Where To Indulge Your Sweet Tooth In Springfield, MO
I'm not one for sweets. I can down a family sized bag of potato chips easily in one sitting but sweets I can live without for the most part. Macarons are my number one favorite treat followed closely by gelato and donuts. Macarons are definitely a treat because I rarely get my hands on them now that I live in the suburbs. My aunt shares my love for macarons, thankfully, and she definitely has a sweet tooth so hitting a couple of sweet shops while visiting Springfield was a no-brainer.
Elle's Patisserie | 1454 East Cherry Street
Elle's is a tiny patisseries on East Cherry Street near the Missouri State University campus. This small purple house has only two counters inside and an outdoor patio outside to enjoy your treats. They sell more than just macarons but I had eyes only for the delicate French pastries...well, those and a few truffles. The macaron you see pictured was mint chocolate, one that I have surprisingly yet to have. The truffles were chocolate, raspberry and unfortunately caramel. I thought it was peanut butter so imagine my distaste when I bit into one of my least favorite things in the entire world.
Hurt's Donuts | 320 Park Central W
Someone save me. If there was ever a place to turn me into a sweet person, this is it. I mean, look at all those donuts. It took me a good ten minutes to decide what I event wanted. Of course I couldn't narrow it down to one so instead I narrowed it down to three. I wasn't kidding in the title of my last Springfield post that I ate my way through Springfield. I don't think there was a moment where I was even remotely hungry. The cereal donuts were what really put me over the edge. Two of my favorite things in one place: cereal and fried dough. Is there anything better?
I can't talk specifically about my aunt's choice of donuts but I sure can give you the details on mine. The Cocoa Puff doughnut was the craziest thing I have ever eaten and quite tasty. The doughnut part was simple, just like a long john, so that the real star could shine...the cereal of course. Cocoa Puffs were my favorite chocolatey cereal as a kid so this was practically a dream come true. Going clockwise from the Cocoa Puff doughnut was a Cookies and Cream doughnut. A chocolate cake doughnut was topped with rich vanilla frosting, dipped in crushed oreos and drizzled with chocolate. I saved this one for my train ride home and it was by far my favorite. Tender, moist and beyond chocolatey, you could die of pleasure eating this guy. Last but very not least, clockwise under the Cookies and Cream doughnut is the Mint Chocolate Oreo doughnut. Are you catching on to my thing for oreos? It's pretty similar to the other one but instead has a mint frosting and is topped off with a nice dip in a crushed oreo bath. If you love Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream, this doughnut is your best friend.
European Cafe | 207 Park Central E
This gem is right in the heart of downtown Springfield. It's a cozy coffee shop with drinks, pastries and other treats. Of course I ordered macarons again as well as an Italian Soda mixed with lemonade. Of all three sweet spots mentioned in this post, European Cafe is the one I would go to for a cappuccino and some hard core working time. It's got a great vibe with plenty of seating and space. I imagine this is a favorite spot for the university students.
While in Springfield, I also stopped by a few random coffee shops because I had to get my coffee fix including Heroes Coffee in Republic. They make interesting and extra tasty specialty drinks. The coffee scene in Springfield is incredible. I wish I would have spent more time hopping coffee shops because the craft coffee scene is huge down there. Heroes Coffee also has a ton of comfy seating making it an ideal spot to get some work done. I'm always on the lookout for great coffee shops to get a little work done. Kind of like right now as I'm working in Lavazza on my tablet killing some time for an event. Next week we're going to Branson so make sure to come back for some Missouri adventures!
