We tried new gourmet cookies in Brighton. Here's what we recommend
BRIGHTON — It's been a big year for cookies in Brighton, with the recent openings of Crumbl Cookies and Cookie Plug.
Crumbl brought its weekly rotating menu of six gourmet cookies to 9854 E. Grand River Ave. — part of a recent push of expansions across the state — in February.
Cookie Plug, a growing cookie bakery with a hip-hop theme, opened its first location in Michigan at 8593 W. Grand River Ave. shortly thereafter — with 12 daily flavors and a rotating "secret stash" each month.
In a quest for truth and cookies, local reporters/freelancers Tess Ware, Jennifer Eberbach, and M. Alan Scott decided to gorge themselves on treats from both bakeries and provide a little honest feedback.
Without further ado, their thoughts:
M. Alan's Favorite: Cookie Plug Purple Haze
Description: A purple-colored white chocolate chip cookie
M. Alan: For the money, the cream of the crop, provided you aren’t scared away by an overly sweet surprise. It’s chalk full of white chocolate chips with a delectable, sugary, crunch coating on the bottom that gives this cookie something extra that's hard to define. The kids will love the dark purple hue, but everyone will savor how it melts in their mouth.
Tess: The purple cookie with the white chunks is definitely a fun one to try and wow, is it sweet. That and the sheer size of the cookie makes it great for sharing, in my opinion.
Jennifer: I wasn't sure about eating a cookie dyed purple, at first. It ended up being my favorite from Cookie Plug. The white chocolate in this uber-sweet cookie had the perfect melt. Their cookies are also super thick.
Jennifer's Favorite: Crumbl Coconut Lime
Description: Coconut lime sugar cookie topped with a lime wedge
M. Alan: Close your eyes and you’ll swear you’re eating a piece of key lime pie, minus the crust. Lime is mixed with a citrusy aftertaste that offers a hint of lemon and perhaps a passing shred of orange. Or are we just imagining that? The off-white frosting is a lime delight.
Tess: For me, the frosting really took the cake (cookie?). I feel like limes often lose out to lemons in the dessert world, but this cookie puts them front and center in the best way.
Jennifer: I didn't expect this cookie's lime flavor to be as flavorful as it turned out to be. What a pleasant surprise. I'm one of those people who can eat just the frosting off the top of a cake if nobody's looking. I like the thick layers of frosting Crumbl slathers on their cookies.
Tess' Favorite: Cookie Plug Firecracker
Description: S'mores cookie with marshmallow, graham cracker, and chocolate chips
M. Alan: It sure smells and tastes like a s'more cracker, only thicker. There’s a strong chocolate chip taste even though there are fewer chocolate chips than you might expect. Added flavor comes following a few seconds of your first bite.
Tess: This one is like an elevated version of the classic chocolate chip cookie, combined with another classic treat: the s'more. The marshmallow and graham cracker gave it great texture, the cookie was warm and gooey — a perfect fusion of nostalgic, childhood favorites.
Jennifer: They got the s'more flavor right on the money. Cookie Plug's cookies are super thick and this one is no exception. I was full after one bite.
The Breakfast Cookie: Crumbl Mallow Cream with Lucky Charms
Description: White chocolate chip cookie with marshmallow frosting topped with Lucky Charms
M. Alan: Cookies for breakfast? Or breakfast on a cookie? Either way the cream cheese and plentiful array of white chocolate chips are even more poignant than the imitation Lucky Charms pieces stuck on top of heavy frosting. Another “sweet” creation.
Tess: I love eating cereal as a snack and this cookie made it into an amazing dessert. Again, the frosting really stole the show for me, it was creamy and light but still sweet. The Lucky Charms added a bit of crunch too.
Jennifer: They flavor of the frosting on this cookie was the best of the ones we tried from Crumbl. I admit, I grew out of my enjoyment of Lucky Charms marshmallows with age. This is definitely a fun one for the kids and marshmallow fans.
Syrup-y Goodness: Crumbl Buttermilk Pancake
Description: Cookie drizzled in buttermilk syrup and topped with buttercream frosting
M. Alan: This sugar cookie tastes more like shortbread than a pancake with a rich, buttery frosting serving as the cookie’s sweet syrup. Yet that frosting enhances the flavor to give you an extra jolt of sweet delight.
Tess: Another twist on a childhood classic: pancakes and syrup. The buttery, maple flavor mixed with the creamy frosting created a taste that made me feel very warm and content, like a kid eating pancakes on a Saturday morning.
Jennifer: This cookie might have been the sweetest of the bunch. The frosting seemed to be just as thick as the cookie itself, which I'm always a fan of.
Peanut Butter Punch: Cookie Plug Crunch Nugget
Description: Peanut butter cookie with chocolate
M. Alan: If you like the taste of creamy peanut butter, this is for you. Very moist with a very “nutty” feel to it. This cookie may remind you of grandma’s recipe or even a bit like your favorite store-bought option. Be sure to have milk nearby.
Tess: Peanut butter is one of my favorite cookie flavors and this one did not disappoint. The taste did overwhelm the chocolate a bit but who needs chocolate when peanut butter is this good?
Jennifer: There was something familiar about the taste of the peanut butter. It made me nostalgic for peanut butter sandwich cookies I ate as a kid.
— What should our taste team try next? Let us know at newsroom@livingstondaily.com.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: We tried new gourmet cookies in Brighton. Here's what we recommend
