It solely takes one chew of Shikorina Bakeshop’s berbere caramel cookie to understand you’ve stumbled upon one thing really particular. The store’s baker and proprietor, Hana Yohannes, employs the Ethiopian spice mix berbere, a feisty, smoky combine that varies from recipe to recipe however generally consists of chili, fenugreek, ginger, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, and different components to make for a barely bitter, earthy taste that’s the proper foil for the fudgy ribbons of caramel encased in a chewy cookie.
It doesn’t harm that Shikorina’s Capitol Hill location can be an cute queer oasis, decked out with lavender accents and proudly displaying a lesbian delight flag. An indication above the purple door proclaims, “You deserve a candy little deal with” (appropriately, the phrase shikorina is a time period of endearment that means “sweetness” or “sweetheart” in Tigrinya). The bakery performs a relentless stream of Chappell Roan and different sapphic pop, so I used to be particularly delighted to see that Roan and her drag idol Sasha Colby stopped by throughout Capitol Hill Block Social gathering earlier this summer season. I hope they each received an opportunity to pattern the berbere caramel—if that’s the case, it would simply be your favourite artist’s favourite artist’s favourite cookie.
We’re counting all the way down to 2025 by sharing a few of our favourite cookies on Slog on daily basis in December! As a result of life is difficult, and sugar helps. Will issues get bizarre? Perhaps! There could have been a small fireplace in the course of the first photograph shoot! However hopefully, you will additionally uncover some new favourite treats to get pleasure from this season. Monitor our each day suggestions right here! 🍪
