Outside, theres a steady downpour of freezing rain.
The air smells like sugar, dates, and butter.
Ahmad didnt follow a traditional path to becoming a baker.
Photographed by Fujio Emura
There was no culinary school, no stint at a Michelin-star restaurant.
(Shed wrap me in blankets and put me up on the counter, Ahmad remembers.
Theyd ask them where we should go and eat, she explains.
Photographed by Fujio Emura
As an adult, she continued to retain that culinary curiosity and familiarity.
One day, one of her clients, the famed celebrity chef Tom Colicchio, heard about her hobby.
He asked her if he could try some of her baked goods.
Photographed by Fujio Emura
The answer wasMah-Ze-Dahr Bakery.
(The name was a nod to the Urdu wordmazedar,which means the essence. )
Founded in 2013, Mah-Ze-Dahr originally only took online orders.
Photographed by Fujio Emura
Yet then came Ahmads Heavenly cheesecake.
I wanted to make a cheesecake that I likedits a little bit lighter, she explains.
Fast forward a decade and two more locations, and Mah-Ze-Dahr is a sugary success story.
Photographed by Fujio Emura
Yet even as her business grows, Ahmad never wants to lose that homey kitchen feel.
Maamoul is the simple, yet most luxurious, thing.
Maamoul molds are really special, mostly because theyre passed down from generation to generation.
Photographed by Fujio Emura
Very often the design thats inside the mold has some significance.
Some people will say its like a family crest or a family design or things like that.
Ours have always been that shape, she says.
Photographed by Fujio Emura
I wouldnt say that it was made for us.
But for us, it feels very special as others will have different shapes or different designs.
We happen to love the one that we have.
Photographed by Fujio Emura
Below, see a recipe for Umber Ahmads maamoul.
It can be found in specialty grocers, like kalustyans, or online.
