“Where are the songs of spring? Ay, Where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too-”
Keats, To Autumn
Whenever I think of this season of the year, I erase the last, long kicks of summer and find myself strolling college quads, hearing the roar of the on-rushing school year, a crunch underfoot, shivering chilled mornings, ears ringing with the pulse of a crowded stadium, inhaling each evening bonfire. But each year I am reminded, the season is also the hot, fading sun stretching shadows across pavement in the afternoon, sweat beading on the walk from the bus stop, a warm evening swim, and cherishing the return of a day’s heat after the year’s first chill.
The Baked Maple Pumpkin Latte
My same forgetting and remembering takes place in my love of the flavors of our seasonal drinks and pastries each year. I begin by craving a warm, baked maple pumpkin latte in the blue-gray dawn of a chilling November morning, but actually find myself smiling in the sun at the park across from DeMun, an iced pumpkin latte pressed into the heat of my palm, long before the first chilly dawn.
The Spiced Apple Latte
When the first cool breezes of fall do arrive, I’ll be at our Euclid cafe on my way to the office, excited to try our two new spiced apple drinks. Starting with a cinnamon-infused apple cider they’ve prepared, my favorite baristas can either prepare a Spiced Apple Latte, or a Spiced Apple Chai. Long before I arrive, they’ll have combined cinnamon sticks, brown sugar, apple cider, and salt over heat, simmered and reduced it to a syrup, and prepped it for service.
The Spiced Apple Chai
My plan is to rock with the Spiced Apple Latte until coat weather arrives, then spend the first few weeks of fall cozying up with Spiced Apple Chai and hot BMPL’s.
Whenever I need a snack and am in the mood to indulge, I always check our seasonal offerings first. August brings four new pastries to our bakeries, and they each fill a different niche in my appetite.
The Apricot Goat Cheese Scone
My breakfast choice lies between sophistication and heartiness; to enjoy the classic combination of apricots and goat cheese in our newest buttermilk scone, or to go bold with a Cherry Walnut Muffin, packed with sweet cherries and rich walnuts. I’ll have to go with each morning’s mood!
The Cherry Walnut Muffin
When I’ve got time to linger and enjoy the sights and sounds of the Euclid’s morning rush, I’ll choose the Caramel Apple Mini Loaf.
The Caramel Apple Mini Loaf
Freshly baked, apple-cinnamon loaves are topped and baked with a layer of sliced apples, then drizzled with a caramel topping. They remind me of a sophisticated caramel apple - best eaten with a fork.
The Pumpkin Snickerdoodle
For an afternoon snack or to satisfy my cravings for sweets, I’ll snag a single, scrumptious Pumpkin Snickerdoodle. These soft, vegan-friendly, pumpkin cookies have the thick, cakey chew of a snickerdoodle, with a pumpkin-spice pop.
Whether you mourn the passing of summer or thrill at the thought of cool walks through autumn-soaked evenings, I hope you find the perfect match for your mood in our new seasonal specials.
- Aaron J.
