COLUMN: Finding a cookie like the ones mom makes
Leaving home was hard for many reasons. I suffered separation anxiety from my big comfortable bed, “my” car, laundry that does itself and most of all my mothers chocolate chip cookies. Since leaving the nest I have recovered rather nicely. I’ve learned to sleep in a twin bed without falling off mid-way through the night, “my” car is now the LTD and I haven’t severely shrunk any articles of clothing … yet. However, I’ve still found myself on the hunt for good chocolate chip cookies, and recently found myself giving many local merchants a try.
Being new to the area and a college student whose life consists of campus, my apartment, grocery stores and other such things nearby, my search was limited. I have since been informed that Logan is actually the home to a few bakeries, imagine that. But let’s be honest, how many college students go to bakeries not attached to a national or local food chain?
Even though my cookie investigation left me on a sugar-high I was overall disappointed.
Nothing is living up to my mom’s chocolate chip recipe and for now, when I get the craving, I’ll probably buy a Grandma’s cookie out of a vending machine or wait for my next trip home. There’s just no point wasting the calories on imperfection when you’ve tasted excellence.
So keeping this in mind I ventured to a few popular student spots and being the self-proclaimed cookie connoisseur that I am, here are my findings and ratings.
No. 5 Albertsons (49 E. 400 North)
This placement surprised me as getting a free cookie from Albertsons as a child was always such a great thing. However, this time around ‘ol Joe let me down. The reasonable price of four for $1 couldn’t combat the peculiarly odd and not-so-good taste of the dough. They were small, cute and chewy, but left a lingering taste bound to make any consumer question their decision.
Grade: 2 cookies
No. 4 Lee’s Marketplace (505 E. 1400 North)
Big cookies, big chips, still not great. Lee’s won points for a nice cookie shape and texture, but started to lose points rapidly when I realized the chips were milk chocolate instead of the superior semi-sweet. The dough could have been a bit more flavorful as well. Bottom line: Not worth the $1 for two milk chocolate chip cookies for a purist like me.
Grade: 2 1/2 cookies
No. 3 Subway (446 N. Main St.)
Sandwich and a cookie, not a bad combination. For approximately 42 cents the big Subway cookie isn’t a bad deal. Subway earned a higher mark for a moist cookie with a good amount of chocolate chips but would have been better with a sweeter dough for those rare non-chocolate bites.
Grade: 3 cookies
No. 2 European Connection (505 E. 1400 North)
I stumbled upon this place while shopping at Lee’s and found a pretty decent cookie. Though slightly dense, this good-sized cookie had a nice taste and fabulous big semi-sweet chocolate chips. The down-side? The price. Apparently Europeans charge $1.25 for a single cookie.
Grade: 3 1/2 cookies
No. 1 Macey’s (981 S. Main St.)
Although Macey’s is on the wrong side of town for the convenience of most students, it just might be worth the trip. In the cookie spectrum Macey’s lived up to it’s a-lot-for-a-little standard with 15 cookies for $1 between 4 and 8 p.m. The cookies were small and sweet, thin and chewy. Personally I would like a thicker cookie texture though. Overall, the cookies were satisfying. I ate more than one and who can beat such a deal?
Grade: 4 cookies