Photo courtesy of Nettie’s Craft Brownies
Here are two things that make an already excellent concept (brownies) infinitely more excellent: using local products—and adding booze. Nettie’s Country Bakery, which opened in Center Moriches in 2014, has already established a cult following for its superlative baked goods. The “retirement project” of Joe and Jeanette “Nettie” McHeffey, Nettie’s became an instant hit, requiring the recruitment of other McHeffey family members. While the bakery continues to thrive, the McHeffeys decided that the brownies were ready for an adventure of their own.
The original craft brownie recipe came from a German baker named Rudy. A hit at the Country Bakery, the McHeffeys began adjusting them, making different flavors for different occasions. Eventually, they came up with their own recipe for a brownie bite—a small brownie, cloaked in chocolate. Those bites are now available both for purchase in the bakery and online, sold in boxes of 16. In addition to traditional, peanut butter, and white chocolate flavors, Nettie’s offers a sea salt brownie bite, flavored with the artisan Amagansett Sea Salt. Their espresso brownie bite contains espresso from Tend Coffee in Shirley.
And then, of course, there are the boozy bites. The chocolate stout brownie bite is both boozy and local, flavored with the Westhampton Beach Brewing Company’s Irish Eyes Cream Stout. There are also bourbon and Irish cream boozy bites available. In addition to the brownie bites, Nettie’s ships the regular-sized craft brownies (sold in boxes of four) in both regular and peanut butter varieties. But if the Internet seems too vague and impersonal for the commercial enterprise of baked goods, you could always just drive to Center Moriches, swing by Nettie’s Country Bakery, and taste through the line of brownie bites and classic brownies for yourself. No one said being a culinary entrepreneur was easy, but somebody has to do it.
