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Forbidden Amish donuts
There is probably only one element of Amish life that would appeal to Homer Simpson: the donuts. I grew up in Western New York State, and every time I return to the region to visit my parents, I get Amish donut fever. Unlike Homer Simpson, I have never sold my soul to the devil for donuts. I've never had to, because in Cattaraugus County, New York, about sixty miles south of my hometown of Buffalo, I can get the best maple glazed donuts in the world for 75 cents.The problem is that getting to New York's largest community of Old Order Amish involves a long detour, even when I'm approaching Buffalo from my current residence in N. Virginia. On a road trip to Buffalo in July, I nagged my wife about stopping for Amish donuts to the point of exhaustion, but when you're driving eight hours with two toddlers in the backseat, adding time onto the trip is a tough sell, and I wasn't able to close the deal.
After being denied the donuts this summer, I was hell bent on getting some on my next trip to the area over the Christmas break. These donuts are so sublime that, the night before we were due to get them, I had a nightmare, in which I arrived at the bake shop only to discover that there were: you guessed it, no more donuts.
There are several Amish families in the towns of Leon, Conewango, and Randolph which offer excellent donuts and other baked goods. But there is one woman, Sarah Miller, at 12624 Seager Hill Rd (Rt. 62) in Conewango Valley, whose donuts are truly worthy of Michelin stars. On Fridays and Saturdays in the winter, and Monday-Saturday in the summer, she sells an array of pies, breads, cookies and glazed and maple glazed donuts of the highest quality at ludicrously low prices.
Just as we were about fifteen miles from my little forbidden donut retreat this past Saturday, my wife made a foolish, last-ditch attempt to get me to forgo the donut detour.
"You don't understand," I pleaded. "I need those donuts!"
My wife said that I was "incredibly selfish" and I didn't bother to argue. As we walked into the Miller's drafty, dark kitchen I looked around and saw cookies, cakes, pies, fudge. Pretty much everything but donuts.
"Please tell me you have the maple-glazed donuts," I said, to Yuri Miller, Sarah's impressively gray-bearded, pencil-wielding husband and cashier.
"We sure do," he said, pulling out a tray of a dozen of the massive, beautiful creatures from the back pantry.
I bought three of them, along with a loaf of pumpkin bread and the damage was just $4.25. I was worried that after all the donut fantasizing, they wouldn't be as good as I remembered them but as soon as I bit into my maple glazed slice of heaven, my fears were immediately laid to rest. The donuts are as big as a baby's head, but are as light and airy as a feather. The maple syrupy goodness is shear bliss. I asked Sarah what the secret to her insanely good donuts was.
"I really don't want to tell you my secrets," she said, "because if everyone knew how to make these, they wouldn't be special."
The Amish are obviously known for their austere lifestyle, but for me, a visit to the Amish of Cattaraugus County is all about decadence and indulgence. Aside from the donuts and baked goods, I also always stop at Malinda's Candy Shop at 12656 Youngs Road in Conewango Valley. Malinda sells bags of incredible homemade chocolates- peanut butter bars, clusters, fudge and the like, all for about $3 a bag. Every few months, she pays someone to drive her into Buffalo to buy chocolate and then whips up the sweet concoctions in her tiny little kitchen, adjacent to her shop.
Cattaraugus County is well worth a visit even if you don't have a sweet tooth. New York State has just started to promote the area's "Amish Trail" as a tourist destination, but I've been visiting the area for years and have never seen a single tour bus. It's a pretty area of rolling hills and muddy gravel roads with more horses and buggies than cars. The lively, historic ski town of Ellicottville is about twenty minutes north of the Amish Trail and is a great base to explore the area.
Because there are few tourists in the area, you'll find that the Amish won't shy away from talking to you, unless you try to take their photo. Aside from the sweets, you'll also find handmade toys, dolls, rugs, quilts and furniture.
On my last visit to the region, after we left the Miller's bake shop, my wife popped in a video for my toddlers in their matching backseat video consoles and it dawned on me that, to the Millers, we probably seemed like aliens from another planet. I gave one of the three donuts to my wife, who grudgingly conceded how dreamy it was. Maybe not worth selling one's soul for, but certainly worth a 50 mile detour.
"We sure do," he said, pulling out a tray of a dozen of the massive, beautiful creatures from the back pantry.
I bought three of them, along with a loaf of pumpkin bread and the damage was just $4.25. I was worried that after all the donut fantasizing, they wouldn't be as good as I remembered them but as soon as I bit into my maple glazed slice of heaven, my fears were immediately laid to rest. The donuts are as big as a baby's head, but are as light and airy as a feather. The maple syrupy goodness is shear bliss. I asked Sarah what the secret to her insanely good donuts was.
"I really don't want to tell you my secrets," she said, "because if everyone knew how to make these, they wouldn't be special."
The Amish are obviously known for their austere lifestyle, but for me, a visit to the Amish of Cattaraugus County is all about decadence and indulgence. Aside from the donuts and baked goods, I also always stop at Malinda's Candy Shop at 12656 Youngs Road in Conewango Valley. Malinda sells bags of incredible homemade chocolates- peanut butter bars, clusters, fudge and the like, all for about $3 a bag. Every few months, she pays someone to drive her into Buffalo to buy chocolate and then whips up the sweet concoctions in her tiny little kitchen, adjacent to her shop.
Cattaraugus County is well worth a visit even if you don't have a sweet tooth. New York State has just started to promote the area's "Amish Trail" as a tourist destination, but I've been visiting the area for years and have never seen a single tour bus. It's a pretty area of rolling hills and muddy gravel roads with more horses and buggies than cars. The lively, historic ski town of Ellicottville is about twenty minutes north of the Amish Trail and is a great base to explore the area.
Because there are few tourists in the area, you'll find that the Amish won't shy away from talking to you, unless you try to take their photo. Aside from the sweets, you'll also find handmade toys, dolls, rugs, quilts and furniture.
On my last visit to the region, after we left the Miller's bake shop, my wife popped in a video for my toddlers in their matching backseat video consoles and it dawned on me that, to the Millers, we probably seemed like aliens from another planet. I gave one of the three donuts to my wife, who grudgingly conceded how dreamy it was. Maybe not worth selling one's soul for, but certainly worth a 50 mile detour.
Gallery: Amish Life in Cattaraugus County New York
Filed under: Food and Drink, North America, United States
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Kristin Shaw Jan 4th 2012 1:47PM
I really enjoyed this article! Now I'm craving maple donuts.. :-p
@AustinKVS
Ellen Jan 4th 2012 5:19PM
Not to rock your world but there is a "true" Amish market in Gaithersburg Maryland. My family is from Central PA which trust me is a hot bed for good Amish baking and although I am not sure if they have the dounuts they have MANY other wonderful bake goods. A perfect day trip ride from Norther VA!!! Go forth and gain 10 pounds!
Hadola Jan 5th 2012 7:47AM
There's also a family (Mrs. Yoder's Kitchen) that makes similiar donuts (sourdough, regular glaze) at farmer's markets in Richmond, VA. They're taking a break at the moment to make improvements to their food truck and will be back in the spring at the South of the James Saturday Market. The donuts are bigger and cost is $2.25 each or cheaper by the dozen.
Dave Seminara Jan 5th 2012 9:28AM
Thanks Kristin, Ellen and Hadola! I've had Amish donuts and baked goods at a variety of places, including Lancaster, P.A. but have never found any I like quite as much as this place in Conewango. I think part of the appeal is that it's in their actual home, so when you walk in, you see all of their handmade furniture, their circa 1900 kitchen, etc. The cheap prices don't hurt either. But I'm definitely going to check out the markets in Richmond and Germantown, thanks for the tips!
Candace Klimesh Moser Jan 6th 2012 10:46AM
This brings back wonderful memories of my Father's Czech Bakery in Jackson, MN (he was known for his glazed donuts and before he had even buried for a week, the locals were offering my mother cash for the recipe). Last spring, I returned to Upstate NY where I'd once lived for 5 years. If I had only known about the Amish Bakery then.......next time! Thanks for the information! This place is now on my bucket list!
mac Jan 6th 2012 1:57PM
We were traveling South on HY 69 in Oklahoma. Found Amish stores. We bought bread and cheese. The Onion Cheese and Sharp Chedder were great. especially the Green onion cheese.
living4thecity Jan 11th 2012 12:52PM
OH NO! the memory just flooded into my head...Can I beat the bad weather and drive to...'s'cuse me
Dave Seminara Jan 17th 2012 9:45AM
No doubt there are some Amish posers out there. These places are not among them, however. I've been visiting these places for a long time and they are definitely Old Order Amish. It's not hard to suss this out- first, you pull up in front of their homes and see buggies- not cars. Then you walk into their homes and immediately notice how dark and cold they are- no electricity. There are no cash registers or credit cards used.
MHeinz Jan 14th 2012 8:47AM
I am always suspicious of all these "Amish" shops...in that, the true Amish typically avoid interacting with "moderns" and shun the use of cash registers, adding machines, credit cards and the like. Most commonly if you are entering a shop and buying "Amish" goods with your credit card or being rung up on the cash register, you've "been had" by a Mennonite family who simply know the tourists are more familiar with the word "Amish" then the more accurate Mennonite...who dress similarly, but accept modern forms of business practice.
Kate Jan 14th 2012 9:14PM
i've always wondered the same thing. i've known people of both faiths and couldn't see the true Amish opening their homes to outsiders. i wondered if they teamed up with Mennonite families to benefit but also saw this as a break in their traditions.
John Williams Jan 14th 2012 6:51PM
Amish or Menonite, the baked items don't know the difference. It's homemade, it tastes wonderful at a reasonable price. It all sounds good to me.....
Carrie Jan 14th 2012 9:22AM
mmmmm donuts.... I should not have read this on an empty stomach at 8am at work on a Saturday morning. I want to drive to New York right now... Do you think they will let me go there on my lunch break? (I work in Chicago....)
Carol Jan 14th 2012 12:19PM
What a great story, very nicely written. The Amish are very industrious people who provided the dairy, chickens, meats and other market fresh produce etc to my old hometown in Belize, C.America. They didn't mix with the natives but could be counted upon for their farming abilities and peace-loving activities. I'm glad they were around when I lived in Belize.
Dover Diva Jan 14th 2012 1:52PM
Everything the Amish make is yummy. All natural ingredients-the perfect "comfort foods". You haven't lived until you visit Spence's Bazaar here in the heart of Dover, DE. It's an Amish indoor outdoor flea market, farmer's market, butcher, bakery, etc. You literally see stars and get tingles when you savor their fresh from scratch baked goods and deli sandwiches, homemade chocolates, cheeses, fresh fruits and vegetables. Then stop by all the antique and flea market tables. There is no sales tax here. We first checked it out when we were in town for a concert at Dover Downs Raceway and Casino. We fell in love and wound up buying a home here. Our 10,000 NJ property tax bill is now $850 a year instead for a home 3 x the size, and we paid a fraction of what we would have paid in NJ for this house we live in now. Life is just beautiful here! Well, it's off to lunch in Rehoboth Beach and shopping at the outlets for now! Sunday we will have brunch for $7.95 at the Blue Heron Grille on the beautiful Rookery Golf Course in Milton.
donnie Jan 14th 2012 2:12PM
Just maple glazed Amish donuts? As a native Buffalonian, now removed, I remember way back when the best donut shop in Buffalo was Freddies. Not only glazed donuts, but every flavor under the sun. And made with REAL whippped cream! Nothing like it available today. That is nostalgia!
Thomas May 14th 2012 12:52AM
Dave Seminara, you made my day. I ran across your articles about Western New York by clicking on the Niagara tightrope story. I'm a native of south Buffalo but now, not by choice, a resident of Beaumont, Texas. My wife and I have been to all the places you've mentioned. We use ride Rt.62 and take the kids to Amish country all the time. When we fly home to visit family we always spend a day at Niagara On The Lake. We visit my wife's brother in Lewiston and love to visit Old Fort Niagara. Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Western New York are so dear to our hearts. Western N.Y is one of the most beautiful places in our country. There's so much one can do in that whole area.I became so excited when I read your articles. Thank you for what you do. You made this 63 yr. old Vietnam Veteran very happy. God bless you and.....keep writing! -Thomas
Miriam Jan 14th 2012 9:00PM
That's so funny - I was so judging on your wife until I got to the very last line of the article and saw that it was a 50 mile detour.... Then it (and she) made much more sense... I hope you gave her massive props for letting you go so far out of the way for that.
Tipper Jan 15th 2012 8:22AM
I just stumbled on this and can tell you that there is nothing as delicious as an Amish doughnut....I am a restoration master carpenter and years ago in the 70's and 80's would buy lumber from an Amish mill in southern Maryland, we would always time our arrival for the 10am work break when a little Amish girl would arrive with a tray of right out of the pan steaming hot and oh so good doughnuts for the crew, they were very nice people and always shared with us! Thanks for the memories, makes me want to take a drive to Amish country.