Nuvrei
404 NW 10th Ave – Portland
$2
I’ve enjoyed this cookie more than once over the past few years, but was never sure if it really counted as a cookie. I used to consider it a cookie when they first started making it – simply because it was round (and also because I think it was actually labeled “cookie”). But I’m guessing that its roundness confused people into expecting a more traditional oatmeal cookie – which this is not. But for awhile now it had been made rectangular in shape and is called a “bar”, which, of course, still does not exclude it from cookiehood. Because, well, brownies. And blondies. And lemon bars. All of these are cookies in my book. Baked good semantics. Whatever.
Even though it falls somewhere on the continuum of cookie-scone-granola bar and might only be classified as cookie-ish, it meets MY cookie needs. So… I will call it a cookie. It’s a damn cookie!
More to the point: This is a fat, chewy loaf of oatmeal, cinnamon, currant toothsomeness. I use the word “toothsome” a lot – too much, I will admit. But I don’t think it applies more in any one of my cookie descriptions than it does here.
There’s not much to add that the photo doesn’t tell. Like I said, it is THICK (note the macaron in the background for sense of scale). A crisp, rigid edge surrounds the oaty center, which is a bit crumbly, but not in a dry or unpleasing way. It is the opposite of unpleasing; it is, in fact pleasing.
(cross-section shot of bar sitting upright on one end)
The currants are a nice variation on the usual raisin. (Nothing against raisins. I love raisins.) And…it is seemingly never-ending; I ate it and ate it, gave my sister a few bites, and still was left with half the bar on my plate. (This may be partially due to the fact that I also liberally sampled my sister’s almond croissant. And her sablé. And also that salted caramel macaron sitting there on the plate- which, btw, was excellent: perfect texture and intense, burnt sugar taste. I will totally be back for that macaron; it is for sure one of – if not the – best I’ve had in town. Nice job on the macaron, Nuvrei!)
