Today we’d like to introduce you to Mandy Ellison.
Hi, Mandy. I’m so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story? How did you get to where you are today?
I was always the room mom for my kids’ classes when they were younger in the early 2000s, and we would make royal icing cookies for their classroom parties; I also made them around the holidays with my kids just for fun. After I became a realtor in 2014, I started up the craft again and made them as closing gifts for my clients. I wanted to have beautiful cookies for my wedding in 2017 but couldn’t afford to pay the price for luxury custom cookies, so I made them myself. Then, people began requesting cookies from me for their special occasions; as I became busier, my daughter (then an undergrad at Clemson) joined me, and we became a cookie decorating team, forming Mandy’s Cookies on Keowee. We expanded our designs to include Clemson cookies and became licensed through Clemson University, operating under SC cottage bakery regulations. When the pandemic hit, requests for Clemson cookies (graduations, birthdays, etc.) skyrocketed, and we became busier than ever. Since then, a majority of our orders have been from the Clemson market, and we continually work to expand our skills and designs, helping make every occasion sweeter.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
For the most part, it hasn’t been tough. There was a learning curve when it came to getting orders on specific timelines, perfecting our recipes, and offering unique products in taste and design. In our earlier days, we tried many different flavors/recipes. Eventually, we found our signature Birthday Cake flavor works best, and we then expanded to offer gluten/dairy-free cookies and other products. Some of the struggles were within our learning processes, such as learning to make hot cocoa bombs and other chocolate goods, custom designing/cutting silk screen stencils, and designing/3D-printing custom cookie cutters. As the market expanded, we had to adjust to what the customer base was interested in; for example, we learned that around some holidays/special occasions (Valentine’s Day, Final Exam week, etc.), it was more efficient to offer gift baskets with a variety of goodies rather than book a few custom cookie orders. Aside from perfecting our capabilities and adjusting to the changing market, the road has been relatively smooth and enjoyable. If anything, those struggles were a welcomed challenge and taught us how to improve and grow.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
We specialize in very detailed/intricate custom-decorated royal icing cookies that taste as good as they look. We make all cookies to order, so everything is customizable, and customers can request any design they’d like to see translated into edible artwork. We always tell our customers that we can likely make it happen if they have an idea they’d like turned into a cookie. We have learned niche skills in cookie decorating that enhance our designs, such as hand-painting gold, airbrushing, stenciling, watercolor painting, floral piping, etc. We’ve gotten a lot of recognition locally since these skills/techniques make our designs stand out. Our cookies have been featured on our local NBC news channel and ESPN, and we have been asked to participate as vendors in various local markets/fairs. While we’ve taken a step back from teaching this past year, we were previously known for teaching cookie-decorating classes in the community. We are also known for offering more than just decorated cookies; we make various drop cookies, cookie/brookie cakes, macarons, hand-dipped chocolate pretzels, chocolate-covered Oreos, hot cocoa bombs, and cookie dunkers that pair with buttercream frosting for dipping. However, we are proud of putting a Clemson spin on these products and cookie designs. As Clemson alums, our blood runs orange, and we love providing unique and delicious sweets to the Clemson community. We’ve become known as the Clemson Cookies, and we couldn’t be prouder for that.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
This whole process has been years in the making, and we are so happy to have enjoyed the journey as a mother-daughter duo!
Pricing:
- Decorated Cookies: starting at $75/dozen
- Chocolate Chip Cookies: $30/dozen
- Brookie Cake (w/ 5 decorated cookies on top): $60
- Chocolate Dipped Pretzels: $6/cup
- Hot Cocoa Bombs: starting at $6/each
Contact Info:
- Website: mandyscookiesonkeowee.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mandys_cookies_on_keowee/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mandyscookiesonkeowee
Image Credits
Michaela Perro
