Halepaska's Bakery: Victoria, Texas

Serving Victoria since 1953, Halepaska’s claims that they “offer the FINEST QUALITY baked goods from the freshest ingredients.”  Halepaska’s Bakery is a usual stop on my trips to Victoria since I love their chocolate thumbprint cookies.

When you walk into Halepaska’s Bakery, the Loop location, it is a little overwhelming.  The coolers on the right have so much to chose from, and the ladies behind them are eager to get you your heart’s desires.

Today, I chose an array of sweets: a chocolate thumbprint cookie, a coconut macaroon, a white petit four, an apricot kolache, and a chocolate pecan chewy.  There’s nothing like a healthy breakfast to go with the pot of coffee that I just drank!

Where do we start?  My thumb obviously squashed the chocolate thumbprint as I was trying to pull it out of the sack.  This shortbread cookie was not what I remembered- I thought it was a sugar cookie.  Anyways, the shortbread cookie seemed to be pecan shortbread that was crisp, buttery, and good.  I didn’t not care for the chocolate icing for the thumbprint.  It tasted like it was typical canned icing piped onto the cookie.  Not a good start for the array.

Next: the apricot kolache: YUMMY.  It was light, buttery, not too sweet, and just really good.  

The coconut macaroon was INCREDIBLE.  It was so light and fluffy- probably from lots of egg whites (but, I will not think about that due to my aversion to eggs).  I have never had anything like it, and I will say it is the best coconut macaroon that I have EVER had. 

I am totally pushing my sugar limit and definitely over the calorie count, but I take one for the team and move onto the petit four.  I REALLY wish bakeries would make bite size petit fours.  I will say this white cake petit four was extremely good.  The cake was light and had a great butter taste while the icing was just right.  It was one of the better petit fours that I have had.

And, now the winner is- drum roll please.  The chocolate pecan chewy was the bomb.  WOW, this cookie was better than the coconut macaroon.  It was like a chocolate divinity.  Light, fluffy and melted in your mouth.  This cookie is my NEW favorite at Halepaska’s!

As you have already figured out, I am a big fan of Halepaska’s Bakery.  Out with the old favorite, and in with two new ones.  I think you are missing out if you don’t check out Halepaska’s Bakery when you are in the Victoria area.

Halepaska’s Bakery

5805 John Stockbauer Dr                                                    302 East Rio Grande St

Victoria, TX 77904                                                               Victoria, TX 77901

361/575-4715                                                                       361/573-4811

     www.halepaskasbakery.com

Kolache Rolfs: College Station, Texas

I was really excited to try Kolache Rolf's.  Once I move from Houston to the Brenham area, I soon learned that the Kolache Factory was very different than the true kolaches of the Czech communities in Texas.  I hoped that Kolache Rolf's would help educate me in the art of true kolaches.

At the Texas Avenue location, you walk into a very cool industrial style store connected to Copy Center.  The kolaches are placed on wire racks behind the counter.  This morning, I tried an array of kolaches that included sausage and apricot.  I also tried a cinnamon twist and a tall coffee.

Oops, I forgot to get photos of the goods, but I can say I was not impressed.  The cinnamon twist was awful.  It was such a disappointment.  I wanted gooey and sweet, but it was like a log of dense dough with some cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top- i couldn't even say it was a glaze.  Don't waste your time with it.

The sausage kolache failed to meet my expectations too.  The dough was light and fluffy, but where was the sausage?  It was like they took half of a little smokey.  There needs to be more sausage- like a whole little smokey.

I will say that the apricot fruit kolache gave me a little hope.  The bread was the same as the sausage kolache.  It was quite light, but it could be a little more buttery.  The fruit filling was typical for fruit kolaches- I think it all comes out of a can.  Overall, this was my favorite kolache.

If I were to go back to Kolache Rolf's, I would stick to the fruit kolaches.  But then again, there is a Shipley's right down the road.

Kolache Rolf's
2307 Texas Avenue South
College Station, Texas 77840
979/696-0099
http://www.kolacherolfs.com/