Bennison's Bakery Has Been Making Mouthwatering European Pastries In Illinois Since 1938
By Melissa Mahoney|Published December 19, 2020
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Melissa Mahoney
Author
I'm an east coast girl living in a west coast world. I grew up in New England before moving to SoCal for several years. I then lived in NYC or a year before moving to AZ in 2009. I worked in the entertainment industry for many years of my adult life and have a deep love for photography, writing, and traveling around the U.S. as well as to far-flung locations around the world. Travel is my life and writing about it is a dream!
Since 1938, Bennison’s Bakery has been baking European pastries, cookies, and beautifully decorated custom cakes in Evanston. The bakery was opened by Larry Bennison, from the dairy state of Wisconsin, and he focused on using high-quality ingredients such as fresh cream, buttermilk, butter, and eggs in his recipes. In 1967, the bakery was sold to Guy Downer who continued on with the baking traditions of his predecessor and high-quality standards while expanding operations.
In 1975, Guy's son, Jory, joined the business and learned how to bake. With his hard work and dedication to the craft, he eventually achieved the honor of Certified Master Baker and won the grand prize at a baking competition in Paris in 2005.
Jory's children have also joined the bakery, making Bennison's a multi-generational family business.
What's a European bakery without traditional French macarons? Bennison's macarons are made in the same expert manner as when they were created 400 years ago.
Try them in chocolate, mocha, vanilla, raspberry, strawberry, caramel, and pistachio which are always on hand. They also make specialty flavors like cookies 'n' cream every so often as well.
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Order a gorgeous and delicious custom cake topped with macarons for a special occasion!
Breakfast pastries like croissants, donuts, scones, and Danishes are all served at this bakery along with the choice of a different specialty donut each weekday, Monday through Friday.
The Christmas season brings gingerbread houses and German weihnachsstollen, a Christmas treat of marzipan, rum-soaked raisins, almonds, lemon and orange peels, then coated with melted butter and vanilla sugar. But the bakery's most popular Christmas dessert is the Buche de Noel, most commonly known as the Yule Log, made with chocolate and praline mousse and iced with homemade fudge icing.
One pastry you must try when visiting Bennison's Bakery is the apfelstrudel (aka "apple strudel") made with hand-stretched dough that is then filled with apples, raisins, cinnamon, and sugar. This is a traditional Viennese dessert dating all the way back to the late 1600s.
This bakery has no shortage of treats and fresh-baked bread. Tortes, bavarian pretzels, cupcakes tortes, sandwiches, and coffee and tea are also available here. Bring your appetite!
Have you tried pastries from Bennison’s Bakery?
For more information on the history, hours of operation, location, and baked goods menu visit the website.
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