Yes, this is a place for pies. Little bitty personal-sized pies.  An impressively prolific variety, I might add.

Which is cool. But more compelling than the pies, if you ask me, are the cookies. (Because, uh…this ain’t no pie blog.) I’ve been here twice (two days in a row because I was working around the corner in a studio a couple of weeks ago) and each day they were making both regular chocolate chip and these here Momofuku cornflake cookies.

Which I’ve eaten before – from the source – Momofuku Milk Bar in NYC.  Both times I bought it (in NY and in Portland), the paper bag that they put it in was literally (not virtually) soaked in butter grease within an hour. For real. Not judging. Just reporting the facts: it is a buttery, buttery cookie.

Besides the usual suspects like flour, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, etc., here’s what’s in a cornflake cookie:

• mini marshmallows (They get all gooey and good just like you’d expect a mini marshmallow to get when you bake it.)
• mini chocolate chips (Why not regular chocolate chips? Those would be better, imo.)
• cornflake crunch (Basically candied cornflakes)
• butter. Did I mention the butter? Not only is there a half pound of butter in the dough, but an additional 9Tbs in the cornflake crunch. Hence the butter-soaked bag. Again, not judging. (See link below for recipe.)

Great texture.  Nice alternative to a standard ccc.

Check it out.

Momofuku Cornflake-chocolate chip marshmallow cookies – RECIPE

The following is the first ever GUEST POST on carpe-cookie.  Here’s what’s true: I know very few, if any, cookie eaters who put as much time, planning, consideration and reflection into cookies as I do. Chris W. is one of these people.

Chris is currently visiting St. Louis; this afternoon he sent me texts (yes, plural) about a fantastic-sounding chocolate chip cookie that he was eating – in real time. In his words:

CW: Messy cc cookie just out of the oven. Comet Coffee in St. Louis, MO. I’m  usually not into the melted layer of chocolate (that) chunks make, but it works here. Crispy on outside, soft inside. Hint of salt. Delicious.”

ME: Wow. Sounds brill. Take a couple of photos and I’ll put it on carpe-cookie. Don’t forget the penny for scale.

CW: Guy said the recipe is from famous pastry chef. (?) Also said the key is to whip the butter a little longer for lightness and bake the cookies bigger so they’re crisp on outside and stay soft inside (ME, siliently: duh.) The chips are Guittard (ME: the best.) Sprinkled with salt lightly on top (ME: thank you!) Stretched penny from St Louis Arch for scale. (ME: perfect!) Complimentary glass of cold milk a nice touch (ME: I’ll say!)

Thanks a bunch for the diligent cookie scouting, CW!

Spielman Coffee Roaster’s main gig, unsurprisingly, is coffee beans. But in the past year or so since they opened, they’ve also earned a reputation for baking some of the best bagels in town (Montreal style) -  with lines regularly spilling out of their tiny Division Street shop. And even though I’m not a bagel chaser in general, it’s nice to know it is possible to get our hands on something more chewy, earthy, delicious and

worthy of straight up empty calorie bread-eating than Noah’s or Kettleman’s – when the occasion arises. If I ever need to pick up a dozen bagels (and I do), I would absolutely drive out of my way for Spielman’s (and I have).

But I don’t have to tell you that I am not here to talk about bagels, fools!  What I want to tell you about is the unexpectedly FANTASTIC oatmeal raisin cookie that I found there about a half an hour ago.  As I was getting into my car 2 blocks away, I thought to myself: “self, I wonder if that Spielman’s joint makes any cookies that are worth a shit? You’re overdue for a carpe-cookie post, cookie lady. Go check it out!”

So I did.  I walked over to Spielman’s to see what I could rustle up. It was 2:30 pm so the line was non-existent. I strolled right up to the counter and there behind the glass case were two perfectly homemade-y looking oatmeal raisin cookies. I asked the counter girl for the beefier, less baked-looking of the two (natch, and she sweetly obliged) and ripped off a chunk as soon as I hit the sidewalk.

Cookie eaters: this is a winner. Like, way above average. If you only like them crispy, it’s not for you. But if you are like me and enjoy a doughy (the inside could actually be considered unbaked, truthfully) and EXTREMELY flavorful, properly salted, cinnamoned and brown sugared oatmeal cookie, I am pretty confident you will be driving out of your way for this one, as I imagine I will be doing my own self. Even when I don’t need bagels.

Dark raisins, no nuts.

Quite good.

I’m sure I’ve mentioned this a couple (or 9) times already, but my fondness for ginger molasses cookies runs deep. I LOVE them. Love.

Which means I’ve eaten (and written about) a lot of different ginger molasses cookies.

And I will tell you that this is one of the best around.

• Pleasantly under baked and bendy

• Slightly crisp, sugary coating

• Reasonably gingery – detectable but not a massive spice hit.

• Medium-deep molasses flavor (not super dark – which I do sometimes crave. But not always.)

• You know there’s butter in there. Not oil. Not margarine. Butter.

• 99¢. Ninety-nine tiny pennies! What? It’s tough to find a bakery cookie for 99¢, much less a top notch one like this.

A goddamned solid ginger molasses cookie. Totally recommended.

* This is in reference to the Whole Foods Market on NE Fremont ONLY.  Yes, the various WF bakeries do differ from one another. Different bakers bake shit differently. Jaclyn (the head [I think] pastry chef at this location) and her crew do it best, imo.

I’ve been seeing cookies from Bluebird Bakers in stores like New Seasons and Zupans for the past year or two- and was lucky enough to happen upon a free sample or two (or four) once or twice.

Until very recently, they have been available ONLY in markets, but just last week they opened a retail “cookie bar” on NW Thurman. So I went. And I sampled. And sampled. And nearly every one of the 6-8 different varieties (ccc, ginger molasses, snickerdoodle) that I put in my mouth were delicious (the only exception being the brownie, which I thought was not compelling at all.  Especially for $3.)  I ended up buying one of these and one ginger molasses (also pretty great)>

But this was my favorite – and the name of it tells you straight away that it’s gonna taste gooood.

Which is to say:

• Browned butter = disproportionately delicious.

• Oatmeal = toothsome, atisfying, pleasing. Maybe one of my top 3 cookie ingredients

• Pecans = always superior to walnuts. Always. (No offense to walnuts; they taste alright but they make my mouth feel like I’ve just French kissed a belt sander. They can’t hold a candle to pecans. It’s just how it is.)

• Cranberries = chewy and tart.

Bonus: they have enough salt – I didn’t have to add any my own.  And they’re just the right amount of doughy inside – with some crispiness on the outside.

My only complaint: For $2, I think it could be a bigger cookie. With that said, they are NOT stingy with the samples at the bakery, so you will hardly feel cheated.

Other than that…RECOMMENDED.

This was actually purchased this at Ristretto Roasters on NE 42nd Ave, one of the few coffee shops where, in addition to their own retail space on NE Sandy Blvd, Bakeshop good are sold. (Note: it’s $2.50 Ristretto)

I love this cookie. It’s like a much more expertly made (and way more delicious) version of the Mother’s Iced Oatmeal Cookie of my youth. And I love those Mother’s Iced Oatmeal Cookies so this is no small compliment. You know what I’m talking about? No? These:

Those are f-ing good cookies, right?

These are better. Not fair to compare a freshly-made bakery cookie with a bag of mass produced, I know. Just offering a point of reference.

The lowdown:

• It looks like it’s going to be crispy but instead it’s soft – yet not floppy or bendy – and slightly chewy.

• The flavor is so distinctively Mother’s. I don’t know what that is, exactly, or how to describe it other than that. But it’s not something I’ve tasted in other oatmeal cookies that I’ve eaten. And I have eaten my share of oatmeal cookies. To know me is to know this. I dig the oatmeal.

• No raisins. No nuts.

• The ginger hit is subtle  yet present.

• The icing…damn. The icing puts this over the edge. Perfect, glossy (but not wet or messy) powdered sugar and cinnamon glaze. I would eat this icing alone, from a spoon. And I will. Because…

• The recipe is included in baker/owner Kim Boyce’s  Good to the Grain, which is sitting on my bookshelf – and which I think is a fantastic cookbook. Okay, so I’ll  make a batch, already.

But the truth is that I’m enjoying keeping them as a (self-imposed) occasional treat for now. Too much of a good thing…?

Bottom line: if you like an oatmeal cookie, track these down, asap – or make them at home.

Highly recommended.

I might be on a shortbread jag. Like I said in my last post, I have not historically been a shortbread-chaser.

But… being that Tabor Bread mills all of their flours right there in the bakery – from several different kinds of whole grains (spelt, rye, whole wheat, kamut, and more) -  their shortbread, naturally, offers a unique and welcome twist on the traditional.

Check it out:

background: walnut rosemary with golden raisins – made with spelt flour

Walnuts, not my favorite nut by a long shot, were ground small and had an unobtrusive presence. The rosemary added a savory touch, while the golden raisins brought it back around to a sweet situation. The spelt flour gave the whole thing a pleasing, toothsome quality.

foreground: black and white sesame with ginger – made with kamut flour

What can I say? Not only am I digging shortbread lately, I also seem to be experiencing somewhat of a sesame moment. And this one has not only white, but black seeds as well – living together in perfect harmony, side by side in my cookie…

Oh, and why not add a few nuggets of one of my most favorite ingredients  EVER? Candied ginger. PerFECTion.

The kamut flour, much like the spelt in the walnut rosemary, gives the cookie a hearty boost.

Note: these were only two of 4-5 other similarly thoughtful shortbread varieties being offered, one of which was chocolate. I believe the flavors rotate daily

Recommended!

The one I ate was the little round with rainbow sprinkles (above – I think those ones are 50¢, not $1), but I’m told that the same dough is used for the unadorned squares, pictured below. I found it at Ristretto on NE 42nd – not sure whether or not they’re sold at Ristretto’s other two locations. But I’m fairly certain that they sell at the squares (if not the sprinkly rounds) at their shop on N. Williams.

You can also grab one at Bakeshop’s retail location on NE Sandy – and probably a few other coffee shops where their recognizable (and delicious) cookies, scones, coffee cakes, etc. are sold.

I find most (not all!) shortbread to be one dimensional and, frankly, sort of unsatisfying. But this one was uncommonly pleasing – with just a touch of salt and more depth of flavor than you typically get in a plain, butter shortbread. I’m not sure if it’s the same recipe for “sand cookies” or “shortbread crust” that baker/owner Kim Boyce includes  in her excellent cookbook Good to the Grain  – I must remember to ask the next time I stop in.

I know so many cookie monsters who adore shortbread and being that my coverage on the topic has been admittedly slim, I vow to pay more attention to this cookie in the future. Sorry about the cruel neglect, shortbread.

In the meantime, I recommend this particular version heartily!

Tabor Bread mills their own flours and bakes their bread and pastries in a wood fired oven – apparently the first retail bakery in Portland to do so.  I was surprised to read this. I mean, this is Portland – D.I.Y. headquarters of America! But it says so on their website, and who am I to second guess the internet?

I am not (and god willing, never will be) gluten intolerant. But I have always loved baked goods that make use of flours other than plain old all purpose white. Spelt, buckwheat, kamut, barley…they all add another layer – a compelling flavor and  texture to cookies, breads, scones and muffins. So the fact that this one is made with rye flour instead of the usual AP made me excited about it right away.

Other than the rye flour, there is nothing actually terribly outstanding about this cookie; decent size, soft (but not chewy), nice balance between semi sweet chips and tart cranberries, nut-free. It is definitely satisfying and above average. My only real criticism is that I wish it were a bit thicker – more chewy and toothsome. Like this beast over at Laughing Planet, or the oatmeal currant and cranberry at Common Grounds, just down the street from Tabor. But…that’s me; I happen to adore an oatmeal cookie with girth, something with a little more junk in its trunk, if you know what I’m saying.

You do know what I’m saying, right?

Also spotted at Tabor Bread: a double chocolate with spelt flour and several varieties of shortbread, all employing non AP flours and whole grains. On my to-do list…stay tuned for details.

The Russian tea cake (aka: Mexican wedding ball/ Southern pecan butterball/snowdrop/Viennese sugar ball. etc.) is a cookie that I’ve purchased almost never, baked only once or twice in my life, but has been in my mouth more times than I could ever count.

It has appeared on virtually every single cookie table at every single bar mitzvah I’ve ever attended (a number quite possibly reaching triple digits at this point in my life – no joke) – as well as on at least 70% percent of holiday cookie plates I’ve ever received (or raided).

And this is not a complaint. Not at all. Because Russian tea cakes, when made with real butter (not Crisco) and especially with pecans (instead of walnuts) are delicious.

So…if for some reason you don’t get invited to many bar and bat mitzvahs,  or if you got shorted on the holiday cookie plates this year and you need a fix, Whole Food’s version will do the trick. It measures up, for sure.

• Buttery (real butter – unsalted – which means I sprinkled a lil’ bit o salt on mine. I recommend doing this.)

• Delicate, melt-in-your mouth texture

• Pecans (the ingredients sticker did say “pecans OR walnuts” – so I may have just lucked out this time. Walnuts are not a deal breaker for me, but j’ADORE pecans.)

• Coated in powdered sugar. A little messy, but it wouldn’t be a Russian tea cake without the p.sugar. Just don’t wear dark colored nice clothing while you eat it.