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Monday, August 27, 2012

Reviews Nothing cookie-cutter about Kris and Sam's Cookie Store

Posted by Daniel Walker on Mon, Aug 27, 2012 at 10:01 AM

It's not everyday that you see a dedicated cookie store. I sometimes wonder why this is so. Obviously, the cupcake shops continue to explode across the country and seem to show no signs of stopping anytime soon, and their predecessors, the regular ole’ cake shop, will likely always be relevant so long as there are birthdays, weddings, and baby showers. You'll occasionally see a dedicated pie shop, which I adore with my whole heart, but these are much less common than they were in days past. But not many cookie shops. I've been to a few in my life, and I've eaten some truly spectacular cookies, and were there more shops to be found I could easily find myself becoming a regular patron. It's darn near impossible to be grumpy with a cookie in your clutches. And the options are nearly endless, the sheer variety of cookie possibilities makes a dedicated cookie shop not only a wonderful idea, but almost an American necessity in my mind. And don't try to tell me that the generic, artificially-flavored mall cookie shop run by some pimple-faced 16-year old is going to cut it. It ain’t.

Kris and Sam's Cookie Store is headed by owner and cookie mastermind, Vicki Adams. Located at the corner of Bowman and Kanis, they are housed in a rather indiscrete shop, with an indiscrete sign hovering just below a larger more prominent sign for some cleaners. It's not the kind of place you typically go looking for cookies. Nonetheless, if cookies are to be had, in many of their glorious varieties, Kris and Sam’s can fulfill all your wildest chocolate chip speckled dreams.

As you walk through the doors of Kris and Sam’s you are immediately confronted with a large display case chock full of beautiful cookies from end-to-end. They offer no less than two-dozen different varieties of cookies, brownies, cake balls, and other sweet treats. Narrowing your cookie selections can be a rather daunting process, but luckily, the prices here are so reasonable, your cookie selections are likely going to be more limited by your stomach space than your wallet. And if you want to think about your cookies over lunch, they are also offering a sizable variety of lunch box classics like grilled cheese sandwiches, pimento cheese, chef salads, wraps, and roasted chicken breast salad.

I was surprised to hear that one of Kris and Sam’s most popular items is the simple iced sugar cookie. Seems rather simplistic, but when a place is doing something so simple this well, you know they are doing things right. The sugar cookies are moist, chewy and buttery, iced with a light, colorfully decorated glaze that complements the thin cookies perfectly without driving the whole creation into over-sweetness.

I could probably ramble on to unnecessarily long lengths about how lovely these each variety of cookie is, but I will simply limit my profession of love to some of my personal favorites. The standard chocolate chip cookie may seem like something that would be hard to screw up. Not so…too often I’ve had horrible iterations of this American classic at other stores, usually never coming close to something I could create at home. Kris and Sam’s however has one killer chocolate chip cookie recipe. They have managed to find the perfect ratio of chocolate to cookie, with deep, rich undertones of brown sugar and butter. They are tender and chewy, light but densely flavorful. Darn near perfect.

No-bake cookies have never been a favorite of mine. I’ve always found the mouthfeel of raw oatmeal unappealing and would typically never choose these over a more standard baked variety. However, when Vicki told me I should definitely sample one here, I did not put up a fight. I can honestly say this is the first time I’ve enjoyed a no-bake cookie. Here they come in both chocolate and peanut butter varieties. The texture and taste of these cookies are divine. You are not getting a mouthful of raw oats, instead these are more like a dense fudge with a slightly chewy texture. They are quite soft and pliable, not crispy in the least, and are meant to be inhaled quickly in no more than a bite or two. Another winner among an elite cookie line-up.

I’ll also add my personal endorsement to the strawberry white chocolate cookies, lemon iced, and lemon shortbread, but it’s difficult to find a dud among the entire group. Kris and Sam’s is a place that will bring a smile to every child’s face and a tear to the eye of every sweet tooth junkie in town. Why we don’t see more dedicated cookie stores around town is beyond me, but no problem, Kris and Sam’s seems to have the market cornered for now.

Kris and Sam’s Cookie Store
1208 S. Bowman Rd.
Little Rock

Tags: Kris and Sam's, Cookies, Chocolate Chips

        
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