What's your favorite chocolate chip cookie from a package?
The testers at Consumer Reports recently gave "Very Good" ratings to two popular brands of packaged cookies - Health Valley's Mini Chocolate Chip and Keebler Chips Deluxe Original.
According to their experts, to receive high ranks a cookie needs to be "well-blended, flavorful and have a good chip-to-cookie ratio.
Back in college when I was a regular buyer of packaged chocolate chip cookies, Keebler Chocolate Chip Cookies were a personal favorite. I've never tried the Health Valley cookies.
These days my favorite packaged chocolate chip cookies come from Tate's Bake Shop but they're only available online and in higher end and specialty grocery stores, like Lucy's Healthy Marketplace, here in Phoenix.
If you happen to see them, give them a try. You won't be disappointed!
They are an all natural cookie free of any artificial flavorings, additives or preservatives. This is what's on the ingredients list: Dark chocolate chips, flour, butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, baking soda, salt, vanilla extract and water. (That's it. The same ingredients you would use to make chocolate chip cookies in your own kitchen, which will always be better, of course!)
And with only 80 calories and 2 Weight Watchers PointsPlus, they're a relative bargain as cookies go!
According the the report, CR tested 13 packaged chocolate chip cookie brands. Health Valley's cookies were described as slightly buttery, while the Keebler cookies were said to be a little like shortbread.
Nine other cookies were rated “Good,” including Walmart's Great Value brand, Nabisco's Chips Ahoy! Real Chocolate and Real Chocolate Reduced Fat, Trader Joe's Dress Circle Crispy Crunchy, Back to Nature Chocolate Chunk, Pepperidge Farm Nantucket Soft Baked Chocolate Chunk Dark, Mrs. Fields Semi-Sweet, Newman's Own Organics Champion Chip Cookies and Famous Amos Bite Size.
What's your favorite packaged chocolate chip cookie?
While packaged chocolate chip cookies are better than others, they can't hold a candle to homemade. If reading this has made you hungry for chocolate chip cookies you can always run to the store and pick up a package.
Or run to the kitchen and whip up a batch yourself!
Even if they don't turn out perfectly, chances are they will still taste a lot better than anything that comes in a box or cellophane package! And your house will smell so much better too. Is there anything as intoxicating as the smell of chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven? I don't think so!
Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes
Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar Brownies - layers of chocolate chip cookie dough and blondie batter baked together for two great tastes in one
12 Recipes for Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies - a collection of favorites from my files and around the web
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies - one of my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes
7/12/13 Update: I guess Consumer Reports read my post because here's a video of Kathleen King, the owner of Tate's Bake Shop explaining what it felt like to have Consumer Reports rate her chocolate chip cookie the best!
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Sue
I love chocolate chip cookies, but never buy packaged cookies. If you love chocolate chip cookies you should give the new Cook's Illustrated "Perfect" Chocolate Chip Cookies a try. They gave me permission to post their recipe on my blog so you can find it there.
They're not thin and crunchy like I've heard the Tate's are so maybe you won't like them as much as I do. They're crispy on the edges and chewy in the middle.
Martha
Sue, I will definitely try the CI CCC recipe. It's cool that they gave you permission to post their recipe on your blog! Tates are very crunchy, but I love crispy chewy too.
Shaina
I think that NABISCOS CHIPS AHOY is the best because they are thick and chunky, they are so delisious!!!