Sarah Marx Feldner says the Treat Bake Shop she opened in November 2011 will someday have a home, but she's not letting that stop her jumping into the sweets (savories) game.
Treat has already unveiled its delectable, and insanely addictive, spiced pecans, which are currently available at Larry's Brown Deer Market, Sendik's on Oakland and West Allis Cheese and Sausage. You can also buy them on the Treat Bake Shop web site.
The pecans, laced with a mix of spicy, salty and sweet spices, are available in seven-ounce jars that shout "artisan," for $14.95. Feldner will even deliver them to you personally if you live in the Milwaukee area and buy from the web site.
Feldner uses Spice House spices – she won't divulge the spices or the blend, of course – and roasts the spiced nuts to create a candied coating.
"The pecans are seasoned with a combination of spices that adds both a sweet and spicy flavor, but balanced so that you don't get too much of either," she says.
Feldner is currently working out of a rented commercial kitchen, but she's not stopping there. She's got big plans for the future.
"I am currently looking for a retail storefront with plans of expanding my product line, as well as offering super cute hard-to-find baking tools and party supplies, plus classes," she says.
She's also got a wealth of ideas for products to create a line around the spiced pecans.
"I definitely have other items in the works," Feldner says, "triple chocolate truffle cookies, salted butter caramels, maple-pecan granola with organic blueberries."
In the meantime, she's pushing the Georgia-grown pecans hard. But they're not a tough sell. With just the right amount of kick and that sweet candied exterior, you'll be lucky to get the lid back on the jar with some pecans still in the jar.
"In addition to cheese plates, cocktail parties and hostess gifts, the spiced pecans are a great alternative to chocolate for Valentine's Day," says Feldner.
The folks at Bittercube like the pecans so much, they created a cocktail with them:
Bittercube Collins
- 2 ounces Rehorst Gin
- .75 ounce fresh lemon juice
- .75 ounce simple syrup
- 1 dropper Bittercube Cherry Bark Vanilla Bitters
- 1 ounce seltzer
Shake ingredients lightly, strain into Collins glass with fresh ice. Top with seltzer. Garnish with a Lemon Wedge and three drops of Cherry Bark Vanilla Bitters.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
