ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Ann Arbor native Elizabeth Sinawe is using her mother’s recipe to help Tree Town increase its cannoli consumption.
“Cannolis are my favorite dessert,” Sinawe said stating that the BLISS business name came from the state of bliss and happiness she experiences when she has her mother’s homemade cannolis.
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“I want people to have that same experience I have when I eat a cannoli.”
The University of Michigan graduate started BLISS in June of this year after trying out recipes on friends and classmates.
Since then, the business has grown based on word-of-mouth and positive reviews and Instagram posts from local foodies.
While there are some traditional flavors, Sinawe experiments with flavors based on desserts that she likes. Customers can build their own cannolis or tries Sinawe’s creations like the Churroli or S’monnoli, churro and s’mores-inspired cannolis.
“I tried to be versatile with the flavors that I was offering. Some sweet, some fruity, some nutty,” Sinawe said, adding that she likes to recreate different desserts into her cannolis.
The cannolis may seem familiar to longtime Ann Arborites. Sinawe said that the BLISS cannoli recipe, her mother’s, was used to make cannolis in the Ann Arbor Italian restaurant her parents owned around 20 years ago.
With her mother’s permission, Sinawe got to work starting BLISS and incorporating different flavors.
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Sinawe said her desserts stand out because they are made fresh. She wanted to avoid the problem of a soggy cannoli shell, which happens when bulk batches sit on a shelf, so she and her mother, Suad “Sue” Sinawe, make everything to-order.
Sinawe makes the shells, chops the toppings and organizes orders as her mother makes the filling.
Cannolis come in half-dozen increments, meaning that each box contains six cannolis. Boxes are customizable, so customers can pick and choose which flavors they would like.
Sinawe said that prices vary depending on the order but in general a box of six small cannolis costs between $10-$15 while a box of six large cannolis costs between $17-$21.
To make sure she can make everything fresh, small orders have to be placed three days in advance. Sinawe said it is ideal for large orders to be placed between two weeks to a month before they are needed.
BLISS doesn’t have a brick-and-mortar. Instead, Sinawe has two pick-up locations: Ann Arbor and West Bloomfield; however, she has delivered to other areas, like Detroit, Royal Oak, Dearborn, Ypsilanti and Canton.
Find instructions for placing orders and updated menus on the BLISS Instagram account.
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