The Stranger's Cookie Countdown: Day 31

The Cookie

Metropolitan Market

Now, you didn’t think we were going to forget The Cookie, did you? For the grand finale of our Cookie Countdown, we’re singing the hyperbolic yet warranted praises of Seattle’s most essential cookie. 

Normally, I chafe at things that smugly proclaim themselves “the” definitive version of something (see: Alison Roman’s “The Stew”), but in this case, Metropolitan Market’s signature cookie has earned its moniker because it really is just that good. “The Cookie,” as its hordes of devotees refer to it in hushed tones of reverence, has been a constant companion for me since I went to college in Tacoma and spent countless hours roaming the aisles of the Metropolitan Market on Proctor.

Served underbaked and warm from the oven, it’s a marvel of engineering and a true chocolate lover’s cookie, featuring a squidgy dough bound together with not one but two types of melty, luxurious Callebaut Belgian chocolate (both bittersweet and semisweet). Toasted walnuts add crunch, dimension, and a whisper of earthy, nutty bitterness, while a sprinkle of fleur de sel balances all the flavors. It’s the highest calling of a chocolate chip cookie, the apotheosis of Ruth Graves Wakefield’s original Toll House recipe. If I was forced to name a single flaw, it might be that the crinkly paper wrapper suggests it’s suitable for sharing—I tend to disagree.

Side note: If you’re a peanut butter fiend like me, or perhaps not into chocolate or walnuts, don’t sleep on The Cookie’s recently introduced sibling, an equally divine version of the classic peanut butter cookie. It’s packed with peanut butter flavor and has a texture I can only describe as “fudgy.” I purchased a little plastic cup of their peanut butter cookie bites to bring to a picnic this summer, and let’s just say it didn’t survive the car ride.

We're counting down to 2025 by sharing some of our favorite cookies on Slog every day in December! Because life is hard, and sugar helps. Will things get weird? Maybe! There may have been a small fire during the first photo shoot! But hopefully, you'll also discover some new favorite treats to enjoy this season. Track our daily recommendations here! ????