Let's talk about sweets, baby!

One of my most coveted ways to spend a Sunday afternoon is with a walk about our lovely city. I had the chance to do just that with a friend this past Sunday. Never one to pass up on a sweet indulgence, I asked my friend if we could stop by the lovely 6th Street bakeshop Sweetish Hill

Unfortunately, being that this was a spontaneous suggestion, I did not have the chance to check the hours of the bakery before we embarked on our quest for goodies. Upon arrival at the bakery, we were greeted with a scrumptious looking menu that was overshadowed only by the large "Closed" sign teetering above it.
Undeterred, we continued our stroll down 6th Street; this time our destination would be Bakerman's Bakery on east 7th street. As we trekked along, we stopped in Whole Foods on 6th and Lamar. When we were there, my friend suggested that we grab some sweeties from the bakeshop. The Vegan Big John cookie (pictured below, thanks to my friend's iPhone) she claimed, was absolutely one of the best cookies in town. My friend is has 0% proclivity to make grandiose gastronomical statements, so I figured I would give it a try. The fact that the huge cookie was only 99 cents was added encouragement.

Her rec commendation was spot-on; this vegan cookie puts even the most chock-full of sugar-and-butter creations to shame. It was HEARTY, which is not something one can usually say about a cookie. The dark chocolate chips were massive and generous (as you can see from the pic below), and the dough for the cookie managed to not taste too sweet. I have had many vegan desserts in my time, and I can safely say my taste buds did not feel stymied in the least way; rather, I felt like they were signing a little bit. Maybe even singing a Jonas Brothers song.

This might be a good time to confess my love affair with Whole Foods downtown. Walking around their maze of fanciful displays while enjoying delicious samples from their arsenal of delectables is an activity I thoroughly enjoy when I have the chance. In fact, I enjoyed a lazy brunch Saturday that consisted partly of said activity. I had the chance to sample- among other things - the chocolate almond bark, which was quite tasty and not too bitter for a dark chocolate. I also grabbed a new drink recently added to their coffee menu - the Irish Coffee Latte. You can order it hot or blended, and can specify regular of fat-free milk. Warm, sweet and chocolately, the drink was so rich that I drank it over the span of the rest of the afternoon. I'm not complaining though - it was the perfect accent to an afternoon spent working on the couch while playing "Love Actually" in the background and enjoying a cool breeze for the front door left ajar.

By the way, probably a good thing my walking buddy finagled me into that cookie; turns out Bakerman's would also greet us with a menu full of tasties and a glaring "Closed" sign :)