Competitive triathletes, Pam and Connie would chat cookies as a way to make it through their workouts. After all, nothing inspires you to push through the "just two more minutes on the treadmill" threshold, than the promise of a warm cookie coming out of the oven. One day in the midst of their rigorous training regiment Pam and Connie went on a mission to create the ultimate chocolate chip walnut cookie to give them extra motivation.... or something like that. The cookie was irresistible and the two best friends decided that they could probably sell these.
And they were right. In 1993 Pam and Connie started Levain Bakery. Their cookies were baked fresh daily and the left-overs were donated to charity each night – and almost 30 years later these same practices are still proudly in place at the core of Levain bakery. Drooling yet? You will be! Here's our guide to the best cookies ever. *Warning: do not read on an empty stomach!*
1. The Icon: there's a reason these chocolate chip walnut cookies initially flew off the shelves! They're crispy with a thick gooey center. Not too sweet, these delightful bites are a perfectly balanced treat.
2. The Chocolate Lover: dangerously rich, this dark chocolate chip cookie is made with French cocoa and semisweet chocolate chips for extra chocolatey delightfulness. It's sinfully good.
3. The One to Envy: ... well, your peanut butter cups will certainly be jealous! These dark chocolate peanut butter chip cookies are the perfect indulgence. They also just so happen to be the Levain Bakery staff favorites... and they eat a lot of cookies!
4. The Twist: oatmeal raisin cookies that are extra thick, rich and buttery. With a super gooey inside packed full of naturally sweet and plump raisins, their oatmeal raisin cookies are a new take on an old favorite.
5. The Classic: don't get us wrong, we're sure your grandma makes a mean chocolate chip cookie, but these double chocolate chip cookies aren't your family's recipe. They are just as perfectly crispy and gooey as the first cookie on this list, but without the nuts. This buttery delight will have you breaking down the Levain door for the recipe. Fortunately, they just do the baking for you – guess it is back to grandma's if you want to lick the spoon.
6. The Undecided: it's hard to make it through a list like that and be able to narrow it down to just one cookie! Luckily, Levain bakery has something for everyone – including those who want one of everything. This assorted cookie gift box gives you one of each: a chocolate chip walnut, dark chocolate chip, dark chocolate peanut butter chip and an oatmeal raisin. It's the perfect thing to try whether it's your first time trying cookies from Levain or whether it's just your first time not being able to chose just one!
Check out their site, pour some milk and get ready to indulge in the greatest chocolate chip cookies ever – oops, did we just give away our favorite?
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