Ode to a Cookie

O cookie, sweet cookie,
how scrumptious are thee
you make me think twice, before every bite,
because of your calories.

Chocolate chip, walnut, peanut butter cup,
your variety is amazing.
Small, medium, large
you have me salivating.

With your delicate, crumbly texture you make an ideal snack.
So tempting are you
A gym membership I have to take,
because of the pounds on me that you pack.

Sweet, warm aroma of freshly baked cookies
O you entice me;
I can pair you with anything -
Ice cream, warm milk, even freshly brewed tea.

I prefer you any day over a slice of cake.
Writing this has now made me hungry,
I'm off to buy some ingredients,
so that a fresh batch of cookies I can bake.


I have a sweet tooth and am always on the lookout for new places that have good dessert offerings. You might think that New York City with its diverse food culture would have places with interesting and tasty desserts around every block. Unfortunately, it does not. Most of the sweetmeats available are pretty standard fare like cheesecakes, puddings, pies and cookies. Don't get me wrong, they are pretty good, but they do not hit the spot when you are craving something sweet yet exotic.

So having formed this opinion, I was pleasantly surprised when I came across the Levain Bakery which has made a name for itself solely on something simple such as cookies. Nestled in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, close to Central Park, it is a small quaint place that sells these ginormous cookies. Each cookie is larger than your palm and weighs in at an amazing 6 oz. (~ 170g).

Each one of things could easily contain more than a week's intake of dietary fat, but who cares right? Especially, when you are experiencing cookie bliss.
This spot easily takes the cake (or should I say cookie?) for the best chocolate chip walnut cookie in NYC. Sample some yourself and let me know what you think.