I think Consumer Reports should hire me to help with their taste tests (at least when it comes to chocolate chip cookies)...
Back in 2009, I wrote a post about how Consumer Reports testers gave "Very Good" ratings to two popular brands of packaged cookies — Health Valley's Mini Chocolate Chip and Keebler Chips Deluxe Original. I argued that as far as I was concerned the best packaged chocolate chip cookie came from Tate's Bake Shop.
In December 2011, a new winner was crowned.
Can you guess which chocolate chip cookie Consumer Reports now considers the best on the market?
Yep, Tate's Bake Shop!
They reported, "The sweet treats from Tate's Bake Shop were the clear winners. The large, crispy cookies tasted freshly baked, with big butter and chocolate flavors. One downside: Tate's are expensive and sold in limited locations, including Whole Foods, Balducci's, Bristol Farms, and Central Market."
Here in Phoenix you can find them at Whole Foods, AJs and Lucy's Healthy Marketplace where I just bought a bag today for $5.49 - not cheap, but incredibly delicious.
And because they are expensive, I savor them more so end up eating less! (A win-win for trying to live happy, healthy and slim.) If you are not lucky enough to have a shop that carries them in your area, you can buy Tate's Bake Shop Cookies on Amazon!)
The taste testers at Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine agreed reporting, "Much to our surprise, the best-tasting cookie came from the grocery store, not an independent bakery."
Panelists were wowed by its thin, flat shape and buttery caramel taste.
"Looks homemade," said one judge. "Like a human actually baked it," added another. A real human did: Company founder Kathleen King, who started selling cookies in 1971, when she was 11, launched Tate's in 2000. She's a purist, refusing to use artificial ingredients. The resulting cookies are so delicate, she and her staff have to pack them by hand.
Yep, that's the secret. As I said back in 2009, "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.
And you can really taste the difference. There's something magical about real food (especially cookies), made with real high quality ingredients by people with a passion for what they do and who are unwilling to compromise.
These cookies might not be affordable for a family, but seriously for this 53 year old woman and her cookie-loving husband they are perfect in many ways: Packed in small quantities to keep fresh, just one or two satisfy my cookie cravings provided I've planned for them and enjoy them as a treat.
These are a crispy cookies, far from soft or chewy. They are perfect for those of us who enjoy a crispy cookie that not only tastes like real butter but is actually made with real butter.
So, spread the word: When it comes to packaged chocolate chip cookies, Tate's Bake Shop Cookies rank Number One.
Guess what else?
Each chocolate chip cookie has only 80 calories and *2 Weight Watchers PointsPlus proving, once again, that it's possible to indulge in delicious high quality sweet treats while staying happy, healthy and slim! When you have only so many calories or points to spend on food why settle for anything less than the best?
Note: Under the new Weight Watchers Freestyle Program these cookies have *4 SmartPoints. This has done nothing to change my opinion of them 🙂
Here's a great video of Kathleen King from Tate's Bake Shop sharing her excitement over being named the best chocolate chip cookie in America…
If you prefer to bake up a batch yourself, you'll find the recipe in here in her first cookbook.
And guess what? Kathleen's Recipe for Weight Loss Success Includes Weight Watchers too!
Sources
You might also like...
Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Tate's Homemade Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook Review
*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
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Susan
How many Smart Points are these??
Martha McKinnon
Hi Susan, like most other sweet treats, these cookies have doubled in points!! According to my WW SmartPoints Tracker each cookie has a SmartPoints Value of 4. Hope this helps.