Ninth grader Clara Davidson started baking when she was little, making cookies with her grandmother and mother. What began as a hobby turned into Clara’s Cookies, a business Davidson started in sixth grade.

“I used to bake a lot when I was younger, and my mom always pushed me and was a big supporter of that. One day, I saw this girl decorating cookies, and I wanted to try that. So I did it, and I loved it.” Davidson said.

Clara’s mother, Chelsea Page, wasn’t surprised when her daughter announced that she wanted to start selling cookies.

“She’s just a very ambitious child. She’s always kind of had an entrepreneurial spirit, so it did not surprise me at all because she’s always had that,” Page said. “When she was a little girl, she used to clean up rocks, paint them, and sell rocks.”

Clara taught herself how to do advanced cookie decorating techniques through social media.

“She taught herself how to do the icing, the piping, the texture—everything that goes with it. She won’t let me touch it. I can’t do what she does,” Page said.

Orders for Clara’s Cookies vary in size and complexity. The time commitment depends on the details involved.

“An order can take around eight hours to complete. It really depends,” Davidson said. “By the end, you’re kind of done, but then when you see the final result, you’re like, I want to do more.”

One of Clara’s biggest orders was for the middle school’s SpongeBob Musical. The project became possible because of Margarita Coale. This order became a memorable moment for Davidson.

“There were these very detailed pineapples. I can’t even remember how many—it was 14 or 15 dozen.” Page said. “She was just so proud. They filled up the entire dining room table. We had them all perfectly set out. “

Coale has become a regular customer of Clara’s Cookies. The quality keeps Coale coming back.

“Clara is great. She is reliable, and she is also willing to listen. She always gives consistently good cookies,” Coale said. 

Coale shares the cookies from Clara’s Cookies with the high school counseling office from time to time. 

“I usually order them and also give them to the counselor’s office, and they love it. Every time somebody sees the cookies by Clara, they go, ‘oh, we love these,’” Coale said.

Running Clara’s Cookies has changed how Clara spends her time. The work keeps her engaged throughout the week. 

“I’m never bored anymore. There used to be times when I’d just be sitting on the couch, not knowing what to do. Now I’m always busy. It’s also rewarding to earn money and invest it,” Davidson said. 

Clara has developed a personal motto for her business. This guides her approach to each order.

“It feels [like an accomplishment] because I get to give these cookies to people and they get to enjoy them. I always think about my motto: one cookie equals one smile,” Davidson said. 

Each cookie requires careful attention to detail.

“It takes a steady hand, focus, creativity, and all of those things. It’s kind of like seeing a glass ornament—you just appreciate it,” Page said.