Toronto-based pastry chef Lindsey Gazel makes cookies so attractive, it seems criminal to eat them. Gazel founded Lindsey Bakes six and a half years ago, and runs the business all on her own. The self-proclaimed workaholic spends countless hours a day in the kitchen working on her delightful treats.
“I really do love it ...” she told She Does the City. “There are not enough hours in the day, but you just get through it. I’m always working. This is all I do. I don’t take days off, and I probably work twelve hours a day.”
As you can see below in Gazel's Instagram posts, the hard work pays off: The piped icing designs are crisp and practically perfect looking, yet all are made by Gazel's steady hand. Even Larry David is a fan, and that man is notoriously hard to please.
The majority of Lindsey Bakes cookies are custom order only, but you can also find some at Sam James Coffee Bar in Toronto. The coffee shop encourages Gazel to dictate her own designs, have a little fun, and create things that interest her.
She told She Does the City: “I always wanted to work in magazines. That was always my dream. I was obsessed with that kind of stuff when I was a kid, so I really enjoy trying to bring all of those components into my cookies—fashion, art, culture. I love that kind of stuff, and I felt like there was no way to get into it other than cookies.”