A Recurrent

It’s been a long time since I craved s jelly doughnut, or possibly, I haven’t wanted to acknowledge my loss.

For 57 years I lived a block away from a family owned bakery

In moments of great stress I could easily wend my way to their door (without detection) and fill a sudden need for the unique crunchy sugar flecked delicacy.

A lone jelly doughnut has been a source of comfort since childhood when I was also blessed with a bakery on the corner of 58th Street and Ninth Avenue.

However, I hadn’t realized one of the things I would miss greatly when I relocated six years ago was the small bakery on Northwest Drive. I knew I was abandoning friends, my beloved home and a great library, but I was unaware I would also be yearning for the small but amazing family owned bakery.

I could not be considered a regular customer, because seldom did I purchase a layer cake or even cupcakes.

However, quite often when my two older children were still young, but responsible, I would send them on a Sunday morning to buy a loaf of homemade bread hot from the bakery oven,

To be accurate, we often bought two loaves, but only on Sunday after Mass at St Kilian’s.

Consequently, since I always enjoyed baking for my family, I was hardly missed as a regular customer when I relocated.

Homemade chocolate chip cookies (not nearly as good as those in the bakery windows) were usually waiting when the yellow school bus stopped in front of our corner cape cod.

Now I do admit each Christmas since I abandoned the family homestead, I send an urgent email to the bakery (now owned and operated by Mike, son of the original family) ordering gifts of the traditional butter cookies for the Fabulous Four now in CA, CT and MI.

And yes, I do order a box for myself since new friends inquire “When are the NY cookies coming?”

However, since a jelly doughnut is the only delicacy that fills my unique void of comfort I have found it difficult to locate a substitute.

It hasn’t been often that I felt this acute degree of nostalgia and perhaps it is due to the long winter. Fortunately, today my faithful iPad has again come to the rescue and solved my dilemma.

After googling “Jelly doughnuts near me,” I found a solution.

A lone jelly doughnut is being delivered this afternoon.

While I doubt if it will taste exactly like the one from the small bakery, perhaps it will provide the comfort I have been missing.

I do hope so.