You ever stare so longingly at your computer’s desktop image?

The one you applied to your computer so that every time things were getting hard while at work or during your day you could just escape to it for as long as your mind could play pretend? I play pretend a lot when I’m supposed to be working, and on my computer’s laptop is my favorite getaway or even a cute coffee shop. I catch myself staring at the screen leaning in further into the ideas of running off to the place I’ve saved in the pixels on my screen. Once I had my ticket to Stockholm, settled into the hotel, and even visited a restaurant, I felt like I had escaped into the city within the picture I would often daydream about. What was I now doing on that escape? Sipping on a latte.

Sure you may have thought I’d be singing on a hill spinning in a circle within the arms of a man that looks like the human version of Gaston, but my dreams are a little different. Instead, my hands were darting between two plates of desserts while outdoors at Kaffeverket.

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To the left of me was the Kokosbrownie (44 SEK, $5.00) and to my right was the Chokladboll Pistage (25 SEK, $2.90). Unsure which to try first, I let my hand make the choice. It ended up reaching for the brownie. Taking a bite of the kokosbrownie brought forth an intensity I was in no way ready to have but was eager to experience. The dark chocolate brownie on its own was dense and dark, but it was the coconut topping that adding such a perfect sweetness to cut the deep chocolate flavor. Continuing with the theme of intensity was the chocolate ball. The small ball is made of oatmeal, sugar, butter, cocoa, and rolled over pistachio nuts. Just like with the brownie, there was a deep richness in the chocolate that meant the ball had to be enjoyed slowly. Taking multiple bites quickly as if it were a Hershey’s bar was not going to work here. Instead, a single bite and then a sip of my sweetened Matcha Latte (45 SEK, $5.15) was perfect.

It became a bit of a song and dance: bite, sip, daydream, repeat.

The powder from the green tea mixed with vanilla syrup in contrast to the creamy chocolate in the ball and the solid coconut topped brownie was delightful. In this moment it was exactly what I had longed to have. Going between the three allowed me to take in the surrounding area of the coffee shop. Located across the street was a bustling train station, restaurants, and colorful buildings that made me feel like I was finally away. Being far from home and slowly taking in the food at the shop that looked like the surroundings I had wanted to visit made me feel –dare I say it — happy. Add to that, hearing the conversations of the residents walking but unable to Google Translate their words fast enough wasn’t something I planned to do, but it quickly became a fun game for me to play.

Ultimately, the time at Kafferverket with the desserts and the latte was what I needed to have when looking at my computer desktop image. It may have taken me a while to get to the city and to find this shop, but to be in this place with the food before me felt surreal. That was until I ate it all and reality hit me with a single question: should I get seconds?

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