When Alexis Maniatis thinks back on her childhood, the kitchen is where her memories gather. “My grandmother always was teaching me how to cook,” she says, smiling. “We were always in the kitchen baking. She really just showed me the ropes, and I fell in love with it.”
Today, the 26-year-old Montrealer is the founder of Pressed and Pretty Cookies, a bakery that has quickly built a reputation for its elegant embossed cookies and nut-free creations. But just three years ago, Maniatis was working as a team leader in human resources at IKEA.
The turning point came while she was planning her wedding. Maniatis has a severe nut allergy and couldn’t find a bakery she could trust. “Everything I looked at had the warning: may contain, same equipment, cross-contamination,” she recalls. “That just didn’t sit well with me. I wanted a product I could rely on.”
So, she started experimenting. For six months, she tested recipes with the help of her parents and friends. The very first event to feature her cookies was her own engagement party. “Everyone was asking, ‘Who made these?’ And I was like, ‘I did,’” she laughs. “From there, word of mouth just took over.”
The name came just as naturally. “My cookies are fondant-based. To get the design, you have to press them, and once you press the stamp they become really pretty,” she explains. “So, they’re pressed and pretty cookies.”
The journey hasn’t been without obstacles. Montreal’s baked-goods market is crowded, and Maniatis is self-taught. “Sometimes I’d get cookie blindness,” she admits. “After so many cookies, you can’t tell what’s right anymore. Thankfully my family never sugar-coated things. They’d tell me straight: ‘Alexis, this doesn’t look right.’”
What set her apart, she says, was the guarantee that her products would always be nut-free and made with organic ingredients. An edible image printer that transfers designs directly onto cookies has become her signature. “It’s those crisp lines,” she says proudly. “That’s really what sets us apart.”
Community has also been key. Maniatis credits organizations like Overture with the Arts and WIBCA for providing grants and bursaries. “I never knew the power of community until I started this business,” she says. “God has done great things. He’s made a way for me to scale this business without bank loans. I worked hard, saved what I could, and reinvested.”
That work is now paying her rent and sustaining her lifestyle. “It feels good waking up to orders, knowing I’m creating the life I want from a dream I had,” she reflects. “I just moved into my condo thanks to my business. That’s surreal.”
Giving back is just as important. Pressed and Pretty Cookies donates to schools, hospitals, and local fundraisers, and even offers discounted rates for nonprofits. “We try our best where we can, even as a small business,” she says. “I know funding is limited, so if we can ease that burden a little, it’s worth it.”
Asked what advice she has for others dreaming of starting something of their own, Maniatis doesn’t hesitate. “Don’t wait. If you want to start a business, don’t wait just do it. At first, I didn’t want to post on the internet because I thought people would laugh. But because I made videos and posts, people found me.”
Then she adds the line that has become her mantra: “There could be a thousand people doing cookies, but there’s only one me. And because I’m me, I will make this work.”
To explore Pressed and Pretty Cookies’ offerings visit – https://pressedprettycookies.square.site
