My name is Courtney and I'm the face behind Just Baking (cookies). I have enjoyed baking (and watching baking shows) for most of my life, but I didn't really start baking myself until Covid and we had to quarantine. I had been watching The Great British Baking Show Masterclass series, where Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood walk you through some of the bakes seen on the show. After a few episodes, I was talking with my husband, and I told him, "I can do this!"

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So for my birthday, which just happened to be not too long after quarantine started, I got a stand mixer and got to baking! I started with breads, cupcakes, eclairs, and meringue cookies. It wasn't until a few months later that I finally tried my hand at decorated sugar cookies. And my first try was not all that great. The cookie was a little bland and the icing wouldn't dry! Of course, I know now that I overmixed the icing and that's why it wouldn't dry. Oops!

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But that started a whole journey with watching cookie decorating videos, trying different recipes, buying different cookie cutters.. so many cookie cutters! I was completely hooked after Halloween that year, and Christmas just sealed the deal for me. That's when I really started thinking that this could be something that I could make into more than just a hobby. 

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So that led me down a completely different rabbit hole of how I could make it a business. I learned all about what it means to be a Cottage Food Baker and all the rules and regulations I have to follow, and, wow, are there a lot!

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But it was all worth the work. I couldn't be happier than I am when I hand off my completed bakes to someone who loves them as much as I do!