Amber Spiegel is no stranger to challenges, but that doesn’t mean she lets them defeat her. Whether it’s in the kitchen, at home with her children, or in life in general, Amber Spiegel, aka SweetAmbs, is not afraid of a little bump in the road. The baker-slash-artist has built a community of nearly a million people, where she shares her prowess in the kitchen baking up, and perhaps more importantly, decorating cookies.
I previously chatted with the talented entrepreneur about her business and learned all about the nuances of her job, creating for an online community, and how she funneled that community into the creation of her Cookie Art Club. She even shared some much-appreciated Mother’s Day inspo with us last year. But now, with back-to-school season in full gear, we turned to the cookie mogul to get her advice on how to manage a successful work-life balance, how she deals with picky children, and her timely Wednesday-inspired cookies. After all, Nevermore Academy isn’t the only school back in session.
What was your favorite part about creating a Wednesday-inspired cookie? What are elements from the show that you knew you wanted to incorporate?
My favorite part of creating any cookie is the sketching stage. Mapping out the design and figuring out which techniques will bring each detail to life always feels like solving a puzzle. With Wednesday, I was especially drawn to her Nevermore Academy jacket. At first glance it looks like simple black and gray stripes. But if you look closely, the fabric has this beautiful gradient that shifts from light gray to black. I stared at the jacket for so long trying to figure out how to translate the design into icing! In the end, I applied a gray royal icing base and hand-painted the stripes with edible paints, blending black and white until it had that same subtle fade. It was tricky, but once it came together, it felt like a win!
Amazing! How can you pass this artistry along to your followers?
I shared the full step-by-step tutorial in my Cookie Art Club, which has become such a special place for me. Beyond the 200+ tutorials and recipes, it’s where cookie enthusiasts – from beginners to seasoned decorators – come together to learn, get feedback, and share their own work. It’s such a supportive, creative community, and I love seeing members inspire each other month after month. It’s also where I get to experiment with new ideas and challenges, which keeps things exciting for me, too. The Cookie Art Club is where I get to connect more deeply with the people who love this craft as much as I do.
In tandem with the cookie club, you’re running a back-to-school cookie challenge. What can people expect from that?
One of my favorite parts of the Cookie Art Club is seeing everyone’s creativity come to life. Each month I host a themed decorating challenge, and for September we’re going back-to-school! Members can upload photos of their cookie designs for a chance to win a prize bundle. This month, it includes a signed copy of my books Cookie Art and Cookie Canvas, some of my go-to decorating supplies, and, of course a little social media love. It’s such a fun way for members to show off their skills, get inspired by each other, and really feel like part of a creative community. I love these cookie challenges because they give people an opportunity to try new ideas, get feedback, and cheer each other on. It’s amazing how much inspiration comes from seeing the same theme through so many different lenses. It feels less like I’m teaching alone and more like we’re all building something creative together.
It’s the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth. How does it feel to have created the cover artwork for Martha Stewart’s Pride & Prejudice cookbook?
Designing the artwork for Martha Stewart’s Pride & Prejudice was truly a career milestone for me. Over several weeks in my Kingston, New York, studio, I created hundreds of hand-decorated cookies and royal icing pieces inspired by early 19th-century fashion and design. Each detail was carefully crafted to capture that timeless elegance before I brought everything to New York City to be photographed for the book. It was one of the most challenging projects I’ve ever taken on, but also one of the most rewarding. Seeing my cookie artistry at the center of a Martha Stewart cookbook, especially for such a cultural icon like Pride & Prejudice, is something I’ll always be proud of. It’s an incredible honor to know my work helped bring that vision to life.
And yet with all of this excitement, you’re still a mom. With school starting up again, do you have any tips for other parents who need to pack a lunchbox?
As the mom of a picky eater, I definitely don’t have all the answers! One thing that’s really helped us is school lunch. It’s such a great way for my daughter to try new foods, and she’s actually found a few new favorites that way. And on the days she doesn’t like what’s on the menu, there are always simple backups like PB&J or a cheese sandwich. I’m so grateful for school lunches. They’ve taken a lot of stress out of my mornings.
How about life juggling for busy parents? That’s always a doozy.
I’ve learned that evenings are my secret weapon. After dinner, while the kids are playing, I’ll prep snacks, breakfast, lay out clothes for everyone (including myself), and even get the coffee ready to go. I’m a list-maker at heart, so checking these little tasks off gives me a sense of calm before the next day begins. By the time morning rolls around, everything feels lighter and less rushed, which means once the kids are on the bus, I can step into my studio with a clear mind and start creating. For me, it’s all about balance–giving my family the structure they need while still carving out space for my own creativity.
Speaking of which, do you ever end up in a creative rut? It must be challenging to always come up with new ideas.
Creative ruts happen to everyone, but I’ve learned to treat them as part of the process instead of a roadblock. I keep a running album on my phone where I save photos and notes of anything I see that sparks an idea, a texture, a pattern, even something unexpected like wallpaper or packaging. At this point, I’ve collected well over 100 ideas! When I feel stuck, I flip through that album and see what jumps out at me in the moment. It’s like having my own creative library to pull from, and it always gets me moving again in the studio. Not every idea has to be tied to a holiday or an occasion—sometimes the best designs come from simply following a spark of inspiration.
How do you know when an idea isn’t working? How do you turn things around?
For me, the creative process is all about trial and error. Not every idea turns out the way I imagined, and I think that’s an important part of being an artist. Sometimes I’ll push through and find a way to make it work, but other times I’ll just wipe the slate clean, which means literally scraping off the icing or starting again with a fresh cookie. That’s one of the reasons I love cookies so much. Each batch of dough makes dozens of little canvases. So, if something doesn’t click on one or two cookies, I can pivot quickly and try again without the pressure of starting the entire project over from scratch. I’ve even shared those “start-over” moments on Instagram because I want people to see that creativity isn’t always a straight line. It’s messy, it’s imperfect, and that’s what makes it so rewarding.
AUTHOR
Amanda Mactas is a freelance writer and editor based in New York City. In addition to Beyondish, her work can be found in Time Out, Women's Health, Bella Magazine, and more.
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