I love baking cookies and want to start incorporating them into my
sales. I am a home baker and this is very part time, for now. I want to sell some cookie trays and some bagged cookies.
Questions:
How many flavors do you think is a good amount to offer??? I have tons of recipes, but know I need to keep my choices within reason.
How many cookies is a good amount for a tray, or should I offer different size trays? I want to keep it fairly simple for my first go at it. I am also thinking that I would like to maybe even offer cookie bouquets or at least decorated cookies, say in packs of 3.
Also, and I know this has been asked a million times, what do you charge for your cookie trays, with say 4 or 5 dozen asst cookies?
I would really appreciate any and all input.
Thanks,
Cindy
I can give you my opinions if you'd like, but I haven't ever sold cookies, so keep that in mind.
I would sell 4-6 varieties of cookies, keeping in mind that you want to do them on more of a "production" type basis so don't get involved with anything to intricate. I've found, over the years of giving cookies, that the ones that get "gone" the first are:
Chocolate chip or White chocolate chunk
Peanut butter blossoms
Spritz
A couple of things that I do to dress up the cookies are:
For chocolate chip - I buy holiday baking chips (for Halloween, it's pumpkins and for Christmas, it's trees and stocking). I actually sort out the decorative pieces from the chips and place the decorative ones on top of the cookie before I bake
For peanut butter blossoms - I will typically make my own "kisses" for the center instead of using Hershey kisses, then I can customize the color to the holiday (red and green for Christmas). Plus, I roll the peanut butter cookies in red/green sugars before baking.
As for charging, I can't really help you there. I would recommend having 3 different size trays though. Maybe 3DZ, 6DZ, 12DZ?
Hope you get some better answers.
I will try to answer your pricing questions but I am only offering royal icing decorated sugar cookies on my trays. I was thinking of adding some spritz cookies but haven't figures out a price yet. I was doing a dozen iced for $20 and 2 dozen for $40. Then I have a cookie and candy tray which includes chocolate covered cherries, buckeyes, and cake balls. You get one pound with whichever size cookie tray you get, 1 dozen is $30, 2 dozen is $50. My cookie bouquets are as follows: 3 cookies is $20 and 5 cookies is $30. I'm just starting out with these too and am still learning how to price, but I hope this helps you some. Maybe someone else will chime in with a mixed cookie tray price.
It sounds like you want to focus on undecorated cookies, but have you thought of offering custom decorated cookies? These are what I got orders like crazy for. They are harder to find - some bakeries will do them, but not just any. Any time you offer custom stuff, you'll have customers come out of the woodwork 
- and I can see from your photos that you are talented enough to do this.
I do want to do some custom decorated cookies, I guess I just haven't figured out how to market myself yet. Any suggestions on marketing stategies? I am not licensed, so that is a small concern, but I think my finished product speaks for itself.
I did a lot of decorated and undecorated cookies last year for xmas, but they were just gifts to friends.
Cindy
i make platters with ...
3 bar cookies, cut in half(ex. brownie, lemon bar, cherry almond bar)
2 minie cheesecakes
2 mini pecan tassies
12 pan de polvo(mexican cookies
4 sandtarts
1 mini loaf of bananna nut bread(sliced)
and 1 decorated sugar cookie on top
i charge $15
the bigger the platter the more i charge.
If you're looking for a place to market your cookies, you might want to try any local country clubs. Some of them in my area have a pastry chef on staff, but others don't. They buy from local bakeries, usually. But if you can offer them something unique, and better, they'll go with you.
Using the same dough with different flavorings can help you with volume production. you're not always having to stop and make a new batch of dough. I find as many uses for the same batter as I can. The varieties are listed on my cookie website. For example....
the Chocolate cookie dough: I can add peanut butter chips for chocolate peanut butter cookies; I add chopped Andes Mints for Chocolate Mint Cookies (you'll never eat those nasty girl scout mint cookies again!); I add white choc chips for a "black-n-white" cookie look; I add mini-M&M's for a chocolate M&M cookie; Hershey has the new colored choc chips that will be great, too!; I add chopped marischino cherries and drizzled melted white chocolate over the top for my "Chocolate Covered Cherry" cookie.
My peanut butter cookie dough: Made plain for regular peanut butter cookies; add peanut butter chips for Double Peanut Butter; Add choc chips for Peanut Butter Choc Cookies (These look really great on a tray with the choc cookie with peanut butter chips! Kind of a mirror image of each other!); add a mix of choc chips & PB chips in a batch.
I charge a flat fee per dozen, but we do offer volume discounts. But I always have to explain "volume". Some people think 6 dozen is "big volume" and I have to explain that I have one commercial client using 20 dozen a day .... everyday ..... to the tune of over 100 dozen a week. THAT'S what I mean by "volume".
indydebi---Thanks so much for the suggestions! That is a big help!! I have been working on different ideas for flavors and that would be so much easier.
My next step is working on a brochure. I need to get that done asap. I am going to make up some different cookies in the next couple of days and get them photographed.
Thanks everyone for the wonderful suggestions.
Keep them coming!!
Cindy
Great post. I sent a cookie tray to my Mother's office a few days ago and the employees are apparently still talking about them. My focus has been on cakes so far and home-type baked goods (cobblers, undecorated cakes, etc) but now I am thinking I'd like to branch out and offer holiday trays. So, how many varieties will you offer per tray? What did you decide on pricing? How will you market them? Will you do candies in addition to cookies? What sizes will you offer? Will you being discounts based upon the number of dozens they order?
Sorry for so many questions.
Best advice I can give is make up trays and take them into places like your dentist office,your kids school if they allow you,your office,Floral shops.gift shops,Your bank.Your Dr.'s office etc...Once you get your brochures leave a few for the trays for people to take.Offer a good variety as people like a variety.I'm sure you will get lots of orders from there especially from small companies etc..who look for that sort of Special Gift for important clients!!
I made up some sample bags with cookies and took them around to different offices in my office building. I still want to take some more around to my doctors and dentist offices. I hadn't thought about the bank, that is a good idea too.
I made up a brochure with prices and photos and printed it on some really good paper and have been giving them out.
I am going to offer about 10 different types of cookies, brownies, truffles and closer to xmas I am going to add candy and fudge.
Cindy
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