Cookie starts with C is known for it’s beautifully curated unique and intelligent cookie designs that are not only presented in a professional and creative way, but also have a one of a kind aesthetic. The face behind the brilliant works of edible art is Charlotte Gushue, who’s baking came to life after she gave herself a personal challenge while looking for work.
“I had seen some cookies on pinterest and I know everyone sees things and thinks they can do it. Then it ends up being total fails and I figured I might fail but I thought I’d give it a try,” said the 26-year-old. “My sister was getting married that year and I thought I would make something for her shower.”
The baker thought she could start slow and perhaps sell muffins or fudge while she searched for work and started slow with cookies for her birthday to test the waters amongst friends.
“I gave it a go with my birthday that week. I didn’t even have a cookie cutter, I used a glass from the cupboard. I finished my first set, a dozen cookies, plain circles with polka dots and my initials on them,” recalls the chef. “It probably took me three days. That was fun. I finished my first set, a dozen cookies, plain circles with polka dots and my initials on them and it probably took me three days.”
After sharing them on her personal instagram page and the response was positive, she even received response from an insta famous baker. From there, Gushue made an instagram page just for her baking and her following started to grow- big time. She now has over 23k followers on her flawless and beautiful page.
Gushue grew up in Gander and has lived there most of her life, only leaving to obtain a degree from Memorial in business. She had intended to go into accounting but once she got into the workforce, she didn’t enjoy it.
“I thought, I’m young and I don’t know what I want to do. I decided to work for myself for awhile. I loved baking, I didn’t do it as a job and I had no intention to but I needed something while I was off work and was trying to figure out what the next steps would be.”
Gushue spent her days in the kitchen having fun and experimenting but she said her first set of monogrammed plain circled polkadot cookies were the result of beginner’s luck and from there she really had to change her strategy to perfect her art.
“It was first time’s a charm. I started having issues and that’s when the real baking began. A lot of trial and error. It probably took a year to work out all the kinks and have a handle on it. Once I understood the chemistry behind it, I felt like I could excel in it.”
Now that Gushue started to feel comfortable with her baking and had gained popularity, she wanted to share what she learned with others and began teaching classes. She has now taught over 200 students in varying levels of difficulty.
“Teaching classes is my favourite thing. I feel in love with it. I love getting groups together and getting down to cookie business. I love sharing that with people who are interested in it.”
Outside from teaching, Gushue’s known for her fun designs with shout outs to particular pop culture pieces, including tv show Friends, Alice in Wonderland and Frozen to name a few. Her cookies pluck portions from series, books and movies showcasing highlights that make them identifiable: the chicken head from Friends, the clock from Alice in Wonderland, a Dr. Seuss set with his floppy white and red hat.
“I spend a lot of time when I’m about to start a set. With Friends for example, I will have that in the back or watch it a week or two before I’m ready to take the order,” said the baker. “I think to myself, if you could create this in the world, what would it look like. I’ll see things that could be made into a cookie or I will love a moment or an icon of the show. Like the sofa from Central Perk or the infamous peephole door frame. If I can execute that in cookie form, it feels like I can bring it to life and put it out in the universe”
Follow Cookie starts with c on instagram @cookiestartswithc and check out her work online
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