When I saw the work of this talented baker, I knew I wanted to learn more about her and that she’d make a perfect Featured Baker to inspire others. I am so excited to introduce Jessica McPherson and share more about her baking journey. Jessica is an incredibly talented cookie artist and owner of Baked with Love Cookie Shop in Conroe, Texas. I recently had the chance to connect with this wife and mom of five young kids to learn more about her amazing creations, how she got started and advice she has for other aspiring bakers. Prepare to be blown away by her work which truly are works of art! Before we dive in, let’s take a moment to enjoy some of Jessica’s BEAUTIFUL artistry!
Jessica specializes in custom sugar cookies decorated with royal icing and enjoys every part of creating these works of art. She grew up baking in the kitchen alongside her mom, but it wasn’t until about 10 years ago that she spent some time trying to decorate cookies and guess what? “I immediately got frustrated and gave up, it took a lot of time.” Jessica explained.
Fast forward to almost three years ago and she decided to take a class being offered by Camila Allen, who owns Midnight Confections, a bakery in their community. Since Jessica knew she really wanted to learn how to decorate cookies, she thought Camila might have some helpful tips or tricks, “and she did!” When we spoke, Jessica expressed how impactful Camila’s class was for her in gaining the fundamental skills. So, Camila, if you’re reading this, thank you for sharing your talent and supporting those in your community!
baking up success
After the successful class with Camila, Jessica practiced and practiced and posted pictures of some turkey cookies around thanksgiving and she was very quickly “drowning in orders”! So that’s when she thought, “Maybe I can try to do this as a side thing”. And so it began! Here is the infamous turkey cookie that started it all!
Jessica’s business has continued to grow and now she creates multiple orders a week. For holidays, she offers beautiful cookie sets, with rich flavors like pumpkin toffee and gingerbread. But the bulk of her business is custom vanilla sugar cookie requests. “I’m always open to trying new things”, Jessica explained. That in itself is a gift, as many bakers shy away from custom requests, preferring to sell what’s familiar to them. But Jessica is always up to the challenge and actually prefers to create new and unique sets to delight her customers.
balancing cookies
When asked what challenges Jessica encounters with her business, she said “managing my time”. As a wife and mom of five, with the youngest not quite one-year old yet, Jessica’s first priority is her family. And while her family comes first, Jessica continues to take steps to grow her business.
Jessica also has additional goals around “perfecting my skills”. Between family and the business, it’s hard to find time to just practice and work on new skills. Although if you ask me, her skills are pretty amazing already!
crumbs of advice
I asked Jessica what advice she has for beginners interested in learning these skills, either as a hobby or with aspirations of a business. Jessica shared “Don’t get frustrated”, “Don’t compare yourself to others” and “practice, practice, practice”. We had a good discussion on these points, and I agree, this is all golden advice. It takes an incredible amount of practice and patience, and it’s really easy to get caught up in comparing yourself to others. But it’s critical to remember that everyone’s lives, time and skills are different, so enjoy and appreciate your own journey.
what makes jessica’s cookies special
There are some people and events in life where a regular old cookie or cake just won’t cut it. When you want to show your love and appreciation to someone special, or make an event truly memorable, Jessica is your girl. Her creations are perfection to the eyes and also to the tummy, the perfect combination. She has spent countless hours over the years honing and perfecting her skills and it shows. If you’re lucky enough to have Jessica bake for you, it’s worth every penny for her talent and baked artistry. There is no doubt that these cookies are Baked with Love.
connecting with jessica
To connect with Jessica about making special cookies for you, use these links to learn more!
I’m privileged to have Jessica as a Featured Baker to celebrate her success; that’s what we love to do here! If you or someone you know would make a great Featured Baker, please contact me. In the meantime, enjoy this gallery of more of Jessica’s work, leave a comment to show Jessica some love or head over to Baked with Love Cookie Shop to follow her journey.
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