I am just so obsessed with my new hobby!  I love the idea of asking for feedback!  Thank you so much for your reply I appreciate it and I am sure I will have tons more questions in the future! ❤

Kirsten posted:

Thank you for your reply!  That definitely gave me some good ideas!  I just didn't want to waste but was stuck on what to do with them... I have been baking a dozen or two every week because I am just so obsessed with my new hobby!  I love the idea of asking for feedback!  Thank you so much for your reply I appreciate it and I am sure I will have tons more questions in the future! ❤

Looking forward to your future questions and posts here! I hope you enjoy the site!

Hi Kirsten. Not only can the ingredients to make the cookies be costly, but I find just making them to be very time consuming. Personally, I'd rather be decorating.  So I'm going to offer a different suggestion. Not all aspects of cookie decorating require actual cookies. You can practice making royal icing flowers (I literally did this for two weeks straight once). You can practice working with fondant or wafer paper. Or you can practice fontwork or making royal icing transfers by placing a sheet of acetate over a printed page of lettering or whatever you want to try. Actually, I've practiced and experimented with many techniques (marbling, lace, linework, etc.) this way. Sometimes I will even flood icing onto a sheet of acetate in the shape of a cookie. I'll wait a couple of days for the icing to dry completely and voila - I have a base to decorate without the cookie. And relative to the price of the actual cookie, icing sugar is relatively inexpensive. And if you like what you've created you can save it as a wonderful decoration to adorn your cookies when you do make them! 

Thank you!  Those were some great ideas that I actually never thought of!  Now my mind is running with ideas!  Thank you so much for your reply I appreciate it very much!

Kirsten posted:

Thank you!  Those were some great ideas that I actually never thought of!  Now my mind is running with ideas!  Thank you so much for your reply I appreciate it very much!

@Kirsten Great! We'll be waiting for posts of your creations! 

Instead of looking for places to give away your cookies, you might want to look for reasons to bake them in the first place.  That's how I started.  I signed up for church dessert lists.  I volunteered for all of my daughters school events. I signed up for the  luncheon desserts at work.  I never thought about selling them. Over time, I guess I developed quit a few fans of my cookies because people started contacting me and asking if I would bake for them!  Even today, I most enjoy making  cookies  for events that are of personal importance to me.  

I just give them to my co-workers. They're always asking me for sweets and my cookies are a success there, anyway 

Thank you both for your suggestions!  I am currently making a batch of cupcake and unicorn shaped cookies that I am going to give to 3 very special little girls that are close to our family!  

I thank each and every person that was kind and generous with their ideas and suggestions!  I am new to this and need all the help I can get... I know I will be asking tons of questions and am so glad that I have a place to come to ask them and get answers from bakers as talented as ALL of you are!  Thank you again!