LUJAN’S BAKERY
I am always looking to support local businesses, and fortunately there are many options to explore. Lujan’s Bakery has been in Las Cruces for a long time, earning a consistent base of regular customers and a reputation as a must-stop for out-of-towners. Alma Sanchez, youngest daughter to owners Delfina Calderon and Enrique Sanchez, explains that while Lujan’s focuses on a plethora of pan dulce, including a wide assortment of Mexican pastries such as empanadas, conchas, laberintos (sugar pretzels), and cuernos (cinnamon horns), its sister bakery, Leo’s, claims to have the best donuts in town. Leo’s has a classic selection with some unique spins, such as using your favorite candies and breakfast cereals as toppings.
Le Rendez-vous Café
When it comes to pleasing the palate, Le Rendez-vous Café offers a full French-inspired menu along with pastries, cakes, baked goods, breads, and croissants. One evening, I ordered an oversized handcrafted hazelnut cream puff as well as a fresh baguette to go with my dinner. As it turns out, I devoured the cream puff prior to the baguette (and my dinner); however, all were equally delicious.
Indulgence Bakery and Café
Owned by mother-daughter duo Marybeth Higgins and Meagan Higgins, Indulgence Bakery and Café has a warm, welcoming environment. Marybeth and Meagan prepare everything from scratch with the help of Marybeth’s son Jeremy Hixon, who runs the kitchen. This family-owned business has evolved over the years and has had a couple of different faces, but I can tell you from experience the mouth-watering cream puffs have not changed. You can expect to pay anywhere between 50 cents and $6.50 for most items in the baked goods case, and you can also pre-order whole desserts for any occasion. “We love getting to be creative and coming up with new flavors. We also really love being a part of people’s celebrations like birthdays and anniversaries. It is very rewarding to build relationships with our customers,” says Meagan. With advance notice, they can even prepare vegan cakes and cupcakes and can adjust a few of their whole desserts for those who are gluten free, with options such as the flourless chocolate torte and key lime tart with a pecan crust.
Kind Bread Company
If you have a passion for sourdough bread and baked goods, Kind Bread Company in Las Cruces is the place to be. Owners and operators Samantha Kindred and Kaleigh Jones recently moved the business into Kind’s new home on South Solano Drive and use locally sourced and grown ingredients. “We are proud to say that now our town has the option of naturally leavened bread,” says Kaleigh. This unique and exciting feature of their business will put individuals with gluten sensitivities at ease. “Our bread and pastries are given their rise by our sourdough starter, fermented with flour and water. The long fermentation, about 24 hours, breaks down much of the gluten that is found in quick-rise, commercial yeast breads,” Samantha notes. Although a variety of options are available at Kind Bread, currently their most popular items are the traditional sourdough loaf ($8), sourdough croissants ($4 – $5.50), and chocolate chip cookies ($1.34).
MORE REGIONAL BAKERIES
About 20 minutes south of Las Cruces in Mesquite, locals know about a small blue-and-white-lettered building that houses Jireh Bakery. Here they make all of their items fresh daily from scratch, and you can find exceptional Mexican breads, including esponjas and even rosca de reyes.
If you are in the western part of the state, Silver City offers a couple of bakeries that are certainly worth a visit. Diane’s Bakery and Deli adds a European flair to the mountain town with turnovers, eclairs, scones, bear claws, and so much more. HoneeBeeGoods and a Smudge of Fudge provides many of the classics, but its claim to fame is world-class fudge. They offer fudge in single portions, by the box, and those with a really sweet tooth can join a “fudge club” to receive three different flavors of fudge every month for three months. One distinctive aspect of this business is their sugar-free fudge, an excellent option for those who cannot consume regular cane sugar. Instead, they use sucralose, which opens up the fudge world to more people without sacrificing any of the great taste.
Serving the residents of Deming and all those traveling through is the catchily named Rise-N-Shine Bakery, right off Interstate 10 on Deming’s main strip. This bakery has your favorite cookies, cakes, and pies, plus exclusive items such as green chile cheese bread and sticky buns.
For Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, consider recognizing the wonderful parents in your life with some out-of-this-world goodies made by local entrepreneurs. Many of the businesses mentioned will announce Mother’s Day specials on their social media pages, including Lujan’s Bakery’s famous tres leches cakes. If you pay a visit to Kind Bread on Saturday, May 8, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. you can enjoy sourdough goods fresh out of the oven. Enjoy, and hats off to our talented and creative bakers!
Diane’s Bakery and Deli
575-534-9229
601 N. Bullard St., Silver City
website
HoneeBeeGoods and A Smudge of Fudge
714-515-0832
116 Bullard St., Silver City
website
Indulgence Bakery and Café
2265 S. Main St., Las Cruces
575-523-1572
website
Jireh Bakery
12602 NM-478, Mesquite
575-233-0197
website
Kind Bread Company
575-993-1560
201 S. Solano Dr., Suite G, Las Cruces
website
Leo’s Bakery
1310 E. Madrid Ave., Las Cruces
575-524-3870
website
Le Rendez-vous Café
2701 W. Picacho Ave., Las Cruces
575-527-0098
website
Lujan Bakery
442 E. Lohman Ave., Las Cruces
575-526-8720
website
Rise-n-Shine Bakery and Cafe
301-730-0557
110 S. Gold St., Deming
website
Written by Desiree Bustamantes
Originally published in Neighbors magazine
Posted by LasCruces.com
