Clear Lake Area Chamber Of Commerce: Clear Lake Connections Podcast Episode 45 | Passion, Creativity And The Love Of Cookies.

Press release from the Clear Lake Area Chamber Of Commerce:

November 29, 2021

This week on Clear Lake Connections Podcast presented by UTMB Health: Meet Holli Hirsch, Owner of Cookie Canoodle. In this weeks episode, Holli shares her love, passion and creativity behind the creation of her business and the desserts that she makes. Holli also talks about how she is able to run her home-based business under the Texas Cottage Law, how her love for baking started from her first carrot cake at nine years old and what her plans are for the future of her business. To make an order you can visit their website at www.cookiecanoodle.com.

Holli’s business started because of people’s love for her chocolate chip cookies and lemon bars. She does not have any “main customers”, but she does sell to Java Owl, a local coffee shop and also sells her products at Robinette Catering. She has her regular clientele of people who order from her if they’re having a party or birthday because she makes really great cut out cookie cakes or anyone who needs a product for her events.

Under the Texas Cottage Law, you can’t make more than $50,000 a year out of your house because then you are considered a commercial business. There are also certain products that you can’t make like a cheesecake because it’s dairy but if it is cooked inside of something and you don’t have to refrigerate it you can sell that. You are not inspected by the state or heath inspector since you are at home also. Her hopes and aspirations for Cookie Canoodle are moving into a commercial kitchen but not necessarily a storefront.

She has had formal training in pastries. This is something she knew she wanted to do. When she was nine, she made her first three-layer carrot cake with her grandmother on the other end of the phone, and it started from there. She loves pastries and the creativity, sweetness, and desserts. She always said that she would end up in the pastry business. She ended up in the restaurant world first and then she came back to doing what she loved with pastries after school to become a pastry chef. She worked at Williams Sonoma and had other ventures when it came to her career and then when her husband went to work overseas, she decided to take the plunge when it came to following her passion. She wanted to do something to be able to follow her dreams but also be involved with her children. She decided two years ago now that her children we’re older that it was the time for her to make those dreams a reality and she started building Cookie Canoodle.

Her passion translates into her food because she is her most critical critic. The passion of the presentation, the love of doing it and making sure that it all turns out great so its perfect for you. She has repeat business from individuals. She tries to have a personal relationship with all of her customers, and she offers ideas and outlook when it comes to planning.

Just because you don’t see it on her website, doesn’t mean she cannot make it. She will work through whatever it is her customers are trying to create. They specialize doing the cutout chocolate chip cookie cakes for anybody whether it is letters or numbers. She wants to know what they like so she can specialize it and make it “Them”. When she sees the smile on their face, it’s a part of the success.

Her creative process comes through with her canoodle elves at the family dinner table. She tells her family her order and her ideas and they all roll with it and begin brainstorming ideas with one another. Her son is 16 and her daughter is 14. The love and support and passion she has for this and comes out of her love for it. She hopes people can tell in the product and in the service that they receive.

Holli is also a heart survivor. She went into Robinette one day to talk about catering for an event and then her and Amy Doherty began talking and they shared their stories with one another. Holli had a valve replaced about 10 years ago and they have really made a connection with one another. It is a great partnership and friendship.

This press release was produced by the Clear Lake Area Chamber Of Commerce. The views expressed here are the author’s own.