What is the difference between decorated cookies and photo cookies?
Decorated cookies are cookies which are iced by hand with several layers and colors of royal icing. The royal icing is colored by hand and applied to the cookie with a pastry bag. Due to the time spent on mixing the various colors and meticulously adding details on each cookie, these cookies are normally more expensive than photo cookies. For more information, including pricing and pictures, please visit our decorated cookies page.
Photo cookies contain the same ingredients as our decorated cookies. These cookies have an edible image printed on high quality frosting sheets with food coloring (FDA approved). Our special 6-inkjet produces extremely clear images. Most of our logo cookies are made with our photo cookies. Any logo, photograph, book cover, etc. can be used. There are no set-up fees and we can even add wording for no extra charge. Photo cookie pricing depends solely on the size and shape. Whatever image you decide to use will not alter the price. Our standard shapes are square, round and rectangle. Custom shaped photo cookies are becoming more popular and we're happy to provide you with some ideas. For more information, including pricing and pictures, please visit our photo cookie page.
What are the ingredients in your decorated sugar cookies?
When people ask..."How come your cookies taste sooo much better than "insert company name here?"
First, all of our treats are hand-made and baked from scratch. Even our royal icing recipe is made fresh several times everyday (our own recipe). Secondly, we use quality ingredients like real butter, cage-free eggs and pure vanilla extract (no shortening or margarine..gross!). And lastly, we do not freeze our dough or our cookies. When we say baked fresh, we mean "baked fresh". Our goal is to make cookies that you can be proud to give your guests not only because they are beautiful but also because they taste fantastic.
Our decorated sugar cookies ingredients are: Flour, sugar, butter, eggs, powdered sugar, baking powder, real vanilla extract and salt.
Our photo cookies ingredients are the same as above with the addition of these ingredients found in the frosting sheets we use: water, cornstarch, corn syrup, corn syrup solids, cellulose, sorbitol, glycerine, sugar vegetable oil, arabic gum, polysorbate 80, vanilla, Titanium Dioxide, Citric Acid.
Our Royal Icing (which is used in all of our decorated and photo cookies) ingredients are: Powdered sugar, meringue powder, cream of tartar and some artificial colors/flavors.
Are your cookies Kosher?
Our cookies are not "certified" Kosher.
Do your cookies contain preservatives?
Our sugar cookies contain no preservatives. This is why they have a shelf life of 1 month (if they remain wrapped), for best taste we recommend eating them within 1-2 weeks of receiving them.
What flavors are your cookies? What kind of icing do you use?
Our most popular cookie flavor is our sugar cookie recipe w/ almond flavored (artificial) icing. If you do not specify otherwise, this is the flavor you will receive. We also have lemon and vanilla flavored icing available upon request.
We have three types of cookie flavors: sugar, chocolate and gingerbread. Chocolate and gingerbread flavors are only $.25 more per cookie and can be ordered by phone or E-mail. Please note these two flavors may increase your lead time by 2-3 business days. Rush ordering is normally not available for chocolate or gingerbread flavors.
We use Royal Icing for all of our cookies. It dries smooth, the top layer crunchy and softer underneath. This icing keeps the cookies softer than other icings and won't melt in hot weather conditions.
Do your cookies contain peanuts or traces of peanuts?
Our sugar cookies or frosting do not contain peanuts. However, one of our icing ingredients has an allergy warning label (it is used in a factory that shares equipment with peanuts and other nuts). We prefer the "better safe than sorry" idiom and recommend that people with food allergies not consume our products.
I just received my cookies, should I put them in the refrigerator?
Please don't! Most people think that they will keep their cookies fresh if they place them in the refrigerator. Unfortunately, royal icing (which is what we use to decorate our cookies) doesn't respond well to condensation (what happens after you take your cookies out of the refrigerator).
If you'd like to keep your cookies fresh for longer than 2 weeks, we suggest placing them inside a sealed container and then placing that container in the freezer. Your cookies can stay frozen for up to 6 months. Just remember to let the container come back to room temperature before you open it. Please note we have never tried to freeze our cookies so if you decide to freeze them, it is "at your own risk".
How do your cookies come wrapped? Is there an additional fee for this?
All of our cookies come wrapped in clear cello bag (biodegradable cello bags will soon be available!) and tied with real satin ribbon (the nice stuff!). You have many, many colors to choose from. There is NO EXTRA CHARGE for the wrapping or the ribbon. It is included in the price of the cookies!
If you would like for us to use ribbon you provide, we will need it sent to us pre-cut into 15" strips atleast 1 week prior to the ship date. We do not charge a fee to use your ribbon instead of ours (although our ribbon might get a bit jealous!)
What kind of packaging options do you have available?
Most of our packaging is either boxes or tins. Gift Boxes are the most popular and affordable. We have a few different colors and styles. We do not post all of the colors and styles on the website because our inventory changes weekly. Also, the colors/style of packaging will greatly depend on the size and quantity of cookies you plan on ordering. If you let us know what type of gift it is (birthday, baby shower, etc). We will try our best to match the packaging and cookies to make a nice coordinated gift for your recipient.
My party is one month away, when should I place my order to receive it on time?
You can place your order at any time and we will bake it and ship it according to the date you give us.
For example, your party is on Saturday December 17th, you would need your cookies no later than Thursday the 15th. You order in November and simply tell us that you need it by the 15th of December. We would then bake and decorate your order a couple of days prior to the 15th.
We recommend placing all orders atleast 3 weeks in advance.
What are your lead times for hand-decorated cookies, photo cookies and custom cookies? How soon can I receive my order?
Photo Cookies Lead Times
Lead times for photo cookie orders are two weeks (total of 10 business days not including Holidays or Weekends). This means if you place your order on Friday 11-2-2007, the earliest you can receive your order is Friday 11-16-2007. Orders of 250 photo cookies or more will have longer lead times. Normally 3 weeks for 250-1000 cookies and up to 5 weeks for orders of 2500 or more. Rush ordering (less than one week lead time) is sometimes available, we will usually need to ship the order either UPS 2nd Day or UPS Next Day. Please call 1-888-229-2039 to ask for availibility of a rush order.
Hand-decorated Cookies Lead Times
Lead times for hand-decorated cookies is a minimum of 2 weeks. This is a total of 10 business days (not including Holidays or Weekends). Also, UPS does not delivery on weekends. Please keep this in mind when ordering. Orders of 100 hand-decorated cookies or more will have a longer lead time. 3-4 weeks depending on exact quantity. Rush ordering (less than two weeks) is sometimes available, please call 1-888-229-2039 for availibility.
Custom Cookies Lead Times
Custom cookies have a minimum 3 weeks lead time with up to 4 weeks if a cutter needs to be made. Larger custom orders of 250 cookies or more will have longer lead time of up to 5 weeks depending on the complexity and size of the order.
If I place my order too far in advance won't the cookies be stale by the time I get them?
Nope. we bake and ship all orders right before their delivery date.
How do I order on your website?
*We have a few different sections of cookies. Once you've seen the cookies you'd like to order, choose the ribbon color(s) & details/delivery date.
*Add your cookie selection to your cart.
*On the shopping cart page, you can add or remove items and change quantity
*Most cookie prices are listed "per cookie" so this means that you must change the quantity on your shopping cart page to reflect our minimums.
Once you have finished adding all of your cookies, packaging and gift options (if any), etc. simply press "checkout".There are two options, regular checkout (to pay with credit card or money order) and PayPal checkout.
Choose your shipping or delivery option, add your personal and payment info and voila!
Your beautiful cookies will arrive at your doorstep on the delivery date you specified!
Ofcourse, if you are still having trouble please call us at 1-888-229-2039 or E-mail orders@alissweettreats.com
Can I order just one cookie of each different type?
Our different cookie types/sizes have different minimums. Here's a rundown:
- Regular hand-decorated cookies sized at 3" or more have a 12 cookie minimum
- Mini hand-decorated cookies sized at 1-2.5" have a 24 cookies minimum
- Giant hand-decorated cookies have a 1 cookie minimum.
- Message or Greeting card cookies have a 1 cookie minimum.
- 1.5" Square Photo cookies have a 48 cookie minimum.
- 3" Round and Heart Photo Cookies have a 12 cookie minimum.
- 3" Rectangular Photo Cookies have a 10 cookie minimum
- 4" Square Photo Cookies have a 8 cookie minimum.
- 2" Round Photo Cookies have a 12 cookie minimum.
If you are ordering a gift or would like a variety of types, our minimum for our hand-decorated cookies is still 12 cookies but you may order as few as 4 per type provided the colors used on all cookies does not exceed 4 colors. Example: You order 4 bibs, 4 onesies, 4 baby bottles and 4 baby carriages in white and pink. (This minimum quantity per type is only for hand-decorated cookies and does not include our photo cookies).
On each individual cookie page it will specify the details, including minimum order quantities. If you still have questions, feel free to contact us.
How are your cookies shipped?
We ship our cookies as if they were glass! Each cookie is wrapped individually in bubble wrap (cookies 3" and larger) then placed inside a box which is lined with more bubble wrap. We use a combination of recycled peanuts, packing paper and bubble wrap to keep your cookies super safe during transit.
What if my cookies arrive broken?
Please see our "policies" page for more information. www.alissweettreats.com/policies.html
Do you accept returns or exchanges?
Sorry, since our cookies are made to order and perishable, we do not accept returns or exchanges.
What if I need to cancel my order?
Please see our "policies" page for more information www.alissweettreats.com/policies.html
Who is Ali?
"Ali" is short for Alina, the owners daughter. We call her "cookie monster" because she loves our cookies!
How did your company get started? When was it founded?
Ali's Sweet Treats was founded in 2002 by Andrea Bernal. Andrea loved making cookies, creme brulee, breads and other desserts since she was a young child. She took many art classes throughout her years in school, including AP classes in high school. It was only after her daughter turned two and she decided to bake some cookies for her party that she realized the need for delicious and beautiful cookies. Combining her love of baking and passion for art, Ali's Sweet Treats was born.
Where is your facility?
We are located in the heart of Kendall, Florida. We currently operate out of a commercial kitchen and do not have a storefront open to the public.
If you live in the Miami area and would like to set up an appointment for us to design a custom cookie for your special event and taste a sample cookie, please E-mail andrea@alissweettreats.com.
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Hand-Decorated Cookies