Schmackary’s

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I don’t find myself in Hell’s Kitchen that often, but, I will certainly be returning to Schmackary’s.

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Once upon a time, you could only get these big-boy (or girl) cookies online, but, luckily there’s now a cute little cafe where you can pop in for a treat.

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They have staple flavors and a rotating selection of seasonal choices.

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I went for the Red Velvet, deep red cocoa, white and semi-sweet chocolate chunks and a walnut buttercream frosting. This is an amazing cookie. It has the perfect slightly crunchy edges, and a soft and chewy inside, with a buttery quality that melts in your mouth. The flavor is rich and all components compliment each other wonderfully.

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But who can stop at just one cookie when they also have something called The Kitchen Sink Cookie Bar? It’s a thick cookie concoction made of butterscotch chips, white and semi-sweet chocolate, sweetened coconut graham cracker, Oreo pieces and cornflakes. Holy. Hell. This was basically like a crack bar. The graham cracker “cookie” base is so delightfully buttery, and going through the contrasting layers of chocolate chunks and the coconut and cornflakes to switch up the texture and cut the sweetness a bit is just brilliant. 

The Shorts:
Name: Schmackary’s
Location: 362 West 45th Street, NYC
The Long and Short: Would I go back? Do humans breath air?
Would I recommend it? Go. Now.

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Baked

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So, on my October Brooklyn Candy Challenge, I was in Red Hook to check out Cacao Prieto. On my way back to the train, I passed by this cute little place with an orange door. The brightly colored door, plus the name of the place, Baked, immediately caught my attention. Had to go in. 

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It’s super cozy and has a homey feel that just makes you want to spend your afternoon there, sipping coffee, hanging out, and eating delicious treats. 

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Everything is handmade there every day, from cookies, to cakes, to brownies, to pies and bars. Everything looked far too good to just try one thing…and I’m horrible at moderation. So, I asked for some suggestions. 

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I’m a sucker for anything pumpkin, and I was told that this new seasonal treat was amazing. So, I tried the Pumpkin Donut. Baked, instead of fried, this cake-like donut was incredible. Sweet and loaded with pumpkin flavor, with a fantastic glaze and topped with orange sprinkles. Ok, so, I absolutely hate the word “moist” (gross), but, there’s no other word to describe this cake…believe me, I looked in the thesaurus for an acceptable replacement. And, the glaze and sprinkles add some whimsy and fun that also compliment the pumpkin donut perfectly. 

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Then, I went for The Millionaire. This bar should be named the Billionaire. A sweet and salty treat, you can’t have a bad day after taking a bite of one of these. It’s layered with a shortbread as the base, light and buttery that melts in your mouth. Then, there’s a thin layer of salted caramel, with more of a consistency of a custard, but rich and creamy with that perfect salty and sweet component. Then, its topped with a layer of dark chocolate ganache, which, is also amazing in flavor and texture. All the elements combined create a winning team. 

The Shorts:
Name: Baked
Location: 359 Van Brunt Street, Brooklyn
The Long and Short: Would I go back? Hell yes. And next time, I’d make a little afternoon of it and instead of the subway, I’ll take the water taxi over!
Would I recommend it? Did you see the “hell yes” above?