Piles of ornately decorated sugar cookies, lavish cakes, tins of homemade brittle—these are the things that holiday celebrations are made of. Whether you’re throwing an extravagant holiday bash or need the perfect hostess gift, nothing rings in the season like a fantastically festive dessert.
Wuollet Bakery in Wayzata has been creating decadent desserts and scrumptious treats for around 70 years. A family-run operation, Wuollet Bakery has little staff turnover, and many have been baking up its long list of family recipes since childhood.
“My grandfather started the bakery in 1944, and I’ve been baking there ever since I was a kid,” says co-owner Mike Jurmu.
While they serve up impressive desserts all year long, Wuollet Bakery’s holiday repertoire is just the thing to get you in the holiday spirit. Here are three of our favorites to help spread some holiday cheer (but don’t forget to check out the rest of their treats, from yule logs and fruitcakes to cardamom braids and fruit dainties).
Peanut Brittle
“Everyone makes peanut brittle, but no one makes peanut brittle like we do,” Jurmu says. “It’s a traditional family recipe that was started by my grandfather.” This brittle is delicious and tender, so no need to worry about hurting your teeth. Both Jurmu and his cousin Doug Wuollet hand-make all of the brittle for the holiday season. The duo starts by caramelizing the sugar in a big copper kettle and roasting the peanuts along with it. When the mixture reaches the proper temperature and color, they add the butter until it browns. The last step is to pour the liquid brittle onto sheet pans and stretch it as it cools. This melt-in-your-mouth candy comes packaged in holiday boxes, making it the perfect host or hostess gift. $15.95
Princess Torte
As beautiful as it is delicious, Wuollet’s princess torte can easily double as a cheery centerpiece for your next holiday soiree. “It’s like the traditional princess torte that you would see if you went to Stockholm, Sweden,” Jurmu says. “I went there and saw [the tortes] and couldn’t wait to come back and start making them.” Fit for royalty, this lavish 8-inch torte consists of layers of genoise (egg-rich golden sponge cake), tangy raspberry jam and vanilla Bavarian cream. The torte is topped with a thin layer of buttercream and then wrapped in green marzipan, a confection made with ground almonds and sugar. $39
Holiday Cookie Tray
What are the holidays without a big plate of cookies to nibble on while you wrap gifts and decorate for the season’s festivities? Available in three different sizes, Wuollet’s holiday cookie tray features of a variety of fan favorites. The selected assortment includes festive goodies like turtle cookies (a butter spritz cookie topped with pecans and dark chocolate) and fondant tea cookies (a butter cookie topped with a white chocolate confection). You’ll also find thumb-print cookies, Russian tea cakes, and spritz cookies on the tray. Prices for trays are in the $20-$60 range.
You can purchase all of these delectable holiday treats at Wuollet Bakery, 771 Lake St. E., Wayzata; 952.473.8621.
