My heart nearly beats out of my chest.
My palms get sweaty.
My head begins to spin and the chance of me being able to gather a rational thought let alone communicate it verbally is nearly impossible.
I would drive to the ends of the earth for this my love.
What could possibly stir up all this emotion in my normally very level headed self?
Otey?
A great shoe sale at Nordstroms?
No. One small blue and white bag. A blue and white bag that holds my greatest love. A true piece of heaven delivered in one small blue and white bag.
That bag is holding my VERY FAVORITE thing about Iowa. Brace yourselves my people. I’m about to introduce you to your demise…
THAT. My friends… is a dutch letter. The Jaarsma Bakery’s webpage describes it like this… Each Dutch Letter is an “S” shaped puff pastry about eight inches tall, with moist almond paste filling, baked to golden perfection and sprinkled with a touch of sugar. A delightful gift for any occasion.
When I speak of dutch letters myself, it usually goes something like this… (be sure to read this in your best crazy lady voice) GIVE ME A LETTER! I NEED A LETTER! YUM YUM UGHGH MMMMMM! I CAN’T STOP… JUST ONE MORE HALF…UGGHHUMMMM…MMMM….. NOW THE OTHER HALF… AND JUST ONE MORE… I NEED ANOTHER DOZEN!!!
Seriously. I *heart* dutch letters. These scrumptious little slices of heaven are made in Pella, Iowa (that we happen to drive through every time we go to Des Moines). It cracks me up when you walk in the bakery and little old ladies are wearing dutch looking costumes complete with little white lacy hair things pinned neatly in their hair and then there’s a big sign above the old glass display cases that reads “visit us on the web at www.jaarsmabakery.com. Who came up with this? You can have heaven shipped?!! I haven’t ever had them delivered. I HAVE made a special 45 minute drive to Pella just to get some though. Let’s just say that HYPOTHETICALLY a crazy pregnant lady was to HYPOTHETICALLY crave dutch letters… that wouldn’t make a 45 minute drive for a pastry crazy would it? WOULD IT?
Ohhh…. behold it’s flaky goodness. Not too sweet, just sweet enough. The center is not to gooey… just gooey enough. (I am sitting here swallowing my spit as I look at these pictures).
I have issues.
Let me help you decide if you would LOVE a dutch letter like I LOVE a dutch letter. Do you enjoy Arby’s turnovers? Not the fruity part, but the flaky crusty corners? The part that flakes all over your shirt leaving evidence of your 450 calorie snack? Do you save the corner for the very last bite making sure there isn’t any fruit clinging to it to ruin the pure flaky goodness? If reading those last couple of sentences made you all tingly…. you, my friend, would LOVE a dutch letter.
You know you have issues when you look forward to taking your poor crippled husband back to the Dr. in Des Moines because that means you can get some dutch letters on the way. Almost makes a leg fracture and nine million dollars in doctor’s bills worth it.
Priorities by Kathy McCloy.
by Kathy
Renee - I LOVE Dutch letters too. I am Dutch but I live in Omaha where there are no Dutch letters to be found. We’ll be driving through Des Moines this week – are there any places to get them there???
Erica - Is that sausage in the middle o gthe flaky goodness? Mmmmm!
DR Office Staff - We cant believe you brought Dutch Letters back to Ottumwa and didn’t share with the office!!! That is the sin of all sins, then brag about them on the blog.