If you want to live out your holiday baking dreams and make cookies that are too pretty for Santa to eat, @qconfections' Instagram account will give you all the sugar inspiration you need.
Jessi Taylor, baker and owner of Q Confections, has been creating beautiful custom made cookies for the past two years.
In that time, Taylor, a mother and former teacher, has shared some of her intricate creations and design work on Instagram.
From cute prickly pears...
To an underwater seascape...
A bunch of Lincolns...
And everything in-between.
Here's what Taylor had to say about her life in the baking business and tips on how to make your holiday cookies extra amazing.
What inspired you to start baking?
I've always liked baking and experimenting, but I got started decorating cookies just over two years ago. I had a friend with leukemia who was in the hospital, so I made cookies for her to get her spirits up. Her dad is a director of the Children's Museum and he said, "Wow these cookies are really cool, we would love to use them." So they hired me to create logo cookies for the museum and they sent those to their donors.
What's your favorite part of the process?
I like the design work. The logos are good and fun, but it's even more fun when someone gives me creative license to just come up with a neat design. Just the the process of drawing and figuring it out in my head before it even goes on a cookie is kind of the fun part for me.
What's a cool cookie you've made recently?
I made some really neat Día de Muertos skull cookies that were in Tucson Lifestyle Magazine, and they're pretty cool. I liked creating them because you kinda can't go wrong with too many swirls or dots.
Do you have any tips for a beginning baker?
I feel temperature is a key ingredient that people sometimes forget about. If you're getting ready for holiday baking you want to make sure your oven is running at the right temperature. I found that my oven was running ten degrees high so I bought an oven thermometer and now I'm able to adjust it. I pull out eggs when I pull out butter, so the eggs are at room temperature too. I also use a scale to measure my ingredients so that everything is a little more accurate.
And keep in mind that it's just for fun. 😀
What do you hope people take away from your images?
I hope they feel inspired to be creative with their own baked goods and maybe even think of me for their upcoming events.
Who do you like to follow?
I follow a lot of other bakers and get tips and ideas. I like @joythebaker, she doesn't do decorating, but her recipes are easy to follow and come out well every time.
For info on holiday cookie pattern ordering and pricing, visit the Q Confections' Facebook page.
