I adore cookies. I adore them so much that they just seem to call out to me as I walk past them in the shops. They're soft and gooey and a sugary snippet of Heaven. So when my friend called me and asked if I would visit Ms. Cupcake, a vegan bakery in Brixton with her (and promptly made me scroll through their Instagram), she didn't have to ask twice
Beth and I are both big foodies and enjoy trying out different kinds of edible trends. When we first met, we bonded over the fact that we both liked Chia seed pudding; we celebrated the end of exams by heading out to Whole Foods (and loved every second of it); her mad idea of going vegan for Lent inspired my own attempt a year later.
It doesn't take much convincing to get us to sample different kinds of sustainable diets on a normal day but this endeavour followed an evening of us watching Cowspiracy and then promptly sitting in silence and contemplating whether veganism really was the best way to go.
Our newly-rekindled enthusiasm knew no bounds. So off we went, wandering a good mile and a half, drenched in sweat thanks to the heatwave. I complained a lot; she just grinned.
We eventually found the bakery and stood there for about ten minutes just marvelling at the choices: the freezers were stocked full with ice cream; "chicken" tikka sandwiches perched on the top shelf of the fridge; behind the counter sat rows of baked goods. There were even "sausage" rolls cooking in the oven.
Anyone who knows me is aware that I can't make a decision to save my life so inevitably, the seemingly infinite options were a nightmare. I was convinced that I wanted something savoury for lunch but the endless choice of sweet delights was making me doubt myself. Everything looked amazing.
Furthermore, I hate asking questions that I don't know the answers to and since the sausage rolls didn't seem to be ready, I eventually went with a safe bet: the salted caramel and pecan cookie sandwich (think gigantic, soft, different flavoured Viennese Whirl) .
Salted caramel is one of my main weaknesses in life so there was no way I wasn't going to enjoy the cookie sandwich but still, after the first bite, I was completely overwhelmed. I was smitten. Sold. The cookies were the perfect texture of gooey yet still crumbly while the buttercream was sweet (perhaps overly so) and melted in my mouth.
It was sheer vegan perfection.
Beth was not to be outdone and followed her first bite of her Bakewell tart cookie sandwich with a very satisfied groan and nod (see evidence below).
We sat in silence devouring our cookie sandwiches, the sun streaming onto our table and the busy chatter of Brixton echoing around us. It was bliss.
And honestly, it was the best cookie sandwich I'd ever had. There was absolutely nothing that hinted that it was dairy-free, egg-free and cruelty-free — it was that damn good! Normal cookie sandwiches I've tried in the past did not match up to this one and I left the bakery very satisfied, very smiley, and very full of sugar.
And you should, too. Whether you're vegan or not — whether like us, your conscience is getting the better of you or if you literally do not care — you should pop along to Ms. Cupcake and grab yourself a cookie sandwich. I promise that you'll never look back.
So until next time, Ms. Cupcake.