Happy National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day!

Friday marks National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day.

Sara and Vinnie Cann, the founders of Birdie’s Batch, a mother-daughter duo that sells jams and old-fashion classic baked goods from heirloom recipes, spoke with the Rockland County Times to share the secret behind a good chocolate chip cookie. 

“Sara developed the recipe for the Mega Chocolate Chip Cookie and I have a very distinctive taste for a chocolate chip cookie. I like my chocolate chip cookies a little bit cakey,” Vinnie said. 

After a friendly debate of who’s recipe is best, they let the customers decide.

“We decided to have a taste off, so we did a batch of Megas and we did a batch of, what we now call, Momma Chocolate Chip Cookies, and we had a contest,” she said.

The vote was close, but Momma’s won by three votes. 

“I want a recount,” Sara joked. 

Birdie’s Batch was formed in June 2020 during the pandemic. 

“When I was laid off from the restaurant industry, I originally wanted to start a community farm and then I realized I knew nothing about farming,” she said. “I was like, ‘Wait, you make jam. I know how to bake…let’s start a little business!’”

Thus, Birdie’s Batch was born!

It was a no brainer being that Sara went to school at the International Culinary Center in Manhattan.

One of the things they love most about their business is involving their customers.

After someone requested nuts, they developed a walnut-version of Momma’s cookies called, “Momma’s Gone Nuts!”

No matter the cookie, whether the Mega or the Momma, they say that the secret to a good cookie is good butter and good chocolate.

“We buy our chocolate imported from France. It’s 70% percent cacao,” Sara said. “We put a sprinkle of sea salt on top of the Mega chocolate chip, so we get that sweet with a salty balance.”

Many of the recipes were passed down through generations. 

“We passed down family recipes like my grandmother’s famous apple cake. Her mother was from Czechoslovakia,” Sara said. 

“My father and my father’s father was a professional pastry chef,” Vinnie added. “I grew up with the smell of a butter oven and having things that were made from scratch.”

They also like to get inspiration when traveling abroad, especially in Europe. 

Vinnie loves to keep an eye out for jams, jellies and spices.

“We’ve had some people from Ireland and England that have tried our shortbreads who said that it is close to theirs homemade,” Vinnie said. 

When asked what their personal favorites are aside from chocolate chip cookies, Sara said the potato crostata. 

“A crostata is a rustic pie, so it’s made with our homemade pie dough and it’s folded over, encasing vegetable fillings,” she said. “They’re good for dinner or lunch. I even have some customers who eat them for breakfast.”

They sell nine different crostatas and they can bake them gluten-free. 

As for Vinnie’s favorite, she loves Sara’s lemon ricotta cake and shortbread cookies. 

“Sara makes a magnificent ricotta lemon cake, which is gluten free, and it’s very reminiscent of desserts I had in Italy,” she said.

Customers can find them at Van Houten Farms, The Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollows Farmers Market or Piermont Farmers Market.

Those interested can also order online at birdiesbatch.com, where they offer free delivery throughout Rockland County or pick up at their West Nyack location at 268 Old Mill Road.

Be sure to check out their Instagram @birdiesbatch.