"I walked in, the baker said everything was sold
I found out…read moreshe saved me some sweet jelly roll
Yes, the baker shop boogie"
(Willie Nix)
Since we're friends, let me ask you a personal question--so tell me this: what's your official dessert policy?
Are you a "dessert is a human right" kind of person who enjoys something sweet every night after dinner? Do you ceremoniously pair your evening coffee with a treat like it's a sacred ritual? Or are you more of a free range snacker who grazes on cookies and pastries whenever the mood strikes?
At our place, we've somehow drifted into the habit of having a bakery item most nights. Could be a cookie. Could be a pastry. Could be a slice of something.
All this brings me to yesterday's visit to the Hartford Baking Company in South Windsor, where we are now pretty well stocked for a week's worth of upcoming desserts, and maybe a breakfast or two.
They have four locations in the Greater Hartford area, all selling the same amazing product line of bread, ciabatta, and rolls. But for the sweet tooth fiends out there, well get psyched for their scones, muffins, Walnut Coffee Cake, Financiers (a French almond cookie), brownies and bars, cookies, biscotti, shortbreads, Danish, Cinnamon buns, Pecan-Walnut Sticky Buns, Brioche Pastries, fruit tarts, and quiches.
We were running errands in South Windsor yesterday, popped into Hartford Baking, and walked out with a bounty of wonderful looking goodies- brownies, a croissant, a chocolate banana muffin, a rectangular Financier, and a slice of coffee cake. We should be set for a while in the dessert department.
I had the Financier last night, and never having heard of the word before, I consulted the old Google machine for some research and found a very cool origin-story.
In the late 1800's there was a pastry shop located near the Paris Stock Exchange. The shop sold very popular small almond cakes that were baked in small rectangular molds resembling gold bars. They were a hit with the busy bankers who frequented his shop. The name "financier" stuck because of both the clientele and the gold bar shape.
I have to tell ya, that Financier was amazing. It was dense and delicious and overflowing with almond flavor. I loved it.
I also had a teense of the Banana Muffin this morning, and it was excellent as well. Loved that banana flavor and those chocolate chips.
OK, so file away "Hartford Bakery" on your short list of "must visit" dessert destinations, because I assure you that you'll walk out a satisfied customer.