A ‘New Yorker’ cookie range that’s manufactured in The Netherlands and sold in the Lion City – that’s as global as a cookie can get!

Is there really a chocolate cookie that defines New York? To me, the possibility of an apple dessert representing New York would be more likely as the state’s capital is the Big Apple! And the state is also home to some of the most serene locations with nature, therefore, a fruit would fit the bill! Well, technically, cacao pods (where chocolate and cocoa are derived from) are classified as fruits. Once again, I geared up with my sleuthing cap on and magnifying glass (metaphorically) to uncover more about this mysterious cookie.

Based on what I’ve gathered from multiple recipes and articles, the cookie that seems to be synonymous to a ‘New York cookie’ is Levain Bakery’s chocolate chip cookie. Founded in 1995, Levain Bakery is from New York City and their renowned chocolate chip cookies look incredible – I wish I could have a huge bite of the real deal! From my research, these cookies are associated with New York quite a fair bit. Everyone’s raving about them! Their cookies are firm on the outside, and soft on the inside – with melted chocolate chips and a chewy cookie dough. The classic version that put Levain Bakery on the map includes chopped walnuts. It’s the city’s pride and joy, and I can see why.

It seems like New York’s beloved cookie has made waves in the cookie realm – countless cookie-lovers from other parts of the world have been inspired by the bakery to create their very own tastes of NYC at home.

After bits of investigating, I reached the assumption that this Dutch cookie would be an European interpretation of a “New York” cookie. It wouldn’t be identical to an American-style cookie, but rather, a union of two contrasting cookie worlds. It turned out that my hunch was right!

European-style cookies (most commonly referred to as ‘biscuits’) are relatively opposite from their American counterparts. Instead of being incredibly so soft and chewy that you’ll sink your teeth into them seamlessly, they’re crumbly and crunchy. More often than not, cookies refer to soft and chewy biscuits in the world of European treats.

Unlike the original New York cookie, the exterior comprises of chocolate/cocoa in the biscuit batter itself, along with speckles of chocolate chips. I’ve therefore dubbed this cookie as a ‘double chocolate’ cookie. Yum! Each baked delight is roughly the size of my palm, which makes it an excellent serving size (in my opinion, at least). In the words of Goldilocks, it’s “just right”.

The real showstopper, which lies in the heart of the biscuit, pounces out and exclaims “hello, world!”. These European biscuits emulate the experience of biting into an American cookie, and this version ties in the experience of tasting smooth melted chocolate chips in the center. A contrast of smoothness and crispiness works in the biscuit’s favor, as textures from two different worlds blend nicely in every chocolatey bite – hence creating a whole new world (cue the song!). Chocolate chips + smooth chocolate + chocolate biscuit = pure bliss! The part that’s different is the absence of walnuts.

Another noticeable difference that is expected in this international fare is the star of this cookie show is European-style chocolate, which possesses a distinct taste from American chocolate. In the chocolate family tree, it’s the first cousin of British and Australian chocolates.

Along with my corner of the world, I reckon this biscuit range is venturing around various continents. As I turned the package, I detected several words that are familiar to me in different languages. Information such as ‘Produced in the Netherlands’ is printed in German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French, Finnish, Danish, Swedish and two or three more languages – along with Dutch and English. As everyone in the Lion City says, food brings people together. This global cookie reflects that!