Meet Samantha Croteau

We had the good fortune of connecting with Samantha Croteau and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Samantha, what makes you happy? Why?
Something that makes me happy is bringing joy to others through small acts of kindness, such as baking them a fresh batch of cookies or a special cake on their birthday. Expressing my creativity through baking, then giving those creations away to see the smile on someone’s face when they receive it fills me with a sense of purpose and in turn, happiness. Seeing those around me happy, makes me happy.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art is my baking. What sets me apart from others is I’ve incorporated my appreciation of nature into my desserts baking with seasonal ingredients and garnishing with fresh flowers. Browsing through my local market for specialty high-quality ingredients while concocting recipes in my mind is what makes me so excited to start playing and creating in the kitchen.

I am a self-taught baker and dreamed up my brand, Jolie Fleur from the nostalgia of baking chocolate chip cookies as a little girl. What started off as reading from the back of the tollhouse chocolate chip package, my love & curiosity for baking flourished as I created my own cookie recipe, that is now the heart of Jolie Fleur. To get where I am now professionally, it took uncovering my inner child as a young adult to discover my true passions.

For me, Jolie Fleur reconnects me to my inner child while I emphasize play in the kitchen to create my own little works of art; cookies, cakes, and on. As baking brings me closer to my younger self, I hope that my desserts take you back to a time when you were young, the age where you can’t contain your excitement over a slice of birthday cake. I hope you can feel that same joy while eating something I’ve baked.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I absolutely love living in San Diego! Originally being from the East Coast, this city has quickly become my new home and there’s so many amazing gems to explore, especially in North County. If a friend was coming to visit, I’d first take them to Always Hungry Grocery in Oceanside which has the best selection of fun snacks all made by local or small businesses. We’d bring our snacks to picnic at Terramar Beach in Carlsbad with the most stunning coastlines while watching the surfers.

For the best dining experience I would take them to Campfire in the Carlsbad Village. Their dessert menu offers table top s’mores where a small skillet of hot coal is served on a board with chocolate fudge, graham cracker cookies and marshmellows on a stick so you can do your own roasting over the coal!

I’d also like my friend to experience the serenity of the meditation garden in Encinitas and walk amongst the beautiful flowers overlooking the ocean.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to give a shoutout to my sister who is also a female entrepreneur. Her hard work, determination and success inspired me to believe in myself to launch my own baking business.

Website: https://www.joliefleurbakery.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joliefleurbakery/