Overheard at the gym this morning, “How many cookies did you try? I had six.” Did I mention this was a coach? Even for professional trainers, restraint and discipline take a back seat to the joy of sharing a holiday treat this month. Whether you’re traveling or hosting this holiday season, these local spots can help you spark joy, a sugar rush, or both:
BIY Foods Bakery Café
Cookie shot cups with an inside coating of chocolate ($4), Oreo-stuffed cookies ($2.25), and cinnamon brown sugar cruffins–croissant-dough muffins–($4.50) are just a few of the creative scratch-made bakery items coming out of the former Dunkin’ space at the corner of Lowell and Woburn Streets. Romanian pastry chef and owner Ramona Ciucurita offers an impressive spread of sweet and savory baked items each morning. There is usually at least one gluten-free treat available—this month it’s a chocolate chip scone ($5.50). The refrigerated case is filled with 10 different frosted cupcakes ($3.95), slices of European-style layered cakes ($3.25 and up), and anything else that Ciucurita is inspired to bake. Don’t sleep on the coffee cake ($4.25)–crispy and sweet on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside, it can stand on its own but complements the Atomic Coffee Roasters coffee and espresso brewed here.
Holiday shoppers: a limited number of cookie tins are available this season; if you miss the tins, bags of feta cumin breadsticks ($9 for a half-pound bag) and scone biscotti are sure to please. 317 Woburn St., (781) 698-2907, https://biyfoods.com
Center Goods
Monica and Tom Rogan of Goodnow Farms Chocolate in Sudbury have been a force in the local artisanal food movement since they began making small-batch, single-origin chocolate bars in 2016. Chocolate doesn’t get more precise in flavor than this; the Rogans do not just source premium cacao to grind into specialty chocolate, they purchase extra beans from their partner farmers to press into single-origin cacao butter that keeps each of their chocolates tasting true to the terroir in which the beans are grown. The result is a cleaner and more aromatic flavor – and annual awards from five different industry groups, including Sofi, “the Oscars” of artisanal foods. Local beverage companies George Howell Coffee and Boston Harbor Distillery are featured in the Goodnow lineup available at Center Goods; 77% dark chocolate bars Las Palomas Coffee and Putnam Rye Whiskey are perennial crowd favorites ($14-15). Goodnow co-owner Monica Rogan says of the caramelized onion bar, “when he [Tom] told me he wanted to make this bar, I thought it was a horrible idea.” Tom admits it is a polarizing flavor, but earlier this year it was crowned their seventh consecutive win from the Good Food Awards. Tasting tip: think of the caramelized onion bar not as candy but as a sweeter descendant of the savory Mexican mole genre. Center Goods owner Erica Bouchard Rabins says the caramelized onion bar is “one of the most interesting and complex chocolates I’ve ever had.”
Goodnow’s House Blend Hot Cocoa ($13.50 for a bag that serves 6) is a sipping indulgence. Bright fruit flavors of cacao – a tropical plant – are balanced with just enough added sugar to create a delightful drinking chocolate. Don’t hesitate to make a large mug –this hot cocoa has the least amount of added sugar we’ve ever seen and yet boasts a mouthfeel that is rich, sweet, and smooth. 30 Waltham St., (781) 816-5022, https://center-goods.com
Liberty Sweets
Time slows down when you step in the door at Lexington’s newest retail shop, Liberty Sweets. With hundreds of different candies packed neatly into less than 1,000 square feet, looking for a nostalgic favorite is like diving into a real world Where’s Waldo. Bonbons and fudge from North Shore candymaker Winfrey’s Fudge & Chocolates fill two large glass display cases. Vermont-based Lake Champlain Chocolate offerings include four different hot chocolate mixes, boxes of truffles, and other holiday novelties. Oversized candy canes from Hammond’s fill apothecary jars by the register and are organic. Classic candy shop favorites like gumballs, gummi worms, and taffy are sold in bulk ($15.95/lb) while their modern freeze dried counterparts are available in three-ounce bags ($11). Jars of Brooklyn-based Fine & Raw vegan and Kosher chocolate hazelnut butter spreads ($15) share shelf space with cellophane bags of peanut brittle, non-pareils, colorful jellied fruit slices, and so much more (~$6). If you’re lucky enough to find yourself in line with some of Lexington’s younger citizens, may their carefree spirit offer a welcome respite from the rush of today’s busy, modern world. This is small-town living at its best. 1841 Massachusetts Ave., (781) 538-6427
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