From her cozy shop in downtown Clermont, Jacqueline Reyes delights customers with handmade cookies honoring family tradition. As the owner of Cookie Queen, her passion and dedication are evident in every batch.

“My favorite thing is seeing my customers’ faces light up when they take their first bite. And hearing them say, ‘Wow, your cookies are so amazing,’ fills me with joy,” Jacqueline says.

Jacqueline’s love for cooking began in childhood, inspired by her grandmother (on her father’s side), Delia Rosa. “I watched everything she did and noticed how it was all done with her own hands,” Jacqueline recalls with a loving smile. Growing up in Venezuela, she spent countless hours by her grandmother’s side. “As I got older, she inspired me more and more.”

Her mother also played a big role. “When I wasn’t with my grandmother in the kitchen, I was with my mom, who, whether baking desserts or fixing a family meal, also made everything completely from scratch.”

After moving to the U.S., Jacqueline lived her first year in Miami before settling in Clermont, overcoming challenges like starting over after 28 years of marriage. Determined to create with her hands, she initially ran a house-cleaning business before deciding on opening a bakery focusing on cookies, but with a twist.

Jacqueline’s cookies are unique: literally huge (6 oz.+), stuffed with different fillings like hand-cut apples in her apple crumble pie cookie, Nutella in her domino cookie, and topped with goodies like a graham cracker and toasted marshmallow on her s’mores cookie. 

Cookie Queen, which started with five flavors, now offers over 25 varieties, with seasonal additions and customer favorites like Chocolate Chip, Biscoff and Caramel Pecan. Two of her personal favorites—Cinnamon Churro and her signature “Cookie Queen,” a strawberry cheesecake masterpiece—hold special memories.

“I fall asleep thinking of cookies and possible flavor combinations, and I must dream about them because sometimes I wake up thinking, ‘I want to release a cookie that has this, this, and this,’ Jacqueline says with a smile, adding that her goal is to expand Cookie Queen in a bigger location and “God willing,” open more stores across Florida and beyond. 

For now, Jacqueline remains in downtown Clermont. Her daughter, Maria Laura Macorini, is by her side watching and helping in the kitchen. Jacqueline’s niece Vanessa is taste tester for new flavor creations.

 “I don’t feel like I’m going to work every day, because I’m doing exactly what I enjoy doing most,” Jacqueline says. “I never bake in a bad mood because I want everyone to taste the love I put into every batch of cookies I make.”

Cookie Queen, located in The Downtown Exchange at 639 8th St., Clermont, is open Tuesday through Sunday. For more information, hours or to order online, visit cookiequeenfactory.com. 

Photos: Nicole Hamel