COOKIE CONFECTIONS AND ENGLISH CORRECTIONS English teacher Elise Emmons runs cookie business
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SARAH SOLTANI & SOPHIA WEIL REPORTERs
lour on her apron, mixing bowls in the sink, cookie cutters on the counter. Switching out Shakespeare for a cookbook, Elise Emmons enters the comfort of her kitchen after a long day of teaching. The scent of vanilla drifts through the air and warmth pours from the oven. Emmons works delicately, piping bag in hand, to stay inside the lines as she adds the finishing touches to her final order. Emmons has been balancing her teaching and her baking gig ever since she started her online business, Scribe Cookies, a little over a year ago. “It was one of those COVID things where we were all at home anyway, and I got a KitchenAid mixer because it was on sale,” Emmons said. “Whatever was on the back of a cake box was what I would follow, so [baking sugar cookies] was definitely a first.” Emmons quickly transformed from cake box to cookie boss when she taught herself to make sugar cookies by watching YouTube videos. “When I started experimenting with baking, I YouTube-searched sugar cookie recipes,” Emmons said. “I stumbled upon a lady in Utah who has this recipe that she’s been using for years, and I’ve used it ever since.” Emmons quickly found that she had a knack for baking and decorating sugar cookies, so much so that she began bringing them to events for her friends. Guests fell in love with her cookie creations the second they saw her intricate designs.
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“I’ve had some completely random messages from people that live near me,” Emmons said. “I’m doing a ton for friends, family and people I knew from college, too.” Through her dedicated Instagram account, @ScribeCookies, and word of mouth, she is able to sustain a steady stream of orders.
Making Magic — Elise Emmons decorated unicorn and mermaid-themed cookies for librarian Morgan Popma’s daughter’s fourth birthday. “They were amazing, [Emmons has] wild talent,” Popma said.
Photos courtesy of Elise Emmons | Graphic by Jayne Ogilvie-Russell | Page design by Sarah Soltani
