Most small towns had a bakery at one time or another. Not many still do, and of those still around, quite a few are pretty mediocre (yes, I have tried every one). There is, however, a treasure in our fair state, a bakery both unpretentious and decidedly non-stylish. And mercy me can they bake. The Cold Spring Bakery, in Cold Spring, MN is a true treasure; cases of donuts, cookies, bars, cakes. It's not just that the bakery has a huge selection, or that it's all freshly baked: no, it's that every item is as good as that item can possibly be. Take the little pecan rolls in the photo. You taste the burnt sugar of the caramel, the toasted pecans, the salty, yeasty dough (which is incredibly light): perfection. And those maple rolls? No maple flavoring; real, honest-to-goodness maple syrup. The rhubarb bars: light, flaky crust, rich custard. And so on.
The bakery Cold Spring most resembles here in the big city is Baker's Wife, but it's worth the hour drive: west on 94, south on 23. Closed Sundays. Open every other day. Now please excuse me, I have date-filled cookies that require my attention.
P.S. The price for that entire box of goodies? $13.05
The calories/penny ratio in that box is a ridiculous value.
ReplyDeleteThe bread's not so bad, either. I had Cold Spring Bakery buns for my Wick's Locker (another outstate treasure) brats yesterday and highly recommend the CSB cracked wheat loaf.
ReplyDeleteNow *this* is why I've read and continue to read G40. Because there's bound to be one beautifully written post about the deeper meanings in life or just surviving all that flies at us immediately followed by a post about food or booze. Also beautifully written, natch. I'm so happy you're back, Scott.
ReplyDeleteI've found Diamond City Bread in Elk River to be a nice place for bread. (Surprise)
ReplyDeleteDid somebody say maple rolls?
ReplyDeleteApparently that's what it took for me to emerge from the cave I was in and recognize that one of my favorite peeps/intellects was back to slaying in the blogosphere.
Let's do this Scooter! You knew you could ferret me out with talk of maple syrup frosting, didn't you? Reporting for duty.