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Best Chocolate Chip Desserts In OC

Chocolate chip cookies header istockphoto
(credit: istockphoto.com)

You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't like chocolate chip cookies. However, if you are looking for a chocolate chip dessert, you have many more options than just cookies. Orange County offers a wide variety of ways for you to get your fix of chocolate chip desserts. Here are some of the best.

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Peanut butter blondie brownie from Blackmarket Bakery (credit: Gary Schwind)

Blackmarket Bakery
2937 Bristol St.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 662-3095
www.blackmarketbakery.com

Blackmarket Bakery has several options to get your chocolate chip fix, but the best one is the peanut butter blondie brownie. First of all, it is hard to go wrong with the chocolate chip-peanut butter combination. In addition to the chocolate chips, this has whole peanuts in it. It is baked perfectly to be just the right amount of chewy. The serving size is substantial enough that you won't feel like you're getting cheated and the brownie is not so heavy that you will feel weighed down.

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Stadium cookie (credit: Gary Schwind)

Stadium Brewing Company
26731 Aliso Creek Road
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
(949) 448-9611
www.tadiumbrewing.com

The chocolate chip cookie at Stadium Brewing is baked when you order it, so it takes a little time, but it is definitely worth the wait. The cookie is baked in a ceramic dish and topped with vanilla ice cream. The smell alone is intoxicating and the taste is even better. The cookie melts in your mouth but the ice cream prevents any scalding. It's a good size cookie and the ice cream only makes it richer, so you might want to share -- or you might not. Try pairing this with the house-brewed blueberry lager.

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Brownie from Cinderella Cakes (credit: Gary Schwind)

Cinderella Cakes
27261 La Paz Road
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
(949) 305-3355
www.cinderellacakes.com

The chocolate brownie at Cinderella Cakes may not look like a big serving of sin, but it sure tastes like it. The two great things about this are that its sweetness is not overpowering and that it is packed with chocolate chips. This is bittersweet chocolate at its finest. There is a little molasses flavor in it that is a nice complement to the chocolate. The brownie is so moist that it doesn't need a beverage. That being said, an espresso is an excellent accompaniment to this dessert if you choose a drink.

Related: Best Places For Pancakes In OC

Chocolate chip gelato Paradiso Gelato
(credit: Gary Schwind)

Gelato Paradiso
448 S. Coast Highway, Suite A
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
(949) 464-9255
www.gelatoparadiso.net

If you're looking for a chocolate chip dessert that isn't a cookie or brownie, Gelato Paradiso is the place to go. As the employees will explain, gelato is creamier and contains fewer calories than ice cream. However, the chocolate chip gelato doesn't taste like it has fewer calories than ice cream. It is rich and creamy and served in a reasonable portion in a cup or cone so it doesn't weigh you down.

Cosmo's Italian Kitchen
(credit: Cosmo's Italian Kitchen)

Cosmo's Italian Kitchen
23411 Aliso Viejo Parkway
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
(949) 448-9040
www.cosmositaliankitchen.com

If you're looking for a chocolate chip dessert that is neither a brownie nor ice cream, try the cannoli at Cosmo's. The chocolate chips are mixed in with the ricotta cheese mixture which is stuffed into a crisp shell. The shell flakes when you cut it and the taste of cinnamon is prominent throughout. This would be excellent with an espresso.

Related: Best Cherry Dishes In Orange County

Gary Schwind is a freelance writer covering all things Orange County. His work can be found on Examiner.com.

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