Morgan's Bay Confections
Babylon, N.Y.: Nina Roy, left, and Jeanne Kitson, co-owners of Morgan's Bay Confections in Babylon, with their chocolate-covered apples. (Oct. 23, 2009) Credit: Newsday Photo / Erica Marcus
Jeanne Kitson and Nina Roy are two women in their 50s who had just had it working for other people. Over the past 10 years, Roy had progressed from being a hobbyist candy maker to a skilled confectioner with a growing number of corporate clients. In September 2008, the longtime friends, both accountants, decided to turn Roy's hobby into a business. They took over the bottom floor of an old waterfront house overlooking Babylon Cove and set up shop.
At first glance, Morgan's Bay Confections doesn't seem to require its majestic location. But Kitson has found the view invaluable for dealing with their many bridal clients. "The brides come in so tense. After a few minutes, we can see them begin to relax - especially if I can get my swans to swim by on cue."
The house's shaded porch is also a lovely spot for Kitson, Roy and their employees to eat lunch.
Morgan's Bay's specialty is the chocolate truffle, a once-rarified treat that has become increasingly mainstream over the past decade. But Roy makes a persuasive case for her product. "Because we use the best Belgian chocolate," she said, "we don't want to use any other ingredient that will compromise it. We don't buy caramel - we make our own. Instead of vanilla extract, we use vanilla beans."
While the majority of sales are corporate and catering, the charming - if out-of-the-way - shop does a fair bit of retail. Aside from the excellent truffles, I can recommend the chocolate-covered toffee and especially the addictive almond butter crunch. They also offer seasonal treats such as white-chocolate skull or gravestone pops and chocolate-covered apples.
--Erica Marcus
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