From cookie whoopies to gingerbread men, our local bakeries bring the sweetest season of all
We love cookies all year long but they’re a special treat during the holidays when bakeries roll out their whimsical creations along with their traditional lineup of sweets.
My favorites include gingerbread men and good ‘ole chocolate chip, but there are so many tempting cookies available, like macarons, confetti and cookie whoopies (that’s as much fun to eat as it is to pronounce).
Here’s a list of some of our top bakery destinations for cookies. If I’ve missed any, please send us a comment or email [email protected].
Au peche mignon: The French bakery offers a variety of cookies, including lemon drops, dark chocolate pecan cookies, Mexican wedding cookies, coconut and almond macaroons and macarons. 220 N. Duval St.; 850-668-5533.
B. Mani’s Sweets & Eats: Chondi Bell Imani is a baker, caterer and personal chef. Her homemade repertoire includes dinners, desserts, ice cream and baked goods, featuring a variety of cookies ordered by the dozen: decorated iced sugar cookies, Snickerdoodles, oatmeal chocolate chip and chocolate chip overload as well as peanut butter, sugar and sandwich cookies. She offers delivery and pickup. To order, visit bmanis.com
The Cake Shop Bakery: You’ll find more than a dozen cookie choices at the Cake Shop including chocolate chip, gingersnap, red velvet and lemon cooler, Snickerdoodles, peanut butter and oatmeal raisin as well as sugar cookies with buttercream icing and holiday cookie platters. 1908 Capital Circle NE; 850-386-2253.
Cottontail Cookies: The local, home-based bakery is taking orders for do-it-yourself cookie kits for the holidays. You can order DIY Hanukkah kits from Dec. 10 to 18 and Christmas/Winter kits from Dec. 19 to 23. If someone needs a kit outside of those dates, just contact Kathryn McCain, the home baker behind Cottontail Cookies, at [email protected] Each kit comes ready for decorating with 12 sugar cookies, 14 ounces of royal icing and sprinkles. Kathryn, a graduate of both Florida State University and the University of Alabama, also does other custom orders.
Flour Blossom Bakery: This is the spot for homemade cookie whoopies — cookie sandwiches with a variety of fillings (like peanut butter fudge), oatmeal raisin and marble cookies along with other pastry items. 1210 Capital Circle SE; 850-270-9140.
Insomnia Cookies: If you’re craving cookies late at night, Insomnia is the place to go. The shop has retail and delivery service until 1 a.m. Their selection includes double chocolate chunk, double chocolate mint, oatmeal raisin, sugar and holiday cookies and vegan, gluten-free chocolate chip. Look for deluxe cookies like chocolate peanut butter cup, S’mores and confetti. Insomnia also serves spicy hot cocoa and hot cinnamon whiskey. 1525 W. Tennessee St.; 850-391-6773.
LV’s Bakery: Helda Sperrey had a private architecture practice in Mexico but when she wasn’t able to use her license in the United States, she found another creative passion — as a custom baker in Tallahassee. Helda specializes in “one-of-a-kind” cakes, including wedding cakes, cupcakes and cookies. Customers “hire me to create their vision,” said Helda. She’ll fill custom orders for decorated cookies for all holidays and also bakes traditional cookies like chocolate chocolate chip, almond and ginger cookies. For more information and orders, visit her website, www.lvsbakery.com/
Sodough Baking Company: The cafe lists brown butter chocolate chip cookies and confetti crunch aside from its selection of cakes, banana pudding, doughnuts, sandwiches and toasts. 1306 Thomasville Rd.; 850-702-5542.
Tally Sweet Creations: If you act quickly, you can get one of these terrific Christmas box kits from baker Brittany Jackson. She’ll be at the shop Lucky and Charmed, at 3431 Bannerman Rd. With the box, you can “paint Santa a cookie (paint your own cookie.. PYO), write him a note, write your elf a note to wish him/her well on their trip back to the North Pole, and 2 cocoa bombs. Also included are 4 decorated pretzel sticks you can either leave out for the reindeer or snack on yourself. … if you have more than 1 kid I have extra PYO cookies, extra notebook paper cookies… and 1 zillion cocoa bombs.” If you miss the sale, you can order cookies from Brittany on Facebook — she also bakes custom made cookies all year long for all types of occasions.
Tasty Pastry: Open since 1963, this local bakery features chocolate chip, oatmeal, peanut butter, molasses, white chocolate macadamia, old fashioned sugar and chocolate-chocolate chip; gourmet cookies like chocolate chunk, M&M, Chinese marble, gingerbread men (year round), coconut macaroons and butter cookies; wedding cookies; center-filled cookies and decorated sugar cookies for the holidays. 1355 Market St.; 850-893-3752
Treva’s Pastries and Fine Foods: Gingerbread cookies are available at the local shop, along with chocolate cookies, rosemary, lemon, raspberry jam and more holiday varieties to come aside from Treva’s cakes, croissants, tarts and other pastry goods. She also offers lunch items and frozen dishes to go like soups, appetizers, entrees and ice cream. 2766 Capital Circle NE; 850-765-0811.
ZLastCrumb: Ruth Ziegler, with her husband Roy and sons Stephen and Joe, create custom baked goods at their Tallahassee home. Their cookie lineup includes chocolate chip, Snickerdoodles, granola oatmeal raisin, pecan golden tassies, Mexican wedding cookies and peanut butter, along with two kinds of marmalade cookies good for the holidays. Their slogan is “Bringing what we love to bake into your home.” Other goodies include sourdough, yeast and quick breads. You can order through their website. They deliver.
