Dolce Acqua

If you know the Profumum line, you may have noticed that they often involve a bit of a journey. We generally start with where they begin, but this time we'll start with where Dolce Acqua ends: a room where cookies have been baking all day. Vanilla, almond and coconut in a doughy blend with a flourish of powdered sugar and that hint of cherry that we associate with heliotrope. There is also a little something cool in the mix that we can't quite put our fingers on – balsam-like and airy. There is a nostalgic quality – a hint of beloved childhood confections that melt on the tongue. Testing it on three generations, they each recalled a different beloved treat – so we can't say it resembles a particular delicacy as much as it evokes the memories of someone baking your favorite thing for you. So, if you end up with a dreamy vanilla almond fluffery that coddles and soothes, where do you begin? With a boisterous and boozy caramel-like vanilla with a pronounced swirl of almond, which then takes a fascinating detour into something mysteriously reminiscent of beeswax, before it arrives at its soft and comforting destination.