Here is a photo of my sweet Nana at the age of 15 in 1939. Born in Harlem, Nanny grew up in New York City during the Great Depression. She lived with her father, a World War I soldier, along with her mother and three sisters. Times were tough and became even tougher after her father passed away in his 30s. Baking was therapeutic for Nanny and a passion she carried with her throughout her life.
Nanny passed away at the age of 95 on February 5th, 2020. Some of my greatest memories with Nanny was our time spent together baking. Baking has now become my therapy as I sit here in Harlem in the same neighborhood with the same recipes almost 100 years later.
Every single evening Nanny would pour a cup of tea and sit down at her kitchen table to enjoy one of the sweets she baked that week. I created this bakeshop to honor her memory and to allow our recipes to be shared for milestones, celebrations, or as she preferred, a quiet evening at home.
Here’s to celebrating my sweet Nana…
“I think I’ll have a little something sweet to eat.”
-Nanny