The first time I ever baked, or cooked for that matter, was with my grandparents Fred & Ann. My fondest childhood memories are the mornings I woke up to my grandparents cooking breakfast in the kitchen. After eating, they would be cleaning up the kitchen and Grandma would already be planning what was for lunch, dinner..and dessert, too!
Grandma Ann was known not only for her cooking massive, beautiful family dinners, but also for her delicious baking. She always had a dessert (or several, for that matter) prepared and ready for our regular Sunday family dinners, if company was coming over, or even if it was just her grandkids stopping by after school. She made cakes, breads, cookies, and all kinds of desserts. Despite the many dessert recipes she mastered, she always made sure to have a stash of her famous chocolate chip cookies ready to be eaten by whoever came through her front door. No matter how many times I was told, "You must eat dinner before having dessert," I still always tried to convince her to let me sneak a few.
Grandma's favorite holiday was Christmas, a holiday she always hosted for our family. The menu always included a vast array of delicious foods and desserts. She would prepare months in advance for our Christmas Day dinner-including endless amounts of cookie trays for every family to take home. These cookie trays would be heaping full of her famous chocolate chip cookies, vanilla & chocolate pizzelles, fig cookies, and many more.
After my grandpa passed away, I went over to spend some much needed time with my gram and we baked all afternoon. We baked cookies & biscottis in honor of my grandpa, boy they were yummy! But as we reminisced about him, I found baking provided me such a sense of comfort-almost healing, in a sense, during that difficult time.
Sadly, Grandma Ann passed away in 2018. Since then, I found myself in the kitchen baking again. Whether it was for family dinners, if we were having guests over, and especially for family events like my cousin's high school graduation party. I felt compelled to continue my grandma's legacy and resume her role in the kitchen-a role that played the biggest part of my fondest childhood memories. As I did this, I grew to understand why my grandma adored cooking and baking as much as she did. Let me tell you, there is nothing quite like the feeling you get when someone tells you how much they enjoy your baking!
As we celebrated our second Christmas last year without Grandma and Grandpa, I took on the job of trying to recreate her famous cookie trays. I definitely did not realize how much work and dedication it took to complete that task. However, I think it allowed our family to feel as if Grandma and Papa were still a part of the holiday in some way.
Over the years I've noticed how much I've adopted her traits and followed in her footsteps. From me finding my love for baking, to having the mindset that, "You should always have dessert when having guests over," a rule Grandma Ann always lived by. This was something I always looked forward to, and something I know my customers will look forward to, as well!
It is for these reasons I decided to start my baking business. You will notice that I've dedicated the name of my business to my Grandparents, as well. "Fr-," as in my Grandpa Fred and "-annie," for my Grandma Ann-a nickname given to her by Papa. Now you can see how my grandparents have been, and continue to be my biggest inspiration. With this business, I hope to keep their beautiful legacy alive and make them both proud of me as I am of them.
To Grandma Ann and Grandpa Fritz-I love you both and thank you with all my heart, as I would not be half of who I am without your love, guidance, and encouragement during our years together. May Frannie's Sweets be half as successful as the two of you were <3