The smell of fresh cookies, muffins and jam fill the air inside Vinnie Cann's family kitchen, as she and her daughter, Sara, start another batch of their famous goodies.

"My mom's house is kind of the hub for every family party," Sara said. "She makes everything from scratch, so [my sister and I] were always her prep cooks."

For Sara, that love of baking stared as a young girl, but eventually turned into her full-time job.

"I went to the French Culinary Institute, back then it was the International Culinary Center," she said. "I graduated [as] valedictorian, and I moved on from there and went into the restaurant industry...I worked in the restaurant industry for about seven years. I started off as a recipe writer, and I worked my way up to the director of culinary operations. Before that, I was in the journalism field. I wrote for a few different magazines, including Saveur, Men's Health [and] Women's Health."

When she was laid off during the pandemic, Sara thought it was the perfect time to start a business. From there, she knew who to call.

"My mom's been making jam for over 30 years, and I was like, 'You know what? It's time for you to show everybody what you can do,'" Sara said.

"When she came and said to me, 'You wanna start a business with me?'" Vinnie explained. "I said to myself, 'Sure. Why not?' Two weeks later, she had an LLC, so we were off and running."

That business soon turned into Birdie’s Batch, named after the nickname Vinnie would call Sara as a child.

" Sarah was a very petite child, and I used to call her my 'little birdie,' Vinnie said. "I still call her my little birdie. So, we were trying to figure out what to call the name of the company, and my oldest daughter said, 'Well, she's 'birdie.' Why don't you just call it 'Birdie's Batch?' So, that's what we did, and it stuck, and a lot of people love the name."

The duo prides themselves on making classic baked goods and jams from local ingredients, making them a hit at farmers’ markets throughout the region.

"It's fabulous to know that you have a following, and people actually appreciate all the work and the love that goes into it," Vinnie said.

That following gave them a light during one of the darkest times in their lives.

"A year and a half ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, so last year I didn't do a lot of markets," Sara said. "You would kind of think people would forget about you, but I got so many cards, gifts, calls [and] texts. I mean, I have some customers who call me like they're my aunt. They don't even say their name. They're like, 'Hey Sara, what's up?' It's very touching because once you start a small business, your customers become like family. I have their cards hanging on my wall. It's really sweet."

Sara has now made a full recovery, once again giving back to the community that gave so much to her. The best part about it all? Getting to continue mixing, baking and building this business with her mom – one sweet memory at a time.

"It's really nice to get to see your mom in a different light, and just to share all of her talents with the world," Sara said.

"The fact that we're mother/daughter…it's just been amazing," Vinnie added. "She pushes me to be a better version of myself, and I'm so grateful because this has been a real journey, and I love it."

You can order baked goods from Birdie's Batch directly up on its website. Sara and Vinnie will also be making their next appearances at the Tarrytown and Piermont Farmers Markets during the first weekend of June.