• Tutu’s Kookies on turning cookies into tiny canvases

For many bakers, cookies are comfort food. For Tharusha Perera, they are something else entirely: miniature edible canvases.

Over the years, the Colombo-based cookie artist has built a loyal following through Tutu’s Kookies, creating intricately decorated sugar cookies that range from cartoon characters and wedding favours to hyper-detailed portraits and pop culture references. At first glance, many of his creations look almost too precise to eat, blurring the line between baking and illustration.

What makes his story stand out is that cookie artistry was never part of the original plan. By day, Tharusha works in tech. By night, he spends hours sketching, baking, flooding icing, colour matching and hand-painting details onto cookies with the patience of someone working on a museum piece rather than a dessert box.

“I still see myself as someone balancing two worlds,” he said. “There’s the structured corporate side of me, and then there’s this very artistic side that comes alive through cookies.”

Learning through trial and error

While many people discovered baking during the pandemic, few turned it into such a visually distinct niche. Since first launching the page in 2020, Tharusha has steadily sharpened his techniques, experimenting with texture, dimension and detail in ways that continue to surprise his audience.

“Back then, I was testing recipes almost every night after work,” he recalled. “I failed many times. Some cookies spread too much, some icing cracked, some colours didn’t work. But every mistake taught me something.”

Today, one scroll through his page reveals just how far that experimentation has gone. Some cookies resemble hand-drawn illustrations. Others mimic embroidery, watercolour paintings or 3D sculptures.

For Tharusha, one of the most fascinating parts of cookie decorating is how limitless it feels creatively.

“A blank cookie is honestly intimidating sometimes,” he laughed. “But that’s also what makes it exciting. You can turn it into literally anything.”

Turning customer ideas into edible art

That process often begins with conversations with clients, many of whom come to him with highly specific ideas. Some want personalised gifts. Others want elaborate dessert tables centred around a theme.

“I like hearing people’s stories before I start designing,” he explained. “Sometimes a customer gives me one tiny idea, and I build an entire set around that mood or memory.”

And while customers see the polished final product online, the behind-the-scenes process is far more technical than many realise. Achieving clean lines, smooth icing and consistent colour palettes requires precision, timing and patience.

“There are cookies that take only a few minutes, and then there are cookies that can take hours,” he said. “Portraits are probably the most stressful because one small mistake can completely change someone’s face.”

Portrait cookies remain among his most challenging creations, particularly because they combine baking with fine art skills. Long before cookie decorating entered the picture, Tharusha already had a background in drawing and art competitions during childhood.

“I think that artistic foundation helped me a lot,” he said. “Cookie decorating isn’t just baking. You need an eye for colour, proportion and composition too.”

Creating cookies people do not expect

Some of his most memorable creations have come from unconventional themes. Halloween sets, horror-inspired cookies and highly detailed caricatures have all gained traction online precisely because they break away from what people traditionally expect from desserts.

“I enjoy making designs that people don’t expect to see on a cookie,” he said. “That surprise factor is one of the best parts.”

His IT background has also unexpectedly shaped the business. From digitally designing cookie cutters to managing branding and online engagement, Tharusha has found ways to merge creativity with technical knowledge.

“I actually design many of my own cookie cutters now,” he said. “That gives me more freedom because I’m not limited to standard shapes.”

The response to his work has also slowly challenged stereotypes around baking and artistry.

“When I first started, some people were genuinely shocked that a guy working in IT was behind these cookies,” he said. “At first it was difficult convincing people that this was actually my work.”

But over time, the uniqueness of his creations began speaking for itself. His social media following grew, customers returned with increasingly ambitious requests and Tutu’s Kookies developed a recognisable artistic identity within Sri Lanka’s growing baking scene.

The fun side of cookie decorating

Still, even after years of experience, Tharusha says there are moments where he feels nervous before starting a design.

“Sometimes I stare at the cookie for ten minutes before touching it,” he admitted. “Because once you start, there’s no undo button.”

When asked which fictional character or celebrity he would most love to turn into a cookie set, his answer came quickly.

“I think doing a full cinematic universe-inspired set would be really fun,” he said. “Something with dramatic details and storytelling across multiple cookies.”

And if cookies could magically talk?

“I feel like some of them would complain about how long they had to sit under a fan waiting for the icing to dry,” he joked.

What's next? 

Despite the humour, the dedication behind the work is unmistakable. Balancing a full-time corporate role with a highly detail-oriented creative business means many late nights and long weekends. Yet the process still feels rewarding for him.

“There’s something satisfying about seeing people react to the final product,” he said. “Especially when they say they don’t want to eat the cookies because they look too pretty.”

Looking ahead, Tharusha hopes to continue experimenting with more advanced decorating techniques while expanding the artistic side of the brand further.

“I always want the next set to be better than the last one,” he said. “That’s what keeps me motivated.”