Baking cookies is a waste of time. Better to just buy them at bakery

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a really odd post. I have no problems with someone buying the cookies/baked goods at a bakery. I love a good bakery as much as the next person. But, to say makes such a broad, sweeping generalization that it's better to buy cookies at the bakery, is just wrong. Sure, it's convenient and you sometimes get specialty cookies that aren't easy to make at home. But, it's also more expensive and a lot of pleasure and rituals can surround the baking of cookies.

I just did a calculation of what a base sugar cookie recipe would cost me - less than $6 for a batch without chocolate chips. You don't have to even use 'good butter'. I didn't include the cost of using the oven because it's just pennies. Nor did I include the cost of mortgage or utensils because those are sunk costs - I'd pay for them whether I made cookies or not. I also didn't include the cost of my time because it wouldn't take me any longer to bake cookies than to run to the store to get them and I'm also avoiding the cost of gas.

^^PP here. I calculated the costs using the prices on Costco's website. I didn't include the cost of salt/soda because the amounts are so small and cheap. I also use the imitation vanilla recommended by America's Test Kitchen and it's just as cheap. It's only pennies that are missing from here and not worth wasting my time to calculate.
1.17 Eggs
0.20 flour
1.67 sugar
2.25 butter
5.28 Total

Um, the good dark or semi sweet chocolate chips?

As noted, the cost above is a base sugar cookie recipe. A bag of Ghirardelli Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips is $3.99 at Wegmans. A bag of Toll House is $2.50. So, a batch of chocolate chip cookies with 'good' chocolate chips is still less than $10. If you were to buy chocolate chips in bulk or with coupons, it'd be a bit cheaper.

There's also risk involved with at-home cookies. No risk involved buying at bakery you're a repeat customer at.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a really odd post. I have no problems with someone buying the cookies/baked goods at a bakery. I love a good bakery as much as the next person. But, to say makes such a broad, sweeping generalization that it's better to buy cookies at the bakery, is just wrong. Sure, it's convenient and you sometimes get specialty cookies that aren't easy to make at home. But, it's also more expensive and a lot of pleasure and rituals can surround the baking of cookies.

I just did a calculation of what a base sugar cookie recipe would cost me - less than $6 for a batch without chocolate chips. You don't have to even use 'good butter'. I didn't include the cost of using the oven because it's just pennies. Nor did I include the cost of mortgage or utensils because those are sunk costs - I'd pay for them whether I made cookies or not. I also didn't include the cost of my time because it wouldn't take me any longer to bake cookies than to run to the store to get them and I'm also avoiding the cost of gas.

^^PP here. I calculated the costs using the prices on Costco's website. I didn't include the cost of salt/soda because the amounts are so small and cheap. I also use the imitation vanilla recommended by America's Test Kitchen and it's just as cheap. It's only pennies that are missing from here and not worth wasting my time to calculate.
1.17 Eggs
0.20 flour
1.67 sugar
2.25 butter
5.28 Total

Um, the good dark or semi sweet chocolate chips?

As noted, the cost above is a base sugar cookie recipe. A bag of Ghirardelli Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips is $3.99 at Wegmans. A bag of Toll House is $2.50. So, a batch of chocolate chip cookies with 'good' chocolate chips is still less than $10. If you were to buy chocolate chips in bulk or with coupons, it'd be a bit cheaper.

There's also risk involved with at-home cookies. No risk involved buying at bakery you're a repeat customer at.

Yes ... no risk at all buying a product made at a commercial outlet, as that "never" goes the wrong way, does it?

Contamination doesn't occur often at commercial bakeries, that's true. In the US, they are pretty safe to buy from. But you know where contamination occurs even less frequently? My own kitchen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a really odd post. I have no problems with someone buying the cookies/baked goods at a bakery. I love a good bakery as much as the next person. But, to say makes such a broad, sweeping generalization that it's better to buy cookies at the bakery, is just wrong. Sure, it's convenient and you sometimes get specialty cookies that aren't easy to make at home. But, it's also more expensive and a lot of pleasure and rituals can surround the baking of cookies.

I just did a calculation of what a base sugar cookie recipe would cost me - less than $6 for a batch without chocolate chips. You don't have to even use 'good butter'. I didn't include the cost of using the oven because it's just pennies. Nor did I include the cost of mortgage or utensils because those are sunk costs - I'd pay for them whether I made cookies or not. I also didn't include the cost of my time because it wouldn't take me any longer to bake cookies than to run to the store to get them and I'm also avoiding the cost of gas.

^^PP here. I calculated the costs using the prices on Costco's website. I didn't include the cost of salt/soda because the amounts are so small and cheap. I also use the imitation vanilla recommended by America's Test Kitchen and it's just as cheap. It's only pennies that are missing from here and not worth wasting my time to calculate.
1.17 Eggs
0.20 flour
1.67 sugar
2.25 butter
5.28 Total

Um, the good dark or semi sweet chocolate chips?

As noted, the cost above is a base sugar cookie recipe. A bag of Ghirardelli Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips is $3.99 at Wegmans. A bag of Toll House is $2.50. So, a batch of chocolate chip cookies with 'good' chocolate chips is still less than $10. If you were to buy chocolate chips in bulk or with coupons, it'd be a bit cheaper.

There's also risk involved with at-home cookies. No risk involved buying at bakery you're a repeat customer at.

Yes ... no risk at all buying a product made at a commercial outlet, as that "never" goes the wrong way, does it?

Contamination doesn't occur often at commercial bakeries, that's true. In the US, they are pretty safe to buy from. But you know where contamination occurs even less frequently? My own kitchen.

One time in years I had a bad item at a bakery. They immediately offered to issue me a refund or replace the item on my next visit. When you screw up baking at home, it's money down the drain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a really odd post. I have no problems with someone buying the cookies/baked goods at a bakery. I love a good bakery as much as the next person. But, to say makes such a broad, sweeping generalization that it's better to buy cookies at the bakery, is just wrong. Sure, it's convenient and you sometimes get specialty cookies that aren't easy to make at home. But, it's also more expensive and a lot of pleasure and rituals can surround the baking of cookies.

I just did a calculation of what a base sugar cookie recipe would cost me - less than $6 for a batch without chocolate chips. You don't have to even use 'good butter'. I didn't include the cost of using the oven because it's just pennies. Nor did I include the cost of mortgage or utensils because those are sunk costs - I'd pay for them whether I made cookies or not. I also didn't include the cost of my time because it wouldn't take me any longer to bake cookies than to run to the store to get them and I'm also avoiding the cost of gas.

^^PP here. I calculated the costs using the prices on Costco's website. I didn't include the cost of salt/soda because the amounts are so small and cheap. I also use the imitation vanilla recommended by America's Test Kitchen and it's just as cheap. It's only pennies that are missing from here and not worth wasting my time to calculate.
1.17 Eggs
0.20 flour
1.67 sugar
2.25 butter
5.28 Total

Um, the good dark or semi sweet chocolate chips?

As noted, the cost above is a base sugar cookie recipe. A bag of Ghirardelli Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips is $3.99 at Wegmans. A bag of Toll House is $2.50. So, a batch of chocolate chip cookies with 'good' chocolate chips is still less than $10. If you were to buy chocolate chips in bulk or with coupons, it'd be a bit cheaper.

There's also risk involved with at-home cookies. No risk involved buying at bakery you're a repeat customer at.

Yes ... no risk at all buying a product made at a commercial outlet, as that "never" goes the wrong way, does it?

Contamination doesn't occur often at commercial bakeries, that's true. In the US, they are pretty safe to buy from. But you know where contamination occurs even less frequently? My own kitchen.

One time in years I had a bad item at a bakery. They immediately offered to issue me a refund or replace the item on my next visit. When you screw up baking at home, it's money down the drain.

I don't screw up baking at home, because I know how to bake. And I have had exactly 0 bad items from my kitchen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am good at baking and make really good cookies. And I can make them for a lot less than $3 a cookie, even with inflation costs of groceries.

It sounds like you just aren’t very good at baking and don’t like it, which is fine. But other people feel differently.

Sure, a (potentially mediocre) home recipe produces more than 4 cookies, but what family needs a dozen+ cookies? Diminishing returns, you know. And gluttonous. Between the potential for mediocre cookies and too many sweets and all the time and cleanup, wiser to just go buy 4 really spectacular cookies. Support a local business, too.

NP. Um, some of us share cookies with neighbors and co-workers, etc. You do you. But don’t act like you are so superior—you’re not. You’re the type who buys cookies instead of baking. Some of us are good at baking, and can also control the amount we eat. I don’t eat “too many sweets,” nor do I make “mediocre cookies,” nor does a bit of kitchen clean-up phase me. If I were a mediocre baker who made a huge disaster in the kitchen like you, I’d probably buy baked goods, too.

Faze.

[Anonymous]

I just have to laugh at how Op thinks she is an accomplished cook but can’t make a consistent cookie.

My chic chip cookies are incredible, but I only make them every few months. It’s not a big deal that we have extras for the week, because we only bake occasionally.

[Anonymous]

There's not thing wrong with deciding to buy everything from a bakery in the future, or loudly proclaiming that, or encouraging other to consider doing it too if they like, or promoting supporting small businesses, or really anything other than putting down other people and their choices.

It's the rudeness that is the problem, not the choice. Go ahead and do it, OP. Just don't be uncouth about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's not thing wrong with deciding to buy everything from a bakery in the future, or loudly proclaiming that, or encouraging other to consider doing it too if they like, or promoting supporting small businesses, or really anything other than putting down other people and their choices.

It's the rudeness that is the problem, not the choice. Go ahead and do it, OP. Just don't be uncouth about it.

+1

[Anonymous]

The only cookies I bake at home are frosted sugar cookies, basically Christmas cookies. I like them thin and with homemade buttercream icing, then I top them with those little cinnamon red things. That's the way I like them. We made them with the kids when they were young and had fun decorating them. Now if I make them I just eat them all because they are so good. So I actually don't bake them, or maybe once every few years I make a small batch.

I do like to buy edible chocolate chip cookie dough and eat the dough but not bake the cookies.

Other than those two caveats, no cookies in my life. Oh, well, on the rare occasion I go to Tropical Smoothie Cafe I get one of their large snickerdoodles, they are great.

I couldn't care less where the OP gets her cookie fix.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a really odd post. I have no problems with someone buying the cookies/baked goods at a bakery. I love a good bakery as much as the next person. But, to say makes such a broad, sweeping generalization that it's better to buy cookies at the bakery, is just wrong. Sure, it's convenient and you sometimes get specialty cookies that aren't easy to make at home. But, it's also more expensive and a lot of pleasure and rituals can surround the baking of cookies.

I just did a calculation of what a base sugar cookie recipe would cost me - less than $6 for a batch without chocolate chips. You don't have to even use 'good butter'. I didn't include the cost of using the oven because it's just pennies. Nor did I include the cost of mortgage or utensils because those are sunk costs - I'd pay for them whether I made cookies or not. I also didn't include the cost of my time because it wouldn't take me any longer to bake cookies than to run to the store to get them and I'm also avoiding the cost of gas.

^^PP here. I calculated the costs using the prices on Costco's website. I didn't include the cost of salt/soda because the amounts are so small and cheap. I also use the imitation vanilla recommended by America's Test Kitchen and it's just as cheap. It's only pennies that are missing from here and not worth wasting my time to calculate.
1.17 Eggs
0.20 flour
1.67 sugar
2.25 butter
5.28 Total

Um, the good dark or semi sweet chocolate chips?

As noted, the cost above is a base sugar cookie recipe. A bag of Ghirardelli Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips is $3.99 at Wegmans. A bag of Toll House is $2.50. So, a batch of chocolate chip cookies with 'good' chocolate chips is still less than $10. If you were to buy chocolate chips in bulk or with coupons, it'd be a bit cheaper.

There's also risk involved with at-home cookies. No risk involved buying at bakery you're a repeat customer at.

Do you make nothing at home? Are you carried into your shower, down the steps, across the street? Are you magically whisked from location to location? Pray tell us, how do you manage all the risks in your life?

[Anonymous]

You do it Wall-E style!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a really odd post. I have no problems with someone buying the cookies/baked goods at a bakery. I love a good bakery as much as the next person. But, to say makes such a broad, sweeping generalization that it's better to buy cookies at the bakery, is just wrong. Sure, it's convenient and you sometimes get specialty cookies that aren't easy to make at home. But, it's also more expensive and a lot of pleasure and rituals can surround the baking of cookies.

I just did a calculation of what a base sugar cookie recipe would cost me - less than $6 for a batch without chocolate chips. You don't have to even use 'good butter'. I didn't include the cost of using the oven because it's just pennies. Nor did I include the cost of mortgage or utensils because those are sunk costs - I'd pay for them whether I made cookies or not. I also didn't include the cost of my time because it wouldn't take me any longer to bake cookies than to run to the store to get them and I'm also avoiding the cost of gas.

^^PP here. I calculated the costs using the prices on Costco's website. I didn't include the cost of salt/soda because the amounts are so small and cheap. I also use the imitation vanilla recommended by America's Test Kitchen and it's just as cheap. It's only pennies that are missing from here and not worth wasting my time to calculate.
1.17 Eggs
0.20 flour
1.67 sugar
2.25 butter
5.28 Total

Um, the good dark or semi sweet chocolate chips?

As noted, the cost above is a base sugar cookie recipe. A bag of Ghirardelli Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips is $3.99 at Wegmans. A bag of Toll House is $2.50. So, a batch of chocolate chip cookies with 'good' chocolate chips is still less than $10. If you were to buy chocolate chips in bulk or with coupons, it'd be a bit cheaper.

There's also risk involved with at-home cookies. No risk involved buying at bakery you're a repeat customer at.

Risk? In chocolate chip cookies? What in the world?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a really odd post. I have no problems with someone buying the cookies/baked goods at a bakery. I love a good bakery as much as the next person. But, to say makes such a broad, sweeping generalization that it's better to buy cookies at the bakery, is just wrong. Sure, it's convenient and you sometimes get specialty cookies that aren't easy to make at home. But, it's also more expensive and a lot of pleasure and rituals can surround the baking of cookies.

I just did a calculation of what a base sugar cookie recipe would cost me - less than $6 for a batch without chocolate chips. You don't have to even use 'good butter'. I didn't include the cost of using the oven because it's just pennies. Nor did I include the cost of mortgage or utensils because those are sunk costs - I'd pay for them whether I made cookies or not. I also didn't include the cost of my time because it wouldn't take me any longer to bake cookies than to run to the store to get them and I'm also avoiding the cost of gas.

^^PP here. I calculated the costs using the prices on Costco's website. I didn't include the cost of salt/soda because the amounts are so small and cheap. I also use the imitation vanilla recommended by America's Test Kitchen and it's just as cheap. It's only pennies that are missing from here and not worth wasting my time to calculate.
1.17 Eggs
0.20 flour
1.67 sugar
2.25 butter
5.28 Total

Um, the good dark or semi sweet chocolate chips?

As noted, the cost above is a base sugar cookie recipe. A bag of Ghirardelli Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips is $3.99 at Wegmans. A bag of Toll House is $2.50. So, a batch of chocolate chip cookies with 'good' chocolate chips is still less than $10. If you were to buy chocolate chips in bulk or with coupons, it'd be a bit cheaper.

There's also risk involved with at-home cookies. No risk involved buying at bakery you're a repeat customer at.

LOL, I’ve been successfully baking chocolate chip cookies since I was 10 with no “risk,” but I guess some people are just terrible at baking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a really odd post. I have no problems with someone buying the cookies/baked goods at a bakery. I love a good bakery as much as the next person. But, to say makes such a broad, sweeping generalization that it's better to buy cookies at the bakery, is just wrong. Sure, it's convenient and you sometimes get specialty cookies that aren't easy to make at home. But, it's also more expensive and a lot of pleasure and rituals can surround the baking of cookies.

I just did a calculation of what a base sugar cookie recipe would cost me - less than $6 for a batch without chocolate chips. You don't have to even use 'good butter'. I didn't include the cost of using the oven because it's just pennies. Nor did I include the cost of mortgage or utensils because those are sunk costs - I'd pay for them whether I made cookies or not. I also didn't include the cost of my time because it wouldn't take me any longer to bake cookies than to run to the store to get them and I'm also avoiding the cost of gas.

^^PP here. I calculated the costs using the prices on Costco's website. I didn't include the cost of salt/soda because the amounts are so small and cheap. I also use the imitation vanilla recommended by America's Test Kitchen and it's just as cheap. It's only pennies that are missing from here and not worth wasting my time to calculate.
1.17 Eggs
0.20 flour
1.67 sugar
2.25 butter
5.28 Total

Um, the good dark or semi sweet chocolate chips?

As noted, the cost above is a base sugar cookie recipe. A bag of Ghirardelli Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips is $3.99 at Wegmans. A bag of Toll House is $2.50. So, a batch of chocolate chip cookies with 'good' chocolate chips is still less than $10. If you were to buy chocolate chips in bulk or with coupons, it'd be a bit cheaper.

There's also risk involved with at-home cookies. No risk involved buying at bakery you're a repeat customer at.

LOL, I’ve been successfully baking chocolate chip cookies since I was 10 with no “risk,” but I guess some people are just terrible at baking.

I have been eating raw cookie dough for 35+ years to no ill effects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, just venting. I just have no idea how chocolate chip cookies can come out different every time we try to bake them at home. It's not that they're awful, it's just they're sort of mediocre compared to theirs. I'm just going to use up these chips and never try cookies again. Going to support the bakery instead moving forward.

You need a better recipe or may need better tools. Baking is a science. There are so many things that can go wrong, especially around the incorporation of the fat and heat. This will heavily impact the crumb and flavor of the cookie.

But if you don’t mind spending that much for cookies, I see no reason not to just buy them. If you really wanted to make them at home, I could suggest some recipes snd strategies.

I am a good cook. But baking cookies is too hit or miss. It's just not worth it anymore. I give up.

How does this personal “revelation” necessitate a thread, again?

I wonder if OP is actual a bakery owner trying to drum up business.

Haha. I actually refuse to name the bakery because then they would sell out earlier than they already do. And justifiably raise the prices from $3 to $5!

I was with you, OP, until this. Just name the bakery! This thread is full of people who like to bake! Your perf cookie place is not going to be swamped if you name it. C’mon!