Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Evangelista.
Hi Alex, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve been baking since I was 11 years old. It was a sort of random and spontaneous start. Some curiosity inside me was just sparked one day where I thought “I’d like to try this”. From there, I began watching the Food Network religiously (shamelessly, I still do) and really dove into cooking and baking. While I believe the art of cooking and baking definitely requires some degree of technique, at the end of the day it is truly something for me that feels innate. I feel at home in the kitchen and it’s where I’ve always known I want to be. As time went on, I eventually attended Monmouth Univeristy, graduating in 2015 with my Bachelor’s of Science in Health Studies. Upon graduation, I knew that I was going to have to go on for a higher degree of some kind, and eventually pursued my Master’s of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Throughout high school, college, and graduate school, I worked as a baker at the infamous and beloved ,”The Scone Pony” in Spring Lake, under the Buruchian Family. They were the ones who introduced me to the art of cookie decorating. While I truly loved being a student and have a deep respect for the counseling/therapy field (I believe it is so crucial and critical to our health and well-being!), even while pursuing my degrees, there was something inside of me that said it wouldn’t be my long-term career. I somehow always knew I’d end up in the kitchen. What I didn’t expect was to be doing so as an entrepreneur. After graduating with my Masters in 2019, I got my first job out of graduate school as a Mental Health Counselor in a local middle school. In this position, I worked for an outside mental health agency and placed in the school setting. This program was funded by the state of NJ. The COVID-19 pandemic hit during my first year of work, and our funding was unfortunately cut, leaving me without a job. Major advocacy efforts were made to restore funding and our program, and while I thankfully eventually returned to work in my position, it was during that time off that I decided to make Cookie Therapy a true business. It was a moment where I was kind of like, “I need to be able to rely on myself” while simultaneously feeling like that break was a chance to do what I truly wanted to do, and that was bake for the people that I love. Cookie Therapy LLC was born! I continued counseling for a few years after this, but also baked as a “little side hustle”. I eventually transitioned into private practice in 2022, and later got married and pregnant with my son Luke who was born in 2024. I had planned to go on maternity leave for a few months after having my son, but once the time came to return to work as a counselor, I had this moment where I was like, “I’m taking a chance on myself and am doing this and no one is going to stop me”. From there, I applied and received what’s called a Cottage Food Permit, which allows me to run my business out of my home kitchen. I now get to make a living doing what I truly love and be home with my children (I have since also had a daughter, Sophie, in July 2026). I couldn’t ask for more and am not looking back.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Looking back, losing my job as a Mental Health Counselor during the pandemic was of course challenging and scary, but I would say that ultimately making the decision to take a chance on myself was scarier. Having just had a baby and deciding to leave my reliable, consistent pay check as a private practice therapist to take on my business full time doesn’t seem like the smartest move! I also come from an extremely supportive, loving family, and I grew up seeing my parents – my dad a retired Police Captain and my mom a retired registered nurse – build more “traditional” careers. It was modeled to me to go to school, obtain a degree, get a job and earn a paycheck to live a comfortable life. I think that being an entrepreneur is the opposite of comfortable, but for me, the reward has outweighed the risk in this season that I am in. It was an emotional and mental challenge for me to “get over”/work through what at times felt like abandoning the degree and field I dedicated many years in school to obtain and enter, only to bake. But I eventually embraced it. “Only to bake” is now not apart of my vocabulary. Now, I embrace the fact that I have this really cool art that I love and get to be surrounded by my family as I make it. How amazing is that? I will also say that having seen my mom especially work such a distinguished and respectable career inspired me deeply. I always saw her as a woman being able to take care of herself, to rely on herself, and this always struck me as something that was a non-negotiable for me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
My business is called Cookie Therapy. I create handmade, custom decorated sugar cookies for life’s most special occasions! Weddings, bridal and baby showers, engagements, birthdays, holidays, etc. – I’ve got you covered! My business began out of my love for baking. Baking was a hobby that I got into as a child/teen, and I just haven’t stopped. I went to graduate school and got my Master’s of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, graduating in 2019. From there, I began my professional career as a therapist, working in both the school setting and private practice. While I love and deeply respect the counseling world (I think the work of therapists is life changing, life saving, and absolutely critical), from the start of my career there was always a voice inside my head, a lingering kind of feeling, that the field wasn’t for me. I was always drawn to the kitchen, to use my hands, to be creative. During my first year of working as a therapist, I lost my job as the COVID-19 pandemic due to budget cuts in the program I was working for. While I thankfully got my job back, it was during that downtime that I decided to turn my love of baking into a “real” business and haven’t looked back.
I am most proud to use minimal and simple ingredients that come together to make a soft and actually enjoyable decorated cookies. I’ve found that many times, in order to achieve a certain aesthetic/design, cookies (especially the icing!) have to be rock hard, and I am just not about that. I am proud to have created a recipe that is equally as soft and delicious as it is beautiful. Cookie decorating is an art and I absolutely love the process of creating edible art – without a doubt, decorating the cookies is my favorite part of the entire baking process and it’s what I find most therapeutic. Truly, I get into a meditative flow while I decorate. However, people often say “I don’t want to eat them, they’re too pretty to eat!”, and I’m always like, “No, enjoy them!”. My cookies are meant to be enjoyed and not just a part of someone’s event for looks. I strive to create a product that is equally beautiful as it is flavorful. I want someone to taste my cookies and know from the first bite it’s created with a whole lot of TLC.
Another thing I am very proud of is the degree of detail that I put into my cookies and the process of making them. I don’t necessarily mean this stictly from an aesthetic standpoint, but more so of really taking the time chatting with my customers, really making sure I understand the assignment so to speak. I want to know their inspiration, the details of their event, what they want to see in their order. It’s sort of like counseling. Sitting down, getting to know your client really well! I want to be able to customize their cookies to the max so they feel like I’ve really captured the essence of their special event in a way that keeps them coming back and in a way that feels more special than them being just a dessert. I strive to be a business that people are like, “Yup, she’s my go to cookie gal!” and trust that I’ll get it right, every time.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Hmmmm…something surprising about me. When I first started baking at age 11, I was fully convinced I’d one day I’d get my own show on the Food Network! Unfortunately that didn’t happen (haha!), but Ina Garten is my idol and I watch her shows – new and old – religiously. Not only are her recipes and style of cooking incredible, I find the way she conducts herself in life and business so admirable. In fact, on my very first day of maternity leave when I was pregnant with my son, I read her book “Be Ready When the Luck Happens”, which is all about her journey into who she is today. She overcame some tough circumstances and made unconventional decisions, like leaving her very traditional, stable government job to open up a specialty food store with no experience in doing so, and now she’s a huge success. I also admire how she follows what feels right for her, and respects others’ decisions to do the same. She is unwaveringly herself. It reminds me of a quote one of my favorite professors shared with me – “I am me no matter who you are”. I think it takes a whole lot of courage to be who you are, to allow yourself to do what feels right for you.
It’s women like Ina that I want to be like!
Pricing:
- Cookies begin at $65/dozen (details such as many colors, lettering. florals, characters, logos, etc. increase price per dozen.)
- Individual wrapping (with or without bows) is +$5-10/dozen
- Delivery is available for additional based on the customer’s location/distance from me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cookietherapynj.com
- Instagram: @cookie__therapy (there are two underscores!)
