Photograph by Peden & Munk

“These are the best cookies I have ever eaten!” “Where did you get these?” “Who made these?” “Seriously, where do I find them?” For the most part, that’s how the interrogation began moments after unleashing the Chocolate Chunk-Pumpkin Seed Cookies upon my colleagues. Some of the cookies somehow found their way around the campus buildings and that’s when the deluge of phone calls, texts, and emails began. I was sought out and I basked in the glow of celebrity. I became Kardashian-like for the next few hours. And it was all unintentional.

See, I had made lunch for my employees as a way of thanking them for a job well done. The cookie recipe arrived via a recent issue of Bon Appétit Magazine. How could I have anticipated that cookies could create such a kerfuffle? The fact that they were a creation of Travis Lett, brilliant chef and owner of Los Angeles hot spot-bar-bakery-deli-pizzeria-coffee shop-smokehouse, Gjusta, should have tipped me off. It was recently voted as one of America’s best new restaurants.

Eating this cookie is a great privilege. It’s sumptuously rich chocolate essence gives rise to the chewy brownie texture. Spicy nodes appear by way of the smoked paprika. The toasted pumpkin seeds lend some crunch and provide a compelling counter to the sprinkled sea salt. Crowned the undisputed best by many, this cookie is God-kissed, splendid and unmistakably delicious. And it was by far the best thing I ate this month.

Get the recipe for Chocolate Chunk-Pumpkin Seed Cookies from the Bon Appétit Magazine website.