Christina Stewart’s Christmas Cookie Presale includes beloved holiday icons. Photos: Chris Emeott
Christina Stewart perfects her royal iced sugar cookies.
From wedding showers, bachelorette parties and birthdays to Teacher Appreciation Day and sixth grade graduations—Emily Bilski supplies the sweet treats that everyone takes a bite out of. Her go-to is Sweet + Flour Cookie Co.
“I have reordered from Sweet + Flour because the cookies not only look amazing, but they taste amazing, too,” says Bilski, a second grade teacher at St. Bart’s School in Wayzata.
Christina Stewart started Sweet + Flour Cookie Co. as a passion project last November. Prior to her time as a baker, Christina served as an elementary school teacher and an academic specialist. In 2019, the Maple Grove resident decided to stay home with her two boys, Calvin (5) and Maxwell (2). Christina and her husband, James Stewart, welcomed a new addition to their family on September 8—a third baby boy named Wesley. “I do plan to go back to teaching someday, but for now, I enjoy staying home and spending extra time with them,” she says.
Christina Stewart
Christina took advantage of this lifestyle change to perfect her baking hobby. She began her baking journey in 2018, creating her first batch of royal iced sugar cookies for her sister-in-law Dy-Anna Kunkel’s baby shower. “It was a challenge. It was something I had never done before, but I loved it,” Christina says. Since that shower, Christina found herself baking and designing unique cookies for parties, celebrations and holidays. Soon after, she says her friends and family would ask her to bake for their events, too. “My husband, James, looked at me and said, ‘You should make it legal and start an official business,’” Christina says. “I was reluctant at first because I had imposter syndrome.”
“When she first started making cookies for family and friends, it soon became clear that this is something she could pursue professionally,” James says. “Her talent was evident right away.”
Although James notes that it took a bit of convincing, Christina officially launched the Sweet + Flour website just one year ago with support all around.
Between mixing, baking, decorating and packaging, Christina estimates one set of cookies (two dozen) takes over 10 hours to create. “That doesn’t include drying time between layers,” she says. “It’s a process, and I’ve learned how to spread out that process especially if I’m juggling multiple orders in the week. It’s been a learning curve for sure.”
Because each set of cookies is completely custom to the customer, it’s rare that Christina ever makes the same set twice. “I’m obsessed with all the different themes,” she says, noting that one of her favorite sets to make was a Winnie-the-Pooh set for a first birthday as well as a set for Lunar New Year. Christina has also offered presale cookies, which include a preorder form and a standard set of cookies for different holidays, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and Valentine’s Day. Although Thanksgiving is off the table this year, due to the welcoming of Wesley, she hopes to offer a Christmas Cookie Presale. Last year, she offered two packages—a three-pack and a half dozen—which included a reindeer, a Christmas tree, a snowflake, a gingerbread man, Santa and a present. “It was really fun,” she says, noting this year she hopes to include classic Christmas cookie designs with new colorful options, too.
When asked how she balances the time it takes to bake, Christina notes that she is thankful for James who has helped her figure out the balancing act of being a business owner and a mother. “… It has been cool to watch how successful she has become in such a short amount of time. It’s been a lot of late nights and early mornings to get to where she is today,” James says.
Although she says it’s “definitely a one-woman show,” Christina notes that it wouldn’t be possible without the help around her, including James, her mom, Cheryl Valle, and her friends who consistently refer folks her way, such as Bilski, who she met in 2010 at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota in Winona. “I love referring my friends and family … because I know the product that they are getting and the customer service from Christina is worth every penny,” Bilski says.
Although Christina never visualized this for herself, she’s thrilled with the business. “I’m proud of myself. This isn’t something I envisioned or thought of. It kind of just came to be. I’m loving every step of it,” she says “I plan to keep it going.”
“I am so proud of what she has accomplished,” James says. “Christina is amazingly talented and works tremendously hard. For anyone looking to order from her, know that you are getting the best cookies in Minnesota!”
Cookie Cues
This holiday season, try baking and decorating royal iced cookies with your family and friends. Christina Stewart says, “The No. 1 thing is to start making them, even just for you.”
She adds that she’s learned to pipe and fill the royal icing with a lot of practice—but notes that social media is a big help, too. “Instagram and TikTok have so many videos and tutorials,” she says. “It’s so helpful to learn from them.”
What do you think? Will this hobby be the icing on the cookie this holiday season?
To order a set of custom cookies, visit sweetandflourcookieco.com, and fill out the Custom Cookie Request form.
Sweet + Flour Cookie Co
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