What could be better than a gooey chocolate chip cookie to celebrate restrictions lifting throughout NYC? In true big city fashion, bakers and pastry chefs across the city compete to have the most sought-after cookies bursting with decadent chocolate morsels. These are the must-haves this summer.
Jacque Torres
Fondly called Mr. Chocolate, Jacque Torres is an authority on all things chocolate. He used this expertise to craft the ultimate chocolate chip cookie. The New York Times voted it the number one chocolate chip cookie, and its levels of complexity make it easy to see why. Torres uses two different kinds of flour and bittersweet chocolate (at least 60% dark) in his dough, which ages for 24-72 hours. The finished, gigantic confection is sprinkled with sea salt to enhance the rich flavors. Torres’ chocolate chip cookies ship nationwide, so you don’t have to book a ticket to NYC to enjoy one.
Levain Bakery
In 1995, two friends started a bakery together and created one of the world’s best and most iconic cookies. Levain Bakery‘s chocolate chip walnut cookie, the flagship cookie, was the gateway to even more incredible cookie treats that sell out at the eight bakery locations regularly. Each cookie weighs in at a whopping six ounces with a decadent buttery center. The two-chip, fully baked chocolate chip cookies are available in grocery stores nationwide.
Dominique Ansel Bakery
Lots of Americans began following Dominique Ansel Bakery during quarantine for the instructional baking videos. Now, you can visit the actual bakery and try the baked goods straight from the source. The ultimate treat? The “Cookie Shot.” Dominique Ansel crafts shot glasses out of sumptuous cookie dough and then fills it with house-made Madagascan vanilla milk. It’s the perfect, hassle-free vessel for a classic bedtime treat.
Gooey On The Inside
From humble beginnings in a ‘compact’ Chelsea apartment kitchen to sales nationwide, Gooey On The Inside is a heartwarming (and mouth-watering) success story. One woman’s goal of creating the perfect cookie became a citywide obsession. The cookies are perfectly crisp on the outside and oh so ooey-gooey on the inside. The six-ounce chocolate chip cookie features both dark and milk chocolate chips and dark chocolate chunks for an overload of chocolate in every bite.
Maman
Maman rocketed into the public eye in 2017 when Oprah included its nutty chocolate chip cookie on her list of favorite things. The French-inspired eatery started in SoHo in 2014 and now has multiple locations throughout New York, Montreal, and Toronto. The nutty chocolate chip cookie is a destination food item for tourists from all over and is sure to please. Maman is not currently shipping nationwide, so plan an excursion to the city and come hungry.
Schmarckary’s
Broadway’s favorite cookie shop is Schmarckary’s. The classic chocolate chip cookie is available seven days a week and is one of the most popular offerings. Once Broadway shows are back up and running, stop by after curtain call and see if you can spot your favorite stars picking up a post-show treat! There are more than 75 cookies that rotate through the Hell’s Kitchen and the nationwide shipping menus, so check weekly for updates on what’s being shipped out across the country.
