I ❤️ cookies.

Anne-Marie Ruch, Cookie Artist

Well then, who IS “Mina” anyway?

LOL. Well…me! I am Mina. Yes, my parents named me “Anne-Marie”…but my brother couldn’t pronounce THAT…and so, when he tried, it came out “meeee-nah”. From then on, my entire family called me “Mina” and it stuck.

Do people still call me Mina? Only my family and close friends…and now you hopefully! :)

Baking for me began (as most of these baker stories do), in the kitchen with my mom when I was a little girl. I loved being in there with her and getting to lick the batter off the beaters! She was a great baker/decorator and made my brother and I some fabulous birthday cakes, well before the Cake Boss was even a thing.

Art was always my favourite subject in elementary school and then my eyes were opened wide in high school when I was introduced to Fine Art and Illustration. I fell in love. I thought I would weave it into my career someday but first, took a little detour into Television Broadcasting. I worked in TV production for most of my early career…until my children were born.

When it was time to let the chicks fly the coop and get back to adulting, I found I no longer wanted an office job, a 9-5 just wasn’t for me. I wanted to be there for my kids, plus let my creative side run wild. I realized…I just wanted to make things!

I started a cake and cookie design business and as the cliché goes, the rest is cookie history.

I like baking but I LOVE designing and decorating cookies with artful detail. Not just the normal baked good but something that wows and gives others “the feels”. If it doesn’t “wow” you…I didn’t do my job.

I truly love to make things in a variety of mediums. In recent years, I’ve delved into stop-motion animation, woodworking and clay sculpture - which I weave into the branding of Mina’s Cookies in hopes that it brings some magic and fun to those who appreciate sweet, miniature worlds, creativity and being “wowed”.

Hopefully you’ll join me in exploring that content too…and of course, if you need some cookies with that wow factor…I’m always here.