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Trumbull resident Andrea Greene likes to say she went from "cashmere to cookies." A longtime fashion and retail designer who has worked for Ralph Lauren, Old Navy and Club Monaco, among others, Greene got the idea of starting a cookie company when working crazy hours at Abercrombie & Fitch, or, as she calls it, "Amberzombie."
"Decorating cookies was my outlet," she said, and reminded her of long ago Sundays when she baked with her grandmother.
What started as a passion project has grown into a 5-year-old business that has her baking all the time, including Sundays, with her daughter, Izzi. She does all this, while still working in fashion and commuting to a consulting job for Brooks Brothers.
The Connecticut Cookie Company, which she named in honor of her adopted state, has "grandma" at it's heart. The cookies are a spin on the classics -- but not too sweet, Greene likes to point out. There are 10-plus varieties, all made with the exact vanilla extract her grandmother used. (It's from a pharmacy in Indiana that gave Greene the recipe).
The company is also known for its “quick fix” brittle.
Everything is made with "the best made from scratch ingredients," according to Greene.
As to what makes them so popular? Greene attributes it to the fact that there is so much manufactured food out there. "Our cookies and treats are made to order and we ship all over the United States," she said.
Though Connecticut Cookie is an online venue (baked, in fact, in Milford), Fairfield County residents can find them at Palmer’s in Darien, Village Market in Wilton, and Oscar’s in Westport. The quick fix brittle is sold as a topping at Peachwave frozen yogurt shops, and Greene said to stay tuned for other local locations.
Her goal is to eventually have a storefront as she's always getting phone calls asking about hiring and how late she's open. And, of course, the question that is music to her ears: "Are you sold out of cookies?"
Go to www.ctcoco.com/ for more information.
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