Long thought of as after-school snacks and Santa’s favorite treats, cookies have now gone beyond child’s play. There are cookies made by Michelin-starred chefs, cookies as big as babies’ heads, and even cookies with meat in them. Drop the Chips Ahoy, and back away slowly. Here are some sophisticated bakeries that specialize in cookies fit for the finest foodie’s palate.

Levain Bakery

This tiny store on the UWS is devoted to making cookies that weigh almost a quarter of a pound. Started by two athletes, this store has cookies that come in four varieties, but the dark chocolate peanut butter has the biggest number of devotees. The cookies are crisp on the outside and gooey and delightfuly undercooked in the middle and are laden with nutty peanut butter chips and bittersweet chocolate dough. You might not think you can eat a whole cookie, but one bite in and you will be surprised at how your appetite has expanded.

Bouchon Bakery

If you don’t have the dough to drop on a $250 tasting menu at Per Se, sample Thomas Keller’s fare at his casual Bouchon Bakery in the Time Warner Center. Though you can try macarons, gourmet sandwiches, or quiches at this simple takeaway spot, his cookies are most lauded. The TKO, his take on the Oreo, consists of two homemade chocolate wafers filled with a thick, rich buttercream filling. His Nutter Butter is a similar upgrade on the classic in which two large peanut butter cookies are filled with sweet, creamy peanut butter frosting. Who says a Michelin-starred chef doesn’t make food under $10?

Schmackary’s

Hell’s Kitchen now boasts its very own cookie emporium. Amongst the many varieties, including several rotating gluten-free options, is the popular Maple Bacon. This brown sugar-based cookie has toffee bits, maple syrup, and shards of candied bacon sprinkled throughout the cookie. Soft and sweet, mixed with pieces of crunchy sea salt, this is breakfast for dessert. Forget pancakes and bacon, cookies and bacon is what you will be craving the Sunday morning after you try this cookie!