Since starting uni, one of my favorite comfort foods has become cookies because they're so readily available at shops. It's so easy to get a freshly baked cookie after class that I came up with an idea- why don't I go around to different shops and try their cookies to determine which one is the best? So, that's exactly what I did this week.
I went to 4 shops: Coop, Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury's and Tesco. I tried to buy the same type of cookies or something fairly similar: milk chocolate chip. I've also given them a rating out of 5, depending on taste, texture and cookie to chocolate ratio. (Ps. If you don't live in Portsmouth, most of these shops are all around the UK so you've still got a good chance of getting these cookies!)
Here are the results:
Coop: Milk Chocolate, Butterscotch and Pretzel Cookies
Price: £1.75 for 4 cookies
Rating: 5/5
I'll be honest, these cookies run out fast! I've been looking for them for days so when I finally managed to get my hands on a bag I was very happy. Not to mention, for 4 very large cookies it's a very good price (you can also get a discount with your NUS card if you're a student!)
These aren't your average chocolate chip cookies because they've got the addition of butterscotch chips, as well as pretzels which add a surprisingly good crunch. They're thick and soft in the middle with crispy edges, and they're so good, you can't eat just one.
Marks and Spencer: Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies
Price: £2 for 5 cookies
Rating: 2.5/5
I'll be perfectly honest, I was a bit disappointed with these ones. I think it's great that you get five of them, and also they look like the perfect cookie. But really, they taste sort of raw and grainy, and there just generally isn't a lot of flavor in them. One thing I will say though, is that there is a lot of chocolate in them, so that makes up for it a little. Overall, it's still good with a cup of tea, and you can share them with your friends (depending on how hungry you are).
Sainsbury's: Belgian Milk Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Price: £1.25 for 4
Rating: 4.5/5
Sainsbury's cookies are the ones I buy most frequently, because they're always available and they're always delicious. Not only do they have the perfect texture- soft in the middle with crunchy edges- but there's so much chocolate. They sell a pack of 5 regular chocolate chip cookies, but my recommendation is to go for the 4 pack of Belgian chocolate chunk ones pictured above because they're slightly thicker and a hundred times better. The only thing I will say is you might feel a little sickly after eating the whole bag in one go. Maybe don't do that. Or do it, it's definitely worth it.
Tesco: Brownie Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies
Price: £1 for 5 cookies
Rating: 4/5
LOOK AT THAT CROSS SECTION!
Okay, these aren't the most perfectly round cookies, but don't be fooled by the way they look. They are super soft and chewy, and the middle is stuffed with a gooey, chocolatey brownie. It's a decadent treat and I'm not ashamed to say I finished all 5 of them in one evening. Personally, I think the cookie itself could have had a few more chocolate chips, but the brownie in the middle definitely makes up for it. A must try.
Next time you have a cookie craving, you know where to go!