Dallas-based Ghanaian baker’s pie shop tells a story of West Africa
When Joseline Ballard is not working as an engineer, she bakes hand pies from a traditional flaky Ghanaian crust.
A native of Ghana, Ballard moved to the US about a decade ago and to Texas in 2018. And last year she founded Kravs, which sells West African-inspired gourmet cakes and snacks online and at the Dallas Farmers Market.
Before starting Kravs, she shared her cakes with coworkers in 2019 and was overwhelmed by their response.
“You really loved it,” says Ballard. “They said, ‘This thing is really good!’ They asked me to make them as a cake crust so they could use them over the holidays. “
She soon received requests to make cakes with sweet fillings, an American twist on the traditionally savory Ghanaian meat pies.
“I started playing around with the recipes, and so the first sweet cake was the apple pie,” says Ballard. “I still kept the crust, which is very hearty, and added the sweet fillings. [My co-workers] said, ‘This will go down very well at the Dallas farmers market’ and I thought it would be a great way to tell people about African history. “
Joseline Ballard sells her Kravs Pies at the Dallas Farmers Market and online.(Requirements)
Ballard then set out on a mission to bring Kravs to market not only to share great food with the Dallas community, but also to “change the narrative of who an African or a Ghanaian is” through their traditional crust with a sweet note.
Ballard recalls growing up in Ghana and learning to bake from her mother, especially during the Christmas season when Ghanaians bake pound cakes and meat pies in bulk to share with their neighbors.
“It takes a little patience and you have to enjoy what you do, especially because we publish it,” says Ballard. “We only really bake during the Christmas holidays, so you have to have some love on it … and if you enjoy it – it should put a smile on your face.”
Joseline Ballard sells her Kravs Pies at the Dallas Farmers Market and online.(Requirements)
Today Kravs has a ton of sweet cake flavors. Kravs’ original cake is the Queen Pie, filled with apples, cinnamon and caramel candies, baked in Ballard’s signature, handmade butter crust. Other flavors include berry cream, cherry, chocolate, almond, peanut butter and jelly, banana, raisin, key lime, and vegan coconut cream.
Ballard recently expanded beyond cake to include a snack she bought on the streets of Ghana called Kube, which means coconut in Akan dialect. Kube is a chewy caramel coconut bite that Ballard recommends alone, with morning coffee or as a topping on ice cream.
Ballard also tells Ghanaian history through Adinkra symbols used in Kravs branding. The symbols stand for core values, such as Hwe Mu Dua, which means yardstick and stands for quality.
Ballard’s dream is for Kravs to expand and have its own storefront. In addition, she hopes to be an inspiration to immigrants from all over the world.
“Even as immigrants, there is hope that this is possible, that anything is possible, that the American dream is very real,” says Ballard. “All you have to do is do hard work and you will see the results. [Kravs] serves as inspiration, as motivation for other immigrants who see me. “
Kravs is open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Dallas Farmers Market at 920 S. Harwood Street, Dallas. Pies can be pre-ordered at kravspie.com and Kube snacks can be purchased online at kubesnack.com. $ 24 for a box of six hand pies. $ 16 for two bags of Kube snacks.
Joseline Ballard sells her Kravs Pies at the Dallas Farmers Market and online.(Requirements)
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