Here's a picture of the inside of a Carol's Cookie. The best way I can describe it is that it has a crispy/crumbly/sandy shell and dense, smooth, firm, non-chewy but not-hard center. The flavor I bought, chocolate chip, was insanely delicious; However, the flavors I sampled at Central Market (oatmeal and cinnamon) were equally amazing.
I tried to clone the cookie this morning, but made zero progress. Nothing is quite like Carol's.
Anna
Let me know if you want me to email you my experimental recipe. I haven't had Carol's in a while, but her cookies were so unique.
Jennifer Rau
The comments about shortbread texture are spot on! I couldn’t figure out a way to describe it. I’m going to experiment after I eat the ones I had shipped.
Marcee
Interesting and fun comments. People can be so hilarious!
From time-to-time I will crave CC. When I see them all in the counter, takes me forever to decide which flavor to buy.
Usually sold fresh @ Whole Foods. Sooo heavy! Ha. My (usually) fav is peanut butter + chocolate! Really tasty. Oatmeal is a winner too.
There is no way to ever consume an entire CC "hockey-puck!!" Must be cut it into 4's. Plenty to go around and satisfy any sweet-tooth.
Would really be interested in how these are made. Carol's ingredients. Obviously, she definitely under-bakes them all. Seems like she uses extra flour. Doesn't that explain how they crumble?
HNY folks!
Natalie
With more searching, I found the "Experimental Cookie Recipe" post and will SO be trying that with toffee!! Yum! You are fantastic to have found a way to get similar results.
Anna
Natalie, why don't you give this recipe a try, but use toffee in place of the chocolate chips? It probably won't be exactly the same since her flavors have different "formulas", but it might be close.
Natalie
I'm wondering too!! Anna...Susan...?? Please!? 🙂 I am a nut for the Carol's toffee cookie at Whole Foods. It looks like the above, but with toffee... mmmmm
piebird
Hi Susan from back in August of last year! Ever come up with that recipe? Just found this thread....
THANKS!
ashley h
Those cookies look perfect. I actually googled "doughy cookies" today and carol's cookies popped up on my search they look like the kind that are firm on the ouside and doughy on the inside, just how i like them
Susan
I fell in love with these cookies years ago when you could get them fresh at Whole Foods. Now they come wrapped in plastic, and you have to check the date because some are older than others (and could be why some people aren't pleased when they try one for the first time.) Anyway, after I had my son, I was home with him for the first 8 months and made cookies almost everyday. I came up with a recipe that was close enough to satisfy my craving for Carol's since I couldn't get out as often. They come out of the oven about the same height as when you scoop the ball on the sheet, and are better the next day, not hot out of the oven. My son is now 6 and will be gone for the next week so I plan to go to WF and do some testing in my kitchen. I called my recipe the 3D cookie not so much because it was thick, but because most measurements used a 1/3 c. making it easy to memorize. (these were just for me, so the recipe only makes 24 small cookies). I promise to share my results, if you like. Carol's version has no secret ingredients, it's just a matter of playing with brands, measurements, timing, etc. Wish me luck!
liz
Carol's Cookies are amazing. I have been searching and searching the internet for years trying to find her recipes. There is nothing in this world as divine as a Carols CCC or sugar cookie. Is anyone finds that recipe, please let me know.
Lauren
I heard that there's a stick of butter in each cookie! I ate half of one (they're huuuuge)and loved EVERY bite (even while under the impression that I was eating half a stick!). They are sooo stinkin good!!
claire
hey! i love your blog and just noted that you're from austin, too!
i went through a huge carol's cookies phase while i was in college (at UT) and can further attest to their amazing-ness. i can't imagine beginning to try to recreate them!
hilary
i've tried to replicate to no success. it is hit or miss whether my whole foods has them and i just wish i could come close!
Anonymous
These things are AMAZING- sometimes if they are really fresh then they are almost like cookie dough in the middle- with that kinda crunchy mouth feel... amazing. Chocolate chip is the best flavor, the brownie ones get hard too fast and the cinnamon sugar are just too crumbly.
Christa
Anna--It was fun to try one, I'm always on the lookout for the perfect chocolate chip cookie. I read your blog every day, by the way. It's one of my favorites!
Anna
Hi Christa,
You are right in that Carol's cookies are not typical chocolate chip. And yes, they do seem closer to shorbread -- but chewier and crumblier. I don't know, but there's something about her cookie that I really, really liked even though they were (are) on the sweet side. So I guess it just depends on what one is in the mood for. Also, I after looking at Carol's site, I believe that she ships the cookies in frozen containers. I'm not absolutely positive that is the case, but I think the cookies need to be baked a special way.
Christa
Out of curiosity I picked up a Carol's chocolate chip cookie today at Whole Foods. I have to say, I wasn't impressed. Sure, it was a cookie that had chocolate chips in it, but it wasn't what I would consider a chocolate chip cookie. To me it just tasted sweet, it didn't have the deep, complex mix of salt and sweet and vanilla that a good chocolate chip cookie has. The texture of the cookie was like shortbread. It wasn't bad, just not what I prefer. But I guess everyone likes different things. Sorry this sounds so grumpy!
Does Whole Foods get the dough from Carol's and bake the cookies on site?
Sharon
I used to come up with excuses to have a party when i lived in Chicago and therefore go up to Deerfield (north-Chic) to get them fresh. You had to order, get this, 24 cookies to get them fresh! Can you imagine how many people I would have to invite over? We would finish about six!! Otherwise you had to get them where you can find them today "fresh/frozen" in the Whole Foods bakery. You wouldn't believe how good the sugar cookie fresh is (it's better than the oatmeal & cho chip). And yes, the cookies are real shortbreadish when fresh. -- they just aren't as good after being frozen -
Amy
I've been a lurker for a long time.... Please post if you make any progress. I LOVE Carol's cookies!!! Although I think the ccc one is a bit sweet.
runjess
My jaw just dropped. There is no way that this cookie would take me several days to eat, especially if I was left alone with it.
Anna
So far, my cloning efforts have not been very successful :(.
I will keep you all posted if and when I figure it out, but I don't want to get too obsessed with it right now. I only want to be marginally obsessed. LOL.
Heart of Glass, I've been wondering all of those things too. Given that the ingredient list is printed on the package, it has to be something in the technique. The ingredients are flour, sugar, brown sugar, butter, chocolate chips, eggs, salt, baking soda and vanilla.
HeartofGlass
Wow, that cookie looks amazing--almost like a shortbread chocolate chip cookie in texture. I wonder if she uses some special butter or butter ratio, or plays around with the oven temperature, maybe cooking them at a super high temp for a short time then pulling it out only after a few minutes? It always amazes me how you can clone things by taste so exactly, without even some of the 'professional' perks like the ovens and equipments professional or commercial bakers use.
sharon
Ooh, I absolutely love Carol's Cookies and bought them all the time when I lived in Chicago. I haven't seen them since, but your picture brings back good memories.
Karen
Thanks for posting the photo - it looks really good - sort of shortbreadish. It looks kinda blond and crumbly. My guess is not that much egg or leavening? I'm starving right now and really might lick my monitor.
Sarah
I can't wait for you to clone this wonderful cookie. I have been looking for a copycat recipe for a while now and haven't had any luck. Christmas is coming soon so I will be able to have another one. I can't wait.
VeggieGirl
FOOD PORN!! 🙂
Anna
Hmmmmm. Blondie in cookie form. I guess it looks that way in the picture, but the texture is stiffer and crumblier. However, if you are in the mood for a blondie, try the Helms Bakery recipe, Lisa!
Katrina, ditto on what I just said to Lisa. These are just too stiff and crumbly to be considered blondies in cookie form.
Rita, that is 3/4 of a cookie. The full cookie weighs in at 8 oz! I may try to clone it, but I am not going to go crazy or become obsessed ;).
Joanna, these are not as moist as Levain's nor are they as chewy.
Emily, thanks for stopping by! I took a look at your blog and you have some good looking sweets over there. The doughnut muffin sounds particularly good right now.
S, it was delicious! I'm hoping it will stay fresh for a while. I'll probalby just freeze it now that I've broken it into quarters.
snookydoodle
This still looks delicious 🙂
Emily Rose
Wow! that looks amazing- what a fat, delicious looking cookie!
Joanna
wow it looks like a cake instead of a cookie. that thing is beautiful. The middle looks like the Levain cookie because when I made them, it was still like cookie dough. I LOVED it.
clumbsycookie
I can not stop looking at it! Is that part of one cookie only????? Of course I would looooooove to try it Anna! I went to drool a bit to the site and they look much more dry that that one in the picture. Are you gonna try again to clone it?
Baking Chamber
Wow! Those are outrageous! they look like big balls of cookie dough! soo good! Can't wait until you can clone them
Katrina
Hmmm, maybe make blondie batter and bake them as cookies. I'd have to tawste these to see what I think, but it does look good!
Lisa
This looks like a blondie in cookie form. Mmmmmmm. I could really go for a blondie in cookie form right about now!