Made In Chicago: Delightful Pastries
(CBS) -- It's been a neighborhood bakery in Jefferson Park for more than a 100 years. For the last 16 years, Dobra Bielinski and her family have carried on the Polish tradition.
"Our customers are people who love great baked goods," Bielinski said.
Bielinski and her family run Delightful Pastries and know most of their customers by name.
"We have customers from the neighborhood but we also have customers from Buffalo Grove. We have people from Whiting, Indiana. We have people from all over the place wanting to take goodies home with them."
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Pastries, cakes, bread and mamma Stasia's famous Paczki's.
"She's the only one who is allowed to make the Paczki dough and that's something that's been kept in her family for generations." Today, the staff is busy making Tiramisu and preparing for holiday orders. Bielinksi says this is their busy time.
"I've called in some of my part-time people to work full time for me because we've had to add about 20 percent more staff for the holidays. It does get very busy for us," said Bielinski.
Their specialty this time of year: their alcohol infused pastries.
"Baba au rhum, rum and raisin Babka, think of a fruit cake, think of Tiramisu, think of rum balls, think of all these fabulous things and they all have their roots in Europe."
The Jefferson Park store is their original location. In 2009, they opened two more bakeries and cafes in the Old Town neighborhood and in the French Market where they cater to the lunch crowd.
Bielinski started baking when she was 9. Now she brings her family recipes to the masses.
"There are some traditions that I have taken from my childhood and I have maybe them elaborated them, embellished them, taken them to the next level."
For Stasia Hawryszczuk, Delightful Pastries is the American Dream. She immigrated from Poland with only a few suitcases in the mid 80s, now it's a growing family business with a loyal customer base.
"If you working hard, you thinking big, you'll always have success," said Hawyrszczuk. Delightful Pastries, a touch of Europe in the Windy City. For more information, visit www.delightfulpastries.com.
