Heartsong Sweets, a baking business in Innisfil, was started by resident and mother Angie Donadio-Hunt last year.
Donadio-Hunt has always loved to bake and cook. With an Italian background, she says it just comes naturally.
"I've always baked, (as) a little Italian girl growing up, weekends were always spent at my grandparents' house and I was always interested (in baking)," she said.
Donadio-Hunt says she used to find baking more challenging than cooking and admits she would get frustrated with it at times. When her oldest son was born, she started baking cakes, but as he grew into a busy toddler, she had to put the cake business on the back burner.
When the pandemic hit, she was able to revisit her passion for baking, making treats for neighbours, family and friends.
"I didn't bake bread," she laughed, referring to the bread baking trend at the start of the pandemic. "It (baking) started as a daily task to have something to do."
She used baking as an outlet for her stress and anxiety.
"It was a way to sort of ground myself," she said. "My safe space has always been the kitchen."
She did take cake decorating classes years ago, but only recently learned how to design cookies by watching videos and reading articles online.
Donadio-Hunt would experiment with different cookie recipes every day and would share them with neighbours and friends. It was the detailed designs on her cookies and cupcakes that started to capture the attention of friends on social media.
"It was just supposed to be a friends-family thing and now it's sort of turned into something a little bigger," said a humble Donadio-Hunt.
With the encouragement of her friends, she started her own Facebook business page and began taking orders.
"I do simple sweets but made with love," she said.
One of the most recent batches of cookies she designed were Schitt's Creek themed.
"They were definitely my favourite set," she said.
Prior to starting her baking business, Donadio-Hunt sold leggings out of her home and at local events. It was the connections she made in the community from selling leggings that helped her get the word out about her new business venture.
"I always have something new on the go," she said.
Her dream is to one day open a small day-time cafe, where she would be able to sell her simple homemade meals and baked goods.
"And maybe do classes," she said. "For now I am happy just doing simple and sweet (orders)."
Donadio-Hunt, her husband and their two boys, aged 12 and seven moved to Innisfil in 2017 from Sharon.
"It was an adjustment but it's home now," she said. "I like the pace here."
To learn more about Heartsong Sweets, visit their Facebook page here.
