Lakes Edition's 2022 Best Bakeries In Southern Wisconsin For Christmas Cookies And Other Traditional Holiday Treats

Enjoy the generational and cultural traditions of the holiday season from these family owned bakeries right here in Southern Wisconsin. Swiss, German, Peruvian, and traditional American favorites handmade, baked daily, warm the heart and lift the soul. All these family baking traditions deeply rooted in the cultures brought to America by immigrants.

The word "cookie" is actually an English derivation of the Dutch word "koeptje." Immigrants from Holland brought the tradition of Christmas cookies with them to North America in the 1600s. And further back in Western Europe the history of Christmas cookies can be traced all the way to the middle ages where monks cultivated and perfected the foundational ingredients of today's popular recipes.

In the case of the Swiss and German traditions, one of the more unique Christmas treats offered by Southern Wisconsin bakeries is the Christmas Stollen. The popular cake's tradition dates back to the 1400s. The bread's shape and white glaze were created to symbolize baby Christ lying in swaddling clothes.

Alfajores cookies a long standing tradition in Peruvian households during the Christmas season were invented in Spain. The word alfajores is a Spanish derivation of the Arabic word "al-hasú," meaning "filled." The Moorish people at one time lived along the Mediterranean Sea from Turkey to the Southern coasts of Spain, Portugal and France during the Berber Muslim Empire. The Moors were the first enslaved peoples brought to South America and the "New World" by the Spaniards.

America truly is a melting pot of gastronomic adventures. Without further delay, in no particular order here is Lakes Edition's list of Southern Wisconsin

bakeries for 2022. 

(Photos courtesy of New Glarus Bakery)

If New Glarus is a traditional day trip for your family this time of the year the New Glarus Bakery is likely one of the destinations on your itinerary. The one hundred year old bakery is not just popular with the locals, but regionally, across the state border and beyond. "We receive a lot of calls from customers in Switzerland and Germany who want to ship across the U.S.," says David at the New Glarus Bakery. The bakery's traditional items like the holiday Stollen, Fruit Spritzes (shortbread butter cookie), Lebkuchen, Anise Springerli, and Butter Stars, are a big reason for the store's popularity. Lebkuchen is a German Christmas cookie made of honey, ginger or cloves, walnuts or hazelnuts. The New Glarus Bakery's recipe is made of gingerbread spices only and contains no nuts Anise Springerli is a German holiday tea cookie featuring licorice and lemon zest coated in sugar. Another very popular German and Swiss item for the season is the Holiday Stollen.. New Glarus Bakery's version is a coffee cake with rum soaked raisins, almonds, butter and rye flour. "Our Stollen includes a log of marzipan that can be sampled with each slice," says Angela Neff, the New Glarus Bakery's owner.

The New Glarus Bakery is located at 534 1st Street in downtown New Glarus

Phone: (608) 527-2916

Hours: Monday - Sunday  7AM -5PM

Let's now head to Jefferson a quaint historic town along the Rock River home to the family owned Bonton Bakery and Catering. Locals love the one hundred year old bakery and its' catering services. Bonton's cut-out cookies sell out quickly from a daily abundance of phone orders so Cindy, the store's co-owner recommends visiting the store on Racine Street and picking out cookies individually. Bonton offers up Gingerbread cookies: men and women and others. There are Sugar cookies in various traditional shapes, hand decorated, The bakery also features Holiday Stollen, tea cookies and a Fruit Cake enhanced with brandy, and diced fruit, among the offerings for the Christmas season.

Bonton Bakery and Catering is located at 

115 E Racine St Jefferson, WI 53549

Phone: (920) 674-3262

Hours: Tuesday - Friday 5:30 AM - 5:30 PM, Saturday 5:30AM - 3:00 PM

Back in Monona a few doors down south of Monona Bakery inside a neighboring strip mall is

Mishiqui Peruvian Restaurant. It is at Mishiqui that customers can find the traditional Peruvian holiday treat, the Alfajores cookies, made of shortbread with lime zest and dulce de leche caramel. The Alfajores are available in various traditional holiday shapes like Christmas trees, lambs and stars. Mishiqui sells the cookies in tins of 14 or individually.

Mishiqui Peruvian Restaurant is located at 4604 Monona Drive in Monona

Phone: (608) 405-5123

Closed Mondays. Tuesday - Thursday: 11am - 3pm / 5pm - 8pm Friday: 11am - 3pm / 5pm - 9pm Saturday: 11am - 9pm Sunday: 11am - 3pm

The next bakery on the Lakes Edition list is Sweet Talkin' Treats in downtown Watertown. This year's holiday offerings from the popular bakery include, pecan fingers, Spritzes like snowflakes and trees, and mini red velvet cakes. There is also a peppermint kiss cookie and traditional sugar cookies in various holiday shapes such as Santa, a candy cane, and Christmas trees. Sweet Talkin' Treat's holiday cookies are available for order by the box or the dozen and and individually.

Sweet Talkin' Treats is located at 108 South 3rd Street in downtown Watertown

Phone: (920)-342-3969

The bakery is open Tuesday – Friday 7 a.m – 4 p.m.

and Saturday 7 a.m. -2 p.m.

Our last stop on the tour is to Southern Wisconsin's other college town, Whitewater home to the Sweet Spot Bakehouse, owned by husband and wife dynamic duo, Elena and Jake Gildemeister. The two also the Sweet Spot Cafe and a movie theater. The bakehouse features a big line up for the Christmas season. "Pies are super popular during the holidays," say Elena. The chocolate peppermint bunt cake is also a favorite. Familiar with the Cake pop Sweet Spot Bakehouse took the classic treat and create "cakesicles." The cake formed in a popsicle mold come in a variety of flavors like hot chocolate, ginger bread, and cranberry white chocolate. There are also traditional holiday cookie boxes available too.

Sweet Spot Bakehouse is located at 1185 W Main Street in Whitewater

Phone: (262) 473-5080

HOURS: Monday - Sunday 6AM - 6PM

(Photos courtesy of Sweet Spot Bakehouse)

Great memorable holiday treats are about the ingredients, the tradition, the love and attention to detail that go into each cookie, bread or cake. "We have a big team here, everyone loves Christmas so they come up with a lot of great ideas," says Elena.

Local, handmade, homemade Christmas cheer for your soul and stomach baked

fresh daily from our great Southern Wisconsin bakeries.

Wisconsin DOT's 511

For up to the minute winter driving conditions in southern Wisconsin visit the Wisconsin DOT's 511 Wisconsin or call 511 or (866) 511-9472.

Seasons Greetings from Lakesedition.com!

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