English teacher’s cookie business

COOKIE CONFECTIONS AND ENGLISH CORRECTIONS

English teacher Elise Emmons runs cookie business

SARAH SOLTANI & SOPHIA WEIL REPORTERs

Flour 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.

“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.

“I haven’t had to advertise much to get orders—they just come to me,” Emmons said.

Head librarian Joan McCarthy has ordered from Emmons three times. Her most recent order was for snow-themed cookies as a gift to her neighbors for shoveling her driveway.

“To me, it’s worth it because it brings a smile to everyone’s faces when they open the boxes,” McCarthy said.

Like many of her other customers, McCarthy believes Emmons’ homemade cookies are unlike any found in a bakery.

“The designs are great, but what’s more important for the longevity is the taste, and they’re delicious cookies,” McCarthy said. “Her business can be as large as she wants it to be.”

But for Emmons, baking has become more than just an opportunity for business. It has allowed her to tap into her creative side in a way she never thought possible. By experimenting with unique flavor combinations and innovative designs, Emmons has been able to challenge herself, both in and out of the kitchen.

“Trying new things and seeing how I’ve evolved has been really fun,” she said.

A perfectionist, Emmons spends countless hours on each order, hoping to deliver only the best to her customers. Over the past year, she has learned to assign proper value to her time and effort.

“I started out really low-balling [the price] because I wasn’t sure if anybody was going to want [to pay for my cookies],” Emmons said. “I’m still working it out, but the biggest thing is to respect your time and how much it’s worth.”

Given her recent success, she has found it difficult to balance both baking and teaching.

“Is the money good? Absolutely. Is the time difficult? Absolutely, too, because I don’t want to take away from my primary job,” Emmons said.

In spite of these logistical challenges, Emmons continues to pursue her passion and serves as a reminder to her students that they can do the same.

“I find [her business] really inspiring, especially since she can carry out her passion alongside her work,” sophomore Amelia Egan said. “It motivates me to meet my goals in school while focusing on my other hobbies, like cooking.”

As for now, Emmons is happy with how far Scribe Cookies has come since its inception.

“It would be so cool if I could actually make this a business and have a space that I can go to work, but right now, I’m very comfortable where I am and with the amount of orders I have,” Emmons said.

No matter what the future holds for Scribe Cookies, Emmons encourages others wanting to start a business to take the leap.

“Just go for it. Everyone’s been so supportive, and I’ve been really surprised with how [my business] has turned out,” Emmons said. “Just do it, and don’t worry about failing.”

TRYING NEW THINGS AND SEEING HOW I’VE EVOLVED HAS BEEN REALLY FUN.”

- ELISE EMMONS ENGLISH TEACHER

SCRIBE COOKIES SWEET STEP-BY-STEPS