Catarina Cabral has been making these cookies for more than 10 years, but last year, she set up Cookies and Co. She started out as a manicurist and is now completely dedicated to creating these themed cookies, an art she learned independently.


Correio dos Açores – How did you get the taste for handmade cookies?
Catarina Cabral – Many years ago, I used to make miniatures of food in fimo – it’s like plasticine that goes into the oven. I realized that everything I did revolved around sweets, including miniature cookies. My mother used to make butter cookies dipped in chocolate at the time, so I decided to take what I was doing with gusto and turn it into reality.

Are you trained in baking?
No, my basic training is in Esthetics. I started as a nail technician, but now I’m completely dedicated to Cookies and Co.

Did you learn to make the cookies yourself?
Yes. It was very difficult then because no one in Portugal was doing this kind of work, so I had to use material from the United States.

What makes your cookies different?
Mainly the decoration. Everything is done by hand, in icing, and I do a bit of everything, which helps to differentiate my work.

What kind of cookies do you make? What ingredients do you use?
Currently, I only have two flavors: the traditional butter cookie dough with lemon icing (as the cookie is sweeter, the lemon balances the taste) and the chocolate cookies with vanilla paste icing. Both the butter and chocolate cookies have a gluten-free option.

What’s your favorite cookie, and what’s the most popular?
The one that sells the most is the butter cookie, but my favorite is the chocolate cookie. As for the decoration, I made a cookie with the image of the Holy Christ (Santo Cristo), and I think that was my favorite, but the truth is that I ended up liking them all.

Can you give us some examples of your creations?
I have lots of characters, such as Paw Patrol or Hello Kitty. Last year, I made lots of Gabby’s Dolls’ House cookies, which I only got to know through an order. I also make logos for companies, brands, many for communions and christenings. In short, a bit of everything.

You recently started making bento cakes. Can you explain the concept behind this type of cake? What flavors do you use?
Bento comes from the Japanese word for lunchbox. It’s a small cake serving one to two people at most in a hamburger box. Last year I only made the chocolate cake with dulce de leche and decorated with Swiss buttercream, but this year I’m going to have something new. People usually personalize the cake with funny phrases.

What other creations can we expect?
At the moment, I only make cookies and bento cakes, but I want to include other products. I’d like to start producing cakes again so that someone who orders from me for a party can order all the sweets.

What has been the reaction from the public?
It’s been very positive. The first time I started making cookies was over ten years ago; no one in the Azores made this type of cookie. I made my first cookies in December 2012; since then, I’ve never stopped. I used to make them for friends and family, and it was only last year that I started a business.

What does seeing people happy when they receive your cookies mean to you?
It’s very nice when you do a job you like, and people are happy. There’s nothing better than that.

Is there a particular story you’ve had with a consumer that has touched you?
The gifts, dedications…. There are a lot of cookies that I don’t publish on social media because they’re more personal. Just last week, I had an order for the person’s birthday present; in other words, instead of being just any object, it was a personalized gift with the person in mind.

How does packaging and delivery work?
All the cookies are individually wrapped and sealed in a heat machine, which makes them last about 20 days. They may last a little longer, but that’s my safety margin. They are then placed in a box, and people collect them from the address given. I’m currently working on being able to make home deliveries.

Are you preparing products for any special dates?
At the moment, I’m preparing for Valentine’s Day, which is one of the dates when I have the most orders. Apart from that, the special dates are Easter, Halloween, and Christmas.

What would you say to convince our readers to buy your cookies?
I’m not very good with words, so I think I just show my work and let people decide. I prefer to show what I do.

Would you like to leave a message for our readers?
I’d like to thank all those who have followed us since the beginning, not just as customers but as friends. I invite all readers to stop by my Cookies and Co. page.


Daniela Canha, journalist for Correio dos Açores, Natalino Viveiros, director

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Cultures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance)  at California State University, Fresno–PBBI thanks the sponsorship of the Luso-American Development Foundation from Lisbon, Portugal (FLAD)