Historic Baltimore cookie in trouble with tax man

WASHINGTON – A Baltimore cookie with a history is having money troubles.

The Baltimore Sun reports that the IRS has filed a notice of a nearly $109,000 tax lien against DeBaufre Bakeries, which makes the Berger cookie. Most of that amount was due in 2010, with smaller amounts due in 2009 and 2011, according to the court document.

The dessert dates back to 1835 when the Berger family opened a bakery in East Baltimore. DeBaufre Bakeries, formed by another local family, bought the Berger business in 1969.

Will the tasty goodie with the full chocolate blanket disappear from Baltimore store shelves? The Baltimore Sun reports in addition to the tax lien, it has been a rough year for the Berger cookie’s company.

The Baltimore City Health Department temporarily closed the bakery Jan. 31 after discovering it had no city food-service license. And the bakery’s owner, Charles DeBaufre Jr., has been hospitalized for more than a month.

Hopefully, the cookie drowned in chocolate will not be drowned in debt for long.

WTOP’s Rosemary Frisino Toohey contributed to this report. Follow WTOP on Twitter.

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