Rembrandt's: An Artist's Approach to Autumn

My mid-week, mid-morning treat came from Rebrandt's, in the form of a caramel-apple cupcake.

Maybe my measurement estimates were off...

Let me start by saying that I don't enjoy real caramel apples. They're too much hassle, and the hardened caramel plays heck with my teeth. Dipping apple slices in caramel sauce is a bit better, but only if somebody else does the slicing. However! Bake it into a bite-size morsel of flavors and textures, and you have a winner.

The price is $2.25 for what is, by today's standards, an exceedingly small cupcake. Maybe 1.5" across at its widest point, and 2" deep, including the icing. This is precisely what makes it a winner in my book.

Instead of paying $4 for a dense brick of cake with an almost-inedible glop of icing three inches high (not to mention the symphony of stomach grumblings and days of guilty self-starvation and exercise), Rembrandt's has managed to keep their offering within the realm of acceptable indulgence. In fact, I only ate half of one, and yet I managed to enjoy the experience.

The apple cake base was tasty enough to stand on its own, and I'd be surprised if Rembrandt's doesn't sell loaves (I didn't check). It had a light, springy texture. The modest spread of (cream cheese?) icing gave some complexity of texture, and the drizzle of caramel on top imparted just enough flavor.

Eat it: Perfectly portioned; Powerful flavors that wouldn't feel right in any other season; Support local business!

Beat it: The cupcake bubble may have already burst



Apparently I can't identify shapes.



I decided to bookend my lunch with another Rembrandt's sugar bomb: the Autumn Dream Cookie. Two leaf acorn-shaped sugar cookies, dusted with cinnamon and nutmeg, provided a crumbly exterior.



The real gem of this cookie is the tea-infused icing in the middle, however. What kind of tea? Well, the barista mumbled, so I can't tell you. But it had a lot of syllables, so it must be exotic and delicious.

You might say it was more complex than the plain cream cheese icing on the cupcake. Or you might say, "This tastes like a snickerdoodle and a wedding cake made sweet, sweet love."

Eat it: A big, fancy Oreo!

Beat it: Wipe away crumbs before you get little grease spots on your pants