Floriole Bakery And Cookies | Chicago, IL

This month, Tasting Table is sweet on holiday cookies. This is the seventh in our 12-part series, 12 Days of Cookies.

"I got really obsessed," says Sandra Holl.

The owner of Lincoln Park's Floriole Bakery claims she ate an oatmeal cookie every day while pregnant. Inspired by those from Fox & Obel in River East, she baked and tweaked, over and over again, until her recipe was perfected.

And today, her oatmeal-cherry-pecan cookies rank among our favorite in the city (click here to see the recipe).

Though we're wild for her French apple cake, cornmeal-lime sable cookies and passionfruit tarts, we're most fond of these chunky, chewy disks packed with local dried apples and cherries, Missouri pecans and a larger-than-usual helping of oats.

There are other reasons for an immediate trip to Floriole. With the help of farmer and chef Abra Berens, who is in the kitchen for the winter season, Holl has bolstered the bakery's savory offerings. Go in the morning for breakfast baguette sandwiches of roasted tomatoes and cheddar, or bacon, baked egg, pickled onions and cheese.

At lunch, new dishes like wheatberry salad with pomegranate and raisins, split-pea soup with ham, and braised white beans with kale are excellent precursors to a cookie.

Floriole Bakery, 1220 W. Webster Ave.; 773-883-1313 or floriole.com