Sweet Traditions

I am what one may call a sentimental person. I live for nostalgia, crave romance and maybe most of all, find a lot of comfort in tradition. As a result, I've learned to create my own little traditions over the years and, despite their triteness, they hold a special place in my heart. One such tradition that must occur whenever I visit my Mom in Connecticut is the oh-so-necessary early morning trip to Dunkin' Donuts. Residing in Minneapolis, I live without this breakfast pastry chain which, as I'm sure, many others across the country are inundated with around every corner. Yet, this mega doughnut shop continues to bring back fond memories of when I was a small girl visiting my Great-Aunt Esther in New York.  On special weekend mornings, she would take me to Dunkin' Donuts for a dozen and to this day, that thick, distinctive smell of sugar and yeast immediately takes me back to those visits. Over the weekend, I travelled to the east coast to visit my Mom and, of course, I had to start my first morning by dragging her out of bed to make that early doughnut run. She parked the car, I rushed in, ordered my doughnuts and, without fail, was well into my first glazed beauty before we had even left the parking lot. Buttery, soft and melt-in-your-mouth good.  Be it the memories of my Aunt Esther or the new memories I've made with my Mom, those sweet, fluffy confections have become a tradition that I plan on keeping for years to come.

Traditional glazed are always my favorite variety.

A buttery-sweet glazed stack of tender dough. 

Sticky-fingered, childhood delight.  The first bite is always the best.