Carpe Cookie

A grade-A cookie lover's account of the best – and sometimes worst – cookies around.

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Date Maamoul at Barbur World Foods

Posted by on Nov 22, 2010 in Etc., Shortbread/Sugar Cookies, Fruit | 1 comment

Barbur World Foods
9845 Southwest Barbur Blvd – Portland
$1.50

I’ve been meaning to tell you about this maamoul that I picked up a couple of weeks ago at the in-house bakery of  Barbur World Foods – a specialty grocery store that imports foods internationally –  mainly from the Middle East and Europe.

When I unwrapped the cookie, a warm and deep vanilla scent filled the air.  It actually made me shiver, I’m not lying.  And the very smoothly-ground date filling was kissed with orange blossom water, all of which had soaked into the buttery, shortbread-like crust – making the whole affair  moist, fragrant and sensational.

Really sweet and rich, in a baklava sort of way.

And it was only a buck and half.

Just for future reference.

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Mexican Sugar Cookies

Posted by on Sep 5, 2010 in Etc., Shortbread/Sugar Cookies | 17 comments

Mexican Sugar Cookies
Location: Possibly every Mexican bakery in the world
$: Not very expensive

 

I like to write mainly about the cookies I come across that excite me and give me brief moments of joy.  Occasionally, however, I will meet one (or in this case, several) so dreadful that I feel compelled to warn my fellow cookie monsters to take heed.  Consider this both a precautionary tale as well as the seed for discussion.  If there are Mexican cookie lovers out there, I want to hear your voice.  Tell me what I’m missing.  I am nothing if not open-minded in my quest for maximum cookie enlightenment.

Ay, the Mexican cookies. Where do I begin?   

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Shortbread at Fresh Flours

Posted by on Aug 10, 2010 in Shortbread/Sugar Cookies | 0 comments

Fresh Flours
6015 Phinney Ave. N
Seattle

$ ? (not more than a buck apiece, possibly less)

chocolate almond shortbread & green tea shortbread

Dear Fresh Flours bakers:

Buy a bag of salt. Please. Your cookies are very pleasing to the eye, as are the rest of your wares. I have no doubt that top notch ingredients are at play here, but they are totally lost on me because I CAN BARELY TASTE THEM.  Because you don’t use any G-d blessed salt – the most fundamental of all flavor enhancers. What gives?

Regretfully,

Joanna

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