Cookie Shots and Frozen S’Mores at the NYC Famous Dominique Ansel Bakery
The sun was shining, the kids were on vacation, and it had been way too long since we had last gorged on the sweet treats at Dominique Ansel Bakery in Soho. In fact, my last visit predates the Cronut, the cream-filled pastry hybrid that made Ansel a star and turned his cute little shop into what is surely the most famous bakery in New York City. So although we decided against setting an alarm to get Cronuts, it was the perfect day to stand on Spring Street in the afternoon and wait for Ansel's latest ingenious creation, the Cookie Shot.
The Cookie Shot
The Cookie Shot goes on sale every afternoon at 3:00–a nod to after-school-snack nostalgia–and Ansel only makes a limited number each day. Hence the line, though it's not nearly as dramatic as the early morning Cronut queue. In fact, we arrived at around 2:20 and were first in line, which, if nothing else, makes it easier to snag one of the tables in the garden out back. And you definitely want to get your Cookie Shots to stay: the shot "glass", made of just-baked chocolate chip cookie with a Valrhona chocolate inner shell for sturdiness (and awesomeness), arrives warm from the oven, and then one of the friendly staffers pours you a shot of cold dense, vanilla-infused milk. You take a little sip, you take a little bite, and so on, until both cup and contents are gone. One shot is plenty, and totally worth both the wait and the $3 price tag.
Try the Frozen S'Mores!
But although a single Cookie Shot will do you right, since you're there you might as well eat a bunch of other Dominique Ansel delights! For example: the Frozen S'More, another of Ansel's mad-genius desserts, which features a core of gooey marshmallow, a layer of vanilla custard, a layer of chocolate wafers, and an exterior of more marshmallow. It's all frozen overnight, and then torched to order for a creme-brulee-like caramelized crust. Sweet, sticky, delicious. And remember, you don't have to wait on (much of a) line to get Frozen S'Mores or any of Ansel's other first-rate baked goods. Just walk right in and enjoy.
More Information: Dominique Ansel Bakery
Dominique Ansel Bakery is located on Spring Street between Thompson and Sullivan and is open Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. (when the day's batch of Cronuts go on sale) to 7:00 p.m., and on Sundays from 9:00 a.m. until 7:00. Make sure to also check out Dominique Ansel Kitchen in the West Village.
Posted in Downtown, NYC Dining, Top Picks | Tagged Bakery downtown NYC • Bakery Soho • cookie shot nyc • Dominique Ansel bakery
