Food

Better Than Bubble

A West Bloomfield woman
improves on grandma's recipe.

Polly Levey-Carpenter shows off her mandelbread.

JAMIE ROSEN

College Intern

T

he word "mandelbread" usually evokes memories of biting down on
Bubbie's rock-hard goods. But, with her original recipe for a gourmet,
cookie-like, chocolate chip mandelbread, Polly Levey-Carpenter has
changed the face of a classic Jewish treat.
Polly's Pastries, which call for the finest all-natural ingredients, along with a
pinch of love and a dash of creativity, are so popular that she can't keep the
boxes on the shelves.
Carpenter's passion for baking was sparked by her great-aunt, who used to save
the tins from her chicken pot pies so that the two could bake together.
"To me, that was part of love,"says Levey-Carpenter, of West Bloomfield.
After moving to Detroit 14 years ago, she bought a cookbook from the
Parent-Teacher Association at her son's elementary school. In it were three
recipes for mandelbread, which she made and did not care for. So, she decided
to experiment and come up with her own recipe.
A make-up artist, she loves to create. While experimenting, Levey-Carpenter
came across a batch that she really liked and wrote the recipe at the bottom of

the page containing the others. She was so pleased with the final product that
she began to make it for special occasions.
Family, friends and clients loved it and encouraged her to start a business.

Dream Sequence

Four months ago, she woke up one morning and realized that she had to give it
a try; she did not want to regret not doing so. "I said: 'I'm going to do it. It will
be an adventure and I love adventure."'
Her adventure began after she baked a fresh batch and took the samples, uni-
vited, to a couple of small local stores. The owners loved the product and agreed
to sell it once she got the proper licensing, insurance and packaging.
A company helped her design the package and the Detroit Bagel Factory on
Orchard Lake Road in West Bloomfield agreed to let her bake in their facilities
during non-business hours for a small percentage of sales.
"I didn't even know where to go or who to call. I've done everything for this
business on my own," says Levey-Carpenter, who bakes, delivers and markets
everything with the help of her 14-year-old son, Mason.

8/24
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