My ideal pastry situation takes place in Europe, as I have never tasted anything close in the U.S. I love many varieties, but in order to be considered ideal, it has to be fancy, dense, and precisely cut or molded.

If enrobed in chocolate, the surface is shiny and perfectly smooth. It looks almost too good, too perfect, to eat. If there are layers, they are not overfull, but just enough cream, or apricot marmalade, or smooth, soft chocolate to set off the cake part. My favorite icing is marzipan, with a hard-ish chocolate a close second.

I suppose the ideal setting is a Konditorei (patisserie) in Vienna, where I’ve had many, many “jause” (afternoon tea) since I was a little girl. But the truth is, if I can have this kind of pastry, I don’t care what the setting is, as long as I can sit, not be rushed, and have coffee with it. There must be coffee.

It so happens I posted a picture of exactly the types of pastries I’m describing just a few days ago, you can see it here.

Second choice would be a Berger’s cookie, made in Baltimore and Baltimore only, and best consumed on the sidewalk outside of the store where it was just purchased.