Pumpkin treats at the General Store

October 28, 9:15 AMMinneapolis Dessert Restaurants ExaminerKim Klietz

Previous Next

1 comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Minneapolis Dessert Restaurants Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Pumpkin treats at the General Store
Photo by Kim Klietz

There are so many great things about fall: the leaves changing color, the smell of bonfires, and delicious pumpkin desserts. This fall, I decided to set myself on a quest to find the best pumpkin desserts in Minnesota. My first stop was the General Store in Minnetonka.

The General Store is a 20,000 square foot store filled with unique gifts, knick-knacks and home décor. The store is a locally owned, family-operated business that started in 1984. Throughout the years, the store has maintained its specialization in selling old time items like you would have found in a traditional General Store.

Besides selling cute knick-knacks for the house, the General Store has a great café with homemade soups, salads and sandwiches, and an excellent dessert case. You could spend 20 minutes just perusing the desserts and trying to decide which to order. The café bakes up numerous flavors of bars, cookies and scones as well as delicious cakes and a generous portion of warm cherry crisp topped with ice cream. On this trip to the General Store, my sights were set on their famous Pumpkin Square and a Pumpkin Cookie to take advantage of the fall squash harvest.

Grandma Gloria’s Pumpkin Bar is not your typical pumpkin bar with cream cheese frosting. This bar is more like a thick slice of pumpkin pie with a generous whipped cream topping. The pumpkin filling is smooth and creamy, and set on top of a deliciously buttery pecan cookie crust. The bar is light and fluffy, and big enough for two to share.

I’ve never tasted a pumpkin cookie before, so I was excited to try the General Store’s version. It was similar to an oatmeal raisin cookie, but with a little something special from the pumpkin. The cookie was soft and buttery, with a nice mix of spices.

I will definitely be back to the General Store to sample more of their delicious, home baked desserts. The store has a great, old-time atmosphere and is perfect for a weekend trip.

When you go: The General Store Café is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 am- 9:00 pm, Saturday from 9:30 am-6 pm and Sunday from 12-5 pm. The café serves breakfast and lunch.