Breakfast Club at Four & Twenty Blackbirds

For most Americans, pie season is over. Pumpkin, apple and pecan treats are of a season past, and the preferable winter indulgences are cakes and bonbons. But if you happen to live near Four & Twenty Blackbirds in Gowanus, then pie is a yearlong celebration.

(You might even want a slice of malted chocolate pecan, along with a baked oatmeal muffin, for breakfast.)

Chicks who bake

Don’t believe vegan baked goods can taste good? Get one of these cupcakes in your mouth.

Usually I'm skeptical of bakers who don't have storefronts. But I sampled some of Jen Houston and Charley Tucker's (of This Chick Bakes) treats, which are distributed to kickass cafes throughout the city, and my belly and I were happy.

The vegan cupcake was fresh-from-a-bake-sale moist and delicious (not soggy), with just a thin layer of frosting with crunchy dot sprinkles.

The raisin coconut oatmeal cookie (not vegan) was a cinnamon-y cookie, filled with chewy raisins, coconut shavings and chunks of semi-sweet chocolate. It was sort of like an "everything but the kitchen sink" cookie. Dee-lish.

And the café latte cookie was pretty mild and savory. Except that giant coverage of white chocolate that sweetened it up.

This chick bakes. And she bakes well.

Check out 71 Irving, Joe's, Gimme Coffee & 88 Orchard

Where's the peanut butter?

The thing about a sandwich cookie is that it's a sandwich. Which means there should be some filling.

I was suckered into buying an oatmeal cream'wich at 'wichcraft — the flavors were too good to pass up (and mark my words: sandwich cookies are going to be the new cupcakes).

As I waited for my toasted PB&J sandwich, I tackled the cookie. Being a sandwich, naturally I broke it apart like an Oreo.

What I saw didn't please me. Because I didn't see much.

So I complained that they were a bit chintzy with the filling.

I think the gal behind the counter didn't know if I was serious until she looked at my face. But then she graciously responded and obliged me with a big squirt from the pastry bag.


Which made for an interesting sandwich cookie.

In the end, I actually liked the cookie part better than the filling.

Jammies and chippers

Seriously. What did we do before these mobile bakeries rolled into town? They dispense childish thrills (like playing Wii or watching Step Brothers) as keenly as heavenly snacks.

Kim Ima’s Treats Truck (named Sugar) is no exception. The shiny silver bullet is a beacon of happiness in midtown’s choked streets, serving up freshly baked cookies, brownies, bars and rice crispy treats. I stood in a line that was at least 15 deep (only two men, but who’s counting?) for my share of sugar.

I tried three sweets from the arsenal, an apricot oatmeal jammy being my favorite. It was chewy, and the oatmeal cookie had a nice nutty flavor that was perfectly complemented by the beautiful, zingy apricot preserves spread on top. Nicely sized, too.

The raspberry brownie was another excellent flavor pairing. (Is there anyone who doesn’t love that combo?) The raspberry jam was a little strong and sweet, but the brownie part was stellar: rich, chewy and chocolaty.


The chocolate chip cookie, “chocolate chipper” in Treats Truck Speak, was solid. It’s tough to beat some of Manhattan’s heavyweights, but this is a good cookie. Or, as the Treats Truck itself proclaims, “Not too fancy, always delicious.”