Our Story
In the kitchen of a two-story home on N. Roman Street in New Orleans’ 7th Ward, a little girl named Ann showed interest in learning the family recipe for pecan candy. Ann’s mother, Bernice Morney, would recruit her husband and their eleven children to pick fallen pecans from the backyard tree or the numerous pecan trees found throughout the neighborhood.
Bernice, concerned for her children’s safety near the heat of her candy making pot, would not allow them to learn the recipe. Instead, she tasked them with peeling the collected pecans as she cooked. Her trick, a treat of bubble gum, kept the children focused on peeling the nuts. By chewing bubble gum as they peeled, the children avoided the temptation of eating them...sometimes.
Ann, the youngest child and now in high school, continued to show interest in the recipe. Bernice agreed to teach her but only under her careful eye. A family on a tight income couldn’t afford to throw away a ruined batch of candy.
In 1993, Ann was temporarily out of work and began to sell her candy. While profitable, the business was unsustainable and short lived once she returned to work the following year.
Years later, Ann’s son, Derek, showed an interest in learning the family recipe. After several failed attempts while trying to learn the recipe long distance, Derek finally found success. Only under the loving eye and supervision of his mother, while in New Orleans, did Derek learn the art. Fittingly, the Morney pecan candy was passed to Derek in Ann’s kitchen as only the family tradition would have it.
Ann’s Creole Candies is the fulfillment of my mother’s dream. It is the legacy of the Morney Family that likely predates emancipation. We invite you to experience the love and endurance of this family tradition. From New Orleans to the Westside with Love.
~Derek S.
