After a particularly bad week, my wonderful hubby wanted to cheer me up and knows that baked goods never cease to turn my frown upside down (seriously, try being grumpy while eating a cupcake....it can't be done). So on a Saturday morning, he snuck away to Priory Fine Pastries and surprised me later that day with a sampling of goodies. I had never had anything from this bakery before, so I was excited to try it. He bought me a burnt almond torte cupcake and a vanilla thumbprint cookie to try (plus a chocolate thumbprint and lady lock for himself). Apparently when my husband was at the bakery, the baker decorated a burnt almond torte cupcake specifically for him, as they didn't have any in the case yet (it was early in the morning). And let me tell you...it was one of the freshest, tastiest cupcakes I've ever had. I hate to say it, because Prantl's is my everything, but I *think* I might have actually liked Priory's burnt almond torte cupcake better?! Priory's frosting is a touch airier than Prantl's (but still sweet), which I think I have a slight preference for. The vanilla thumbprint cookie was also super fresh and had the perfect consistency (soft but still retaining a bit of shortbread-like bite). Although lady locks typically aren't one of my favorite bakery items, I stole a bite of my husband's and thought it was delicious...it had a nicely crisp shell and a creamy filling that wasn't too sweet.
Overall, my husband's mission to cheer me up was a rousing success...not only did the influx of sugary carbs make me happy, but I've discovered a new spot for securing fresh, tasty baked goods (not that I need ANOTHER bakery to be addicted to, but what can you do?) :)