The barista never once cleaned the portafilter between shots, flushed the groupheads, or even rinsed his milk pitchers - all critical violations. But the space is beautiful, and I did appreciate being able to order a proper single.

baked bourbon apples with maple cinnamon walnuts

these are so easy to make, but look spectacular to a group of friends and/or family. if you don’t consume alcohol you can easily substitute the bourbon with some flavored agave or apple or pear juice.

1. core some apples, one per person is enough. if you don’t have an apple corer, just use a paring knife. be careful not to poke through the bottom, though!
2. place the apples in a baking pan, or in individual ramekins.
3. in the center holes you just created, pour in each: 1 tbsp pure maple syrup, 1 tbsp bourbon*, and 1 tbsp apple cider. if it spills out, don’t worry about it at all - it’s good to have some liquid in the pan here. (*you can use a non-alcoholic alternative as mentioned above. if you’re out of bourbon but still want the alcohol, you can freely use amaretto, wine, or brandy. [apple brandy would be especially good in this!])
4. sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg over the tops of the apples, and stick a whole cinnamon stick in the liquid of each.
5. bake at 450F for 20-30 minutes, or until the apples are soft but not mushy.

a few minutes before the apples are done, make the walnuts.

1. pour into a small sautee pan about 1/3 cup walnuts per person you’re serving. 
2. drizzle maple syrup over them and dust on some cinnamon.
3. stirring constantly, let them cook on medium heat for just a few minutes.
4. let cool on some parchment paper until the apples are done.

to serve, place each hot apple in a bowl and cut it into slices. sprinkle the walnuts over top and enjoy!