Was thrilled to see ClaireSquares featured in the Daily Candy today. A delightful Irish woman, Claire makes her buttery shortbread topped with buttery caramel and tender milk chocolate in San Francisco. Many seek them out at Bi-Rite, the Ferry Building, and at other shops in the city.
Seeing the Daily Candy article was titled “The 18 Best Cookies That Come Right to Your Door” I quickly knew that many other artisan cookie makers I adore would be part of this list.
With my personal experience, I would like to share some thoughts on why I think these bakers made the list:
Damn Good Cookies from Chocolate Gourmet
Last month I visited chocolate gourmet in Chicago where they happened to have the mint filled chocolate sandwich cookies shown in the Daily Candy article on hand. They’re not your mama’s Oreo. The cookie are more like two fudgey brownies. And the filling is all natural made with wonderful ingredients. Kind of like your mama’s mint patty.
Extra icing: With a great shelf life and able to be packaged in various ways such as stacked in cellophane, they are a perfect cookie for a party, for personal indulgence or as a gift. The colored icing is fun
Oh, and it’s called a Chubby Wubby, a name you can’t help say over and over.
Clairesquares
I’ve already covered the finer points of why Clairesquares take you a bit closer to heaven.
Extra icing: With a variety of packaging options from pretty cellophane packed to fancier gift tins, Claire makes it easy to choose Clairesquares for all occasions. (The Flapjacks are perfect for breakfast too! 😉
Williams-Sonoma Moravian Ginger-Spice Cookies
From the classic round ginger cookie I discovered years ago, the Salem Baking Company has expanded to making their delicate thin cookies that pack a holiday spice punch into beautiful shapes in a very nice gift tin.
Elsylee Galetes Artesanals
I’m happy to see Elsylee‘s beautiful and tasty cookies on the list. Elsylee makes a dizzying variety of cookies, each thoughtfully named and designed. While the DC highlights her Fall varieties, all Elsylee cookies are reliably great.
Extra icing: She packs the cookies in hefty cello bags with pretty ribbons, then nests them in a nice gift box. From the several times I’ve had Elsylee’s cookies they were all a perfect gifting and eating experience.
These are some “faux-reos” I enjoyed:
More Great Mail Order Cookie Gifts
All of the cookies in the Daily Candy article look fabulous and they highlighted many I hadn’t heard of. Toward the end of their list I found myself tense, wondering if bakers I considered amazing would appear.
A few more I would like to add to their list. I have specifically chosen artisans who only make 1 type of cookie to show how you can make it by mastering a a unique and perfect treat!
- Maitelates Alfajores – Chocolate covered alfajores cookies hand made with local ingredients from Michigan – including the chocolate, made in super small batches by Mindo in Dexter MI. A unique cookie in beautiful eco-style packaging. Very giftable. (Now available at fellow Ann Arbor business Zingerman’s – equally exciting for Maite as the team at Zingerman’s.)
- Brown Butter Cookies – That’s all these sisters make and they do it WELL. Buttery sugary salty shortbread like cookies. Cute simple brown boxes, perfect as small holiday gifts.
- Simply Nic’s are shortbread bars flavored with locally picked herbs as well as flavors like candied ginger. Nic offers her shortbread either in individual packs or in a big rustic baske. They’re nice alone with tea or as the base for interesting pairings with jams. (Yay I avoided saying buttery again. Ok I said it. Buttery crowd pleasers!!!)
Any cookie maker should know: there is seriously stiff competition in the cookie racket. I have yet to conduct or see a scientific survey but based on inquiries while I was at Foodzie believe it is the #1 business that people choose when starting a food business.
Luckily it’s a low rent business to start and there are plenty of people looking for the next great cookie.
What cookie business would you go into or do you think is the ultimate mail order gift?
