Last-minute rush for Christmas goodies at bakeries in Modesto, Turlock

The day before Christmas, many a creature was stirring – or whipping, or cracking eggs, or icing, or baking. Yes, business was booming at a couple of local bakeries, filling orders to fill the tummies of families and friends gathered for the holiday.

At Village Baking Co. in Modesto’s McHenry Village shopping center, owner Joanne Ramos had a staff of 35 working, including daughters Jenna and Andrea Ruperto. That’s about eight employees above a normal day, she said, and she would have needed even more on board had so many orders not already been baked and ready for pickup. Christmas Eve is the second busiest day of the year for her bakery, Ramos said. No. 1 is Valentine’s Day.

“We’ll be slammed today,” Ramos said shortly after the bakery opened at 7 a.m. Within a half-hour or so, more than a dozen customers had come and gone, picking out or picking up treats. Popular items for holiday hosts and hostesses included coffeecakes, pastry rings, pies and nut loaves, she said.

Old Tyme Pastries in Turlock also was hopping Thursday morning. General Manager Terri Coonce said Christmas Eve is probably the busiest day of the year. Orders were piled up on several makeshift shelves, and customers had been picking them up since Wednesday.

Popular orders at Old Tyme included a mix of bread, pies and desserts.

“And coffeecakes have been huge,” Coonce said.

People also love fancy sweets this time of year, such as chocolate truffles, chocolate mice, cute sugar cookies and gingerbread men, and French macarons with fillings such as chocolate mint, Swiss butter cream and raspberry.

Who needs visions of sugar plums?

This story was originally published December 24, 2015 at 1:53 PM with the headline "Last-minute rush for Christmas goodies at bakeries in Modesto, Turlock."