Sep 25, 2007

The Mohican Markets


Once, before the malls, there were three thriving cities in the Lehigh Valley, and some merchants would have a store in each of the downtowns. Some of the buildings still exist, and have been reused; the Allentown Farr (shoe) Building is now loft apartments. Two of three Mohican Market buildings, famous for baked goods, no longer exist. The Easton location, on S. 4th St., was victim to fire. The Allentown store now is the parking lot behind the new Butz office building. The Mohican Markets were owned and operated by Bernard Molovinsky. Below is the Mohican recipe for chocolate chip brownies, revealed for the first time in 35 years.(you may want to make less brownies)
Chocolate Chip Brownies
#1 Yield (2) Pans.
5lbs. Sugar
2lbs. M.F.B
2oz. Salt
8oz. Glucose
2oz. Milk Powder
2lbs. Egg Whites(1qt.)
8oz. Water(1/2 pt.)
3lbs. 8oz. Cake flour
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#2
2lbs. Chocolate Chips
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#3
4lbs. Dough
4oz. Sugar
4oz.Cocoa
8oz. Water(1/2 pt.)

Place no.1 in small machine bowl and mix smooth. add no.2 to no.1 and mix until chips are well incorporated.
Remove 4 lbs. of dough and mix with the sugar, cocoa and water
Deposit into Baking sheets with no.3 on top to make marble effect.
Bake - 375 degrees

17 comments:

  1. MM,

    Great post! And thanks for the recipe. I'll bet it beats pickle on a stick. Believe it or not, I casn't get my grandson to eat junk food. He pretty much hates it. He likes fruit, veggies and rice. I'll have to eat all the cookies.

    Easton had a Mohican market as well. Was that also owned by Bernard Molovinsky? And was he your dad? Grandaddy?

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  2. in the early 40's my father, melvin, and his brother, bernard, started allentown packing(meat) co. by the mid 50's they had seven locations between easton and allentown. in easton the market was called melbern, it was on S. 4th st., across from the mohican. in the early 60's they dissolved their partnership, my father retained allentown packing and "bernie" bought the three mohicans; allentown, bethlehem and easton. in the early 60's they both also entered the fast food business, bernie built and operated mr. burger on stefko blvd. in bethlehem, and my father built and operated flaggs, across from dorney park, now the current ice cream world. both were hard working men who endeavored to do well for their family and community.

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  3. MM,

    I enjoy reading your nastalgic glimpses into the Lehigh Valley of yesteryear. And your pics are always interesting. I enlarged it and read the cookie ingredients! Looks like your family has strong ties to the community. My father- in law worked at Hess's for many years and then Benioff's, and we have heard lots of stories about what the downtown used to be like.

    I miss the Hersh's Market in my neighborhood. It used to be family owned, friendly, and had homemade treats. Now it has empty shelves, over-priced stale bread, and a "mad to see ya" atmosphere. I have heard about some long standing businesses closing or selling in my neighborhood due to repeated burglaries. I am all for looking toward the future of Allentown, but it is also important to remember the past.

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  4. i fondly remember the Mohican Market in Rochester, NY during the '40's and '50's. All the cookies were GREAT. My Mother worked there from before she was married in 1933, and a few years after.
    She would often bring home a bag of the broken cookies at the end of the day, so we had an opportunity to try them ALL.
    The (genuine) whip cream puffs were absolutely out of this world.
    My hands down favorite, however, was the dark, rich, moist DATE NUT BREAD. I've tried many recipes, but never been able to duplicate it. Is it possible for you to locate that early recipe??????
    I'd be forever grateful!
    Aine skrynch@mac.com

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  5. Hi, are you still there? My brother came across this just now (it's 2009..)Not sure why, but that's another story. Anyway, we are three children of a Mohican Market family. Our dad worked for the company from the time he finished high school in Lewiston Maine in the early 1930s, until 1962 when he purchased the store in Gloversville, New York, where he had been transferred in 1951. He operated it as an independent market until 1975. We have lots of stories and even some photos and "artifacts." And some of our best memories are from the bakery, too!
    Kind regards.

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  6. We had a Mohican Market in Syracuse, Ny in the 50's & 60's. Were they owned by Bernard Molovinsy? They had the absolute best coconut cakes and jelly balls. I would love one of those recipes. My searching for a jelly doughnut recipe led me to this blog. Very interesting.

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  7. jo p, he just owned three of them; allentown, bethlehem and easton, pa. i believe the larger chain was broken up and sold off in smaller sections like that.

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  8. I just found this site after spending years looking for the recipe for Coconut Macaroon Cupcakes that I used to buy at the Bethlehem Mohican Market. My mother sent me for tub butter each Saturday in the early 50's. I was a young child walking from 7th Avenue to the market on Broad St between Main and New - rather long walk. My reward was being able to purchase the coconut macaroon cupcakes. They were moist,contained a lot of coconut, not too sweet with golden tops and pure white inside. I believe it is my favorite dessert of all time. I would love to make them but don't have facilties to use bakery size proportions. I would need to bake about 24 in a batch. Any chance of obtaining a recipe? Thank you in advance.

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  9. Thank you for posting this. I grew up in Easton and well remember the Mohican Market on South 4th. I remember the one in Allentown but ws never in it.

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  10. My Aunt Betty worked at the bakery of the Mohican Market on Broad St. in Bethlehem.

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  11. My father was a meat cutter in the allentown location for 22 years until they closed thier doors in the early 1970's.

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  12. The Mohican Market chain was sold off in pieces by the grandson (as I remember) of the originator. My grandfather managed the Mohican Market in Poughkeepsie NY in the 20s through late 50s.

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  13. We are in possession of 2 stock certificates. The first is from 1927 and is a common stock from the Mohican Stores, Inc. the 2nd is from 1960 and is from the Mohican Corporation. My grandfather worked as a baker in the dutchess county area stores. can anyone tell me if there is any value to these? Thanks!

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  14. I have been searching for years for the recipe for The Mohican buns that used to be on the top of the bakery counter in Easton! Now I called them Melt-a-way buns or butter crumb buns---can anyone help me?
    There are so many childhood memories from that store!
    The tub butter--mollasses crumb pies but oh, those buns!!

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  15. There was a Mohican Meat market on Main St in Rochester, NY. My grandmother used to take me there and I still remember it clearly and the meat cutters used to sing songs. It was great!

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    1. I have vague recollections of the Mohican’s market in Rochester, NY. I was born there in 1946, and lived there until I married in 1963. Mostly, I remember my parents buying groceries at the Star Mkt. on S. Clinton, near S. Goodman, but my memory keeps recalling hearing about them shopping at Mohican’s.

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  16. During my high school years I worked part time at the Mohican Market on Main St. in Rochester, NY.It was a good experience and I learned a great many things that have been very helpful throughout my life. Too bad the stores all closed when they did.

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