It all started with spiced pecans. Sarah Marx Feldner’s gift bags of sweet crunchy pecans were such a hit that friends and relatives began encouraging her to start a business and turn nuts into profit.
By the time Feldner started Treat Bake Shop in 2011, she had already built an impressive foodie résumé as author of a Japanese cookbook, editor of the Des Moines, Iowa-based Cuisine at Home magazine and online editor of Taste of Home. “I worked during the day, put my baby to bed and made pecans at night from a rented kitchen in Shorewood,” she says. Last October, she moved Treat to the second floor of the Marshall Building, 207 E. Buffalo St. While primarily a wholesaler, Feldner sells her products from her Third Ward bakery-roastery.
The product line has expanded from spiced pecans to a selection of five sweet and savory pecans, walnuts and almonds, sold in bags ($5.95) and jars ($14.95). Recently Feldner introduced cookies on Fridays ($2) for customers willing to take an elevator ride to her venue. All of her wares are prepared from the best ingredients and handmade, whether roasted or baked.
“It’s a labor of love,” Feldner says. “We inspect all the nuts we use, discarding ones with blemishes or that don’t meet our standards.” The nuts are sourced from Georgia, Texas and California. “I’d love to find some nuts that grow in Wisconsin,” she adds.
Treat Bake Shop’s nuts are available at a growing number of grocers including Sendik’s Food Market, Outpost Natural Foods, Metcalf’s Market, Clock Shadow Creamery and West Allis Cheese and Sausage Shoppe. Feldner happily recommends pairings of her nuts with wine, cheese and beer.
For more information, visit thetreatbakeshop.com.
