Deborah Melton

Scott Temple

Eng 114

18 March 2013

Deborah’s Interview with a Sugar Artist

I spoke with the owner of Keystone Confections in Boiling Springs North Carolina. When asked how she became interested in professional baking she replied, “I have always loved baking and the best way to be happy with your life is to do what you love”. Her first baking experience was with her mother in the kitchen baking sugar cookies at a very young age and was oftened found in her neighbors kitchen baking cookies for them. She attended cake classes in Atlanta Georgia. She claims the hardest thing about being a baker is that people buy her products so quickly that that you have to call in advance to have your order placed ahead of time. The best things about being a baker are that people get to taste her goodies and that she gets to show her talents to the world. As a baker the most important skills to have is that the cake comes out moist and the flavor is intact. The advice she gives me is to do what you love. She does most all varieties of baking. When she makes wedding cakes, she works with each bride and groom to make their wedding cake personalized and special. Taste and design are the two most important key elements in your wedding cake. For specialty cakes all you have to do is tell them what you want and they will make it for you. All cakes and cookies are made to order, which means she bakes them after you order. They are never premade or frozen ahead of time. She only use fresh ingredients, she truly believes that ingredients make all the difference. She is committed to using only the finest ingredients available. She also makes picture cakes, where she print out a picture that you would want to be on the cake and she put it on a cake for you. As for cookies, sugar cookies are her specialty and they can be simply iced, sprinkled, or elaborately decorated, whatever fits your occasion. Cookie flavors can come in individually wrapped cellophane and a ribbon if you so desire. They make great place settings for parties, dinners, or corporate occasions. Sugar cookies can also be used in the cake design. Cookie bouquets are also available for the holidays in decorated containers or baskets. If you have any special containers she can use those as well. Cookies bouquets are great as teacher gifts. Your company logo can also be printed on edible sugar paper and placed onto a sugar cookie. This can be done in the normal business card shape or round. This is also a very nice conversation piece while talking to people about your business. Great for meetings, trade shows, or just as a snack in the office. Oreo cookies dipped in homemade white or milk chocolate coating are also available, they as well can be decorated in many different ways. Cookies are available boxed or on a platter depending on your occasion. She also makes cake truffles. They are very popular at bridal showers and wedding favors. They can be decorated with small flowers, squiggles of colored chocolate or sprinkles. They are available in their varieties of cake flavors. They can be dipped in either white chocolate or milk chocolate coating. Assortments of these truffles and Oreo cookies are great to take to a party. They can also be incorporated into a cake design. Chocolates are also available seasonally. She go by recipes that have been handed down through her generation. Her solid novelty items are available as well as her assortment of candies. The favorites she has are her peanut butter cups, peanut butter swirls, peanut clusters, caramels, creams, and several others available. She also makes special cupcakes. You can learn more about her and her varieties of baked products if you go to keystoneconfections.com to check out all her sweets and treats.