Never had a store-bought cookie that could top homemade.
JMHO...

Deanna

Walkers Shortbread is pretty good.

I love, love, love Carr's ginger lemon creme's. my stupid store doesn' tcarry them anymore, though.

Pepperridge Farm Double Chocalate Milano.

forgot to add that even those lemon cremes don't compare to Santa's helpers...seriously. :-) Will still asks for them and the ones I made this year are long gone - lol.

Thank you Stacy. I love those Santa's Helpers also, but will only make them at Christmas so we appreciate them more.:-) Hmmmm, never heard of Carr;s ginger lemon cremes. I really do not like ginger very much. It is a really gingery cookie?

Peppi, I love Pepperidge Farm cookies also.
Velodoug, I have seen Walkers shortbread but have never tried it.

I second the Carr's Ginger Lemon Cremes - Had my first one a couple weeks ago, and several boxes since. And would have had more if it wasn't girl scout cookie season. Tagalongs...mmmmmmm....I'm averaging a box a night.

Girl Scout Thin Mints.

They blow everything else out of the water.

Mallomars. Frozen.

I'm a Carr's Lemon Creme girl too. The ginger and lemon just rock.

But, when I need a fix of cookie, to this day my favortie is Archway's Molasses Cookies. I could OD on them.

If you have a Safeway by you, try their Chocolate Chewy cookies. Like a quick brownie with nuts, chewy, gooey, crispy on the outside, nutty, and the chocolate tastes like the real deal, all in a cookie shape and texture. My husband loves them and so do I.

And, I love Lorna Doone cookies too. And Pecan Sandies. I could go into a coma eating Pecan Sandies or the Molasses cookies I think.

And, I love Costco's cookies. If I were entertaining, I would consider it absolutely fine to use them. The white chocolate macadamia nut or any of them, are great. The chocolate chocolate chip ones are delicious too.

I have never gotten a butter cookie.. other than the Lorna Doone's and that is not a butter cookie to me really.. but, if you do butter cookies.. do them yourself. The store bought ones, even the bakery ones often times taste like cruddy gross blech.

Ok, they're not gourmet, but I can eat through a whole box of those Famous Chocolate Wafers in two days... Divine.

Also, I love the Little Dutchboy cookies made by Lu with the dark chocolate on them...

Emily

I'm not a cookie-hound but I ordered Girl Scout cookies this time. For "gourmet" or fancy-type cookies, Costco has variety Belgian chocolate cookie tins for sale but I think only during holidays. You can check. I buy their bakery cookies for the office staff - those are like homemade.

oh yeah, those dark chocolate Lu's. Those are amazing!

Hmmm"packaged gourmet cookie"...an oxymoron if I ever heard one!
I love Lorna Doones.....and I love those cheap gingersnaps in a brown bag you find for $1.00 at the dollar store. Pecan sandies are good too....and those windmill shaped molasses almond Dutch cookies....but gourmat? Fancy? Nope! Just plain good!
Linda C

Two of my all time favorites that if they are in front of me, i cannot resist.

Delacre Crepes au Chocolat - highly addictive
Jules Destrooper Butter Thins
Jules Destropper Almond Biscuits - also highly addictive (trader joe's sells a larger box, under their own name, for less money, but it's the same cookie)
Jules Destropper Dentelles
(can you tell I love the JD coookies?!)

maryanne

Maryanne, I was trying to remember what the brand of those Almond Thins are that I like, and that's it, Jules Destrooper Almond Thins. I bought those once when I was trying to do a recipe by Giada Delaurentis that called for Amaretti cookies. I couldn't find the Amaretti cookies, so I subbed those. I have no idea if they even come close, but I use them anyway and it works.

Last Christmas I used them for a recipe, and had some left over. My SIL went nuts over them. I had all kinds of home made cookies and brownies available, but no, she went for those, and ate nearly every one I had. Maybe I should have felt insulted, but I was just happy to have her enjoy the treat. Of course, it may say something about my cookie baking, too. I do need to practice. ;-)

Sally

I had to look this name up. I only know them by their tin. I have been eating these like a moth to a flame since 1984 when I got my first tin at Dean and Deluca's in NYC!

Amaretti di Saronno Cookies Red Gift Tin by Lazzaroni

Put me in the Carr's Lemon Ginger group - OMG they totally rock my world!

Whenever I am feeling self-indulgent, I buy those (and don't share LOLOLOL!)

Alexa

OH, those Ginger Lemon Cremes are amazing! Do you have Trader Joe's, Stacy? They were carrying them but not sure if they still are. It is the crystallized ginger and the lemon - oh man they are good!

I love the Dutch Stroopwaffels. I don't know the brand but it is Dutch and the same one I bought in Holland. My Andronico's and Berkeley Bowl both carry them. I also love the Destrooper Butter Thins. In Holland they sell them in adorable decorated tins, I bought lots to bring home to people.

There is a brand of Floretine lace cookies at Costco that is as good as I can make. They don't call them Florentines but the semi sweet chocolate in them is really good. I actually never let myself buy ANY of the above!

Stacy, I like them, too, and I've seen them at both Cost Plus and Trader Joes.

Another ginger cookie I like it The Ginger People's ginger shortbread.

Two of my favorite "bought" soft cookies are ones we carried at the store. Nikola's (the ginger again -- I like ginger) and the Peanut Butter Persuassion cookies from Alternative Baking Company. (www.alternativebaking.com) And while I wasn't looking for vegan or wheat free cookies, Althernative's Mac the Chip and Snickerdoodle cookies are pretty darn good!

Here is a link that might be useful: Nikolas

Have you guys ever had a Ginger Chew?

I love Ginger, not just because it is my NAME!

http://www.gingerpeople.com/index.html

I know this is off topic as it is more of a candy, but honest to pete, if you like Ginger as a flavor, you will beg, borrow, or steal to get another bag of them to snack on all the ding-dong time!

Teresa nc 7: WHAT was the name of the cookies in North Carolina, starts with an 'M', thin wafer types? Those were good!

Moravian Cookies - spice, lemon, sugar, others? They are really good and so thin, you can convince yourself that it's o.k. to eat the whole package 'cause one is barely a mouthfull!

Here is a link that might be useful: Mrs. Hanes, well known in these parts

THATS it, thanks. I loved the tins for those too, they traveled well back to California.

Otis Spunkmeyer cookies, freshly baked at whatever local carryout bakes them. Subway used to have them (may still) and they had a outlet in the hospital. We knew when the cookies would be baked and there was a line outside the door for those cookies.

Ginger chews -- Not as crazy about the apple one, but i like the regular and the peanut-ginger one. And their hard candy. Also the ginger chips (tiny pieces of cyrstalized ginger) are terrific in baking (and no messy chopping). I didn't care for their cooking sauces, but the shortbread, candies and ginger juice and crystalized products are terrific.

Jessy,
What flavor of the Moravian cookies did you have?
Sherry

I like those key lime cookies and I don't remember who makes them! But nothing is as good as homemade, ever.

Sherry I got the sampler but I can't remember which one I liked best! I think I liked them all! Never met a cookie I didn't like.

Pepperidge Farm subs nicely for homemade, especially the jam-filled shortbread circles.

If you're a chocolate lover, the Le Petite Ecolier from Lu is a shortbread cookie with a solid thick chocolate slab on top - more candy than cookie!

Slightly OT: for those who love ginger and chocolate, if you ever find Michael Recchiuti's gourmet chocolates, he makes a white chocolate ginger heart that is the only white chocolate OR ginger confection I have ever liked. It's amazing.

Tates Bake Shop Chocolate Chip Cookies. Totally addictive!

I don't really care for most store-bought cookies, but Walker's Shortbreads are the exception!

Holy moly, they are soooooo good! That would be my top pick, and then Pepperidge Farm Milanos and Annie's Ginger Thins would tie for second.

Many of the ones mentioned here I have not tried, so maybe I do like store-bought and just don't know it? LOL
Linda

The boss and I both agree on the Walker's shortbread, almost as good as mine. Almost.

I also like some of David's Cookies brand, and I love the Ginger People ginger chews, but not the apple or peanut ones, just the plain ginger.

Ah, but what do I know? I like Oreos....

Annie

Love oreo's! Milano's for sure! Those devil's food ones in the green box. Snackwell's?

for those who love ginger, TJ's has a new "Organic" ginger cookie. They're small and ultra crisp, but have a great bite! DH sent me out to stock up in case they discontinue them!
My favorites are Milano's mint and dark chocolate, Thin Mints and Mrs. Fields Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers! Odd choice I know, but I love dark chocolate and I really like ginger!

Girl Scouts Thin Mints - they're addicting! Since I'm a ginger lover, I'd love to try the Ginger Chews, but don't recall seeing them in the local Publix. I also like the Vienna Sandwich cookies, the reduced fat ones taste great.
DONNA

*makes note about TJ's ginger cookies"

Am I the only person on the planet who does not like Oreos?

Lackboys3 - The only chain grocery I've seen Ginger Chews in was Meijer, and that only once. Cost Plus usually has them, though.

Donna, I just got some Ginger Chews at World Market. My last batch was on clearance at Marshall's, $1 for a can, weight unknown. LOL

I have to give credit where it's due, though, my first Ginger Chew came from Renee (beanthere) while she still was in Kentucky! I didn't like the peanut ones very much so I sent those to Maureen (msazadi).

Annie

Oh excellent! We have a World Market that's about 1/2 hour from here (Viera), and I'm in that town a few times a week. I'm going to look for them. Is "Ginger People" the brand name?

Thanks Renee and Annie!
DONNA

Yes, Donna, the brand name is "Ginger People". They make some dressings, candy, all ginger stuff. They have a little ginger root guy on the package.

It's yummy....

Annie