Chozzie’s Bakery, home business by MPS therapist, sells cookies, scone

Kristine M. Kierzek

A math problem about muffins was the first inkling that Kristin Zenz might become a baker. While it was just meant to be a way for the grade school student to learn fractions, she couldn’t stop thinking about the muffins. She wanted to go home and make the recipe.

She’s been baking ever since. It wasn’t necessarily anything fancy to start, and mostly just for fun. Working as a speech therapist for Milwaukee Public Schools, she baked whenever she had time. Last summer, she decided to take the extra time she had and began a baking business, adding skills and more recipes as she gained confidence.

Chozzie’s Bakery officially opened in May 2022, and she began selling at the Menomonee Falls Farmers Market. As the home-based baker learned what people like, she’s also continued to challenge herself. She continues to offer her bestselling chocolate chip cookies, almond croissants and scotcheroos, plus seasonal favorites, while expanding offerings with cinnamon rolls, cakes and hand-decorated cookies.

The menu and information for custom orders are available at chozziesbakery.com. Look for Zenz and her baked goods Jan. 28 and 29 at re:Craft & Relic winter market featuring more than 150 booths at the Milwaukee County Sports Complex, 6000 W. Ryan Road, Franklin. Zenz will also be selling from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 4 at Root River Center, 7220 W. Rawson Ave., Franklin. She’ll return to the Menomonee Falls Farmers Market, which runs Wednesdays starting June 21.

How she began

I always enjoyed baking. I wasn’t very experimental, just chocolate chip cookies or a cake. Then in college I’d bake on weekends. When I began working, I’d bake and bring things in to the break room because I love to bake, but I don’t want to eat it all myself. I started getting into the recipe development and science, changing ingredients to see how you make a cookie that is thicker and chewier. I found out how much science went into baking, and I loved that.

Early kitchen adventures

The first thing I remember making, and really wanting to make, was a muffin recipe in a math workbook. It was all about learning the fractions, but I wanted to go home and make that recipe.

Summer kick start

I have summers off. I am a speech therapist in the schools. I had done summer school, and I just wanted to do something different. I was also baking a lot, way, way more than I could ever eat. Last summer I just tried the Menomonee Falls market. That was the start.

Challenges accepted

This started as a hobby. When I realized I liked it, I thought well, I could turn this into a business. I like all the aspects, even with the challenges.

Naming her business

I was thinking and thinking and couldn’t come up with something. I wanted something sentimental, but everything cute was already taken. I ended up combining two of my cats’ names: Chozzie’s Bakery.

Behind the business

Right now I’m baking all out of my home, but eventually I might move into a commercial space. In the summer and fall, I was baking five days a week. After Christmas I gave myself a little time off. Soon I’ll be making my Valentine recipes and baking four days a week and growing the custom order business.

Fan mail fun

I love the pictures people send me. Last week I did Iron Man cookies. The person who bought them, her little guy liked them so much. It made me happy.

Her all-time favorite

The chocolate chip cookie is something that is classic and found everywhere. I liked them all, but I always thought there was something missing. Everyone likes it differently, but everyone likes them. I used science to find my cookie.

A numbers game

The first craft/relic event was a lot busier than I was used to, a much larger scale. That first Saturday, I came home and had to bake for another five hours because I’d sold out. That was good, but I definitely didn’t want to be up all night. The hardest part is knowing how much to bake. What sells in one area may not be as popular at another event. Every event is so different, and you don’t want to have too much and end up with leftovers.

Why she likes this

I don’t really do crafty things myself, but I have always enjoyed looking at craft items and going to craft shows. I like being there to support the vendors, and I really enjoy interacting with the people. You can find out firsthand what they’re interested in, and you can find out right away.

I’ve done things from Waterford to Menomonee Falls and in between. Scones did really well in Menomonee Falls, but not so well in Waterford. It is being able to make different recipes for different audiences.

Bestselling bites

Probably either my almond croissant or my chocolate chip cookie. I also do a scotcheroo cookie, with chocolate chip and butterscotch and peanut butter. That does pretty well.

Beyond the basics

I got bored of the cookies. I wanted more of a challenge. Yeast doughs really intrigued me, partly because they’re a challenge.

Last summer I just worked on more of the pastry stuff. Croissants and cinnamon rolls have been fun. I love making cakes and cupcakes. I’ve also been working more to grow the decorated cookie side of my business. I’m working on some Valentine options for special orders. I also make breads in winter, usually more on the savory side.

Most recent cookbook she bought

I find a lot of inspiration in cookbooks. I look at a lot of blogs. The most recent cookbook I bought is “The Perfect Cookie” by America’s Test Kitchen. They have almost every cookie you could have ever imagined. I like all the notes they put in there, so you can see how things progress. I have the America’s Test Kitchen cake and pie books as well. They’re very detailed.