Treat: Mary’s Triple Chocolate Pecan Cookie
Restaurant: Verve Coffee Roasters
Price: $3.50

You might remember when I sang the praises of a glorious cookie in my piece about the bests of Santa Cruz. Really, this cookie deserves its own post. In truth, it deserves to be crowned by the Queen of England. But since I currently don’t have a direct line to my pal Queen Lizzy, I’ll just have to appreciate it all on my own.

To begin with, it’s huge. I like to think it’s big enough to qualify as a meal. Or it’s good for sharing, if you’re into that sorta thing. This cookie is the perfect combo of chewy and crunchy, with three different kinds of chocolate hand cut by none other than Mary herself. To help paint a picture, Mary is this fantastic older lady, with a full curly head of hair, who, every time she brings out new cookies, will just chatter away about this and that and her latest “cookie experiment,” carrying in containers of crazy cookie concoctions every other day (triple chocolate caramel pretzel, triple chocolate cocoa candy caramel, i.e. sugar heaven). It is rare that there are cookies left by the end of the day.

I love the triple chocolate pecan because for one, it reminds me of Mom’s cookies, but a bit elevated. I love the classic combo of pecans and chocolate. One bite and I’m in chocolate heaven, with gooey melted chocolate, buttery pecans and the crunch of oats.

Perhaps now you understand why I’m always reluctant to share?

Kelsey Krasnigor ordinarily likes to consider herself a good sharer, but when it comes to these cookies, the cookie may or may not barely make it to the table before being devoured.