

Cookies are the new cupcake—especially if it’s Christmastime and you can make cookies like Judit CzinknÉ PoÓr can.
PoÓr, an amazing cookie craftsperson from Hungary, started out as a porcelain painter. Her delectable cookie designs look pretty much perfect to us. But she says, “There is no such thing as being perfect. One can always be better.”
Most people ordering from PoÓr’s cookie workshop, Mézesmanna, ask for treats intricately decked with Hungarian folk embroidery patterns. But PoÓr also enjoys painting cookies based on photos of people and animals—very small but intensely lengthy projects.
And after all that work, unbelievably, people actually eat these cookies.
“I can only smile at it,” says PoÓr. “It doesn’t bother me.” She has never bitten into one of her own finished projects . . . yet.
Cookies are—of course—consumable, and that’s precisely how highly artful cookie craft has earned so many adoring fans. Wouldn’t it be delightful to give such a masterpiece to someone you love? And wouldn’t you feel loved if you received one? Imagine someone spending all that time and skill (or paying for it) just for you, knowing you would eat the product! It’s like God inventing a new sunset every day with full knowledge it will give joy for only a few minutes.
PoÓr crafts every single gingerbread by hand, and even makes the gift boxes herself. She usually works alone at home, but occasionally takes the 45-minute trip to her workshop to teach decorating to others.
“People buy from me all year,” she says. Favorite cookie order occasions are birthdays, wedding anniversaries, and the biggest season of sweets—Christmas.
PoÓr says it’s challenging to run her own business. But she trusts God to help her. “Faith means everything for me,” she says. “I feel it's very hard to thrive in life without faith. . . . When there is no hope, people find it difficult to survive. God has been my main support since I was 16 years old. Without Him, I wouldn't be who I am. I got my talent and everything from Him.”
Just how does one learn to craft PoÓr-caliber gingerbreads—short of learning Hungarian and visiting her cookie class?
Start small. Pipe royal icing (a precise combo of powdered sugar and pasteurized egg whites) around a cookie’s edge. Then thin the icing to fill in, or “flood,” the cookie’s middle.
Next, practice. Sketch out designs on a piece of paper. Trace your sketch with the frosting. Start with straight lines, then learn to maneuver the icing bag and turn. Finally, try out your sweet new skills on the cookie once it has completely dried.
Remember PoÓr’s wisdom: You can always get better. And you can always eat your mistakes.
She is talented!
Wow, those look amazing! She is very talented! I like to do pastry decorating and I've done a few cakes (I think they looked nice) Does anyone else do that?
2nd comment
I have. But, I;m an anime and manga artist so... things look different
Third comment
Did anyone else see the art in the magazine? My dad could not believe they were COOKIES! So good.
Third comment
Did anyone else see the art in the magazine? My dad could not believe they were COOKIES! So good.
5th comment P.S. This is Caro
I saw the magazine too! These are AMAZING! I like baking some times, and I've taken over making birthday cakes for our family from my mom.
this is Mylee
These look so cool i love decorating!I once one first place in a cake decorating contest! lol
YUMMMMMM!!!!
Those look so good that I am not sure I would want to eat them. I'm a realistic artist\sketcher and I love when I get to decorate a cake all by myself with nobody else helping. My little sister said that when I say that that it won't be fancy, it means that it is going to be very elaborate. The cookies look so real!!!!!!!!!!!
I know!
I Know! Aren't they amazing? I was so inspired that I ordered a Hungarian art book and started practicing with the royal icing. The flowers aren't so complicated as you may think they are. Give it a try!!!
The slide with the dog looks
The slide with the dog looks so real, I thought it was a picture of a dog for some reason. :-)
I have friends in Hungary.
I loved the dog too
I loved the dog cookie too, Kiara!
@Above
That is so awesome. I would not want to eat any of those cookies!! I like drawing portraits, but I am not that good. And I can't do them of a certain person yet, so I guess I just draw faces. But it is fun! I am not a artist person as much as my older sister, she is good. I am more athletic. My mom is a REALLY good decorator. She used to do cakes and cookies and stuff all the time for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. until she had too many kids and couldn't keep up with it!
This is London
I made a cute basketball cake one time that looked goood. But usallly I don’t bake cakes or cookies that often. She is So talented!! Here cookies look so good I wouldn’t eat them. What is your favourite type of cookies. I love chocolate chip ;}
@London
I don't think I have a favorite! ;-) There all so good! But I do like everything-but-the-kitchen sink cookies.:-)
So pretty!
When I first showed the one with the people on it to my brother, he didn't think it was a cookie! I wonder how long it takes to make each one?
15th comment P.S. This is Caro
What are everything-but-the-kitchen-sink cookies? I like butterscotch and chocolate chip cookies
So Cool!
I really like them, and the cat one looked soooooo real!!!
@Above
I don't really have a favorite, but I know a lot of people say that my Grandma's chocolate chip cookies are the best in town! I like Snickerdoodles a lot, but I like all kinds of sweets, so don't have a favorite!
Mmm.....cookies.....
I love cookies, and I've been baking them for years! Those cookies look awesome, I don't know if I could bear to eat one.
My favorite cookie is chewy chocolate chip with lemon zest.
tgirl
i got the magazine to and when i flipped to that page i was amazed i mean god has given her an amazing skill but did you see the dog that was so cute
Yes! that dog was adorable!!
Yes! that dog was adorable!!
I think Kiara means
I think Kiara means that she doesn't like doing the dishes :). I don't either.
Whoa I can't even draw like
Whoa I can't even draw like that, let alone ice cookies that intricately! I like baking a lot, but I'm no good at making things look pretty...And I don't care much anyway. I don't care as long as it's good! :-)
Coooooookiiieeeesss!!!
I have allergies so I can only eat so many kinda of cookies.
And to E Y I also do manga but probably not as good as you :-)
I can't believe people eat these!!!!!
It's crazy that after all the work she puts into making the designs, that people still eat these. If I got one, I would probably put it on display somewhere (I wonder how much they cost). But I like "you can always eat your mistakes" :)
I can’t believe they are
I can’t believe they are cookies! They are so professional! I wouldn’t have the heart to eat them.
@worldteen
your website has a problem, because everyonce in a while when you post your slide shows the pictures are too big to fit on the screen and you can't scroll so you can only see one picture. if you could fix this i would appreciate it
Thank You!!
also this is really cool and i really wish i could try one of the cookies
Those look really pretty but
Those look really pretty but I don't think I'd want to one first because she probably took a lot of time making them, second is that they look like they have a lot of food coloring in them, I hate the taste of food coloring, it just tastes weird.
@ Warren
You have to so ctrl and scroll and it will zoom out and then you can continue to the next slide.
idk...
its pretty... but I still want to eat it.
I LOVE baking!!!
I love to bake and decorate. Sadly I could never do anything this elaborate- but the baked goods i do make normally turn out well :)
@ Sarah
I LOVE baking too! I’m not as good with the decorating though. :-)
:)
I love backing but i can't decorate or draw
the art is amazing