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Made in the Hudson Valley: Westchester bakery gears up for Thanksgiving with pastries 'Baked by Susan'

O'Keefe first opened the shop in 2010, after years of sharing some of her favorite recipes with the community.

Katerina Belales

Nov 19, 2024, 12:29 PM

Updated 15 days ago

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It's the most wonderful time of the year for the employees at "Baked by Susan" in Croton, getting ready to share the spirit of Thanksgiving with customers from all over the Hudson Valley.
"Thanksgiving is definitely the busiest holiday," said owner Susan O'Keefe. "It's a holiday that revolves around food and everybody celebrates it. So, it really is our Super Bowl."
O'Keefe first opened the shop in 2010, after years of sharing some of her favorite recipes with the community.
"I've been a baker my whole life, and I grew up in a family where my mom had a big sweet tooth," she explained. "So, some of the things are original recipes that I was making with her."
From cookies to cakes, sandwiches, empanadas and more, all of the shop's tasty treats have one thing in common.
"We do everything," said O'Keefe. "We make everything from scratch."
Plus, with Thanksgiving right around the corner, one specific treat is at the top of their list.
"We are well known for our pies," O'Keefe explained. "We do real fruit [and] real butter crust. Our pie crust literally has four ingredients, and we make it all the time. All of our fillings are all real fruit...not too super sweet and really yummy."
O'Keef said those yummy treats have had a major impact on customers from all over.
"When we first came into Croton…we almost had to sort of explain and teach people what it's like to have something that's made from scratch and not necessarily a supermarket item," she explained. "I think that that's why people have come back again and again, because it is different to have something that's homemade."
"Baked by Susan" is located at 379 S Riverside Ave. in Croton-On-Hudson. Items from her Thanksgiving menu are available for pre-order on her website until Sunday, Nov. 24.