In this Christmas edition of Guide to Greenwich, we ventured to Greenwich, Connecticut, and Port Chester, New York in search of the best Christmas cookie.

Black Forest Pastry Shop

As we entered Black Forest Pastry Shop, a small German pastry shop located off of Greenwich Avenue, we immediately noticed the festive Christmas decorations throughout the store.  The quaint shop was busy with customers purchasing treats, and a sweet aroma of gingerbread filled the air.  The display cases had a wide variety of baked goods, including Christmas cookies.  The employees in the store were happy to assist the customers.

We purchased a snowman cookie for $4.25.  The well-decorated cookie was the perfect size for both of us to share.  The chewy and crunchy textures went well with the layer of icing that coated the surface.  The shortbread portion of the cookie was buttery, while the icing had just the right amount of sweetness.  At first, we were unsure if the cookie would be worth the price, but after we tasted the sweet Christmas treat, we felt it was worth every penny.  

St. Moritz Bakery

We strolled down to the bottom of Greenwich Avenue to reach our next destination, St. Moritz Bakery.  Though the store was not particularly busy, the bakery was well-decorated with Christmas lights, gingerbread houses, and streamers.  The baked goods in the display cases, however, were colorless and dull-looking with minimal Christmas cookie options.

We decided on a Christmas tree cookie for $3.25.  Half of the shortbread cookie had a chocolate coating with sprinkles.  The bland flavor and dry texture of the cookie was disappointing.  The shortbread portion was too crunchy and the chocolate did not add much flavor.

Even though the bakery’s decorations were seasonal and festive, their Christmas baked goods were not up to par.  We look forward to going back in the future with hopes that their other options are more preferable. 

Neri’s Bakery

Our third and final location was Neri’s Bakery, located in the center of Port Chester.  There was a substantial amount of people inside of the bakery shop buying all kinds of baked goods, such as cakes to bagels.  The store had a wide variety of products to choose from as they distribute baked goods to several restaurants in the area.   However, in terms of Christmas cookies, there were not many options.  Neri’s Bakery sells small cookies by the pound, so we bought a cookie for each of us and went outside to try the treat.

For $0.30, we bought two small cookies.  One cookie was a small red Christmas tree and the other cookie was a green Christmas tree.  As we tasted the cookies, we both noticed the mild strawberry flavor.  The bottom of the cookies had a thin layer of chocolate.  In addition to the crunchy texture, the chocolate balanced out the sweet and fruity flavor, making for an enjoyable combination of tastes. 

The cheerful employees made up for the lack of Christmas decorations in the store.  The cookies were good, but not outstanding.  We hope to return to the bakery in the future with hopes of trying more of their products.

Winner

After visiting all three bakeries, the winner of this Guide to Greenwich is Black Forest Pastry Shop.  The cookie was perfectly decorated for the holiday season and was delicious.  The buttery shortbread pastry and the sweet icing made for an excellent balance of flavors.  In addition to the delightful taste, this cookie succeeded at putting us in the Christmas spirit.

Featured Image by Lindsay Benza ’23