Larsen bakery here to stay

STURTEVANT — Fans of "Racine's Original Kringle" can breathe a sigh of relief.

Despite appearances, Larsen Bakery is still baking up the goods, with the help of another local bakery with an equally storied history.

Larsen Bakery has become a part of Lehmann's Bakery, 9117 Durand Ave.

The baking operations for the former West Racine-based Larsen Bakery, 3311 Washington Ave., moved into Lehmann's Bakery around Easter, but Larsen had kept the retail storefront in West Racine open until earlier this month.

The plan was to slowly move everything from the Washington Avenue site to Lehmann's, but financial issues necessitated that the move happen sooner than expected.

The sudden closing of the Larsen storefront caused confusion around the West Racine community, with the news of the merger not being public knowledge at the time of reporting Thursday.

Donald Hutchinson, owner of Larsen, and Charles Palmer-Ball, owner of Lehmann's, are good friends and the plan to merge the two bakeries has been in the oven for some time.

Hutchinson's father, Ernie, got his start working for Lehmann's before he purchased Larsen, so being at Lehmann's is something of a homecoming.

Hutchinson and his family have run Larsen Bakery for 53 years.

"Donnie and I have been talking for years about combining our operations," Palmer-Ball said.

Palmer-Ball said things shifted into gear when he and his wife were on their way to Florida in February. Hutchinson gave him a call to see if merging was still a possibility, and Palmer-Ball promptly flew back to Wisconsin.

Lehmann's production takes place in the afternoon and into the night, usually beginning around 2 p.m.; Larsen's baking schedule begins early in the day.

The different schedules allow the two to double production — while ensuring each bakery's signature goods are still created.

Hutchinson also said that being at Lehmann's could help Palmer-Ball, who recently got married, spend more time with his new wife and more time in Florida.

Most of the recipes and employees from Larsen have made the move to Lehmann's, so the holiday pumpernickel breads, pecan dreams and Larsen version of Wisconsin's state pastry, the Kringle, are still available.

"Everyone should know that anything from Larsen's, any bakery desire they have, it's still here," Hutchinson said. "I’m still here. Our crew is here."

Palmer-Ball and Hutchinson said their respective crews are learning from each other, and they admire what the other has done with recipes.

Larsen wholesale customers, such as Mars Cheese Castle and Sendik's Food Markets, also will still have Larsen goods for sale.

Cake orders made in advance, including wedding cakes planned for the summer, will be honored as long as the customer has a receipt.

The phone numbers and website for Larsen also are staying the same as well.

"We’re still going to be entertaining the same customers," Hutchinson said. "We haven't gone nowhere, and I don't want people to think that we have."

It is not the end for Larsen Bakery as originally thought, and this includes the West Racine location.

Previously owned by the Hutchinson family, the two buildings that made up the bakery were sold in an auction earlier this week.

Hutchinson and Palmer-Ball said their plans include leasing the storefront on Washington Avenue from the new owners and selling baked goods there again, while keeping baking operations at Lehmann's.

"We don't need all that space," Palmer-Ball said. "We would just like the retail shop."

Anne Thurman, one of the workers at Lehmann's, said she was thrilled to have the team from Larsen at the bakery, recalling how often cakes meant to be ordered at Larsen would be ordered at Lehmann's by mistake and vice versa.

"They used to get us confused for years," she said. "Now, here we are."

We’ve all been there - you start baking something delicious only to realize you don't have one essential ingredient. Here are some substitutions you can make with things already in your home so you don't have to go to the store.

Looking for the perfect summer cookie? Try this easy blueberry cookie recipe from @justine_snacks. They taste like blueberry muffins and take only seven ingredients to make.

These s’mores cookies (AKA s’mookies) from @ywmfamily will make you feel like you’re sitting by the bonfire. You can use pre-made chocolate chip cookie dough which makes this recipe come together in minutes.

These deliciously soft and chewy strawberry cheesecake cookies from @chelslikescutefood are a great way to get your cheesecake fix without buying an entire cake.

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Reporter - Photographer

Raised just outside of McHenry, Illinois, Alex is the business reporter and staff photographer for The Journal Times. He considers himself a Clark Kent and Jimmy Olsen all-in-one. Alex is a graduate of SIUC in Carbondale, Illinois. Twitter: @arodatjt

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