Baking Worth Stalking For?

So yesterday, after our spin class, the Hubby takes me and Mary across the street, bypassing the Starbucks, to the new espresso bar which he has been trying not to stalk since my last posting (see Sad and Sorry 3!). I had to try the butter tart and banana loaf that the Hubby claims is the best he's ever tasted. Tell me, is this a wise claim? I AM a baker! We each order a coffee. We order a butter tart and banana loaf to share. We put the plate of goodies in the centre of the table and inspect.

First of all, it's a PECAN tart and PUMPKIN SPICE loaf. Already we are doubting the Hubby's tastebuds. We divide each into 3 pieces. First the loaf. It has a dollop of cream cheese baked into the centre - nice touch. It is sprinkled on top with pumpkin seeds - good contrasting crunchiness. We taste it. It's good...but it's definitely not the best banana loaf I've ever tasted!!!

Now we turn our attention to the pecan tart. I taste it. The crust is absolutely divine. It is flaky and melts in my mouth at the same time. On the strength of the pastry I'd say it is one of the best pecan tarts I've ever tasted. But I can't claim it's THE best. How then would I account for the baking that has the love of someone who's making it especially for you? I think of the Rock Cake that my sister made for Scarlett's 6th birthday. I could never say it was the worst Rock Cake I've ever eaten because the love (and vast amounts of creativity) that went into that cake elevated it into A Conversation Piece Cake. 

A few words on raisins. I don't understand why this little fruit elicits such huge negative responses. No one ever gushes how much they LOVE raisins, no one claims that they can't eat just one raisin but have to eat the whole bag, no one fantasizes about how if they were trapped on a desert island they would choose raisins as their only food. And lots of people HATE raisins. HATE them with passion. What is so offensive about them?! The Pecan Tart happened to have a few raisins in it. Mary will not touch it. I rid her portion of all offending substances. She still won't eat it. Apparently the Raisin infuses the entire dessert. I manage to cajole her into trying a toxin-free morsel of crust. As soon as it touches her lips, she is repulsed, her body automatically rejecting it. I didn't count her vote when deciding this pecan tart's worth. Raisin-haters are not objective voters.

The Hubby is back at the new espresso bar this morning. Today the owner "forces" a cranberry bran muffin on him. It is the best bran muffin he's ever had. Really...this is getting old...