Two of my dearest friends are visiting this week. They’ve flown from quite a distance for us to be together: one from Oxford, England and another from Sydney, Australia. And as fate would have it, my husband happens to be out of town for the next two weeks, so the timing is perfect. We’re having an all-out girls’ week.
In the past five days, we’ve had cocktails and sushi, mani/pedis. We’ve watched two romantic comedies (Going the Distance and Love and Other Drugs) and the Oscars, read gossip magazines, had lunch at The Plaza. We’ve gone sightseeing and shopping (followed by shopping and more shopping). But I knew that before the girls left, I wanted to take them to Levain Bakery, reputed to have the best cookies in New York City. So this afternoon we went with a few other friends.
What I love about Levain’s Bakery is, there are just four kinds of cookies: Chocolate Chip Walnut, Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip.
I love that. When I’m at restaurants with four-page menus I want to say, “Just do what you do well and just that.” That’s what Levain’s does in spades.
Let’s start with size (because when it comes to cookies, size matters). I bought a half dozen cookies to my husband’s work last week. Shortly after I left, I got an e-mail from one of his co-workers: “Mags, these are not cookies! They’re muffin tops.” The man’s not wrong. Apparently no one at Andy’s office could finish a whole one themselves. I don’t know what’s wrong with them—because we did!
They are crispy on the outside and oh-so ooey, gooey, chewy on the inside. Two of the four cookies we bought were still warm and the center of the cookie was precariously straddling the boundary between dough and cookie. Now that’s perfect.
To date, these are the best cookies I’ve had (aside from my mom’s chocolate-chip cookies and Ben’s Cookies in Oxford, England). Not everyone can pop in to pick up a fresh cookie, but they do ship anywhere in the U.S. I’d like to share the experience I had with someone else. And also celebrate the fact that Andy and I just signed a lease for an apartment on the Upper West Side 12 blocks from Levain Bakery. So today, 3MC is giving away a gift box with four cookies.
To enter, just tell us: “What’s your favorite cookie?”
(Giveaway ends Monday, March 7 at 9 AM)
And the winner is #149 – SUSAN! We love her answer: “My favorite cookie is anything I can dunk”
Send me your address, Susan! I’ll get your cookies posted to you as soon as possible so you can get dunkin’ 🙂
My new favorite is this Peanut Butter & Chocolate cookie I made from the Scharffen Berger book. It was so good it made my husband swear. 🙂
My favorite cookie would have to be Toffee Cookies that my grandmother made. I would bring a big tupperware container and take it full of cookies back to Atlanta with me.
My favorite cookie (at the moment) is peanut butter.
Oatmeal Crispies. I think the cookies are great, but the dough is addicting 🙂
My favorite is white chocolate chip with coconut & macadamia nuts. Very yummy!
Oatmeal chocolate chip are probably my all time favorite. I like a lot of cookies though:)
Chocolate Chip with lots of nuts!
My favorite would have to be toasted pecan toffee! Thanks
My favorite cookie is oatmeal butterscotch.
Dark Chocolate peanut butter chip! I love cookies!!
Either chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin…I love them both!
My favorite cookie is chewie oatmeal sandwich cookies with rum raisin cream cheese smeared between ’em. Oh, Southern Living makes the best recipes for cookies!
Thanks for the giveaway offer 🙂
Chocolate Chip is definitely my favorite cookie although recently I’ve discovered these Belgian Caramel Waffel cookies that are wonderful. They are like a sandwich cookie with caramel in the center. Yum. 🙂
Soft ginger cookies with raspberry jam!
It has to be “Chocolate Chip!”. Hands down it always wins!! LOL! :-)!
peanut butter chocolate chip!
I love a good Oatmeal Raisin cookie (especially if it’s got a little spice added to the cookie dough) … yum!
Oatmeal Scotchies. I love the way the butterscotch chips are a little cruchy outside and creamy in the middle against the slight saltiness of the oatmeal cookies. Now I have to go make a batch to satisfy my craving!
Always chocolate chip, I seem to be disapointed when I chose anything else. Love the new spring look, your season changes make me smile.
My favorite cookie right now is a Snickerdoodle! Something about it being so simple, yet sooo yummy!!
It’s a tie–good, old-fashioned home made chocolate chip cookies and chocolate chip mandel bread (a traditional Jewish cookie that is very similar to biscotti and is great with coffee).
Good ole’ chocolate chip, and I have to agree your mom’s recipe in her Cook Smart cookbook is the absolute BEST and my standby always!
There is only one kind of cookie for me and that is chocolate chip, any way, any kind, any size!!
I’d have to say oatmeal raisin (no chocolate!). But then there’s the true coconut macaroon…..
My favorite cookie is shortbread — a crisp, buttery cookie that melts in your mouth.
There are a lot of second-place contenders but chocolate chip always is first. The original recipe on the nestle bag, without the nuts. Yum.
definitely a combo of peanut butter and chocolate- like dark choc pb cup or some version of that…YUM! :o)
That’s too bad that it’s only for americans 🙁
chocolate chunk…i must admit i’m a fan of the dough, too!
I have heard so much about these cookies and do wonder if they really are what they have been hyped up to be. One day, I will go to NYC and try these.
My favorite type cookie would have to be White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut cookies. Thanks for having this giveaway!
My friend makes these amazing chocolate cookies with peanut butter on the inside.
Levain’s Chocolate Chip Walnut, of course!
Mom’s Annie Cookies are/were my favorite cookies. Never been able to replicate their thin laciness so I make them in bar form for my kids, but the original oatmeal chocolat chip lacy cookies are my favorite!
chocolate mint
Any cookie with chocolate is a friend of mine!
gingersnaps!
Oatmeal raisin with nuts but there are many, many that I love. I love all cookies!
Chocolate chip coconut macadamia nut. YUM
My grandma use to make these sugar cookies that were really thin and melted in your mouth. Those are definitely my favorite. Unfortunately I can’t duplicate them.
My current favorite cookie is Bobby Flay’s Chocolate Chip cookie recipe… it has dark, white and milk chcolate chips, toffee chips, Snickers, marshmallows & brownie pieces. Heaven!
Crispy chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, though that does sort of change by the week. 🙂
OH Cookies!!! I don’t know where to start with my favorite but I think a well executed Chocolate Chip is teh best. I like mine with a touch more kosher salt than usaul so you get that salty kick. I make huge batches and then pre portion them, flash freeze and have them ready for warm cookies every night!
Thank you for the giveway chance!! That dark chocolate peanut butter sounds AMAZING!
the perfect chocolate chip cookie as perfected by ivoryhut with NUTELLA chips!
I think we should find a way to get some cookies to Jamie up there in Ottawa, who is lamenting the fact that this ships only to the U.S.
petit lemon curd cookies.
hands down best. cookie. ever.
i make them every year at christmas. but now i’m thinking i should rethink that tradition and make them like…today.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Petite-Lemon-Curd-Cookies-108921
chocolate chip..delish!
My favorite cookie is a classic chocolate chip straight out of the oven.
Chocolate chip, with nuts, warm. . .and with a glass of cold milk to make the experience over-the-top.
My favorite cookie is the movie theatre cookie I developed last month. I’m not trying to toot my own horn, I swear. It’s just that popcorn in a cookie is kind of magnificent. You keep telling me we need to go to Levain together. Well, WE NEED TO GO!
a soft choc chip cookie can’t be beat