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A Baker's Daughter: Recipes & Memories  From A Family Bakery

(popular narrative cookbook) 


The daughter of a beloved baker revives her father's famous recipes, and discovers her family's fierce love -- and its secrets.


"Thank you for your kindness to all that loved growing up with the  memories that we have and you have made come true. I know your dad is  looking down and so proud of the love you  have shown to all of us!"  Darlene, reader and home baker

ORDER BOOK

 Marcy's popular narrative cookbook about her family's bakery, her immigrant family and growing up a baker's daughter - Max Brenner of  Brenner's Bakery, Alexandria, VA  - complete with over 50 kitchen-sized recipes of the favorites from your childhood.


 "This  bakery conjures happy memories of my life. Having access to the recipes  of my childhood is golden. The stories told along with the recipes show  a family business that brought joy to its customers!" 

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READER Reviews - POPULAR NARRATIVE COOKBOOK

More About "a baker's daughter"

 What  happens when a devoted daughter begins to revive her famous-baker-dad’s  recipes, and instead uncovers a hidden family history? 


In this case, a  narrative cookbook—about people. Marcy Brenner’s devotion to her dad,  Max, is evident from the first line to the last, but her journey of  discovery goes back in time, to long before she tasted her first  Chocolate Top Cookie. As she teaches herself to bake like a pro—by  decoding Max’s cryptic, commercial recipe cards—she follows the story of  generations of bakers who used love as their primary ingredient. 


Meanwhile, she delivers the goods for generations of Brenner’s Bakery  fans who have been waiting for years for “kitchen-sized” recipes that  would make their favorites come back to life. In the process of sharing  her discoveries, Marcy forever marries breads and sweets to her family  members who craved them. Her chapters have names like “Miss Charlotte,”  and “Sisters.” The narrative format also intermingles dozens of recipes  with moving stories of Marcy’s parents’ deep Southern humanity, her  grandparents’ struggles—and a Jewish ancestry buried by fear. 


 With  unflinching empathy, she embraces the hope and loss that brought her  Polish ancestors to America, and which connect her to a past she sensed,  but never knew. She wonders aloud whether baking is in her genes,  whether she’ll be able to pull off this experiment, and whether the  cakes and cookies and croissants, doughnuts, breads, Boston Cream Pies,  and macaroons will turn out. Maybe because true love never dies, they  do. 

community

Brenner's Bakery Memories - Facebook group


For news, baking videos and to share YOUR STORY and memories about Brenner's Bakery.


  

BOOK CREDITS

A Baker's Daughter: Recipes & Memories From A Family Bakery

by Marcy Brenner & Kristin Donnan


Editing and Design by Rockin' Dog Studios

Illustrations by Ginny Foard

Special Photos by Jessie Morrissey and Shane Moore

Photo Staging by Danielle

Photos from Brenner Family collection except where indicated

other writers say ...

 

"It is a love story."

 Sometimes  librarians, publishers and booksellers don’t get it exactly right when  they categorize and catalog books. A Baker’s Daughter: Recipes &  Memories from a Family Bakery by  Marcy Brenner & Kristin Donnan is  listed as a cookbook and as a  memoir. I would like to suggest a third  category. It is a love story.  The love happens on many levels, the reciprocal love of a father and  his  daughter, a man’s love of his life’s work, a family’s love of each   other, a community’s love for that family and their bakery and finally   Marcy’s love creating oven magic. 

-- Grady Ormsby, music presenter, literary lover


"part cookbook, part ode ... one satisfying volume."

Whenever  you needed a loaf of marble rye, a bagful of molasses cookies (my  favorite) or a birthday cake for someone special, you went to Brenner's  in Alexandria, Virginia. And it was easy to find excuses to stop there  for all the in-between times too. Part cookbook, part ode to her father Max, Marcy Brenner weaves love, joy and warm aromas into one satisfying volume. 

-- Susan Stuck, Food writer and former Alexandria resident 


"family, memories and recipes - a delight FOR the senses"

Like an excellent cinnamon swirl, this memoir blends family history, loving memories and cherished original recipes - a delight for all of the senses.

 -- Karen Jones, broadcast journalist and author


"a world of love, work, and most of all ... treats"

In A Baker's Daughter Marcy Brenner recreates the world of her childhood--a world of love, work, and most of all, of delicious bakery treats. - Pat Garber, nature writer and poet


"buy (it for the) recipe. read it to feed your soul"

Buy A Baker's Daughter to get the Chocolate Top Cookie recipe. Read it to feed your soul. - Sara Bernstein, screenwriter


"the real treat is the stories"

Converting  bakery-volume recipes for home cooks is no small feat, and  fans of  Brenner’s Bakery will undoubtedly love this book for enabling  them to recreate their favorites to enjoy at home. But the real treat of A Baker’s Daughter is the stories. Told with Marcy’s remarkable  clarity, wit, and introspection – in  beautiful lyrical language that  reflects her roots as a  singer-songwriter – these tales of the family  that made the bakery so  beloved are as delicious and pleasurable as any  of the sweet  indulgences the bakery offered.   

- Kati Wharton, Baking  & Pastry Arts student 


"Engaging and heartfelt story of an immigrant family."

Marcy Brenner’s book tells the engaging and heartfelt story of an immigrant family making its way in the American century. Rich with photographs, first-hand accounts and recipes to die for, A Baker’s Daughter recalls a time before Starbucks and Big Box stores when family-owned  businesses served as places of comfort, community and continuity for  America’s burgeoning middle class. So grab a sweater, a cup of tea, and  Marcy Brenner’s book. At least for a while, life will be sweet again.

Leslie Siddeley, consultant and writer living in Alexandria, VA

news

WASHINGTON POST Article by John Kelly

ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE Review by Hope Nelson

WASHINGTON POST Article by John Kelly

"A cake walk ..."

Read Review

KIRKUS REVIEWS Review

ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE Review by Hope Nelson

WASHINGTON POST Article by John Kelly

"A lively family account delivers a sweet, lingering taste of nostalgia."                                                     

Read Review

ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE Review by Hope Nelson

ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE Review by Hope Nelson

ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE Review by Hope Nelson

"... memories of Alexandria treats."

Read Review

GOODREADS Review

Story about "WASHINGTON PIE"

ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE Review by Hope Nelson

"A love story ..."

READ REVIEW

ONLINE BOOK CLUB Review

Story about "WASHINGTON PIE"

Story about "WASHINGTON PIE"

4 out of 4 stars ...

Read Review

Story about "WASHINGTON PIE"

Story about "WASHINGTON PIE"

Story about "WASHINGTON PIE"

 Someone on the Facebook page "brenner's bakery memories" asked about Washington "Pie" (maybe called squares) the other day.  It was more of a cake than a pie.   My grandfather Louis Brenner (Pop) made them at the bakery location on  4th Street in SW Washington, DC, a mostly-wholesale bakery from the  1930s-40s before the end of WWII.  The family lived upstairs.  Pop would  make everything through the night and put it all in the proof box and  the sons would bake it all off in the morning.  A great story and "recipe" that's in the book!  

book photo gallery

    READER BOOK REVIEWS

    FREE RECIPES

    BAKING VIDEOS

    Reader PHOTO GALLERY

    Chocolate Top First Bite PHOTO GALLERY


    Copyright © 2023 Marcelle R. Brenner (MRB) Publishing LLC - All Rights Reserved.

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