WITH LISA’S SWEET TREATS

LISA Nugent has always dreamt of having a bakery, and her dream came true earlier this year when she opened up her shop, Lisa’s Sweet Treats, on Asbury Avenue. The bakery’s expansive menu includes decadent cherry danish, tangy key lime tarts, soft butter cookies and every sweet offering in between. Though the business has smoothly transitioned into what is sure to become an Ocean City staple, the journey to get there was anything but easy.

While she had always liked baking, Lisa opened her shop after going through hardship.

“I got very sick and it was a point in my life that was very difficult for my family and I,” Lisa recalled.

Fortunately, she pulled through her illness, and the experience caused her to reexamine some aspects of her life – such as deciding to do what brings her the most joy or, namely, baking.

“That kind of drove me to open the bakery. I didn’t want to not do it and feel regret of not doing it,” Lisa thoughtfully added. “I realized life is short and everybody should do things that bring them happiness and joy.”

Baking has always been a fun pastime for Lisa and her sisters, and it continues to be something that brings them together. One sister owns a bakery in Maryland, and another helps bake dog treats that are sold at Lisa’s Sweet Treats. The treats come in three sizes with fun, canineloving flavors such as cheeseburger, peanut butter and a seasonal pumpkin oatmeal.

“I’ve always liked baking,” Lisa said. “When I was baking with my sisters, it was just something that I always enjoyed.”

Owning her own bakery and seeing the joy her talents bring customers takes things to another level.

“When I make something and somebody buys it and enjoys it,” Lisa said, “it just brings me pleasure. It really does.”

Something Lisa does to make the work a bit easier is to try and make a lot more in volume so when the time comes, she always has enough for everyone and never runs short.

Lisa’s Sweet Treats offers a wide array of desserts, from cakes and cookies to eclairs and fruit tarts. Lisa recommends the cream puffs

Lisa’s Sweet Treats Top Tip: MISE EN PLACE

In French, “mise en place” means having all of your ingredients at the ready before you start a recipe. This is Lisa’s Sweet Treats owner Lisa Nugent’s top tip for the kitchen: Focus on making sure you have everything you need for whatever you’ve got baking – and always follow a recipe.

and the key lime tarts, but shared that fan favorites include the cheesecake cups, cheese danish and gourmet cupcakes.

The cupcakes feature varied, fun flavors like orange, red velvet and seasonal tastes. The sugar cookie funfetti cupcake even has a sugar cookie baked right in. And on top of the delicious flavors, the cupcakes are also miniature works of art.

“I kind of like to make sure they’re pleasing to the eye and that they are just something that somebody would really want to have and present at a party or birthday or celebration of some sort,” Lisa explained.

Lisa loves custom orders, but these orders should be placed at least one week ahead of when needed. Of course, for those who don’t place an order ahead, the bakery’s cases are always full of sweet treats for the taking.

Another plus for Lisa’s Sweet Treats – the bakery offers gluten-free desserts. While the treats are made on all clean equipment and do not inherently contain gluten, there is still flour in the air and the desserts are baked in the facility, which naturally has gluten-containing ingredients in shop. This could potentially impact the final product.

When Lisa’s Sweet Treats first opened its doors in the spring, the shop was open six days a week. With summer around the corner, the schedule has changed. Lisa’s Sweet Treats opens at 7am every day, closing at 5pm except for Sundays, when it closes at 1pm.

Lisa’s Sweet Treats is located at 1046 Asbury Ave., Ocean City, and can be reached by calling (609) 938-9114. Learn more at www. lisas-sweet-treats.com, and find the business on Facebook, too.

Text by Emily Liu. Photos provided by Lisa's.