Not everyone has time to make hot-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookies from scratch. So we gathered every roll, carton and box of prepared cookie dough we could find. We preheated the oven, poured a glass of cold milk and put them to the test.
We found a lot of variability in taste as well as baking instructions, so we offer this advice: Follow the package directions carefully. Look for the fine print about how to use frozen and thawed dough, and watch the cookies carefully during the final minutes. In some instances, a few additional minutes may be required.
OUR FAVORITE: 600 LB. GORILLAS Chewy and moist with an exceptional real-butter flavor. Chunks, not chips, of chocolate make for a grown-up appearance. No trans fats or bad aftertaste. Available at Giant stores and some BJ's Wholesale Club locations, $4.19.
WHOLLY HEALTHY Tied for second favorite. A rich butterscotch flavor from brown sugar. Available at Whole Foods Market, $4.39.
PILLSBURY Our second favorite in a tie. Good if you like your cookies cakey. Dominant vanilla flavor. Available at most grocery stores, $3.29.
GIANT A close third. Tastes like a standard chocolate chip cookie. Available at Giant, $2.29.
SAFEWAY Strangely synthetic tasting. Available at Safeway stores, $2.79.
NESTLE TOLL HOUSE Very sugary. Available at most grocery stores, $3.29.
TOM'S ALL-NATURAL Thud. Thud. Thud. That's the sound of these overly sweet cookies hitting the wastebasket. Available at Whole Foods Market and some health-food stores, $3.99.
-- Renee Schettler
