One of the most notable parts of the winter holidays are the treats people enjoy year after year. From gingerbread cookies to gooey brownies, each family has their own take on these sweet treats. However, if you are too busy to find the time to bake some yourself, many stores offer their own versions of them. Some of these can be inferior to the homemade version, and others much better. Here are different store bought and homemade treats that will be pitted against each other to discover which type is better.

Gingerbread Cookies:

The type of gingerbread cookies tested were the McTavish Gingerbread Man Ginger Shortbread Cookies, which can be found at your local QFC, as well as other grocery stores in your area. This seven ounce tub was $8.75 and yielded about 20 cookies. The recipe used for the gingerbread cookies I made was found at “Love from the Oven.” The homemade gingerbread cookie was softer and less grainy, and the store bought cookies were slightly harder and had more sugar. This caused the homemade cookies to be the more popular choice, with 13 out of 20 students students interviewed preferring the homemade ones. Sophomore Carrie Callans states that “the homemade cookies had a better texture compared to the store bought cookies. They also had more flavor; you could really taste the cinnamon and ginger.” On the other hand, store bought cookie lovers such as senior Kylie Hill thought that “it was better, it had a harder taste and was more like a gingerbread cookie to me.”

Brownies:

The brownies bought from the store were Signature Select Petite Brownie Bites. These were found at Safeway for $7.99, and the box had 24 brownies. The homemade brownies made, however, were Ghirardelli’s classic chocolate brownies. The store bought brownies were more compact and with better texture, while the homemade ones had both dark chocolate and milk chocolate inside and were softer. It was these qualities that made the homemade version the preferred option, as 16 out of 20 students preferred homemade brownies. Sophomore Mara Gonzalez Moral stated that “the homemade brownies had more chocolate inside and were gooier. They also had a crunch on the top, which I liked.” However, not everyone agreed with students like Gonzalez Moral. Senior Drew Hardy thinks that “the homemade brownies taste underbaked and have a bit of grind to them.”

Shortbread Sugar Cookies:

The store bought shortbread cookies used were the McTavish Tree Shaped Traditional Shortbread Cookies. They cost $7.99 and have around 20 cookies in each tub. The homemade cookies were made with a recipe from “Simply Recipes.” The homemade shortbread cookies were sweeter and had more butter, and the store bought ones had more flavor and were crunchier. The homemade ones were again the favorite for the third time in a row; if only by a little. 11 out of 20 students preferred this cookie over the store bought one. Junior Maria Brown says that “the homemade cookie was crumblier than the store bought cookie, and I liked that traditional texture over the other one.” Even so, the store bought cookie was also preferred by some. Freshman Aadya Puri states, “The store bought cookies had more of a minty aftertaste, and I enjoyed that cookie more.”

In conclusion, while store bought treats might be a quicker fix than homemade ones, if you are looking for quality it is worth spending the time to make your own treats. Baking is a great way to bring people together and during the holidays everyone should feel closer to their family. Trying out some of these confections for yourself is a great way to make everyone happier and get some food out of it! Recipes for all the treats listed in this article will be shown down below, and for a more in-depth take on these cookies you can click on the links to the real recipes. We can not wait to see what you bake!

Gingerbread Cookies:

https://www.lovefromtheoven.com/gingerbread-cookies/

• ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 fourth cup molasses
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon if you like a strong cinnamon flavor, increase to 2 tsp total
• ½ tsp ginger if you like a strong ginger flavor, increase to 1-2 tsp total
• Optional: granulated sugar to roll cookie dough balls in

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. First, mix together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately two-three minutes with an electric mixer.
3. Next, add egg and molasses and mix well.
4. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger, stirring to combine.
5. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until well combined.
6. Form or scoop balls of dough that are slightly smaller than a golf ball. If desired, roll dough balls in granulated sugar after forming. Place them on a baking sheet approximately two inches apart to allow room for cookies to spread.
7. Finally, bake for 10-12 minutes, remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on baking for approximately ten minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Brownies:

https://www.ghirardelli.com/recipes/classic-chocolate-brownies-rec1048

• 4 ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Bar
• ½ cup (one stick) Butter, unsalted, cut into pieces
• 1 cup Brown sugar, dark or light, packed
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 2 Eggs, large
• ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons All-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• ½ cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Butter and flour an eight-inch square baking pan.
3. Chop the four ounces of semi sweet chocolate bars into one-inch pieces.
4. In the top of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, melt the four chopped chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally until smooth.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
6. Stir the brown sugar and vanilla into the chocolate mixture.
7. Add the eggs and mix well. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
8. Slowly fold the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture, mixing well until blended.
9. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour the batter into the prepared pan.
10. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.
11. Remove from the oven and cool chocolate brownies for at least 10 minutes before cutting into two-inch squares.

Shortbread Sugar Cookies:

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/classic-shortbread-cookies-recipe-5268402

• 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter (preferably European-style), softened
• ½ cup (100g) sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour

1. Beat the butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt together until the mixture is light and fluffy, for about two minutes.
2. Add the flour and mix on low until it comes together, stop when it does.
3. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator until baking.
4. Arrange oven racks, preheat the oven to 350°F, and prepare baking sheets.
5. Roll out the dough and cut out the cookies.
6. Bake for around 20 minutes, when placing the cookies on the baking sheet place them one inch apart so the cookies do not merge.
7. Cool and enjoy.