Cookies & Cupcakes - The Undercover Story...

Cookie Confidential's Cheesesteak Cookies are shipped from Philly to fans around the country.  The cheesesteak cookie is based on an old German recipe. 

Cookie Confidential's bakery is situated on the corner of 5th and Gaskill -- just north of Johnny Rockets on South Street.  The bakery and coffee shop is distinguished by its 'in yer face' color scheme (fierce red and lime green) and its equally strident "Cookie Confidential" graphics. 

The modernist interior with its exposed surfaces and rough-hewn wooden cladding contrasts with the oh-so-dainty cookies and fluffy buttercream cupcakes on display. 

Take a bite of one of Cookie Confidential's melt in your mouth pushpop cupcakes and you just know that these cakes are made with loving care...

One of our favorite inventions by Cookie Confidential is this unique pushpop cupcake. 

The pushpops are in heavy demand, particularly for children's parties, because of their mess free design and portability; they make great party favors and keep for up to a week in a fridge.

Another distinguishing characteristic of Cookie Confidential is its use of meat in its cookies.  Bacon seems to go down particularly well....

We didn't get to try the bacon peanut brittle or the maple bacon cupcakes, but will be returning to Cookie Confidential someday soon to buy a quantity as presents for the upcoming Holiday season. 

Cookie Confidential ships to fans all over the U.S.  The easiest way to mail order their cookies is through the bakery's website. 

Owner, Melissa Torre, is no stranger to the area.  Prior to founding Cookie Confidential, Melissa was a bartender at Tattoo Mom's on South Street. 

She has now been baking on South 5th for just over a year. The bakery/coffeeshop is open to the public Thursdays through to Sunday, with late night opening on Fri and Sat nights. 

Cookie Confidential has a cult following amongst those who have discovered her terrific organic cookies and cakes, as Melissa explains: "We have people jump in a cab from the other side of town to grab some cookies for lunch or to take home.  We've had an online store for years and ship our meat cookies particularly all over the U.S.  And customers are always trying to suggest new meat-based flavors to us!  We've never tried a seafood cookie before but I'm experimenting on that at the moment - using the very small dried shrimps that you find in Asian stores.

"We try to use all organic ingredients from Lancaster Farm Fresh - we use organic flour, butter and eggs, for example, and all our colorings are as natural as possible. I also ensure that our packaging is recyclable, hence we use the brown bags for pretty much everything."

Cookie Confidential releases two new flavor cookies per month. 

We can't wait 'til the Holiday season when Melissa will be reintroducing the peppermint sugar cookie.  Roll on Winter we say...