Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Taste Test: Chocolate Chip Cookies

My son is a very picky eater, and will sometimes say he doesn't like something without tasting it.  On occasion we do blind taste tests with my son to see if he likes something better.  A few weeks ago we did it when he complained that he didn't like whole grain goldfish.  We did a blind taste test with him, and it turns out he COULD tell them apart.  My kid is not just picky- he has a palate!

Of course, I didn't document that taste test, but then I got to thinking that it would be fun to do taste testing on a little more formal basis.  (Like, for a blog post)  So when I was in the grocery store trying to decide between two kinds of chocolate chip cookies on sale, I thought the best thing I could do is buy them both.  You know, for SCIENCE.

Please note that this test is not sponsored by either of the brands.  They are just two of the brands at our local Jewel that were on sale, and relatively natural.   I'd be open to doing a branded/sponsored taste test-- but if I do, the results would have to be undoctored, genuine, and authentic.  So if you are a food manufacturer with a great product, get in touch!

Also, please note that this is not a scientific test.  The samplers were myself and my son.

The Products

A) Keebler Simply Made Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are not supposed to contain a lot of chemicals or other crazy things.  They are supposedly made with things from your own pantry.  According to their website, they also include Elfin ingenuity.  I am skeptical.

Calories:  140 for 2 cookies

We paid $1.99 for a 10 oz package. (19.9 cents per oz)
INGREDIENTS:WHEAT FLOUR, SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE (CHOCOLATE, SUGAR, DEXTROSE, SOY LECITHIN, VANILLA EXTRACT), SUGAR, BUTTER (CREAM, SALT), CANOLA OIL, CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF NATURAL FLAVOR, BAKING SODA, SALT, VANILLA EXTRACT, EGGS.



 B) Matt's Real Chocolate Chip Cookies

Matt's also prides itself on not containing chemicals.  Their website touts that they are made from ingredients you can pronounce.  They are also "homemade style" and they recommend putting them in the microwave for 10 seconds or so.

Interestingly, Matt's has no dairy in it.

For parity, we ate both of the cookies out of the package.

Calories: 139 for 1 cookie.

We paid $3.00 for a 16 oz package (18.75 cents per oz)

INGREDIENTS: UNBLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR, REAL CHOCOLATE CHIPS, BAKING OIL (PALM, SOYBEAN, CANOLA), BROWN SUGAR, FRESH EGGS, SUGAR, BAKING SODA, SALT, VANILLA

THE COMPARISON:

Some observations.
  • Matt's cookies were thicker and chewier than the Keebler's.
  • Matt's cookies were much bigger, which makes sense considering that 1 cookie of Matt's is equivalent to 2 Keebler's cookies, calorie-wise.
  • There's no dairy in Matt's cookies, which makes them a Kosher Parve dessert (meaning you can eat them with milk or meat if you keep kosher.)  While we don't keep kosher, we visit people who do, and that makes this a good dessert choice (and something easy to bring) for any kosher meal.
  • The Keebler's were dry and a little crunchy, and had a coconut after-taste, which is a little weird, since there's no coconut in the ingredients.
  • Matt's were cheaper by the ounce, which would be hard to figure, since they are $1 cheaper by the package.  It pays off to do the math!
  • Matt's are made in Wheeling IL, so it's possible that they were fresher. 

THE VERDICT:

Here's what our expert cookie eater had to say.  In a nutshell, he preferred Matt's.  (I did as well)

Now we just have to figure out what to do with the uneaten Keebler's.   (Oh, the humanity!)

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