Cookies Made from 100-Year-Old Italian Recipe at Farmers Market

This week at the PRC Newtown Square Farmers' Market, pick up some homemade Italian cookies.

The PRC Farmers' Market runs every Wednesday through December and this week you can find Lavinia's Cookies. Before you head out to the farmers market, located at Mostardi Nursery, see what Lavinia's has to offer. 

Name: Owner Vince Lattuca and childhood friend and helper Lauren Mussari

Business: Lavinia's Cookies and Biscotti 

Business Location: West Chester

When Did you Get Started: A year and half ago

How Long at Farmers Market:
First year

What is Lavinia's:
We make cookies, biscotti, pizzelles, all homemade from recipes that date back to the 1900s.

How Did you Get Started:
Lavinia is my great grandmother and we still use her recipes that are more than 100 years old. She was from Central Italy and immigrated to the U.S. when she was in her 20's. She passed her recipes down to my grandmother, Anna Tilli, who then passed them to my mother, Joyce Lattuca, who passed them down to me. We always grew up with the cookies in my household but I'm the first one to sell them. I've added more flavors and varieties too. We're always trying to make new flavors. I had a 9 to 5 job and I couldn't see myself doing that my whole life and I always had the idea of opening my own bakery, so I thought, do it. 

Growing up he has always said he was going to open up a pastry shop, Mussari says.

What's in Season:
Pumpkin spice cookies and hazelnut cranberry orange biscotti are in season for fall. For winter, we'll have pizzelles and maple butter cookies.

Most Popular Item:
Chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal raisin cookies 

Why Bring Your Goods Here:
We do a bunch of farmers markets and we wanted to come to Newtown Square. My mom is originally from here and we wanted to expand. 

Best Part of Farmers Market:
The location is prime with the nursery right here and on West Chester Pike. The nursery and farmers market compliment each other well.

Shameless Plug: 
We're at the Artisan Exchange in West Chester and the Wilmington, Del., East Goshen, Upper Merion and Manayunk farmers markets and we sell online. We also do delivery and catering. Find them on Facebook too and give them a 'Like.'

More from the farmers market: 

• Mojo's is Popping at the Farmers Market
• Find Sweet Salvation at the Farmers Market
• Newtown Square Farmers Market Extends through December
• Meat Freeland Market at PRC Farmers' Market
• Spice Things Up with Mistress of Spice at PRC Farmers' Market
• Taste the Mediterranean at PRC Farmers' Market
• Couple Trades Corporate World for Waffles
• Get Your Gladiolus Farm Veggies at Farmers Market
• Sunny Slope Farms Offers Sweet Corn at Farmers Market