Do you ever look at a cookie long and hard, say "I'm gonna eat you" in a sort of cowboy-gangsta drawl, and then imagine it screaming when you bite into it?
No, neither do I. Especially not when eating this Red Velvet Cookie from Isabella's Cookie Company.
Wait, what was I talking about? Oh yes, cookies. Namely, the ones in the box of samples I recently received from the aforementioned Isabella's, a boutique cookie company based in Redondo Beach, California (am I the only one who hears Patti Smith saying "gone-gone"?), with availability mostly in the Southern California area (at stores such as Whole Foods) but available for purchase online, too. I was pretty psyched to receive them, because they seem like a cool company. And they offer all of these flavors! Dazzling, no?
In my sample box, there were three flavors: Red Velvet, Ginger, and "The Limey".
What I liked first, before even sampling any of them, was the nice size and satisfying weight of the cookies. They were small-ish, but a good size to enjoy two (not too huge that one is more than enough, but not so tiny that you need like six). They had a satisfying heft, and I had a feeling they'd make a good snacking cookie.
Here's a picture of the Limey from the website. Inspired by Key Lime pie, this cookie has a strong lime presence, but also has bits of handmade graham crackers, white chocolate chips, and --brand new -- they just "added sweet lime-infused vanilla drizzle to make your lips go smack!". It's a tasty cookie, and I like the creative cookie take on a classic pie. 
The other two varieties, it turned out, were both vegan--the V-Ging, a molasses ginger cookie with a vanilla drizzle, and their newest addition, the Vegan Red Velvet cookie. They teamed up with another business, The Buttermilk Truck to create this treat, which "combines the heavenly flavor of their red velvet pancake but topped with a sweet vanilla drizzle."
I'll tell you the truth. I am probably not the most qualified to review the Ginger cookies, because...I do not like ginger cookies. They're like, a second or third choice cookie flavor for me. But an associate who is a fan says that they were moist and chewy and just this side of underbaked...in a good way.
I do, however, feel qualified to tell you about the Red Velvet variety.
Like, yum. There's a nice little cocoa scent to them, and a really nice texture. Moist. Slightly crisped (but not crispy) on the edges. Chewy. Dense in the center, like they are approaching cookie dough, but they have most definitely been baked. An interesting, almost buttermilk type flavor, but gee whiz, they're vegan! I have no idea what they put in them, but this is a very good cookie. Were I to taste it blindfolded, I might not say "Red Velvet" right away if asked to guess the flavor. But I would say it was good. Not too sweet, actually. A hint of cocoa, a lot of nice, dense, slightly soured (in that buttermilk way--good thing) flavor. A nice hit of sugar from the glaze. A perfect cookie with milk.
Overall, I will tell you this--I was impressed. Since I received the samples gratis (I love my life), I didn't know how much they cost when I received them. But I looked it up--$6.50 for a bag of 10. I vote "worth it".
A sweet cookie find indeed!
Isabella's Cookies--find them online (including a store locator) here.
