Foodie Friday: Sisters With A Twist
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – This edition of Foodie Friday brings us to a relatively new spot in Princess Anne, where a pair of talented bakers are hoping to become a hub for the downtown area.
Dynamic Duo
At Sisters With A Twist, dynamic duo AJ Roth and Wendy Penn know a thing or two about making perfect pastries and banger bagels.
“When we were kids, we lived on the same street, and we used to play bakery and store,” AJ remenisced. “We had our little lemonade stand, where we would sell lemonade. And, we always had a dream that we would, one day, have our own store.”
“I’ve always loved to bake desserts, and create things,” Wendy added. “I think, with AJ, it’s more the science of it.”
These two “sisters with a twist” are actually cousins, which is where the name comes in. And since opening their doors, the pair says it’s been a joyful journey.
“When I’m back there, and I hear all the noise, I just have a smile on my face. I can’t help it,” Wendy said with a laugh.
“We try to create a vibe where everybody feels comfortable,” AJ added.
Fresh-Made Bagels
Comfortable doesn’t even begin to cover it. Especially when Wendy and AJ are serving up homemade bagels, and allowing customers to customize them into sandwiches of their own tastes.
Foodie Friday host Hannah Cechini is perpetually in search of a bagel that reminds them of where they grew up. Hannah definitely found a winner in the fresh-made bagels at this eatery.
“As a New Jerseyan, I’m always in search of a good bagel on Delmarva, and this bagel tastes like home to me. The people who made these bagels are from Jersey, too. So, they know what they’re doing,” Hannah said with a laugh.
Hannah’s bagel sandwich starts with a jalapeno red pepper bagel, which has the perfect amount of kick, and yummy, roasty flavors. The acidity of banana peppers are the perfect cut through tasty deli turkey.”
Propensity for Pastries
It’s the sweet stuff, however, that really makes this spot special. Take for example, their gooey cinnamon rolls.
“I can understand why they can’t keep enough of these things on the shelves for their customers,” Hannah said after the first bite. “It’s got a lot of layers in there. It’s like you keep digging through and you think that there’s not going to be an end to them.”
And, the cousins’ cupcakes will carry you away.
“Oh, wow!” Foodie Photog Mike said with his first bite of a peanut butter buttercream beauty. “That peanut butter buttercream frosting is incredible.”
If you ask Mike, you’d be a fool to deny a cherry danish.
“This is a much subtler sauce than I was expecting, and I think that only helps the cherry flavor to come forward,” Mike said. “The cherry and the buttercream together, that’s where it’s at.”
Let’s Get Twisted
But if you really want to be wowed, you have to dig your fork into the Twisted Island cake. Like its inspiration, the Smith Island cake, this ode to the oven comes with plenty of layers. The twist is in the flavors: layers and layers of fresh banana and strawberry, sandwiched between spongey cake of the same ilk.
“The macerated fruit in there just adds a whole new flavor and texture,” Mike said.
“The banana flavor is hitting the perfect level,” Hannah added with delight. “The cake so light and spongey, but also really flavorful. It takes a lot of skill to get that amount of flavor into a cake. It’s almost like having a strawberry banana smoothie, but in the form of a cake. Really, really delicious.”
Sisters With A Twist
Sisters With A Twist is located at 11779 Somerset Avenue, Princess Anne, Md. You can call them at 866-818-2253. If you go to check it out, tell the team that you saw them on Foodie Friday.
