Every year during Christmas time I roll my eyes at everyone who says their grandmother makes the best Christmas cookies. Why? Because my grandmother makes the best of them all, duh. I have had to do this in defense of not only my grandmother, but for my favorite bakery in all of the land of New York as well. Otherwise known as Levain Bakery.
Founded in 1994, Levain attracts hundreds of customers every day at each of their locations in New York. They have bakeries in Manhattan in the Upper West Side and Harlem and also on Long Island in the Hamptons. Every day rustic breads and six-ounce cookies are baked fresh for customers to crave over.
These baked goods are not just any baked goods. Their cookies will have you tweaking for at least twice a week. As a dessert lover I would say I am pretty experienced in the array of "good" cookies but since moving to New York I have never tasted anything like these. Levain sells four different kinds to satisfy each type of cookie lover. The flavors include chocolate chip walnut, oatmeal raisin, dark chocolate chocolate chip and dark chocolate peanut butter chip. With each kind priced at only $4--cheap for how enormous they are--you can try them all without putting a hole in your wallet!
One of the greatest qualities of these cookies is their size. They weigh in at a whopping six-ounces and resemble the size of someone's face. What also makes these cookies so enjoyable is their ability to last a long time. Hours after buying, you can split one open and still find a warm and melted core.
Fortunately the bakery is open 7 days a week but it unfortunately closes at a pretty early hour of 7pm. If you can't find time to go during their own hours, make time of your own and order them online! This also helps for anyone around the country (or world) who is too far from this part of New York.
These cookies make great for a dessert, snack or even gift to someone for their birthday. In a really cheesy and kind of sad way, they changed my life. You'll understand. Oh, and don't forget to thank me when you do get the chance to indulge on these monsters of sweetness. Levain has forever changed the cookie game.
