Sweet, Sweet Victory

In my last post , I talked about some of my hopes and fears for our Saturday plans. Three of those hopes came to pass, and one gentle fear did not. Here are my sugary dreams I saw fulfilled today:

1. Temperatures did indeed pass 70*F today (although my poor, sandal-clad toes froze while biking over to the University graduation pre-ceremony mingle in this morning's 40*F weather -- but I could not resist wearing flip flops with the promise of a sunny day).
   
2. Black Cat Bake Shop made its presence known with a flourish at the farmer's market, and . . .
   
3. . . . they had cinnamon rolls!!!

Huzzah! Black Cat has returned! With delicious treats! Of course I bought one. Since Black Cat does not have a store location, their goodies are only casually available during the market season and then a single appearance at a local plant nursery's Christmas show kick-off (stollen and fruitcake, anyone?). After not having eaten one of their amazing cinnamon rolls since the early fall of last year, I found myself craving one as soon as I heard that the farmer's market had opened three weeks ago. But because these swirly delights are so popular, I was afraid that they'd be sold out and my sweet longing would go unfulfilled for another week. Not to worry, though! The stand still had plenty of cinnamon rolls left.

Of course I bought one. Black Cat makes four different varieties of cinnamon roll: brioche dough, brioche dough with raisins and pecans, whole wheat dough, and whole wheat with (you guessed it, I'm sure!) raisins and pecans. I've only ever had the buttery brioche version, which is delicious. I also really enjoy plain brioche with a little cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top. Yum! Today, though, I decided to branch out and try a whole wheat cinnamon roll with all the toppings.

You can imagine the glee I felt as I accepted my first Black Cat treat of the season from the friendly stand clerk. I daresay that a very satisfied and ever-so-slightly evil laugh tripped through my interior monologue at the sight of my very own whole wheat cinnamon roll nestled in its paper bag. I tried not to swoon as I took a quick whiff before gently packing it into my bag. It survived the short bike ride that remained before the Best Husband Ever and I as we headed to a coffee shop for some tea and, of course, Scrabble. (While I was nabbing my Black Cat-alicious booty, he secured a cinnamon roll from the Bernice's stand for himself.)

Now, remember that fear I mentioned earlier? My trepidation centered around this thought: that, with all of my daydreaming salivating over Black Cat rolls, the treats would not measure up to my memory. This fear thankfully never came to pass. Not only was my cinnamon roll just as good as I recalled -- it was even better!

My palate has continued to morph over the months since the previous market closed, and I don't enjoy super sugary treats as much as I once did. At last summer's market, the more subtle flavor of the Black Cat goods did not satisfy me as much as the more heavily sweetened yummies from other stands. Now, however, I am loving the less sugary cream cheese frosting, not to mention the more healthy (if you could ever call a cinnamon roll healthy) whole wheat dough. I think I've found a new food love.

Thankfully, the Best Husband Ever is not too jealous. Not at this point, anyway. He did not feel at all threatened by my obsession-inducing treat as we shared a game of Scrabble. Still, he did get a bit silly near the end. Too much sugar, perhaps? That was not the case for me today! My sweet treat Scrabble Saturday was just right. Here's to a summer packed with Black Cat Bake Shop madness (the good kind . . . right?)!