With Easter 3 weeks away, The Black Granary has begun taking order from families looking to add something special to their holiday celebration. Mary Merril, who owns and operates the bakery, explained that they will be offering a couple of special items this year that people can order. Customers have the choice of special Easter items including Cinnamon or Orange Star Bread, Sunbeam Crescent Dinner Rolls, Whole Quiches, Key Lime Tarts, Lemon Curd Tarts with Pate Sucre Crust, or Carrot Cake. In addition, they will be taking orders on any baked good they would normally carry: the ever popular sweet rolls and the wide selection of specialty cakes that Mary has been selling since the bakery's opening. She expects to sell a lot of sweet rolls, in particular.
Mary's personal favorite of the specials is the Lemon Tarts with Pate Sucre Crust, which is a type of shortbread crust. She was quick to explain that her kids' favorites are definitely the carrot cake and the star bread. Though her family is most used to seeing the Sunbeam Crescent Dinner Rolls on special occasions. "The dinner rolls that we have here are like family tradition. We used to call them Mommy Rolls, and they're based off of something we grew up with. And they were my mom's mom's recipe and so there's a family story there." Mary only recently learned the family story behind Mommy Rolls. "When my mom was seven, her mom died suddenly from a brain tumor leaving behind all the kids. Her dad remarried pretty quickly and her stepmom was really willing to do anything their mom had done in the past. They wanted these rolls their mom had made. They were just called Sunbeam Rolls until after she passed away. The kids always asked for the Mommy Rolls, so they were called that name. I grew up calling them Mommy Rolls, and I only just heard the story about that what the real name was and why they
were called Mommy Rolls a few weeks ago." The willingness of her step-grandmother to do anything to ease the loss for her new children was a genuinely loving act. Baking their mother's rolls helped keep her memory alive for the children and has given significance to a traditional Merrill family favorite.
The Black Granary has had a successful first year with their baked goods, wraps, biscuits and gravy, quiche, coffee, espresso drinks, and other delectable treats. As they continue to figure things out, Mary hopes to offer sandwiches and other food, though she says they will need to add staff before that will be an option.
Those who are interested in ordering from the bakery for Easter need to get their orders in at least a week ahead of time. A complete list of prices and options for cakes is available at the bakery.
