A cup or a glass of tea, a sweet Southern cookie or two. That’s what we’re talking about.
Lemon Sugar Cookies from Grey Ghost Bakery
Katherine Frankstone founded Grey Ghost Bakery in Columbia, South Carolina, in 2011, then moved the bakery to Charleston in 2014. She named her business for the Grey Ghost who visits Pawley’s Island and warns residents of storms. Frankstone bakes from family recipes and each has a special twist. There’s the little bit of heat in her Chocolate Cayenne cookies and the crunch in her Almond Toffee cookies made bits of buttery toffee from Spartanburg’s Dottie’s Toffee. We loved the pearl sugar that tops her Lemon Sugar cookies for its crunchy sweet contrast to the citrus flavor. Each cookie is formed by hand, and in the case of the Lemon Sugar cookies, they’re rolled in the pearl sugar so it coats tops, sides and bottom. If you’re looking for a cookie to accompany a bowl of fresh fruit, this is the one you want.
$4.99 per 4-ounce can. $8.99 per 8-ounce package. Available at Whole Foods Market, The Fresh Market, Farmview Market, HomeGrown in Decatur and online at greyghostbakery.com/
Sweet Monsoon from The Chai Box
Are you a fan of chai? Then you need to meet Monica Sunny of The Chai Box who founded her company to share her love of chai with the rest of us. She travels to the tea plantations of Kerala, India, to select the black tea and spices that are part of their blends, and she also sources tea from Darjeeling and Assam, India, famous for their namesake teas, as well. We tried Sweet Monsoon, a mix of black tea, mango, coconut, cinnamon clove and mango extract. It’s very coconut-forward, befitting a blend that was inspired by Kerala, a place Sunny calls “the land of coconuts.” We can’t wait to try Punjaban Party spiced with fennel and candied ginger and All Chai’d Up with its traditional masala chai flavors including clove, cinnamon and cardamom.
$12 per 2-ounce bag. Available at Bread and Butter Bakery, Copper Coin, Cultivate Food & Coffee, East Pole Coffee, Fellows, Good Kitchen & Market, Grant Park Farmers Market, Sama Food for Balance, Star Provisions, Waller's Coffee Shop and online at thechaibox.com/.
Fig Newnans from Let Them Eat Toffee
Phyllis Graham of Let Them Eat Toffee! in Newnan says Fig Newnans are one of her best-selling sweets. “I describe them to customers as a ‘fig Twinkie’.” Each is made from two graham crackers sandwiched with fig spread and then covered with dark chocolate. One is a substantial treat by itself and so rich you really will want a cup or glass of tea alongside. The shop specializes in several kinds of old-fashioned handmade sweets including Ritz crackers covered in dark chocolate, Georgia pecan toffee and candied orange strips covered in dark chocolate. You’ll have to stop by the shop to find out just why dark chocolate is such a customer favorite.
$3 per 2-piece package, $20 for 16. Individual cookies available for $1.50 at the shop. Available at the General Store in Serenbe and at Let them eat Toffee!, 18A North Court Square, Newnan. letthemeattoffee.com/index.html
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