Treats I can only find on the East Coast

Earlier this morning, my dear friend Marylyn and I were texting about sneaking in sweet treats while riding on public transportation, and it reminded me of an old favorite I just can’t find here. True, there are lots of mainland specialties sold on my island in the middle of the Pacific, but there’s a very limited market share for the prune danishes I used to devour on the PATH train when I commuted to New Jersey.

Prune danishes! I read that one of my heroines, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, likes to nibble on prunes when she’s reading. But they’re not quite as scrumptious as my elusive prune danishes, which carry the taste buds on a journey from a soft pastry to the sweetness of  a prune preserve-like center. Back when I used to drink cow’s milk, I’d buy a half-pint next to the little market at the Hoboken station that sold my favorite morning snack.  And I’d grab a napkin to clear off the crumbs before touching up with lip gloss on my way to work.

Oh, Prune Danishes! When I worked at Reader’s Digest, a prune danish was once my prize for winning a bet. (Cambridge not Oxford!) And even in New York, it took a bit of hunting to dig up this treat. Of course, had the reward been a mere chocolate cupcake, much less legwork would have been required. But no, I set the stakes high because I was pretty confident I’d win.

Here on the Big Island, I’d never suggest a prune danish as a reward. I’d probably end up with a bag of prunes and maybe a lilikoi muffin, like the kind they sell at the Mauna Kea cafe/market.  Wait a second, I’m not complaining… I love their lilikoi muffins, and this is Hawaii, you know, but my unbearable quest for a prune danish requires infinite patience and immeasurable hardship. Maybe a round-trip back to New York?