The Retro Cookie Lady Goes to Hollywood

Aspiring therapist and mother of five Christina Ledesma, ’25 Psychology, will be competing on the Food Network’s Halloween Baking Challenge on Oct. 23. Photo courtesy of the Food Network.

When some students receive word that they are admitted to San José State University, they share celebratory clips on social media announcing their plans to enroll. When Christina Ledesma learned she’d be pursuing her bachelor’s degree in psychology at San José State, she designed, baked and decorated a specialty Spartan cookie, complete with a blue and gold helmet.

Cookies are a natural outlet for Ledesma, ’25 Psychology, who launched a successful baking business, The Retro Cookie Lady, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Inspired by a sense of ‘80s and ‘90s nostalgia, her intricate designs span everything from Moana to the 49ers, as well as customized orders for small businesses, weddings and more. 

Her expert hand also attracted the attention of Food Network casting directors, who invited her to compete against the nation’s top cookie makers in “Halloween Cookie Challenge,” hosted by Rosanna Pansino and Duff Goldman. Her episode airs on Monday, October 23.

“I’m so proud to be here — both on the Food Network and at San José State,” Ledesma says. Before traveling to Los Angeles to film earlier this spring, one of the producers challenged her to bake a cookie in the shape of a haunted object. Ledesma surprised herself by bursting into tears when the producer asked why she loved Halloween.

“My response was, ‘because my mom always took us trick-or-treating,’” she says. “I didn’t have a dad. She made all our costumes and she always made Halloween, and all holidays, special. As an adult now, and a mother of five, I appreciate even more of what she did for us.” 

Embracing her Spartan season

When Ledesma learned she’d be attending SJSU, she designed specialty Spartan cookies. Photo courtesy of Christina Ledesma.

As excited as she is for her Food Network debut, Ledesma is perhaps even more thrilled to be completing her undergraduate education at San José State. Her journey to a degree started when she was pregnant with her eldest child as a freshman in high school.

“The hardest thing for me was learning to transition from being a teenager to being a mom,” she says. “I know that people stigmatized that image of an uneducated teen mom on welfare. I was at a prenatal checkup when I saw this poster in the elevator that shared a statistic like, one out of three teen moms don’t graduate high school. I said, ‘Nope, no one is going to call me a dropout.’ I want to be educated. I want a better life. That’s what motivated me to finish high school.”

And finish she did, while simultaneously raising her first and giving birth to her second child. Though she may not have had the words for it at the time, that might have been when Ledesma’s interest in psychology and family therapy began to blossom. She saw the value of a support system, not only for her kids, but for herself, and sought ways to continue learning and growing as a young parent. Along the way, she developed a knack for artistic decoration, whether it was drawing with her kids or decorating cookies.

By the time she launched Retro Cookie Lady in 2020, she was on her way to completing an associate’s degree in psychology from Ohlone College. Once her family and friends noticed her talent for baking and decorating, it wasn’t long before the orders began rolling in. The business offered her a positive outlet during the pandemic; the very act of mixing flour and icing cookies a form of artistic therapy. She loves the joy her cookies bring and serving as Retro Cookie Lady has also reminded her of a greater purpose.

“When I make cookies and I see the reaction on my client’s face — just seeing their happy expressions makes me happy,” she says. “When we’re happy, we experience a rush of  endorphins and we study that in psychology. I love that connection. I want to do marriage and family therapy to help people get to that place of happiness. That’s how I want to live my life.”

Though the Food Network competition filmed earlier this spring, Ledesma is limited in what she can express about the experience. She was surprised to discover that she was one of the only non-white contestants, and feels proud to represent her story — not only as a baker and entrepreneur, but as a Latina and as a Spartan — on television.

Christina Ledesma, also known as the Retro Cookie Lady, loves seeing the joy on her clients’ faces. Photo courtesy of Christina Ledesma.

“Where we come from doesn’t define who we are,” she says. “It’s our motivation and drive that takes us to places like San José State or the Food Network. It doesn’t matter where you came from. I want people who may be struggling to know that we only stay in a certain season of our life for a short time. We may struggle, but it gets brighter. The light always comes in.

“This time in my life, things are finally getting brighter as I get closer to graduation. I feel so proud even now, driving into North Garage on 10th Street, because I never thought I’d be here. When I walk on campus, I feel so blessed to be here every day. I’m so proud of how far I’ve come.”

Her family is, too.

“It makes me very proud and excited to see my wife on the Food Network, because it’s been something that she’s been wanting to do,” says her husband Eduardo Dela Cruz. “It makes me very happy to see her dreams come true.”

“I’m so excited and so proud of my mom,” says her 17-year-old daughter, Ariana Dela Cruz. “I’m very happy for her.”

Tune in on the Food Network on Oct. 23 to see Ledesma wield her spooky spatula.