We recently connected with Krista Mohammed and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Krista, thanks for joining us today. Do you feel you or your work has ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized? If so, tell us the story and how/why it happened and if there are any interesting learnings or insights you took from the experience?

I do feel that sometimes what I do can be misunderstood. The decorated cookie industry has come so far in the past few years. Some people look at what I do and say “it’s just a cookie” but there is so much detail that can go into the creation of one single cookie that turns it into an edible canvas of art. And I’ve spent years perfecting and improving on my craft, building my skill set and my artistry. A few months ago, I received an inquiry for a custom birthday-themed set. In speaking with the potential customer on their vision, I provided a quote. Interestingly, the first remarks from the client questioned the prices and they proceeded to send me a comparison from another baker. While I appreciate the need to bargain and obtain the best pricing for one’s budget, I stand firm that each baker is separate and apart in skills and in their product. Curating a custom set for a client brings me the utmost joy; which means that to bring their vision to life, custom sets can take me upwards of 40 to 60 hours of labor. Many clients may assume that I work in conjunction with a staff but, in reality, I am a sole entrepreneur and each product is painstakingly created from scratch with no assistance. While the dream is to have my own bakery with dedicated staff, I am a small business owner wearing multiple hats. I am the creator, the business manager, the customer service, the marketer, etc. The beauty about various inquiries is that they all turn into teaching moments, and in this instance I realized that there are clients for everyone. I am a huge proponent of other cookiers and bakers, and find that the pastry community is supportive and collaborative. I’m lucky enough to have clients who put their absolute trust in me and my work, and have enabled my business reputation to grow by simply word-of-mouth.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I knew from a very young age that I wanted to bake professionally. I graduated culinary school in NYC in 2013 with a degree in Pastry Arts, but it wasn’t until years later when I moved to NC that I found a love for decorated cookies. While I worked as a cake decorator, I’d have friends and family from out-of-state requesting my creations, so I started honing my cookie decorating skills because I could ship it to them. Many baked goods do not fare well in shipping but I found that cookies have a natural sturdiness (and lasting freshness) that allows for cross-country delivery. This enabled me to perfect my artistry in the fine detailing that goes into cookie decorating, and I have spent years improving my skills. Locally, I am able to provide a wide variety of pastry delicacies, including custom cakes, etc. I treat each inquiry as unique, and love to provide my clients with desserts specific to their flavors, themes and ideas. Each set is made with the client in mind. Interestingly, clients approach me with an “open” idea, i.e., ideas left up to my discretion, I find that the end result taps into my creativity and has been some of my greatest successes. These types of inquiries tend to be the most challenging, as colors and flavors have infinite combinations but this is the most rewarding part of my business: being able to bring the abstract idea to tangible (and edible) life.

I’m lucky enough to say that I have an amazing family who supports me in my business. Imagine being a child and telling your parents, “I am going to become a baker one day” knowing that you never even attempted making eggs! Despite this, my family are my steadfast supporters and are my biggest champions. When I was contracted last year by NC State University (NCSU) to make 435 holiday gift boxes, totaling over 1700 cookies, it was my family who said “But of course you can do it.” This unconditional confidence, and their offer to help (which involved packaging, labeling, mixing sprinkles, and delivery!), motivated me to successfully complete this challenge. To date, I am quite fortunate to count NCSU as a repeat client.

What sets me apart are my recipes! My cookies are not only beautiful but they are delicious. A melt in your mouth, shortbread base with a vanilla royal icing. To me, while the saying “you feast first with your eyes” is true, taste is of utmost importance. I spend considerable time testing, and retesting, flavor combinations in order to give the clients exactly what they’re expecting. If a client asks for a chai-tea flavored cookie with lemon icing, then they should be able to discern those flavors with one bite of my cookie. I want clients to know, and expect, cookies (cakes, pastries, et. al.) that taste as good as they look.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, it’s when I have an idea in my head and I see it come to life on my cookies. My clients put a lot of trust into my artistic abilities and the fact that they choose me and continue to choose me to be a small part of their occasions means so much. It’s extremely rewarding as a small business owner to see repeat clients, with multiple orders, who then recommend my business to their own families, friends and colleagues.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal has always been to have a brick and mortar right here in North Carolina. Not only would I feature my cookies, I’d be able to give the North Carolina community a taste of the baked goods and flavors from my culture of Trinidad and Tobago.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tinyheartbakeshop.square.site/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tinyheartbakeshop/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tinyheartbakeshop/