These cookies are darn good

When it comes to sweets, it takes a lot to impress us. Suffice it to say, we've eaten more than our share--some good, some bad, and oftentimes whatever's available--so it's rare when we come across something that is in a class by itself. But, truly, if we've ever tasted a cookie that lives up to its name, it is Damn Good Cookies from chocolategourmet.com, an online-only Chicago-based artisan bakery. They claim that these treats are "the kind you wish your mother would have made," and truer words were never spoken.

We sampled the collection of rugalach and, honestly, couldn't bear to share them. The three kinds are outstanding, though our favorite is the cherished cherry, with its crisp-cookie outside and moist cherry, pineapple, and coconut filling, dusted with cinnamon and sugar. Save your appetite apricot has a rich apricot and golden raisin filling covered in toasted pecans, and the hold my hand hazelnut is loaded with a decadent hazelnut, chocolate, and date filling, covered in toasted hazelnuts. Damn good cookies are bite-sized and come in five flavors: chubby wubby chocolate, overprotective pecan, rockabye raspberry, controlling coconut, and maternal macadamia nut.

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The bakery's Ugly Truffles, meanwhile, come in eight flavors and sport an odd collection of names such as homely hazelnut, put your clothes on chocolate, morning after merlot, messed up mocha, and not in mint condition. Visit www.chocolategourmet.com for more information.

Another tin of cookies that we simply could not get enough of came from Apple's Bakery in Peoria, III. Their motto is that "smiles are made from scratch" and that's exactly how they make their cookies. With mouth-watering flavors like white chocolate cranberry (a combination of tart, chewy cranberries paired with rich, creamy white chocolate); butterscotch walnut (rich butterscotch and brown sugar combined with the crunch of English walnuts); and pumpkin spice (all the great flavors of pumpkin pie, raisins, and pecans wrapped into a soft cake drop cookie), we couldn't stop eating them.

Pies, cakes, and breakfast treats also are on the menu at Apple's Bakery. For more information, visit www.applesbakery.com.

Remember, "stressed" spelled backwards is "desserts," and nothing eases the former like Nothing Bundt Cakes--it's like Grandma's bundt cake, but with a modern twist, as this delicious product captures the warm memories of yesterday with the fresh approach of today. Offered in 10 flavors--including banana, lemon, carrot, marble, pistachio nut, kahlua chocolate chip, and white-chocolate raspberry--Nothing Bundt Cakes also have special seasonal themed flavors such as pumpkin spice for the holidays, egg nog and rum for Christmas, red velvet for Valentine's Day, and pineapple upside down cake for spring.

An eight-inch cake serves eight to 10 people while the 10-inch version satisfies 15 to 18 guests. Cascading down each cake is a luscious cream cheese and butter frosting, a true testimony to premium ingredients and homespun care. Go to www.nothingbundtcakes.com for more information.

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COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning