<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tashadoestulsa/4351932170/" title="Valentine's Day at Merritt's Bakery by Tasha Does Tulsa, on Flickr"><img alt="Valentine's Day at Merritt's Bakery" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4351932170_090926c779.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />Finally, I caved. <a href="http://twitter.com/merrittsbakery">After drooling over the Twitter feed of Merritt's Bakery all week long</a>, I finally gave in and took my son to the Midtown location of <a href="http://merrittsbakery.com/">Merritt's Bakery</a>, at 15th and Harvard. There's only so many photos of sugary, frosted goodness a mortal girl can take, especially this close to Valentine's Day.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>The cases at Merritt's are full - bursting, actually - of tasty, V-Day themed treats. There were tuxedo-style chocolate-covered strawberries - you know, the kind with the long, delicate stems. There were rose-topped petit fours. There were heart-shaped, frosted cakes and boxes of cake truffles and trays of assorted, red-and-white trimmed treats. Oh, my.<br /><br />And, there were cookies. Lord have mercy, were there cookies.<br /><br />We liked this one.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tashadoestulsa/4351181745/" title="Valentine's Day at Merritt's Bakery by Tasha Does Tulsa, on Flickr"><img alt="Valentine's Day at Merritt's Bakery" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4015/4351181745_7478591930.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />It's a classic sugar cookie, topped with Merritt's trademark frosting to look like one of those conversation hearts we all like to play with at this time of year.<br /><br />Here's what happened when I put this show-stopping cookie in front of my two-year-old. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tashadoestulsa/4351181745/" title="Valentine's Day at Merritt's Bakery by Tasha Does Tulsa, on Flickr"><img alt="Valentine's Day at Merritt's Bakery" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4015/4351181745_7478591930.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tashadoestulsa/4351930756/" title="Valentine's Day at Merritt's Bakery by Tasha Does Tulsa, on Flickr"><img alt="Valentine's Day at Merritt's Bakery" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2757/4351930756_086eb226ea.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tashadoestulsa/4351930970/" title="Valentine's Day at Merritt's Bakery by Tasha Does Tulsa, on Flickr"><img alt="Valentine's Day at Merritt's Bakery" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4030/4351930970_357c6db3f7.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tashadoestulsa/4351182463/" title="Valentine's Day at Merritt's Bakery by Tasha Does Tulsa, on Flickr"><img alt="Valentine's Day at Merritt's Bakery" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4035/4351182463_1e90d9724d.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />How do you like my time-lapse photography skills? Yeah, that's right. Fear this. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tashadoestulsa/4351931442/" title="Valentine's Day at Merritt's Bakery by Tasha Does Tulsa, on Flickr"><img alt="Valentine's Day at Merritt's Bakery" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4065/4351931442_7987c9a9a1.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />Here's the kid doing his ritual glancing about before sinking his teeth into something that will surely ruin his appetite for whatever nutritious fodder he may or may not have consumed at lunchtime. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tashadoestulsa/4351182955/" title="Valentine's Day at Merritt's Bakery by Tasha Does Tulsa, on Flickr"><img alt="Valentine's Day at Merritt's Bakery" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2741/4351182955_6390f8be48.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />Yikes - there's the evil eye. A kid behind us was looking at our cookie. How freaking dare he.<br /><br />No matter now. It's time for the kill. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tashadoestulsa/4351932170/" title="Valentine's Day at Merritt's Bakery by Tasha Does Tulsa, on Flickr"><img alt="Valentine's Day at Merritt's Bakery" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4351932170_090926c779.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tashadoestulsa/4351932344/" title="Valentine's Day at Merritt's Bakery by Tasha Does Tulsa, on Flickr"><img alt="Valentine's Day at Merritt's Bakery" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2786/4351932344_3cb6e9b631.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />Dear Lord, I would just like to thank you right now for putting Valentine's Day before Lent this year. Because penitence and this cookie could not have occupied my little body at the same time without serious complications. <br /><br />Nom, nom. Amen. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tashadoestulsa/4351183911/" title="Valentine's Day at Merritt's Bakery by Tasha Does Tulsa, on Flickr"><img alt="Valentine's Day at Merritt's Bakery" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2702/4351183911_b9a1f4043e.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />I know scads of TDT readers have been following Merritt's on Twitter this week. I know because we've been writhing in pain and wanting together, @-replying each other with threats to meet there to clean out the entire bakery. <br /><br />Here in a minute you won't be able to say that I didn't give you a legitimate excuse to try to do just that. <br /><br /><b>Leave a comment on this post. </b>You can tell me what you hope to get for Valentine's Day, what you got me for Valentine's Day, why you hate Valentine's Day thank you very much, what shoe size you wear or even your ABC's. It doesn't matter. Just leave a comment, and fast. I'm accepting them only until 4:30pm today (Friday).<br /><br />Please the gods at Random.org and&nbsp;<b>take home a half-dozen Valentine's Day-themed cupcakes for absolutely free</b><b>. Today. In just a few hours. Practically right now.</b> In fact, they're probably being decorated just for you, right this very second. How does that make you feel? <br /><br />I have a total of a dozen cupcakes to give, so I'll choose two winners.<br /><br />Merritt's or bust, y'all! Good luck.