Dessert: Cookie craze

Has the cupcake bubble finally burst? Our city's sweets scene, long overrun by adorable cupcake-centric bakeries, has suddenly been hit with a wave of cookie mania. Not that cookies have ever been out, but they're suddenly very "in."

Joining the ranks of gourmet cookie darlings like Rogue Bakery is Cookie Cravings, a new cookies-only shop in Italian Village. And home bakery Yellow Duck Cookies generated a lot of social media buzz over the holidays with customizable cut-outs.

Here's a look at these two new cookie purveyors.

Cookie Cravings

Location: 227 E. Third Ave., Italian Village

Open since: December

Specialty: Decorated cutout cookies in all sorts of fun shapes, from ironic hipster mustaches to coffee mugs to tie-dyed T-shirts.

How do they taste?: More like shortbread than a traditional sugar cookie, with a nice glossy glaze. The Lemon Rosemary is a great, subtle cookie for those who like savory over sugary.

Additional flavors: Lemon Rosemary, Honey Cardamom and Lavender Shortbread

For Valentine's Day: The shop is taking orders for custom Valentine's cookies. Think heart shapes decorated with personalized messages.

Website: cookiecravingsbakery.com

Yellow Duck Cookies

Location: Owner Missy Linton bakes cookies out of her Clintonville home.

Open since: April 2011

Specialty: Ohio pride. You'll find vanilla-flavored, Ohio-shaped sugar cookies iced with Script Ohio, plus Buckeye cookies made with local peanut butter and cocoa.

How do they taste?: Soft and moist, with a fluffy homemade-style icing

Additional flavors: Chocolate, raspberry, blackberry, lemon, eggnog and peppermint

For Valentine's Day: A special V-Day basket ($50) comes with six customizable conversation heart cut-outs, six M&M cookies and four mini red cut-out sandwiches.

Website: yellowduckcookies.weebly.com

· Shelley Mann is the editor of Crave, Columbus' dining magazine. Keep up with her atColumbusCrave.com.