MANILA, Philippines – All the works of a classic S’more – without the campfire – are what these cookie dreams are made of! No need to go camping for your S’mores fix, because local bakery Cookates’ best-selling S’Mores Cookies will do more than tide you over.

I’m not big on chocolate chip cookies, but Cookates had me reaching for a fourth one in one sitting (they were quite addictive). They’re just the right size (a bit smaller than a coaster) and not overly sweet. They’re the thin, soft, and chewy kind, which I prefer, and Cookates doesn’t scrimp on its toppings – each cookie comes with chunky graham bits, a Hershey’s chocolate block, and a chewy marshmallow that’s torched.

Other ingredients like premium butter, sugar, fresh eggs, chocolate chips, flour, and baking powder are used to create a balanced sweetness and the right chewy texture. They’re also freshly-baked upon order, so they taste comfortingly homemade, and not processed or store-bought.

“First, we whip up the batter by mixing all the cookie ingredients together, and then we chill it before shaping it into cookie balls. Once those cookie balls are ready, we store them in the freezer until a customer places an order. We usually do this prep work in the morning, and we only bake exactly what’s been ordered, so you can be sure everything comes out of the oven fresh and delicious,” Cookates told Rappler about their OG best-selling product.

“They’re a bit of a superstar among our cookies because they require a bit more TLC – more ingredients, more time in and out and in and out of the oven. But the real secret, for me, is the way we bake the Hershey’s and marshmallows – it has to be just right to get that perfect texture,” they added.

Since the cookie dough itself isn’t too sweet, the chocolate bar and roasted marshmallows lend most of the sugary goodness.

Cookates sells the S’mores Cookies in boxes of Small (6 pieces) for P199; Medium (12 pieces) for P345; Large (25 pieces) for P685; and Family (50 pieces) for P1,345.

Cookates also sells Basic Chocolate Chip Cookies, Nutella Cookies, and Matcha Oreo Cookies that are crumblier and firmer, made with white chocolate and real matcha powder for an earthy aftertaste. There are also new Red Velvet Cheesecake and Triple Dark Choco Cheesecake flavors.

Cookates’ S’mores Cookies were already being sold to friends and family back in 2017, when Cookates’ owner Denise found herself with an excess of imported chocolates at home, and wanted to create something special out of them.

“It turned out to be a stroke of luck because the dough was perfect from the very first try. I decided to share it with my colleagues, thinking they were just being polite because it was free food, but soon enough, friends began asking to place orders, and that’s when we realized we had something truly special on our hands,” she added.

Fast forward to 2021, and local business Cookates was launched, now with more new cookie flavors in the pipeline.

Cookates is located in Las Piñas City. You can place your orders via Instagram. – Rappler.com