We enjoy visiting Essex Market when we are in the area. We went there the first time in 2020 to try out some tasty sandwiches from Heros & Villains. The Essex Market is a fun place to visit, with so many shops and eateries. The underground Market Line has expanded a bit more since 2020, and welcomed additional vendors to keep the patrons coming back for more and more.
The last time we visited Essex Market was in the autumn, and we tried some cookies from Best Damn Cookies. I mean, with a name like that, how can you resist? Their spot is rather small, but they had a great amount of selections. We were greeted by a warm, welcoming smile, and she told us some interesting stories behind Best Damn Cookies.
The founder of Best Damn Cookies lost his job as a private chef when the pandemic hit. And so did many others. He started to bake cookies to cheer him up, and it became so popular, he started to sell them in small batches. He perfected his cookie recipes, and the rest is history. How fascinating!
Well, we were very curious about all of their cookies, and how they taste! We got some selections of cookies to share. We got Holiday, Kerala, and Pinole. The Holiday was made with Shortbread Cookie base, topped with Pumpkin Seeds, Ginger, and Clove. I absolutely LOVE shortbread cookies, so this one was a big hit among my taste buds. Nice and short, nutty and packed with earthy, spice flavor.
The second one was called Kerala ($4.50), made with Cardamom, Ananya Pepper, Cranberries, and Oats. This cookie was really great too. The pepper comes through beautifully, and the tartness from cranberry goes great with the sweet flavor. The third one was Pinole ($4.25), made with Roasted Corn, Canela, Chile de Arbol, and Mango. This one was super flavorful with the corn and spices, and mango goes perfectly with that flavors, which was surprising. Soft and sweet without being too sweet.
We had to try The O.G. ($4.25), the cookie that started it all. It is made with Dark Chocolate, Butter, and Coconut Sugar. It was an excellent cookie, for sure. I liked how he chose to use dark chocolate, and with large chunks, you can really taste the quality. It was moist, not too soft, not too sweet, just perfection.
We did get a bit adventurous and ordered Holy Smoke ($8), which is like a S’mores Cookie. They are made with two OG Cookies half dipped in Fine & Raw Chocolate, Homemade Marshmallow, and Coconut Sugar.
The staff brought out the two OG Cookies, and a large piece of marshmallow. She started to torch the marshmallow, and it was so fun to watch! Once the marshmallow was done, she put it between the chocolate dipped cookies, and we were super excited to try it!
The Holy Smoke was quite large in size, which was great. The chocolate started to melt with hot marshmallow, and it was just begging me to take a bite! The homemade marshmallow was perfectly soft and sweet, awesome! I often find S’mores to be a bit too sweet, but with the OG cookies, I thought the sweetness was controlled a bit with dark chocolate flavor. We really enjoyed this one!
The staff, Piper, was kind, friendly, and polite. She was excited about the cookies as much as we were, and I loved her energy. The cookies are made with the best of the best fair trade and organic ingredients from companies with a conscience, which is another big plus. If you are looking for just “good” cookies, they might not be for you. But if you want the Best Damn Cookies, then head over to Essex Market and try some of their delicious cookies!
Best Damn Cookies @ Essex Market – 88 Essex St, New York, NY 10002