SLATE HILL – Suzanne Pegg, an avid baker, decided to make cookies for the dessert table at her son’s wedding in 2018.
The heart-shaped cookies with a white candy pearl were a hit and Orange County’s version of Mrs. Fields was born. After the wedding, orders came pouring in from her colleagues in the Minisink Valley School District.
Six years later, the cookies are still a hot commodity, and Pegg’s small business, Suzie Q’s Cookies, Inc., continues to grow. Pegg fields approximately 60 orders each week, with some as big as four dozen, and caters events. Her Linzer tarts, coconut macaroons and chocolate ganache cookies can be found at stores such as Soon’s Orchard and Mason’s Marketplace in New Hampton, Flowers by Lisa in Pine Island and Mama Mia! Café and Pizzeria in Newburgh.
“Baking was a hobby for me and the cookies at the wedding were a hit,” Pegg said. “People were raving about them and asking if they could buy them. It just went from there. I like to keep people happy, so I never said no to an order. I have enjoyed working and it just feels good to do all of the events and make people happy.”
Pegg retired after 27 years as a Teaching Assistant at Minisink Valley Elementary School, in part, to focus on Suzie Q’s Cookies. She and her husband Rob, AKA Mr. Suzie Q, expanded the business with an ice cream truck in a partnership with Jane’s Ice Cream of Kingston last year. Suzie Q’s Cookies and Ice Cream (suzieqscookiesandcream.com) at a variety of events this season.
Pegg developed her baking skills as a young girl growing up on Gardner Avenue near the Orange County Fairgrounds in Middletown. Her mom, Carmella, taught her how to make homemade Italian cookies and pasta from scratch. Pegg has been baking since and doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon.
Pegg’s business grossed about $100,000 in revenue last year, but she hasn’t pursued the cookie business for monetary reasons. She was a beloved Teaching Assistant who formed meaningful bonds with students, their parents, teachers and administrators over the years. If you think people love Suzie Q’s Cookies, they adore Ms. Pegg even more.
The cookie business was a way for her to stay close to her Minisink Valley family and the community.
“You can’t go from working all those years at school and just stop,” Pegg said. “I just love connection with the kids and their families. It is awesome and every time I see them it makes my day.”
