A cup of rich, dark coffee with its slightly bitter (but in a good way) edge is the perfect foil for sweets— that’s probably why I so often hunt around for leftover baked goods while I’m having my morning brew. When you think about it, a lot of breakfast dishes are like dessert. Oatmeal with berries, brown sugar and milk isn’t all that different from a fruit crisp and it’s no accident that pancakes contain the word “cake” not to mention goodies such as donuts, cinnamon rolls and the like. Coffee pairs happily with all of these toothsome items so why not combine them and put coffee in your pastry, cookie or cake? Several bakeries around town are doing just that.
In the cheerful case at Glam Doll Donuts on Nicollet Ave, awaits the Flirty Frenchie, a vanilla cruller with a ruffle of espresso-laced cream cheese frosting. Patrick’s Bakery in Richfield offers très classique coffee-iced éclairs with coffee filling and, following the French theme, the chic Chez Arnaud bakery in St. Paul offers an elegant Opera cake with rich espresso cream filling. If cupcakes are your thing you can’t go wrong at A Piece of Cake Bakery on Selby Ave, where you’ll find a cupcake with coffee ganache and coffee buttercream that may put you in a mocha coma.
Naturally, one of the easiest places to grab a sweet is where you grab your coffee. Caribou Coffee has a variety of options including a classic cinnamon brown sugar coffee cake, chocolate croissant, blueberry almond oatmeal and donut muffins to get your day started on a sweet note.
This post is presented by Caribou Coffee 
