Today is Day 4 of my Blogaversary & I have a real TREAT for you!
Literally!
Christine from Darn Good Cookie Company is Giving Away enough of her YUMMY Cookies for 3 Winners! That's Right...there will be 3 winners!
Christine sent me samples of all 3 types of cookies & let me tell you...you are in for a treat. I'm eating a lemon curd sandwich cookie with my coffee as we speak...SO GOOD! I can understand why it's award winning! And the apricot preserve is so so so yummy! At first I wasn't too sure about the Cherry cookies because I am not a nut in cookie kind of girl, but they were good! I didn't even mind the nuts, and the cinnamon flavor was surprising and delicious!
Look how cute everything is packaged!
Let's learn a little more about Christine &
Darn Good Cookie Company:
Darn Good Cookie Company is a fusion between German culinary traditions and talents and Old South culinary traditions and talents. Having spent most of my youth with both of my grandmothers, Zuma Dendy Dean from Montgomery, Alabama and Irene Storch from Fulda Germany, I spent much of my time with them either in the kitchen, or at the markets, or in a garden. I have taken tried a true recipes from both of these wonderful ladies and created a cookie selection that reflects a little of Germany and a little of the Old South. In my perspective, the best of two great worlds!
I like to change the cookie selections to reflect the changing of the seasons and holidays and I am working on adding Gluten/Lactose Free Treats and a wonderful Sugar Free selection.
How did you come up with the name of your company.......
When thinking about a name for the company, many ideas were tossed around and tossed out.
I had a friend who would sample much of my trials and more times than not would respond with "Damn! that's good!" I was thinking about going with Damn Good Cookie Company, but I felt this might limit some of the marketing I wanted to do, so.... DARN Good Cookie Company was born!
What inspired you to start selling on Etsy, and how long have you had your shop?
Etsy provided me with the tools to create a website and shop front very easily and affordable.
The Etsy Community is a perfect marketing arena for any product that is handmade or homemade. Not only is the Etsy Community a perfect marketing arena, the support and encouragement from customers as well as fans is incredible and invaluable. When you run your own business, no matter how big or small, it can be overwhelming and sometimes lonely. Not with Etsy!
I created Darn Good Cookie Company! in November of 2010. I have only been operating the shop on Etsy for about 4 months.
What makes your products stand out from the rest......I am not sure that my products stand out from other talented bakers....I think everyone has their own passion that they bring too and express in their product. I like to remember the basics that both grandmothers stressed when cooking and baking, good pure ingredients. Only the freshest and purest of ingredients will yield the perfect result. I grow much of my own herbs and other vegetables and I shop at the local organic farms for my dairy and fruits that are needed for my creations. That might not make me stand out from the rest, but it sure helps produce a Darn Good Cookie!
Is this your job or your hobby?
This is my passion and someday, when I grow up, I want this to be my job.
What made you first want to become an artist?
I have been an artist as long as I can remember. From writing Ghost Stories in my tree house when I was 6, to dancing and acting, to studying at the Art Institute, Interior Design, Catering, Event Planning..... I love to create and right now my canvas are my cookie creations.
How did you decide to get into your craft?
Have you ever watched someone who has had a really bad day....not just a little bad, really bad and they go home and get in their comfortable cloths and they really do not want to cook something to eat, just a nibble of something, something good. They pour a large glass of milk and grab a couple of luscious cookies, snuggle into a big comfortable chair, and take the first bite. The eyes closed, chewing slowly and a smile comes across their face......a good cookie has that power....I guess I like to provide a product that makes people happy.
What inspires you to be creative?
I gather inspiration from all around me, but most of the recipes I use are from my two grandmothers. They truly are my inspiration.
Aside from your Etsy Shop, what other things inspire you?I create other culinary delights on the savory side. I am a personal chef and have several clients that I prepare for on a regular basis. I am also fascinated with painting on fabrics and sailing.
What advice do you have of other Etsy Sellers?
Do not ever quit! If you have a set back, study the set back and why it occurred. Learn from it and move forward. Never loose confidence in yourself or your talent. Sometimes you have to figure out a different way to go at something from another angle or perspective. Think outside the box and step outside your comfort zone just a little and the rewards are incredible!
Where do you see yourself in 10 years...
What is something really interesting about you that others should know.
I studied Interior Design and working in the field for over 15 years, primarily in custom furniture design. Then for reason's I cannot remember, I jumped into the culinary world. I created my own catering company and owned and operated my own restaurant. Because of my involvement with catering, I worked briefly in Event Management and decided that culinary was really where my heart is.
Here is what you can win:
{3 winners: 1 person will win lemon, 1 Apricot & 1 Cherry}
6 Lemon Curd Sandwich Cookies...
Buttery Cookies speckled with Organic Lemon Zest and sandwiched between our own award winning Lemon Curd. We top each cookie with Organic Candied Lemon Zest. If this does not chase the snow away...nothing will!
6 Apricot Sandwich Cookies dipped in Bittersweet Chocolate...we start with our own butter cookie recipe, which is speckled with Organic Orange Zest and we add just a touch of Amaretto, sandwich these lovelies between European Apricot Preserves and dip in luscious, bittersweet chocolate.
6 Sour Cherry & Walnut Rugelach We use our own Tart Cherry Jam and toasted Walnuts, a touch of Cinnamon and Allspice and roll all that flavor in a cream cheese pastry and sprinkle with a little Turibano Sugar. These are my all time favorites....maybe it is because I love, love, love cherries!
Here is what you need to do to enter:
One entry for each of the following
{leave a separate comment for each}
- Be a follower of jessicaNdesigns Blog (leave comment saying you are) MANDATORY
- Visit Darn Good Cookie & leave comment w/ your favorite item. MANDATORY
Extra Entries for doing the following:
- Add Darn Good Cookie to your Etsy Favorites (Leave comment)
- Like jessicaNdesigns on Facebook (Leave one comment saying you do)
- Share a link to this giveaway on Facebook (Leave Comment saying you did)
- Put my Blogaversary Button (below) on your blog (Leave comment & link)
Also, be sure to go enter these
Giveaways from Day 1, 2 & 3:
The Winner of the 
