Sunday, October 12, 2008

Saturday's Sweet Treat

The results are in! You voted in Muffin Love's poll to decide what baked treat I would try at this weekend's farmer's market. Well, one of you voted, anyway. But instead of bowing out of my agreement due to lack of voter participation, or use my lateness in posting the poll in the first place as an excuse, I stuck to my guns and ate what you asked -- a cinnamon or caramel roll! And let me tell you, it was not so easy to track one down! This Saturday saw the penultimate weekend of the local market, and possibly as a combination of that and the fact that it was a cold and windy day with snow showers in the offing, the market was rather sparse. Not just of patrons, but of vendors as well. The representative stand from Bernice's Bakery did not make an appearance, and a number of the other bakers were no-shows also. Black Cat Bake Shop did not give in so easily, but since I have already tried their rolls, I wanted to go for something new and different.

After combing the two separate downtown markets (with a very patient husband in tow, I might add!) I ended up at Le Petite Outre, a locally owned French bakery. I've eaten their scones in the past, and one of my favorite baked treats in town is their brioche. This time around, however, I tried something new that is also cinnamon roll-ish. I selected a panino dolce, which is cinnamon roll in shape and texture, although it has a much less sweet taste and a very real lack of cinnamon. Instead, this roll is topped with slivered almonds, almond paste, and powdered sugar for a much more subtle sweetness that I found very satisfying. Potatoes are also added to the dough to enhance the pastry's softness. The Best Husband Ever thought at first glance that the roll would be dry and tasteless, but it ended up being moist and savory. Perfect for a chilly Saturday morning, especially when washed down with a cup of steaming black coffee.

Thanks for the recommendation, lone voter! I might never have tried the panino dolce if not for this poll's results. Watch for next week's sweet treat poll. I promise that I will try to get it posted sooner! In the meantime, why not comment with suggestions for poll categories?

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