I just got a request to give a quote for 1,600 cookies for August 23, simple design with just the number "1" one each cookie.

It's just me and a friend. Is this a possible or impossible task? Should I bid on this?

you have 10 days, if you have the ingredients on hand or can get them locally, i would bid on it. Seems like it would be a nice chunk of change, if your willing to do the work for it.

Well, I submitted my bid and solicited for some help to my friends, got approval for additional time in the commercial kitchen.

I will just have to see how this pans out, but I need a decision by today!!

Go for it....you will never know if you CAN do it, if you don't jump right in and do it! Just make up in your mind that it's too big for you to fail, so you WILL succeed. Keep the idea, recipe and design simple to start with. If you find that you have time to add something here or there, go for it.

If I were you I'll take the chance, eventhough I am a newbie in cake/cookie decorating. I'm not afraid of challenge so that I can get the experience. So, go for it.

I'm holding my breath. The biggest order I have ever done was 300 cookies. I told them I need a decision by the end of the day.

Echooo3, what's the best thing to use to get nice, even sized cookies? Do you use an ice cream scoop?

since you mention you have access to a commercial kitchen, I'll share that I did 1800 cookies for a college graduation. Using 18x24 baking sheets, I could get 24 cookies on a sheet, 10 sheets in the oven at one time = 240 cookies per baking batch. 1800 divided by 240 = 7.5 (round to 8 ) baking batches. 8 batches x about 15 to 20 minutes per batch = 160 baking minutes = less than 3 hours to bake 1800 cookies.

Now this included a lot of prep work. Drop cookies were premade into dough balls and we were able to move them straight from freezer to oven. cut out cookies were also pre-cut and ready to move from freezer to oven. Cut-outs were a simple design and with 3 of us (me and 2 teenage girls) doing assembly line work, we got the whole order out in one afternoon.

But you gotta have good prep work done and a good assembly line process set up.

These will be rolled sugar cookies, with "#1" on them that I will do in fondant.

indydebi, you are so awesome. I have learned so much from you. Thank you for aways being so helpful and very funny!!

I hope you get the order. I did 1800 cookies this summer but I got to do it in 3 sessions and they were all drop cookies. Indydebi is right - it's all in the prep work. You should be easily able to do it with that much lead time, help and a commercial kitchen. Good Luck!

DeeDelightful, if I were to make drop cookies, I would use and ice cream scoop for sure.

Wow! My mind just froze up thinking about making that many roll-out cookies! But, hey, if the money's good, why not? I'll be wishing you all the best!

Well, they didn't like my price. But heck, it's a rush order and felt no need to discount. $5,200 is my price, that $3.25 per cookie which is what I always charge.

I wonder what kind of price they were thinking it might be?

Indydeb, I ask that question and didn't get an answer. I would love to know. Probably around $500 right? I just had one too many zeros for them.

they probably couldn't do the math of $3.25 x 1600. $3.25 probably didn't sound to bad for each cookie, but they didn't do the math to see what the final cost would be.

Well, off they go then!

I took a step back and gasped at some "decorated sugar cookies" either Wal-Mart or Dillions had out at Valentines. They were a thick cookie with the message rasied up in the dough (must have been baked in a mold and flipped out) and sprinkled with red sugar.. the cost?? $1.50. FOR THAT??

What do they think?? They think it's just a cookie, you're just putting a 1 on them, how tough can that be.??

Suggest they waddle over to the slice and bake cookie dough and grab 100 tubes or so and get busy and just bake 1600 of THOSE!! Not talking mixing, rolling, cutting and decorating.

They'll see very quickly why you charge what you do.

Seriously, I don't know how anyone makes money selling cookies. At least, not in my area. A friend wanted me to make some cookies for a briadal shower, and I said I'd do them for $2 each (they wanted a complicated, special design). When she told the price to the other women putting the shower together, they promptly had heart attacks that "just cookies" could cost so much. Yet a cupcake shop moved into the complex where I work, and people couldn't buy the cupcakes fast enough....at $3.25 each! NO decoration, just a swirl of icing. And the cupcakes were dry! I'm definitely in the wrong business!

Gemini, I hear ya. The real problem is I LOVE to do decorated cookies. I also sell cakes but I keep my price of my cookies at $3.25 because if someone really wants them, they pay that price for them, otherwise, it's a "nice to have". Your cookies are awesome and definately worth more!!

I've got an answer from the company that wants 1600 decorated sugar cookies. Their budget is $800, so that 50 cents per cookie.

Seriously?

Forget that!

Hello walmart? I'd like 75 bags of Oreos .... to go.

kansaslaura, they provide human resources outsourcing and consulting services

If you have access to a commercial kitchen-yes you can.
Assembly line.
Happy Baking and Decorating,
Chef Angie

seriously, it's an insult; so not worth even turning on the oven! indydebi is right, as always, let them call Walmart.