Through her business, The Dessert Table, Woodbury resident Jessie Takkunen creates chocolate-dipped Oreos and marshmallows, chocolate covered pretzels, specialized Easter baskets and more. Photos: Chris Emeott
Personalized baskets and chocolate dipped treats make for a sweet Easter.
What started as a career change for Jessie Takkunen became a flavorful adventure. Takkunen was a nursing assistant for 15 years before aching to be around for her kids more, so she took a job with the school district this past October. Along with being a working mom to three kids, Takkunen started The Dessert Table—a sweet treat business that specializes in chocolate-dipped desserts and custom-made gift baskets.
For Takkunen, baking isn’t a long-held family tradition or a deeply ingrained skill set. Rather, it is a newfound passion. “My daughter and I did the cocoa bombs one time, and they turned out really well, so I started doing more,” she says. Since then, she’s been testing new ideas and recipes, iterating on what’s working and selling out. Whether s’mores bars or dipped sandwich cookies, there’s a treat just about anyone could enjoy.
The landscape of selling sweet treats isn’t without its challenges, however. The market is supersaturated with chocolate covered everything, but Takkunen is dedicated to making her product stand out. “Edible glitter gets sprinkled on almost everything. It’s pretty, and you can eat it,” the Woodbury resident says.
Jessie Takkunen
Aside from chocolate treats, Takkunen started making Easter baskets and selling them on social media and at local craft sales.
“I started making them because I like making Easter baskets for my kids,” she says. “With [the kids] getting older, I had to find different creative ways to put the baskets together … I want to do a little extra, so they remember it.”
The elements she focuses on while filling her own kids’ baskets include age-appropriate toys, special candy and spicy chips.
Jessie Takkunen’s Easter baskets typically include candy, playful characters, books and more.
Build Your Own Easter Basket
If you need ideas to create Easter baskets this year, Takkunen’s tips and tricks are a great place to start. With an overly large basket, ball up tissue paper for the base, topped with fake grass. Use floral foam for support, and glue items to sticks to prop them up. Think of the basket in steps or layers, ensuring each section is visible. “It takes a couple times, but once you get it, it works out where nothing is on top of anything else,” Takkunen says. Go the extra step by wrapping the basket in a cellophane bag, and tying it with a beautiful ribbon.
For those looking for a helping hand this Easter, Takkunen loves to customize each basket based on a child’s interests, such as for the Minnie Mouse fanatic or a Paw Patrol loving tot. Takkunen also has individual chocolate-dipped marshmallows, candy-coated pretzels and more, perfect for adding to your Easter basket.
Takkunen’s experience with basket building extends to many other occasions, as she’s been recruited to make all kinds of treat concoctions for bridal parties, Mother’s and Father’s days, baby showers, fundraisers, birthdays and more.
Because really, there’s always a reason to have chocolate.
Place your custom order by emailing thedesserttablebyjessie@outlook.com or visiting the Facebook page.
Facebook: The Dessert Table by Jessie
