Today we’d like to introduce you to Mitzi Torgersen.
Hi Mitzi, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My cookie journey didn’t start in a bakery or art school, it started 6 years ago during 2 a.m. baby feedings, YouTube deep dives, and a whole lot of postpartum anxiety. After my fourth little boy was born, I was in a tough spot mentally. One night, I stumbled across cookie decorating videos, and something inside me lit up. It was the beginning of what I now call “cookie therapy” and it changed everything.
Fast forward to today, and what started as a creative coping tool has transformed into a full-blown cookie career and community movement.
I’m the founder of The Cookiers, a membership site where I teach royal icing sugar cookie classes to people. For the past five years, I’ve been lucky enough to lead and grow this community, teaching monthly tutorials and inspiring cookiers from all over the globe to try new techniques, push creative boundaries, and just have fun with cookies.
But that wasn’t enough cookie for me, I also created and host the World Cookie Summit, an annual online event that brings together thousands of cookie decorators from all over the world. It’s my baby. My big, sparkly, sugar-covered dream. We celebrate artistry, learn from top cookie decorators, geek out over tools and techniques, and build real friendships through this shared love of cookie magic.
My work has led me to some exciting places, I’ve been a contestant on Christmas Cookie Challenge on Food Network and was crowned Champion on Season 6 of Holiday Wars. I’ve been published in American Cake Decorating Magazine (Feb 2024 issue), honored as a finalist for Cookie Artist of the Year at the 2024 American Cake Awards, and taught on stages (and screens) all across the country.
As a self-taught cookie artist, I’ve always been obsessed with breaking the mold (and not just the cookie kind). I don’t just want to follow trends, I want to create things no one’s seen before. People often say they recognize my cookies before they even know they’re mine, and that’s the best compliment. I like to mix mediums of royal icing, modeling chocolate, Isomalt, wafer paper, textured stencils, edible paints, and whatever other medium I’m currently exploring.
My new passion and exciting business in the cookie world revolves around flavor. I got such amazing feedback on my cookie’s taste during my Food Network appearance that I decided to bottle that joy and share it with the world. After working with a food scientist, I launched The Happy Flavor, a custom flavoring line for cookies, cakes, and all kinds of baked goods. Because beautiful cookies should taste just as magical as they look! The Happy Flavor line consists of three products, The Flavor Enhancer that protects the vanilla from baking out in your oven, Sweet Baking Vanilla that is naturally sweet and the best vanilla you’ll try, and Happy Icing, if you replace your vanilla with Happy Icing in things like rice krispie treats, french toast, milkshakes, etc. you’re in for a gourmet treat without the hassle.
At the heart of all this? I’m just a girl who loves sugar cookies, pink sparky things, quirky details, and going all in on whatever lights up my passion at the time. I’m definitely the person who takes things way over the top, always looking for the “extra” in life and cookies. But I’ve also learned through some tough seasons (and a lot of icing) that embracing what makes you different is where the real magic happens.
So now, whether I’m teaching a class in The Cookiers, hosting the World Cookie Summit, exploring flavors with The Happy Flavor or developing my next wild cookie design, I’m just doing what I love… and helping others fall in love with it too.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Oh, absolutely not. Smooth roads are for store-bought cookies.
One of the biggest bumps on the road was definitely competing on Christmas Cookie Challenge on Food Network. I was so excited to be on the show, I poured my heart into my designs, brought my A-game, and… I ran out of time and was eliminated. I won’t lie, that stung. A lot. It was one of those moments where your confidence takes a hit and you start questioning everything. But looking back? That “loss” was one of the best things that ever happened to me.
The judges had amazing things to say about the flavor of my cookies, which honestly lit a fire in me. I went home and spent the next year obsessing over flavor, testing, refining, and eventually working with a food scientist to develop what’s now known as The Happy Flavor. Not just one, but three products came out of that journey. So really, I didn’t lose, I pivoted, and something even sweeter came out of it.
And the best part… I came back to Food Network and won Season 6 of Holiday Wars. That felt like such a full-circle moment, proof that setbacks don’t define you, but how you rise from them absolutely does.
There have definitely been other hurdles too like mom guilt, juggling all the hats of business and family but every challenge has also been a stepping stone. It’s in those tough moments that I’ve discovered what I’m really made of and promised myself that I won’t give up.
We’ve been impressed with Happy Confetti (on instagram), The Cookiers, The Happy Flavor, The World Cookie Summit , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
At the heart of everything I do is this simple belief: cookies can be so much more than just a treat, they’re a form of edible art, self-expression, therapy, connection, and JOY. They are homemade and filled with love and they help bring emotions to people’s lives. They enhance special occasions and show someone that they were thought about and are special.
I run The Cookiers, a membership site where I teach royal icing sugar cookie classes. It’s been going strong for over 5 years now and has become such a vibrant, supportive community of cookie decorators of all skill levels, from brand new beginners to seasoned pros. We focus on learning new techniques, playing with textures, experimenting with mediums and always adding a little sparkle to the ordinary.
I also host and run the World Cookie Summit, a giant online cookie party (okay fine, “virtual conference” if we’re being official) that brings together cookiers from all over the world for classes, demos, business chats, giveaways, and connection. It’s like the Super Bowl for cookie lovers and I’m so proud of how it’s grown. What started as a fun idea during the pandemic has become a true annual event that thousands look forward to. And yes, we totally wear stretchy pants and crown cookie royalty.
Flavor also plays a huge role in what I do because let’s be real, a pretty cookie should still taste amazing. After getting rave reviews about my sugar cookie taste on Christmas Cookie Challenge, I developed The Happy Flavor, a custom line of flavorings for bakers who want cookies that taste as incredible as they look. I now have three products that have helped bakers elevate their treats in the most delicious way possible.
1️⃣ The original Flavor Enhancer: Good for cookies, cakes and baked goods. It’s sheared at a high speed so it grabs onto the flavors you are currently have in your recipe, maybe that’s vanilla, and it protects them so they don’t “bake out” in the oven.
2️⃣ Happy Icing: Originally made for a safe flavoring for royal icing, we now love it in almost everything we make (buttercream, pancakes, Rice Krispies, milkshakes, protein shakes…)
3️⃣ Sweet Baking Vanilla: It’s made from SWEET vanilla pods which are naturally sweet making this a no-brainer for anything you bake. Pair it with the flavor enhancer and bam! 💥 100% pure and organic, the good stuff!
What sets my brand apart? Honestly, it’s the heart behind it. I don’t just teach people how to decorate cookies. I help them find confidence, creativity, and community. Whether someone joins The Cookiers for technique tips, attends the World Cookie Summit to get inspired, or uses The Happy Flavor in their own baking business, I want them to feel supported, seen, and reminded that their unique style matters.
And at the end of the day, I’m just so proud that I’ve built a brand where bakers feel like they belong. Where quirky is celebrated. Where sprinkles are practically a food group. And where no one ever has to feel “average” again.
What are your plans for the future?
At the core of it all, my biggest goal moving forward is reach. I want to connect with more people, teach more sugar cookie magic, and help others discover just how healing, empowering, and creatively fulfilling cookies can be. Whether someone is just starting out, looking for a new hobby, or turning their passion into a business, I want to be part of their journey.
I’m working on expanding The Cookiers membership to make it even more accessible and jam-packed with value. I’m also dreaming up new ways to grow The World Cookie Summit, think more classes, more voices, more global representation, and even more fun ways to connect as a community.
And The Happy Flavor? Let’s just say The Happy Flavor is not done growing yet. I want to share The Happy Flavor with the world and create amazing recipes with it and use it in ways I haven’t yet dreamed of.
Ultimately, I just want to keep creating, teaching, and encouraging others to embrace their own quirky, one-of-a-kind creativity. The more people I can inspire and support, the sweeter the future looks.
Pricing:
- The Cookiers is $228/year
- The Happy Flavor is $23/bottle or $58 for a bundle of all 3 products
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mitzitorgersen.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/happyconfetti, https://instagram.com/the_cookiers, and https://instagram.com/the_happy_flavor_
