Taste Test: Indy’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

These seven chocolate chip standouts crumble the competition.
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PUBLIC GREENS

900 E. 64th St., 964-0865

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Pure crunch (thanks in part to popcorn pieces), this gluten-free disc tastes better than you’d think, given its radical departure from the classic. It’s extra salty, so a good soak in milk will both balance that out and soften the hard texture. $3


THE CAKE BAKE SHOP

6515 Carrollton Ave., 257-2253

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Even the garnish is garnished—a sprinkle of fleur de sel is followed with a dusting of glitter. The high-butterfat dough leans dense and sugary, and you couldn’t handle any more Belgian chocolate. $4.75


ILLINOIS STREET FOOD EMPORIUM

5550 N. Illinois St., 253-9513

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You could call this flat rendition old school, but after school is more like it. The thin, crispy edges, chewy center, and semisweet chocolate scream for a dunk in cold milk at the kitchen counter. $1.25


RENE’S BAKERY

6524 Cornell Ave., 251-2253

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This European-style spot refines nearly every aspect of the American preparation. It’s evident you’re eating real butter and lots of high-quality chocolate. Owner Albert Trevino doesn’t like undercooked cookies, so expect some crunch. $1.75


AMELIA’S

653 Virginia Ave., 686-1582

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The secrets of this save-half-for-later, sea-salted whopper include brown butter and chunks of premium Callebaut Belgian dark chocolate in different sizes melting into every crevice. The result: chocolate strips, not chips. $2


EZRA’S ENLIGHTENED CAFE

6516 Ferguson St., 255-3972

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You can argue whether this vegan, Fig Newton-y dollop qualifies as a chocolate-chip cookie (no butter, and cacao nibs sub for the signature ingredient), but if your diet forbids dairy, you won’t complain. $2.50


BLONDIE’S

The Fashion Mall, 705-9883;
Greenwood Park Mall, Greenwood, 883-4845

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This soft, sugary, buttery mall treat has Grandma’s touch all over it. You can practically smell a batch baking in her sunny kitchen. The texture is fairly cakey, and there’s not too much chocolate. $1.85


Bake a Better Batch

Pro tip: Refrigerate dough overnight. The flavors will meld together, and the cookies will hold their shape in the oven.