Best Bite: Strictly Cookies' The Unifier

In this monthly column, Shanghai’s most voracious dining editors scour the city for the best bite of the entire month. From questionable street food to multi-course tasting menus, there’s nothing our intrepid Dining Out team won’t sample. Which mouthful will take home the trophy this month? Read on to find out.

Some of the most important people throughout history have unified countries, peoples and ideas to change the course of human civilisation. Emperor Qin Shi Huang, Galileo, Nelson Mandela… the list goes on. Now Shanghai has a great unifier of its own: Lexie Comstock, resident cookie girl.

The creator of The Unifier, Comstock baked the perfect cookie-brownie hybrid to sate those late night sugar hankerings. “You either crave a brownie or a cookie,” she explains. “I wanted something that shows you can have it all!”

The result is enough to make Cookie Monster consider hyphenating his name. The perfect cross of a cookie and a brownie, The Unifier uses the most important parts of each of the confectionary’s recipes. That means less butter and sugar, but it all adds up to one sweet treat. To get your hands on your very own delectably combined confection, head to The Pantry on Friday or Saturday – designated days for freshly-baked Unifiers at the shop – or order directly from Strictly Cookies’ website. Comstock also stocks her cookie wares at Alsace Pastry.

RMB 35 for a pack of five cookies. The Pantry. 90 Nanyang Lu, near Xikang Lu. Alsace Pastry. Rm. 113, 1181 Xiuyan Lu, near Zhouyuan Lu. Web: www.strictlycookies.com