New Hampshire's Best Bakery is Truly Magical
My family visits North Conway at least twice a year, and I've always made my very first stop at The Met for a latte and a sweet snack to start the day off with a kick. Next time though, I’ll be skipping the coffee shop pastries and getting my treats at my new North Conway favorite, Mystic Sugar Bakery.
Pastry Chef Christy Skinner created the stunning chandelier that watches over her baked goods at Mystic Sugar Bakery in North Conway, NH. Photo copyright Lura Seavey.
I was headed with purpose to one of my favorite local artisan shops when a small a-frame sign stopped me in my tracks, quite literally. Since curious names often lead to good things, Drunken Monkey Bread was the first thing to catch my eye, but then I spotted Key Lime Pie on the menu and took a hard left toward the shop's door. It's only right, after all, to sample every piece of key lime pie one encounters, right? It's practically my civic duty.
Inside I found a tiny display case filled with a mouth-watering selection of pastries. In addition to a good selection of trendy cupcakes, there were a variety of giant cookies with fairy-tale names and tantalizing ingredient combinations as well as the desserts promised on the sign outside. The shop had a warm, welcoming atmosphere and the décor was whimsical, a playful chandelier of spoons hanging from the tiny ceiling. The culinary artist's husband Jason stood behind the counter, eager to tell me about each of his wife’s tasty creations. He proudly talked about her passion for baking, her creativity, and how far she has come in a short time, building a business from scratch during an infamously difficult economic time.
I was lucky enough to be still there when the pastry chef herself arrived to deliver a fresh batch of goodies. Christy Skinner is as sweet as her desserts, and was excited to tell me about their move to the White Mountains two years ago and her leap of faith into a new career after decades in education. After a year in a tiny trailer selling her treats to tourists at a local inn, she was able to expand and move to her current downtown storefront - and will be moving to an even bigger space soon.
The bakery is a labor of love, and it shows. Unlike so many that focus only on the “wow” factor of decorations, Christy puts just as much effort into her recipes. In short, they taste as good they look - or much better if you're like me, cynical with expectations lowered by sub-par choices at so many cafes and cupcakeries. Christy's pastries aren’t mass-produced in an industrial kitchen or baked in huge batches then frozen for storage - they are made fresh, daily, in small batches by a person who loves to bring joy through flavor.
I finally decided that buying an entire key lime pie was much more reasonable than a couple of single slices, especially because I had a feeling I’d want seconds and I’m terrible at sharing pie. As I took the happy pie box, a couple of things caught my attention right away: there was no alien-green tint of food coloring, and there was a generous amount of fresh lime zest suspended in the filling. Excellent start. A peek at the crust confirmed it was also hand-made, and just the tiniest of jiggles told me that the consistency was perfect. Then I had to wait for after supper.
As someone who is often disappointed by the taste of pretty desserts, I'll admit I was a bit afraid of a let-down despite the preliminary assessment. Most key lime pie I encounter in restaurants, cafes, and bakeries is bland, gelatinous, and often soggy. But, I persist in my duty and will sample it wherever I go.
Alas, I had no reason to fear. I ate the first piece faster than I should, enamored by the sweet-tart-creamy delight and the buttery, crumbly crust. The second, I slowed, closing my eyes so my other senses could get out of the way to let my taste buds properly savor each moment. Flavors lively but balanced - key lime perfection. A new, lofty bar has been set.
The only downside to this, of course, is that I didn’t have room to personally sample the rum monkey bread nor the artisanal cookie - and by the next morning there was nary a crumb nor drop of syrup to taste. I’ve been told they were scrumptious (my daughter confessed that her cookie was so good, she didn’t share it with her boyfriend), but I may have to plan another weekend up north to check for myself. ;)
The Mystic Sugar Bakery’s storefront is currently located next to Olympia Sports in downtown North Conway, NH, and will be moving to their new location just a couple storefronts down the street at 2710 White Mountain Highway around Memorial Day, hopefully in time for the holiday weekend. Visit www.mysticsugarbakery.com or contact them at mysticsugarbakery@gmail.com for updates, hours, and the day’s menu.
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