The Desire for Cookies
I love cookies. Cookies are great. They are the perfect happy snack. Small and round and thoroughly enjoyable. Unfortunately, they’re also really bad and naughty.
“British Cookies or American Cookies?”
Well, both. Unlike its similar friend, the humble biscuit, confusing cookies with each other isn’t really an issue. In both UK English and USA English, the first thing that popped to mind is a chocolate chip cookie. However, the real difference depends mostly on how soft the cookie is. American cookies are normally considered to be quite soft, even maybe a little chewy. Most British cookies are somewhat hard, and make a nice crunch as you break into them. Both can come in many forms, but the softer the cookie, the more likely it’s an American cookie.
Cookies can contain a vast amount of extras too. The classic chocolate chip is wonderful, but there are many tempting flavours, like peanut butter and nuts in general. Heck, even oatmeal cookies taste good. Then again, I’ve only ever had homemade oatmeal cookies, so I might be missing out on what a commercial oatmeal cookie tastes like.
That being said, surely most of us can tell the difference between raisins and chocolate, right?
My favourite cookie
Funnily enough, I do actually have a favourite cookie. And that is a cookie with M&Ms or Smarties (the UK chocolate ones) in them. Not a completely filled cookie, mind you. It is somehow possible to have way too many additions to your standard cookie. If you throw in too many ingredients, then you have too much going on. If you can get your hands on some chocolate minstrels, then you know that you’ve got a good cookie.
When I don’t have the ingredients to make smarties cookies, I just default back to normal cookies. Chocolate chip cookies are perfectly nice, even if they are simple. But I’ve also tried some fancy stuff, like cookies with a chocolate spread in the centre. When baking your cookies, it’s best to start off as simple rather than to go over the top.
They are so, so bad for us.
Cookies may taste amazing, but they are also not at all good for us. Most cookies are FILLED with tons of sugar and fats and the like. This makes them a rare treat, no matter how desperately I want to eat them. There are options, but, personally, the best option is to bake my own cookies, since then I can guarantee what is in them.
What’s also worth noting is that any cookie being advertised as healthy probably isn’t really healthy. Low fat cookies are generally filled with extra sugars. But on the other hand, sugar-free cookies have much more fat in them. Sure, you can claim that they use Stevia or whatever, but the end result is pretty much the same. Especially when it comes to sugar: what happens is that you’re taking out simple sugars but adding more complex sugars back in.
I still love cookies though.
I really can’t help it. Cookies are delicious. Whether they’re UK-styled, USA-styled or, well, just cookies, I’ll happily eat them all.
