On the Record with Courtney Gordon of Coco’s Confections

Like many, DeWitt resident Courtney Gordon was happy enough in her job, having been the event director at The MTG Space, a Lansing meeting facility, for seven years. When the pandemic struck, Gordon, a wife and mother to 17-year-old twins, found she had more downtime on her hands and searched for things to fill her time.

“I spent most of 2020 (at home) baking bread, growing basil, practicing my guitar, knitting and watching ‘Hamilton,’” Gordon said. “In the fall, I took an online cookie decorating class with a friend, just for something to do. I discovered I have a knack for baking and decorating sugar cookies, and have been hooked ever since.”

The cookies Gordon had a knack for are the very popular cookies that are technically frosted with royal icing. Her steady hand and creative prowess allowed her to progress quickly in her new skill. Gordon began sharing photos of cookies she made for friends and family, and she began getting cookie requests from people she didn’t even know. After some research, she adopted a side hustle called Coco’s Confections that eventually grew exponentially. In August, Gordon left her full-time job to focus on her new business.

“It was, and still is, scary to give up my guaranteed salary and benefits, but so far things are going great,” Gordon said.

Currently, Gordon follows state regulations to work from her own space, but a brick-and-mortar Coco’s Confections could happen someday.

“That’s definitely a goal of mine,” Gordon said, “but not in the immediate future. Right now, I’m working on figuring out exactly what I want Coco’s Confections to be. I enjoy making custom orders because helping people celebrate their special occasions is why I started. I have also found that I love teaching cookie decorating classes. And having my own booth at local small-business markets has been really rewarding. There’s such an amazing community of small-business owners and makers in our area, and I love being a part of it.”

Beyond royal-icing skills, Gordon has spent countless hours researching and learning different techniques and skills over the past 10 months. You can find her creations throughout the area.

“I’ve been a vendor at all of the Bridge + Main outdoor markets in DeWitt this year, which has been amazing,” Gordon said.

She has also held pop-up shops at Twiggies in Old Town as well as Ham Sweet Farm in Williamston and Twisted Craft Cocktails in DeWitt.

“I’m hoping to be able to add a few of the other larger local markets to my calendar in 2022,” she said.

Gordon also plans to offer more than sugar cookies in her repertoire.

“Meringue pops are quickly becoming a crowd favorite, and I’m excited to be adding macarons to my menu in 2022,” she said.

Find Gordon on Facebook and on the web atmcocosconfections517.com.