Stacie Suedkamp, owner of Fig Tales in Flandreau, has always been the baker of her family. But after a failed experience with cake pops, she decided to turn her direction to baking sugar cookies.
Her array of sugar cookies caught the attention of her coworkers, who turned into her first customers.
“I had two amazing coworkers who were incredibly encouraging,” said Suedkamp. “They said, ‘You really have something here,’ and asked me to bake them custom cookies of their own.”
After pursuing a variety of careers and fulfilling cookie orders on the side, Suedkamp says that she was ready to make the leap toward owning her own business.
“I reached a point where if I was going to try and make a living as baker, it was either now or never,” said Suedkamp.
Through Fig Tales, Suedkamp has been able to create custom-designed sugar cookies for businesses and customers around the world.
“It has been seven years and I haven’t looked back,” said Suedkamp. Suedkamp opens up more about her love for baking, design, and creative freedom.
“I have a number of clients with custom cookies stashed in their freezers because they just can’t bear to eat their special cookies.” -Stacie Suedkamp
The name Fig Tales came from…
a friend from my old scooter group, Robert, had nicknamed the pigtails on my helmet “Fig Tales,” or fake pigtails. When I established my LLC, I wrote down Fig Tales and it became one of those names people remembered, so I kept it.
My love for baking started…
when I was a kid. My family only had three television channels: ABC, CBS, and PBS. During the summer they would play a full day of cooking shows, like Julia Child, Jacques Pépin, and Great Chefs of the World. I was absolutely enamored with what they were making.
The best part of my job is…
the creative freedom and the incredible ideas my clients come up with. I always I can put anything on a cookie, and so far I haven’t found anything too far-fetched.
One of my favorite projects has been…
adoption cookies for new families. There’s something that feels sacred about being asked to help celebrate those occasions. I also love creating cookies for family milestone events, like graduations, engagements, weddings, and baby showers.
My favorite design to create for a cookie is…
the My Favorite Things set. I’ll receive a document from a customer describing the recipient and their favorite things, then I figure out how to turn it into a cohesive set. When the cookies reflect the customer, you can see how much it means to them.
I deliver to…
anywhere you can think of. I bake in a commercial kitchen, so I am able to ship cookies to clients wherever they are. I’ve delivered to Sioux Falls, Minneapolis, Denver, and as far as Panama and Europe.
Holiday Baking Classes
BUFFALO RIDGE BREWING
Hartford
December 2 // 6 p.m.
MAD MARY’S STEAK HOUSE
Flandreau
December 6 // 6 p.m.
HILTON GARDEN INN SIOUX FALLS DOWNTOWN
Sioux Falls
December 11 // 11 a.m., 3 p.m., and 6 p.m.
I host classes because…
I love teaching people simple tricks to elevate home baking. It also helps potential l customers see how much work goes into unique sugar cookies. I aim for my classes to have more of a party feel. It’s fun and a great way to spend an afternoon or evening.
My favorite recipe to bake is…
my classic sugar cookie. The number one compliment I receive is about how amazing they taste.
A trend in baking I love right now is…
Bronuts, which are brownies baked in a donut pan. So simple and fun. If you’re a fan of brownie edges, a perfectly baked Bronut will make your mouth pretty hap
Keep up with Stacie
Instagram // @figtales
Facebook // /FigTales
Twitter // @figtale
When I’m not baking, I’m…
usually crafting. I enjoy working on crafts that can elevate my cookies. My Cricut machine has helped me create custom stencils or custom decorating mats for my classes.
My favorite thing to do at home is…
write. It has become one of my favorite ways to decompress, and like my cookies, I get to be as creative as my mind allows.
I’m passionate about…
using language that is empowering. Empowering language can change so much about how we view ourselves, and when we see value in ourselves, we can change our world.
