Packaged Cookies

[Carolyn Tillie]

Those of you who have met me, know I tend towards the Rubenesque probably due to my love of sweets, and especially cookies. There is nothing better than a homemade cookie, but I am also equally fond of many packaged cookies. For me, there are two cookie categories:

Cookies for Milk and Cookies for Tea. Milk Cookies are those that benefit from a bovine-fluid dunking and I'm no snob in my admiration of Oreos, Mother's Taffy, and TJ's Way More Chocolate Chip Cookies. Most Girl Scout Cookies, for me, fall in the Milk category. I even have a Zen philosophy to the dunking of Oreos that is religiously and strictly followed.

Then there are Tea Cookies. I am a bit more partial to Tea Cookies as I love and drink a lot of tea and am quite happy accompanying my cup of tea with a single or pair of cookies, usually at least once a day -- but often twice a day (once at the traditional tea time of 4:00-ish and often as my bedtime snack in lieu of a glass of port). Perhaps it is the Anglophile in me that likes to recreate a bit of a British High Tea wherever I am. It is that little bit of a sweet baked bite with a warm, soothing cup of black tea (with cream, thankyouverymuch).

Consequently, my love of Tea Cookies is quite impassioned and includes Walker's Shortbread, Pepperidge Farm Bourdeaux, TJs Triple Ginger, and spicy, German Windmill cookies.

But, my latest passion and complete admiration goes to the Lu company of France. They have a line called Pim's that has become the ultimate tea cookie for me, a delicate soft biscuit, delicious pear fruit filling and rich Belgian chocolate, for an intense taste experience. Pim's also comes in Tangy Orange and Scrumptious Raspberry and while I am quite a Raspberry fan, Lu's Orchard Pear Pim's has become the ultimate packaged cookie, when found FRESH (therein lies the caveat -- stale Pim's is a sad thing, but fortunately they post a date on the end of the box, which I always check). Sometimes they are hard to find -- or, much to my consternation, the store in question will only carry the Orange and Raspberry, not my beloved Pear!

[Carolyn Tillie]

did anyone have the cajones to try all of those dipped oreos that were cropping up everywhere a few years ago?  Do they in fact still make the oreos dipped in mint cream or white chocolate or whatever?

Do you know what those covered Oreos were?

If you look real closely, you will realize that those dipped Oreos are ever-so-slightly off center in their construction. Thirty or so years ago, some executive had the idea that instead of throwing all those imperfect Oreos away, they could cover them in mint icing (hence, Mystic Mints were born!).

Since then, we have seen the burgeoning of the white chocolate-covered Christmas version, purple ones, etc....

[scrumdiddlyumptious]

Those of you who have met me, know I tend towards But, my latest passion and complete admiration goes to the Lu company of France. They have a line called Pim's that has become the ultimate tea cookie for me, a delicate soft biscuit, delicious pear fruit filling and rich Belgian chocolate, for an intense taste experience. Pim's also comes in Tangy Orange and Scrumptious Raspberry and while I am quite a Raspberry fan, Lu's Orchard Pear Pim's has become the ultimate packaged cookie, when found FRESH (therein lies the caveat -- stale Pim's is a sad thing, but fortunately they post a date on the end of the box, which I always check). Sometimes they are hard to find -- or, much to my consternation, the store in question will only carry the Orange and Raspberry, not my beloved Pear!

Pim's Orange cookies are pretty much identical (I think, has been a while) to Jaffa Cakes. Give those a try the next time you're around a British import shop. No pear flavor though.

[herbacidal]

lessee,

oreos, check.

Soft Batch chocolate chip cookies, check.

Carr's Whole Wheat (Crackers?), check.

Girl Scout cookies with the macadamia nuts, check.

ah, four's enough.

[herbacidal]

McVities Plain Chocolate Digestives

I'll have to look for these, I miss the digestifs I used to eat in China.

They were actually much like Carr's Whole Wheat.

[jess mebane]

Lu's Orchard Pear Pim's has become the ultimate packaged cookie, when found FRESH (therein lies the caveat -- stale Pim's is a sad thing, but fortunately they post a date on the end of the box, which I always check). Sometimes they are hard to find -- or, much to my consternation, the store in question will only carry the Orange and Raspberry, not my beloved Pear!

yesssss. Just got into these recently, and LU pear is monstrous difficult to find, but worth it.

Now me and the groc. bskt entourage will have to go a-hunting for the purple-dipped Oreos that Miz Tillie mentioned--what the hell is the flavor there--BarneyOs?

Edited September 6, 2003 by jess mebane (log)

[foodie52]

I'm actually fantasizing about Paul Newman while I nibble on his Oreos.

That's why I love them so.

[hjshorter]

did anyone have the cajones to try all of those dipped oreos that were cropping up everywhere a few years ago?  Do they in fact still make the oreos dipped in mint cream or white chocolate or whatever?

Oh man, I had forgotten about fudge covered Oreos. I don't buy them, because I would tear them open in the car and they would be gone before I got home.

[schnitzel]

Pepperidge Farm's Nantucket, Double Chocolate Milano and Brussels Cookies

Walkers Shortbread

Amaretti di Saronno

Anna's Ginger Thins

Mallomars

Now I'll be searching for LU products.

[fresco]

Are President's Choice "The Decadent" chocolate chip cookies available in the US? They're a premium house brand by Loblaws in Canada, but I know this company owns a lot of supermarkets south of the border and think they were rolling out some of these products there. For a packaged cookie, it's pretty good.

For the truly curious or homesick, they can be purchased through this website:

http://web.ask.com/redir?bpg=http%3a%2f%2f...om%2fabout.html

Edited September 6, 2003 by fresco (log)

[MatthewB]

Dutch windmill cookies

[claire797]

Dutch windmill cookies

Yes! I love those too! Even the cheap packages from the drugstore are good.

My current favorite however is Oreo Double Delite Peanut Butter. Oreos are okay, the chocolate Oreos are "eh" but the Peanut Butter Chocolate variety is exceptionally good.

And how come no one has mentioned Mother's? If you've never tried this brand of cookie, I strongly recommend the Taffy Cookies and the Peanut Butter Gauchos. For those of you not living in the South, you can order them on-line. I've never seen them north of the Mississippi. Do they have them on the West Coast?

Fresco, when I lived in Chicago, I was able to buy President's Choice brand at the local Jewel, though I never did. Recently, a Canadian friend of mine sent me a box of President's Choice Chocolate Chip shortbread and it was out of this world.

Foodie52, I was all set to buy a package of the Paul Newman cookies until you posted the reason you liked them.

Schnitzel, you should definitely search for the Lu brand. That's another brand I like when I'm looking for a good packaged cookie.

Carolyn, are you making up this Oreo story?

[bloviatrix]

As I read so many praises of Oreos, I would like to point out that before 1998 I never ate one. Nabisco products didn't become kosher until the late 90s (they were made with lard until sometime in the early 90s).

And then I was introduced to the world of Oreos, Lorna Dunnes, etc. Needless to say, when Oreos became kosher you would have thought the Messiah had revealed himself. Everyone I knew was running out to the store to get their hands on the coveted Oreo. At Shavous that year, the cheesecake of choice was Oreo. I'll admit, even I went on an Oreo kick. But after 6 months common sense kicked in and I realized that homemade was better.

Before Nabisco, we had to settle for Sunshine Hydrox cookies for our chocolate sandwich with white cream filling. I think my mom bought them once a year.

[Rachel Perlow]

I was wondering when 'trix would chime in, especially after someone mentioned above that Hydrox are no longer. I wonder if Oreo's switch to kashrut was inspired by the lack of Hydrox availability?

Has anyone tried Pepperidge Farm's new minis? They're available in Milano, Chessmen, and Chocolate Chunk. I personally favor Nutter Butters.

[claire797]

I was wondering when 'trix would chime in, especially after someone mentioned above that Hydrox are no longer. I wonder if Oreo's switch to kashrut was inspired by the lack of Hydrox availability?

Has anyone tried Pepperidge Farm's new minis? They're available in Milano, Chessmen, and Chocolate Chunk. I personally favor Nutter Butters.

This may be considered blasphemous, but I just don't see what the big deal is with Pepperidge Farm. I want to love them -- I really do, but I'm always disappointed after buying a bag. For some reason, they all taste the same. Sure, the mint milanos are mint flavor and the orange milanos have some orange flavor, but the texture is the same and the type of chocolate they use in all their cookies make them predictable. I bought a box of Pepperidge Farms new sandwich cookie variety pack a few months ago and ended up throwing the whole bag away.

Nutter Butters are awesome, but I have to eat them with another cookies that contains chocolate. Of course, now that Oreo has put peanut butter and chocolate in one cookie, the problem is solved.

Does anyone buy those Nutter Butter Creme Filled Wafers? Those are good too, but I have to be in a certain mood.

Bloviatrix, I never really thought much about Oreos being non-Kosher, but it makes sense. I'm really learning a lot of useful information about cookies. Thanks :).

[tsquare]

And how come no one has mentioned Mother's?  If you've never tried this brand of cookie, I strongly recommend the Taffy Cookies and the Peanut Butter Gauchos. For those of you not living in the South, you can order them on-line.  I've never seen them north of the Mississippi.  Do they have them on the West Coast? 

Bought 'em from Southern California to the Canadian border. They've been mentioned a few times throughout this thread...

[tommy]

i love Linden's chocolate chip. probably because that's what my school system carried when i was growing up. sometimes they're soft, sometimes they're hard. doesn't matter. good either way.

Edited September 7, 2003 by tommy (log)

[claire797]

Thanks to this thread, I bought a bag of Chessman and a box of Schoolboys this morning. The Chessman (minis) were disappointing but the Schoolboys were as good as I remembered. I should have bought the Dare Maple Sandwiches instead of the Chessman. Oh well.

Question. Has anyone ever tried Selma's cookies? A reliable, cookie-appreciating-source says that the Selma's Chocolate Chip cookies are better than homemade. I think they sell them in Las Vegas and Orlanda. Then again, I don't know if boutique cookies (which is what I'd classify Selma's as) actually fit into this category.

http://www.selmas.com

Edited September 7, 2003 by claire797 (log)

[Crystal]

Hate Girlscouts-cookie's that is. I don't "get" oreos.

I prefer my cookies chewy or cake-y rather than crispy so most store boughts are out.

I have an eat-the -whole-box love of 'Nilla Wafers (which my husband is quick to point out is a wafer and therfore not really a cookie), but, they have to be slightly stale. A night spent in the freezer can create this effect.

Archway oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip, sugar drop, molasses, and windmill cookies are favorites because they remind me of my grandmother.

Ming Tsai had (has?) cookies at Target that are chocolate with chunks of crystalized ginger in them that my children and I would devour after returning home from a shopping trip at the Chez.

Crystal

[claire797]

The Selma's link doesn't seem to be working today. Sorry about that.

[Elizabeth_11]

Girl Scout Thin Mints

Oreo Double Stuff

Dominick's Brand (Chicagoland grocer) mint oreos

and while I hate to admit it, Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies! I'm so embarrassed *blush*!

[Suzanne F]

I was a Girl Scout. I hated selling the cookies, even though it was easy in my apartment building. But I LOVED eating the ones with coconut and caramel and a drizzle of chocolate -- what are they called. But I haven't had one in maybe 45 years, since I last sold them.

[schnitzel]

I was a Girl Scout too.

Here are the Samoas and they're still good...

http://www.littlebrowniebakers.com/cookies...ges/samoas.html

We buy these every year along with the Thin Mints and Tagalongs.

[Truffle]

Goya Maria Cookies!

[Eric_Malson]

the LU "Little Schoolboys" (Le Petit Ecolier) . Also known as Crack.

There exists nothing better prepackaged. Period.

French-made butter cookies topped with a slab of milk chocolate.

http://www.nicecupofteaandasitdown.com/bis...us.php3?item=51

Better - the ones with DARK chocolate.

Another Le Petit Ecolier addict here....dark chocolate only. They're literally the only pre-packaged cookie I ever buy. Except........

About once a year I'll buy a package of those Belgian waffle cookies (brand? Destrooper, or something like that maybe?). They're good for that rare occasion when I want a cookie that's not chocolate.

Since my mother was a professional Girl Scout, we had LOTS of Girl Scout cookies growing up. Speaking of changing recipes, I LOVED the Thin Mints the way they were made 25 or 30 years ago. Somewhere along the line they changed manufacturers (and recipes), and the new(er) Thin Mints don't appeal to me at all. I liked Scot Teas, too (are those still made?).