5 cookies in Vail and Beaver Creek to try this winter for après
The only thing that pairs better with cookies than milk is après, right?
One of the many fun activities turned casualties this year in the wake of COVID-19 was Beaver Creek’s beloved Cookie Time. At 3 p.m., in normal world conditions, chefs hand out freshly baked cookies at 3 p.m. on the hill, signaling the start of après and sharing a sweet treat with skiers and snowboarders from near and far.
Cookie Time may temporarily be off the books, but cookies themselves aren’t a health and safety risk. So, continue the tradition in your own right with these five cookies available in Vail, Beaver Creek and Avon at après time.
Westin Riverfront – Giant cookies
Conveniently located right next to the Westin’s gondola, The new Riverfront Market’s cookies are giant, coated in chocolate and peanuts and ready to eat. Stop into the hotel’s general store — remodeled to contain natural, regional, mom-and-pop and socially-conscious brands — for cookies as large as your face. Opt for classic chocolate chip, cranberry-oatmeal or peanut butter (that’s the one with a chocolate and nut coating).
The market also has made-to-order and pre-made lunch and dinner options in addition to snacks, wine and personal care items.
Support Local Journalism
Grant Hyatt Vail – Monster Cookies and Stroopwafel
After a well-rounded trial-and-error process, the Hyatt’s culinary team thinks they’ve found the perfect at-altitude monster cookie recipe. These big-as-your-face cookies are baked with cake and pastry flour, which helps the cookie stay fresh for an extra day, when typically, cookies dry out quicker without moisture in the air up here in the mountains. Additionally, the stroopwafels offer a lighter but just as sweet option: the Dutch treat is two thin, cinnamon-hinted waffles sandwiching a caramel filling, and topped with a chocolate dip and assorted toppings. The idea is to place the stroopwafel over a cup of coffee, tea or other hot drink. The steam melts the caramel inside, leaving you with a decadent treat. The most popular flavors are Oreo monster cookies and nut-coated stroopwafels, but try the other options as well.
The Grand Hyatt has its own lift, Cascade Chair 20. Ski down Cascade Way from Simba on the Lionshead side of the mountain to end at the hotel after a day on the slopes.
Larkspur – Options for everyone
Order online and pick up at your convenience at Larkspur, conveniently located at Golden Peak. All the favorite flavors are on the menu — chocolate chip, M&M, salted peanut butter, spiced oatmeal, double chocolate chip and white chocolate macadamia nut — are $4.99 each. Or, try the cookie special or a brownie for a little extra sweetness. Remember that on-mountain dining is different this year, so be sure to order ahead. Larkspur’s dine-in restaurant is also taking reservations for lunch, apres and dinner, seating parties of 10 or more at dinner.
Yeti’s Grind — An Italian twist
If you’re the type that likes to pair your après with hot coffee, look no further than Yeti’s Grind in Solaris Plaza. Run by locals Marci and Larry Leith, the coffee shop’s first location is on Broadway Street in Eagle, but the Vail Village location offers a similar menu of specialty espresso drinks, breakfast burritos, bagels and more. Try the biscotti — “twice-baked” in Italian — for a different take on the après cookie.
Vail Mountain Coffee & Tea — Add some booze
Serving sweet and savory baked goods at the new Beaver Creek location, where Starbucks used to be, pair a sweet treat with an alcoholic hot beverage such as an Irish coffee, a spiked hot chocolate, chai or an Earl Grey tea latte. The new spot has been popular, so don’t be surprised if there’s a bit of a line to order.