I like to consider myself to be a bit of a baking geek. I love special pans, baking tools, and even funky cupcake wrappers. I also spend a lot of time perusing Pinterest for new ideas and creations that are way beyond my meager decorating skills.
Similar to a lot of bakers, I love putting a little something creative on top of my confections. However, I don’t really do plastic. With the exception of the paper wrapper, I like everything to be edible. (And not to toot my own horn, but I’ve made some treats that were so good, I almost ate the wrapper as well!)
Being a GeekMom, it would also be nice to have the option to sprinkle a little geekiness in there, on occasion. Just for that purpose, Tara Theoharis has created Geeky Sprinkles. Those who follow Theoharis’ blog know her as The Geeky Hostess. In the three-and-a-half years that she’s held that title, she’s made her share of geeky treats. Now, she wants to share with the rest of us. And hopefully soon, the world will know her as the creator of Geeky Sprinkles.
Geeky Sprinkles are exactly what they sound like. These edible pieces of confectionery are designed to give your baked goods an added decorative element—a geeky element.
“I love sprinkles and pick up fun new shapes and varieties whenever I come across them,” says Theoharis. “I realized that there were certain shapes I would love to get, but that weren’t available. If I wanted them, surely other people would as well!”
Theoharis has spent about a year researching manufacturers and of course, sprinkles. “I had to start from scratch, make a lot of phone calls, talk to food business consultants, and learn new lingo to make my way into the ‘sprinkle business,'” she says. “Even the basic word ‘sprinkle’ was difficult to communicate with. Depending on the type of sprinkle and the business, I could be asking about ‘sprinkles,’ ‘confectionary shapes,’ ‘nonpareils,’ ‘jimmies,’ ‘colored sugars,’ or ‘candies.'”
Technically, Theoharis says that her sprinkles are “confectionary shapes.” Of course, Geeky Sprinkles has a much better ring to it—and a much better design than your typical candied confetti. At launch, Geeky Sprinkles will be available in three types, allowing geeky bakers to choose among Steampunk, Lightning Bolt, and Police Box designs.
Of course, geeky bakers (and geeky eaters) may be familiar with some of these images. On Theoharis’ Kickstarter page, she says of the Police Box Sprinkles: “Whether you’re an avid fan of old police boxes, or just have a thing for time travel, these will add some timey-wimey flair to your fish fingers and custard.” Sound familiar? Well, Theoharis says that you shouldn’t have to worry about having your sprinkles snatched due to any copyright issues. She consulted with an attorney before launching her line and even hired artists to create fresh designs, which are featured in the final product. However, Theoharis hopes to shower us with additional sprinkles in the future, maybe even some with recognizable names.
“The toughest thing about sprinkles is finding designs that can be done in a small, simple shape with one color and still be recognizable,” she says. “I haven’t let myself think outside of that realm. There are some shapes I’d love to get the licensing for, but we’ll see what the future holds.”
Currently, Geeky Sprinkles aren’t available in your local supermarket or even on the web. Instead, Theoharis has launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund her creation and test out the appeal of the product. If she reaches her $33,500 Kickstarter goal, the money will be used to make sprinkles—and you wouldn’t believe what those cost.
“Between new die molds and minimum order quantities, each sprinkle shape costs more than $10,000 to make,” Theoharis says.
Yikes! Of course, The Geeky Hostess doesn’t expect you to flip the entire bill. You can score one bottle of sprinkles for $12, a full set for $20, or a themed set for between $20 and $25. There are also several other pledge options, with the title of “Sprinkle Godmother” being reserved for the select few willing to pledge $10,000 or more.
The Geeky Sprinkles Kickstarter campaign will run until Wednesday, February 19 at 12:00 a.m. (ET). If you’re on the fence about backing the project, check out the awesome Kickstarter video below, which Theoharis made with the help of Cinesaurus.
Such a great idea! I hope it gets funded!