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Absolutely dough-licious!

Nazmar Pastries’ sweet treats made with love

Published:Thursday | September 2, 2021 | 12:12 AMStephanie Lyew/Gleaner Writer
From left: Raspberry, vanilla cream, lemon, and strawberry filling made from scratch are a fruity surprise.
From left: Raspberry, vanilla cream, lemon, and strawberry filling made from scratch are a fruity surprise.
Cin-apple sticks take on a whole new meaning when it comes to fried dough.
Cin-apple sticks take on a whole new meaning when it comes to fried dough.
This toasted coconut and coffee combination wakes up tastebuds and keep you wanting more.
This toasted coconut and coffee combination wakes up tastebuds and keep you wanting more.
Sugary glazed doughnuts, topped with sprinkles, are absolutely ‘dough-licious’.
Sugary glazed doughnuts, topped with sprinkles, are absolutely ‘dough-licious’.
 Doughnuts dusted with powdered sugar are a heavenly treat.
Doughnuts dusted with powdered sugar are a heavenly treat.
Nastacia Thompson gently squeezes filling into a doughnut.
Nastacia Thompson gently squeezes filling into a doughnut.
The 
Creamie Cookie doughnut is topped with Oreo cookies and vanilla cream.
The Creamie Cookie doughnut is topped with Oreo cookies and vanilla cream.
If you like pina colada and getting caught in the rain, these doughnuts will drive your tastebuds insane.
If you like pina colada and getting caught in the rain, these doughnuts will drive your tastebuds insane.
Lamar Grant (left), teacher of mathematics, and Nastacia Thompson, teacher of principles of business and accounts, used their knowledge of numbers and the love of pastry and each other to kickstart Nazmar Pastries.
Lamar Grant (left), teacher of mathematics, and Nastacia Thompson, teacher of principles of business and accounts, used their knowledge of numbers and the love of pastry and each other to kickstart Nazmar Pastries.
These doughnut holes filled with fruity preserves, are bite-sized versions of the fried pastry.
These doughnut holes filled with fruity preserves, are bite-sized versions of the fried pastry.
Plain doughnuts, without the add-ons, are also a tasty alternative.
Plain doughnuts, without the add-ons, are also a tasty alternative.
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Whether coated with a sugary glaze, topped with sprinkles, coated with powdered sugar, filled with fruity preserves or cream, or simply plain, doughnuts pack just the right amount of sugar to satisfy any sweet tooth, said the owners of Nazmar Pastries, Nastacia Thompson and Lamar Grant.

Born out of a love for pastries, the business idea made real has had the two hand-deep in dough – and we’re not talking money – since February of this year. “We are foodies, and, personally, I have a love for pastry, especially doughnuts, and from both our observations, there are not many places that specialise in making them,” Thompson told Food.

“Being from humble beginnings, I learnt early how to ‘tun me hand mek fashion’ and the passion for making sweet treats out of what I had – like rolling oats into butter and sugar to make a cake and using over-ripe bananas to make banana bread – intensified,” she continued.

MAKING MAGIC

Together, the teachers by profession are teaching each other how to make magic out of flour, and it has been ‘absolutely dough-licious’, which happens to be the tagline for their business. And by the looks of the doughnuts, Nazmar Pastries makes – circular dough, fried to a perfect golden brown and yet still fluffy, with an assortment of uniquely flavoured fillings and toppings – it could be nothing else but delicious.

“She makes the dough, and I do the testing and frying,” said Grant, who, as the numbers man of the duo, originally wanted them to venture into forex trading when they started to look into other ways to create an additional income.

As for other pastries, Grant says they aren’t ready to diversify just yet.

He added, “It’s difficult for us to venture into other pastry types right now, but when we are ready to branch out, we won’t have to change our name or tagline.”

Word got out quickly about the small business as one friend told another, and as more colleagues got a taste of the treats, the demand increased along with the requests for new flavours. Some of the bestsellers are vanilla cream filling with cinnamon sugar, toasted coconut and coffee, pina colada, and the Creamie Cookie. The cinn-apple sticks follow in the footsteps of the cinnamon or powdered sugar and glazed doughnuts, punching with a cinnamon spice rather than the heaviness of sweet icing. The actual apple sauce (made from scratch) within the pastry tantilises tastebuds.

Nazmar Pastries isn’t here to promote unhealthy eating either. “Everything in moderation” could easily be their second tagline when it comes to their tasty treats.

The doughnut combo boxes start at $850 for four of the assorted filled. E-mail: nazmarpastries@gmail.com to place an order or follow the pastry-making couple on Instagram @nazmar_pastries.

stephanie.lyew@gleanerjm.com