"Powder & Glaze"

The doughnuts sizzled as June lowered them into the grease. This was her favorite time of day: the making. The quiet before the door started opening with faces and voices. She was up before the sun rose over the mountain on the horizon, Wednesdays through Mondays, only taking Tuesdays off in the sleepy ski town of Silverpine Ridge. It was late spring, the off-season, and before summer, so the quaint town had settled back to its normal population of slightly more than one thousand people. June's family had run Powder & Glaze for several decades, with her great-grandparents opening after World War II.

Though not much had changed over 75 years, when June took over the shop last summer, she started planning to make some changes. In the fall, she shut down the place for October and early November to renovate it. Gone were the plain, yellowing walls, the slight feel of grease in the air, and the scent of burnt Folger's coffee. Now, patrons of Powder & Glaze were treated to a rustic feel with brick walls, a fireplace, warm leather chairs with coffee tables, and a bookshelf with an extensive collection of books.

The reviews over Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's holidays were great. Both townsfolk and vacationers marveled at the place. Yet as happy as June was, another overhaul needed to be done. The menu.

Now that the ski season was over, it was time to redo what she served. Glazed, chocolate, and strawberry yeast doughnuts were out; in was the new menu that June would debut at 6:00 a.m. She turned on the digital menu above the counter, which read:

Powder & Glaze — Spring Doughnut Menu

Silverpine Ridge Seasonal Collection

Alpenglow Berry Glaze: Strawberry-raspberry glaze with citrus zest.

Wildflower Honey Crunch: Honey glaze, candied sunflower seeds, and edible petals.

Spring Thaw Maple Cream: Maple cream filling with powdered sugar and white chocolate drizzle.

Pinecone Crunch: Caramel glaze topped with toasted pecans and granola.

Mountain Meadow Lemon Poppy: Lemon glaze with poppy seeds and a lavender hint.

Aspen Bark Mocha: Chocolate glaze with a coffee drizzle and white chocolate streaks.

Fresh Tracks Coconut Snow: Vanilla glaze with shredded coconut.

High Country Carrot Cake: Spiced carrot doughnut with cream cheese glaze and walnut crumble.

Silverpine Strawberry Shortcake: Strawberry glaze, vanilla crumble topping, and a whipped cream dot.

Sunrise Citrus Burst: Orange glaze with candied lemon peel accents.

Creekside Blueberry Almond: Blueberry glaze with slivered almonds and a honey drizzle.

Trailhead S’mores Delight: Chocolate glaze, graham cracker crumble, and a toasted marshmallow topper.

As June finished loading the display cases with the new lineup, she stepped back and surveyed the shop. Today was Saturday, a big doughnut day in Silverpine Ridge that would break the shop's all-time record for sales. Everyone in town would love the doughnuts and keep coming back for more. June knew this because she was a witch, and her special ingredient, Schmachtenlust Trank, was just the potion the town needed.

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Author's note: Schmachten is Old Germanic “to crave or yearn,” and Lust intensifies it to a deep desire or longing. Trank is the Old German word for “potion” or “draught," so it roughly means "Potion of Longing Desire."