Garfield says, “I seek truth! But a cookie will do.” I recently visited three cookie shops in Salt Lake City – City Cakes and Café, Cookies by Design and Ruby Snap.
City Cakes and Café, located on the corner of 300 E and 900 S, is my daily hangout. They offer vegan and gluten-free cookies. The cookies they chose to highlight were their Mocha Madness, gluten-free Double Chocolate and chocolate chip.
The Mocha Madness is a chocolate cookie with espresso and a powdered sugar icing. It was moist with a pleasant coffee after flavor. Its brownie consistency accentuated its thick chocolate flavor.
The gluten-free Double Chocolate cookie has a crispy edge that gives way to a moist center and chewy goodness. There are chocolate morsels hidden within the cookie that are like little treasures waiting for discovery, and they give a little burst of chocolate to the cookie.
The chocolate chip cookie was softer than I expected and chock full of chips. A slightly nutty after palate allowed the cookie to finish pleasantly.
Cookies by Design is a franchise and the first cookie bakery to come up when I did an online search for cookies and Salt Lake City. The cookies are baked fresh on site, and their specialty is delivering cookie bouquets made by putting sugar cookies on a stick.
The three cookies I was able to try were the Lemon Drop, the Millionaire and the sugar cookie.
The Lemon Drop had a crunchy, mellow first bite and a soft center. It had a nice flavor that wasn’t overpowering. A tingle of lemon aftertaste made it a very satisfying cookie experience.
The Millionaire with semi-sweet and milk chocolate morsels, pecans and oatmeal lived up to its name with its rich chocolate flavor and sweetness.
The sugar cookie, which is the basis of the business, can be made in over 400 shapes. It has a great texture and provides a very satisfying cookie experience.
Cookies by Design is located at 4882 S Highland Drive in Salt Lake City. They deliver cookies, which can be ordered by calling (801)273-7310.
Saving the best for last, Ruby Snap is by far my favorite cookie place. I can only afford to go there once a month, but it is so worth it.
The three cookies that I was able to try were the top-selling Penelope, the signature Vivianna and the owner’s favorite Margo.
Penelope is a peanut butter cookie dipped in chocolate. It has a little bit of a crunch to it and the peanut butter doesn’t overwhelm the cookie. The chocolate shell adds a nice texture, and the chocolate itself caresses the tongue.
The Vivianna is a citrus dough with dark chocolate and mangos. The different textures and flavors mingle together like a well-led choir. They all sing together with no one overpowering another. It is a flavorful bounty of goodness.
The Margo is a chocolate cookie dough that contains a minty center. The mint permeates the entire cookie, which is good for it. The center packs a chocolaty punch with mint overtones.
Ruby Snap’s original location is at 770 S 300 W in Salt Lake City. They have opened a new location in The Store at 42 W Main Street in Midway.