Driving down a rural part of the highway, your stomach starts growling. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, you see a sign for a bakery and decide to stop for a sweet treat. Walking in the door you are greeted with waves of delicious scents coming from the kitchen, warm cinnamon, sugar, fresh fruit and more. You just can't wait to see what is displayed in the lovely cases. You're so curious you feel like a small child and just want to press your face up against the glass to see if you can taste it! The room is a cheery, calming yellow and the colorful vintage metal tables and chairs take you back to your grandmother's kitchen. Where are we you ask? The Next Door Neighbor Deli & Bakery in Middlebury, IN just off of IN hwy 120.

Gerald and Deb Lee own this friendly bakery and say it all started with a fruit cake 29 years ago! Deb made fruit cake in their home and they became so popular they decided to open a store front too! While the fruit cake is available year round, they are also known for many other sweet treats. We highly recommend the Cashew Butter Bar! It has a butter cookie crust, with a cream cheese and cashew filling. Reminded us of a Gooey Butter Cake but not quite as sweet. It was amazing! We couldn't resist the smell of the cinnamon rolls and we weren't disappointed there either& they brown the butter and use real vanilla for the frosting which gives it a wonderful caramel flavor. The cinnamon rolls are huge and could for sure be shared too! We didn't get a chance to try them on this trip, but their fresh fruit pies looked almost too good to eat. Made with real fruit, that is in season, piled high in a cooked crusted and then mixed with a thickened fruit glaze. They also had a large variety of pies on display including Strawberry Rhubarb, Rhubarb Sour Cream, Caramel apple Walnut, Peach, Blueberry and more! They carry 16 different varieties of pies not including the four seasonal fresh fruit pies! Our mouth was watering! We are told that they also have mincemeat pie around the holidays. Ever wonder what's in a Mincemeat Pie? Deb was kind enough to tell us! It includes a Beef Roast that is cooked slowly, spices, rum (everything is better with rum right?), raisins, apples, pecans and cherries. Hmmm... maybe we will have to try this one this year!

We recommend stopping here for a sweet treat if you are ever in the area. Feel like you need a meal before the treat? They are open for breakfast and lunch and have a variety of sandwiches and salads. Be sure to check out their website: www.FruitCakesByDeb.com to order your fruitcake year round!

Happy Eating!

Blog written by Ashley Gregory