Decked Out Donuts: It's a labor of love for mom of five turned doughnut shop owner

As a young girl, Amy Lovisone would eagerly visit doughnut shops with her family, where the vivid sights and sweet aroma of the handmade yeast raised pastries brought her warmth and delight.

“There were all these choices, it was like walking into a candy store or Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory – it was this neat thing,” Lovisone said of her cherished memories.

She is a self-taught baker who got her foot in the door baking as a stay-at-home mom while raising her five children.

Baking birthday cakes, cookies and pastries gave Lovisone a newfound passion and talent.

“All my kids went to New Oxford High School. My oldest played football, and I would make hundreds and hundreds of cookies on Friday night for the boys after the game,” she said.

In recent years, she was told that her pastries are so good they’re worth selling.

“We don’t have a business like that around here, not for fresh, yeast-raised doughnuts.”

And now that her kids are grown up, the mother of five is indulging in her dream, combining her talent and love for sweets into a business of her own – Decked Out Donuts.

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Decked Out Donuts

When they opened their doors on April 7 this year, Lovisone was welcomed with open arms by the community.

Though it’s only been open for just shy of seven weeks, her shop has taken Hanover by storm, with eager customers lining up outside the door, patiently waiting to get their hands on these pillowy treats.

Eight minutes before opening, hungry patrons line up, eager to indulge in doughnut heaven. Meanwhile, the dedicated doughnut boss arrives a staggering eight hours earlier.

Each day the shop is open, Lovisone arrives at 3 a.m., well before sunrise, in her pastel pink and green kitchen, to start prepping, rolling, cutting and decorating for the 11 a.m. open.

After getting settled, she'll start by making the dough, weighing the ingredients, letting the dough rest, followed by cutting them into shapes, allowing them to proof, and by 6 a.m., the dough pillows are off to the fryer.

Several hours into her shift, she's joined by "Cook," her right-hand baker and four of the five children, 19-year-old twins Jacob and Ella, and 16-year-old twins Colton and Zachary.

"I love working with my mom, it's probably the best place I've worked so far," Ella said, as she helped her mom prepare a fresh tray of strawberry shortcake doughnuts.

By 11 a.m., the doors open and the crowd pours in. Just a few minutes later, Decked Out Donuts sells out of their strawberry shortcake doughnut, a tribute to Lovisone's mother, Cynthia, who passed away in January.

"She didn't get to see this (the shop) but it makes me happy because it's been so popular, and I feel like it's a piece of her – and she's here," Lovisone said.

While strawberry shortcake might be the most popular, there are a variety of other doughnuts and pastries to choose from, with flavors rotating daily such as cannoli, peanut butter cup, cookies and cream and more. The shop also offers espresso beverages, homemade cookies and cheesecake.

Decked Out Donuts is located at 1185 High St., Hanover.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Mom of five opens Decked out Donuts in Hanover, Pa.