Business Thu Dec 04 2008

Don't Bake It. Buy It!

Looking for a good holiday cookie recipe? Check out the Chicago Tribune for winning recipes from the paper's annual Holiday Cookie Contest.

But what if you can't bake - or just don't feel like it this year? Chicago's bakeries can be your secret weapon for holiday parties. I surveyed friends and co-workers, asking them to tell me their favorite cookie in Chicago. Here are their picks:

"There's a chocolate chunk cookie at Stella Espress Co. on Devon west of Broadway with a pretzel pressed into the top! That s$*! is delicious."

"Carol's Cookies. Toffee crunch is yummy or their standard sugar cookie ... Plus, they are local but you can ship anywhere and order via the web."

"The half-baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookie from Potbelly. Since its sold in a wax paper baggie and sealed with a Potbelly sticker, its probably not a holiday party pleaser, but I love the raw dough quality."

"I usually get the kolacky or their cheesecake slices at Weber's, the apricot fruit-filled pastries at Bridgeport Bakery, and the chocolate concha at the Mexican bakery on the corner of Pulaski and 55th." (The butter cookies at Bridgeport Bakery got a big nod from her friend, whose a baker himself. He also loves everything from Bennison's Bakery in Evanston, and favors the stolen and bienenstich, with custard and almonds, at Reuter's on Grand and Harlem.)

"The best cookies in all of Chicago are from D'matos Bakery, 1332 W Grand Ave. They have about 20 varieties available by the pound. Every time I have asked, the counter-helpers say their faves are the butter cookie topped with caramel and chocolate. I prefer the fig-stuffed cookie with the royal icing and sprinkles. [My boyfriend] likes the butter cookie with chocolate butter cream dipped in chocolate fudge cookie. Would totally be a hit at a party."

"Tipsy Cake on California has something called Melting Moments that are freaking amazing. I have no idea what is in them - but they are the kind of cookie you have to enjoy with your eyes closed. They are small enough to share at a party."

"The vegan chocolate chip cookie at Sweet Cakes is one of my favorites. It's a mini cookie dotted throughout with mini chips. It's excellent, but it's not a huge commitment." (Plus, it would be a size for holiday cookie trays.)

My faves: It's a tie. The coconut macaroons at Artemio's on Sheridan (incidentally, the same cookie from Artemio's in Wicker Park got a second vote from a friend) are enormous, chewy and very coconutty - and they're 60 cents. My recent obsession is Letizia's lemon cookie, another whopper with a chewy base topped with buttery and zingy lemon frosting. Ridiculous.

— Mandy Burrell Booth / Comments (0)