Delicious delights are in the House

A new downtown bakery is open for business, refining Texas Americana with a taste of England’s best. Leesa Carter, five-year Linden resident opened up shop this week in her new downtown bakery, The Gingerbread House. She bought what used to be the old domino hall in April. “Talking to an elderly gentleman last week, he was laughing and saying that ‘many crops were lost to the domino hall’,” Leesa said. “It was a place for the men to go and enjoy themselves.” Leesa said when she heard the building was for sale and took a peek, she thought it was perfect. The name for the bakery was a no-brainer—it was her own fairytale. Just like the Gingerbread House in the story, this shop is full of sweets. “The color and design just looked like a Gingerbread house,” Leesa said. “I am a sucker for fairy tales...I think most people from Europe are to be honest.” It’s, no wonder, as she and her sisters grew up in the English village of Conisbrough, known for the breathtaking Coinsbrough castle once part of a Norman lordship. “We knew all the secret passages and rooms from many years of exploring,” Leesa said. “Sir Walter Scott was once traveling through Conisbrough and as he turned a corner in the early hours of the morning, through the fog he saw the castle.” “He was so impressed with its majesty, he then wrote the famous novel, ‘Ivanhoe’,” she added. The quaint village inspired Leesa’s love of baking, as it was nothing to see 3-4 bakeries in one village. Leesa said her love of baking comes from her mother and grandmother. “Both are very creative people,” Leesa said. “My father is a retired Archeologist and researcher. He taught us to keep being persistent with what we live to do.” Leesa worked previously as a horse trainer in Louisiana, before the business moved away. Looking for a small southern town to raise their youngest son, Rowan, they found Linden. Today, Rowen is a junior at Linden Kildare High. Leesa and her husband Doug have two other sons, Wayne, in England, and Doug in Louisiana. Leesa loves it when locals stop in for a light meal called ‘High tea’ and have a chat. High tea is something she brought with her from back home and is described as a hot tea served before noon with sandwiches, pastries or scones and cake. “Linden and its surrounding areas have the best people... super friendly and very helpful,” Leesa said. “We love to have them come into the shop, even if it is just for a chat, to get to know them and to hear about the history of our town.” Leesa praises Jenna, owner of Dark Horse cafe for allowing her to sell her baked goods in the cafe. Jenna is credited with bringing Leesa’s baked goods to Linden. “She is a wonderful friend and neighbor,” Leesa said. “She encouraged me all the way and gave me the confidence to set up my own shop. She is an amazing lady for sure.” Leesa said Linden has really blessed her family and supported her opening the new sweets shop, open from 7 am-2 pm. “We have had so much positive and encouraging responses from our neighbouring businesses,” Leesa said. John Barrow, Leesa’s friend also baked at the shop. Ironically, he’s from nearby her home village across the pond. Leesa said at 2017 pop-up week, Barrow’s wife, Donna stopped by to visit. “She told me her husband had the same accent as me,” Leesa said. “We got talking and we were both born about 30 to 40 miles from each other.” Today, John and Leesa join forces to bring Linden Texas-sized bite of Britain with an elegant English twist. “We put our heads together and see how we can blend our British recipies to complement Texas,” Leesa said. “It is such fun.” In addition to High Tea, the bakery will have scones, cupcakes, cookies and any other confection one can dream up. Leesa loves to decorate birthday cakes and it’s said her strawberry upside down cake is out of this world. Come say hi to Leesa and John at the Gingerbread House bakery, located downtown, across from Cass County Sun in the building that some call the old Domino Hall.