Sweet Dreams – The Story Behind Little Rose Cookie Co.

The story behind Little Rose Cookie Co. began in 2017, in a humble kitchen in a modest townhouse in north Mississauga. Then a personal trainer, Stephanie Urlando was on mat leave after welcoming her daughter Juliana Rose… and, well, she was bored.

Armed with a mixing bowl and a spatula, Stephanie began experimenting with different baking techniques and tools, ultimately learning how to transform plain sugar cookies into edible works of art.

Fast forward two years. Today, Stephanie’s business, Little Rose Cookie Co. (named for her daughter, now 2 ½) is rocking the GTA, buoyed by a savvy social media strategy that has 98 per cent of clients finding her via Instagram.

Now a busy mom of two (daughter Lilly is turning one), Stephanie still can’t believe how quickly news of her cookie business spread and how fast her enterprise is growing, thanks to the powerfully viral nature of social media. With more than 17,000 followers on Instagram, @littlerosecookieco is a true social media phenomenon and Stephanie’s second business, Lilly Scribes (named after her youngest daughter), which offers custom beaded scribe tools that are used by decorators for royal icing techniques, perfecting the art of French macarons, and more, is also thriving.

Her most popular cookies are baked from scratch and decorated for weddings, bridal showers and baby showers—but Stephanie’s favourite creations are her hand-painted rose cookies.

“Roses are my favourite flower and have been a constant theme throughout my life,” she says.

Still operating out of her humble kitchen in a modest townhouse in north Mississauga, Stephanie’s next challenge is to expand into a storefront without compromising the quality of her product. She is devoted to the one-of-a-kind aspect of her business.

“Custom gifts show thoughtfulness, as opposed to ‘cookie-cutter’ (no pun intended), generic gifts. People want something unique and different to celebrate their milestones,” Stephanie says.

Another promise? “My cookies are truly fresh,” she promises, “made with simple ingredients and no preservatives. And they’re delicious.”

By Kristy Elik