Tuesday
Nov182008
Ask a Gumshoe: Where Can I Find a Cookie of the Month Club?
Tuesday, November 18, 2008 
We get a lot of mail with baked good related questions--and we'll admit it, sometimes we're stumped! But we always try to do our homework--and so here is a new feature in which we will strive to answer these important questions so that others can benefit from our sweet findings too!
This week, we received a message from a Cakespy reader, wondering if there is such a thing as a cookie-of-the-week club. Though we don't know of any cookie of the week clubs, upon searching we did realize that there is a very active culture of cookie of the month clubs out there--the hardest part may be choosing your favorite. Now, we can't say we endorse any of these companies as we've never joined their clubs, but having looked at quite a few, these were the ones that seemed most appetizing, interesting, and user-friendly to us:
Who: Chip N Dough
What to expect: 12 jumbo cookies a month; on the first month, your recipient will receive a cookie jar which they can replenish each month with the new batch.
The goods: You can either have them choose an assortment or choose your own flavors; the cookies are fairly traditional, including classics like chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal chocolate chip, and a decadent soft chocolate cookie-brownie hybrid which they call the "Brookie".
The investment: There are a variety of plans. Prices range from $67.95 for a prepaid three month plan to $269.95 for the whole year long. Monthly plans are available too, for $24.95 a month.
Shipping: Not included.
Where to find them: chipndough.com.
Who: My Kids' Cookies
What to expect: 12 jumbo cookies each month; customizable packaging options available, and you have freedom to choose the day of the month you'd like to have them shipped to the recipient.
The goods: The monthly selections are set (flavors include classics like Snickerdoodles, Oatmeal Raisin, Milk Chocolate Walnut, and gourmet variations like Oatmeal Cranberry and White Chocolate Macadamia); however, it's possible to specify whether you'd like your selections with or without nuts.
The investment: $315 for the year
Shipping: Included in the cost.
Where to find them: mykidscookies.com.
Who: Solomon's Gourmet Cookies
What to expect: A set selection of gourmet cookies delivered monthly.
The Goods: They have a set selection, with a limited number of substitutions possible:
Shipping: Not included. They estimate that shipping adds $6.50-$8.50 per shipment.
Who: Monica's Best Gourmet Cookies
Who: Carolina Cookie
Who: Platine Cookies
Who: Carol's Cookies
- January - Jelly Cookie
- February - Chocolate Mint Brownie
- March - Coconut Bar
- April - Raspberry Brownie
- May - Caramelita
- June - Chocolate Chip Brownie
- July - Muriel Roth Bar
- August - Turtle Bar
- September - Chocolate Filler
- October - Caramel Brownie
- November - Banana Bar
- December - No Nut Assortment
Shipping: Not included. They estimate that shipping adds $6.50-$8.50 per shipment.
What to expect: One dozen of the generously sized "flavor of the month" cookie delivered early each month.
The goods: The flavor selections are set but correspond nicely to the seasons; all ingredients are all-natural and organic. Gotta love that.
- January: Oatmeal Raisin
- February: Double Chocolate Chunk
- March: Butterscotch Pecan
- April: Peanut butter chocolate chip
- May: Vanilla Almond
- June: Coconut key lime
- July: Peanut butter
- August: Chocolate Hazelnut
- September: Oatmeal chocolate chunk
- October: Pumpkin spice
- November: Cranberry Orange
- December: Gingerbread Spice
The investment: Two options are available--prepaid or monthly (with a three month minimum). The cost is $35.36 per month.
Shipping: It looks from the site as if some of the shipping is included in the cost, but it may be subject to increase depending where the cookies are being sent.
Where to find them: allisonsgourmet.com.
Who: Gotta Have Cookies
What to expect: A batch of cookies delivered each month to your recipient; a personalized gift message accompanies the first shipment.
The goods: The selections are set:
- January: Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Squares
- February: Heart Cut-Out Cookies
- March: Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
- April: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- May: Chocolate Chip Cookies
- June: Macadamia and Milk Chocolate Chunk
- July: Snickerdoodles
- August: Macadamia and White Chocolate Chip
- September: M & M Cookies
- October: Monster Cookies ( Peanut butter, M & M’s, chocolate chips and oatmeal)
- November: Cranberry and White Chocolate Chip
- December: Assorted Christmas Cookies: Spritz, Peanut Butter Blossom and the “baker’s choice”.
The investment: The club is set up in 3-month ($89.75), 6-month ($170.05) or 12-month ($321.20) installments.
Shipping: Not included
Where to find them: gottahavecookies.com.
Who: Monica's Best Gourmet Cookies
What to expect: One dozen fat (in this case, this is a compliment) cookies delivered each month on a a box "elegantly finished with ribbon".
The goods: The selections by month are set:
- January - Peanut Butter
- February - Mocha Chocolate Chip
- March - The Trio
- April - Iced Lemon
- May - Iced Almond
- June - Assorted
- July - Iced Orange
- August - Oatmeal Raisin
- September - Chocolate Chip
- October - Pumpkin Chocolate Chip
- November - Oatmeal Chocolate Chip
- December - Iced Peppermint
The investment: The club is set up in 3-month ($72), 6-month ($145), 9-month ($214) and 12-month ($279) increments.
Shipping: Shipping is included in all aforementioned fees.
Where to find them: monicasbest.com.
Who: Carolina Cookie
What to expect: Depending on your investment, either one or two dozen dense cookies per month which are strangely, almost shaped like southern biscuits.
The goods: The selections by month are set:
- January: Chunky Chocolate
- February: Triple Chocolate Pecan
- March: White Chocolate Macadamia Nut
- April: Sugar
- May: Butter Pecan
- June: Oatmeal Raisin
- July: Chunky Reeses Peanut Butter
- August: Oatmeal Cranberry Nut
- September: Chunky Chocolate Pecan
- October: Chunky Milk Chocolate
- November: Milk Chocolate Macadamia Nut
- December: Gingerbread
The investment: The club is set up in 3-month ($53.95 /dz; $75.30/ 2 dz.), 6-month ($106 / dz; $153.70 / 2 dz); 12-month ($201.93 / dz; $293.64 / 2 dz) increments.
Shipping: Price includes standard shipping.
Where to find them: carolinacookie.com.
Who: Platine Cookies
What to expect: 18 original artisan recipe cookies (and bars) the first week of every month.
The goods: The monthly selections are set:
- January Platine Signature Cookie
- February Our Best Brownies
- March Chocolate Chunk
- April Snickerdoodles
- May Chocolate Galore
- June Milk Chocolate Nut
- July Oatmeal Raisin
- August Blondies
- September Traditional Rugelach
- October Halloween Candy Craze
- November Chocolate Gingersnaps
- December Cranberry Chocolate Chunk
The investment: The club is set up in 3-month ($85), 6-month ($150) and 9-month ($220) increments.
Shipping: Shipping is not included.
Where to find them: platinecookies.com.
Who: Tribeca Treats
What to expect: 1-2 dozen cookies per month (depending on the month's selection).
The goods: The monthly selections are set:
Shipping: Shipping is included in the cost.
Where to find them: tribecatreats.com.
- January: Stick to your resolutions (at least until February!) with our fat-free and gluten-free "Spa Cookies". The recipe comes from the famed Golden Door Spa in Southern California.
- February: Treat yourself or your valentine to heart-shaped raspberry linzer cookies
- March: Traditional New York black & white cookies, only bite-sized
- April: Our ever-popular caramel sandwich cookies, in both chocolate and vanilla versions
- May: For Mother's Day, our fudgy brownies (even better than mom used to make!)
- June: Peanut butter thumbprint cookies filled with milk chocolate ganache
- July: Refreshing lime shortbread cookies, with a lime glaze
- August: Cinnamon buttermilk cookies (if French Toast were a cookie, this is what it would taste like!)
- September: Rekindle your summer campfire memories with our S'mores cookies
- October: BOO! our Halloween sugar cookies are a hit with kids and adults
- November: Chocolate hazelnut cookies are a perfect treat by a toasty fire
- December: Adorable gingerbread men, just in time for Holiday season
Shipping: Shipping is included in the cost.
Where to find them: tribecatreats.com.
Who: Carol's Cookies
What to expect: A monthly shipment of 1 dozen enormous cookies with a gift message.
The goods: The monthly selections are set:
- January: The No-nutter...a dozen of all of our handmade cookies without the nuts
- February: Sweets for my Sweet - a dozen of Cinnamon Swirl and Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies
- March: Awww, Nuts! - a dozen of our assorted cookies with nuts
- April: Specialty Chocolate Month - a dozen of our cookies with rich dark, milk and white chocolate
- May: The Kitchen Sink - whatever we have in stock is what you get
- June: Cookie Jar with half of a dozen of our gourmet assortment
- July: Best Sellers - whatever our best sellers are, you'll be getting our top three
- August: Fruit of the Month - a dozen of our Oatmeal Raisin and Oatmeal Chocolate Cherry Cookies
- September: Minis - a Small Gift Tin packed full with Carol's Minis
- October: Choco-holics - anything and everything chocolate this month!
- November: Tandem Coffee Cups - two of our Carol's Coffee Cups so you have something to dip your cookies into
- December: Gourmet Assortment - our standard measure for perfection, a dozen of our handmade, assorted cookies
The investment: The club is set up in 6-month ($205) or 12-month ($400) increments.
Where to find them: carolscookies.com.
Do you have an opinion on the best cookie of the month club? Leave a comment or send us an email!
tagged pastries to ship
pastries to ship
Reader Comments (16)
Wow...quite hefty price tags for something you could make yourself for pennies!
Joie: You know, I keep flip-flopping on that one. Because on the one hand we all balked at the cost, but then we thought about it, and a lot of times bakery cookies can top $2 a pop. When you think about it that way it's not as bad...But mos' def there is still some sticker shock! :-)
I know of a great place for cookies of the month. Liz, over at The Cookie Chew (amazing rendition of a cookie & truffle)has a cookie of the month club. check her website out. http://www.thecookiechew.com/index2.php?v=v1
She has a blog as well. http://www.thecookiechew.blogspot.com/
That's so cool! If I lived in the US I would be tempted! Carol's Cookies also have cookie of the month: http://www.carolscookies.com/the_cookies/cookie_of_the_month.html
I am so hungry I'm clutching my stomach now.
I know it's a DIY cookie club of sorts, but I am always impressed by the Martha Stewart Living Cookie of the Month on the back of every issue. They always look delicious and not super hard to make.
I think I would be a bazillion pounds if I subscribed to a cookie membership program! Very satisfied, but a bazillion pounds! I did see an ad for an Avocado of the Month program recently, struck me as very weird!
oh man, what a Christmas gift!
But , based on what everyone is saying, wouldn't it be a neat DIY gift to give someone? You could bake your own and deliver based on time line whatever you decide.
You would have to just make sure you follow through..otherwise it's just not nice :)
I used to work at a place where one of the most popular silent auction items was a cookie of the month plan.
Couture: Thanks for the tip!
Clumbsy: Thanks for noticing! We love Carol's...so I added it to the list!
MadameMeow: You know, I haven't seen that feature! I look at her website all the time but I should really pick up the magazine! Thanks for the tip!
Rural Vegan: HA!! I wonder what the deal is with the avocado of the month club? I mean, different varietals? Hmm...
Banana-head: So true. I guess that's a good point--maybe that's part of why they're pricey, because they pick up the slack so you don't have to worry about forgetting the whole thing around month three! :-)
Owl Chick: You know, I would totally go for that in an auction!!
I suppose that a cookie of the month club is a good idea but truly, I'd prefer to have a cookie of the day club if I were being entirely honest.
You can totally do this yourself if the person is local. I did a Wine of the Month this year for my parents as a xmas gift, made a schedule for the year and delivered them monthly. Much more personal and they loved it. You could easily do this with any baked goods and it's much more cost effective.
Your illustration is adorable and the roundup wonderful, but I wonder if they were asking if there is a cookie baking group similar to Tuesdays with Dorie. If there is, I don't know about it, but it could be a great idea.
I agree with Elle, it instantly got me interested in a cookie baking group. I haven't found one yet though, the quest will continue though!
And if I can't find one, I may have to motivate my lazy self to start one:)
And I really want a cookie now.
These all look so fun and tasty. As they just cut my hours at work, though, I these are not in the budget. I'll stick with the "cookies from my kitchen" club. Added bonus, I'm the president.
wow what delicious cookies. I ll eat them all months of the year :)
Well, I’m not a cookie girl. I LOVE CAKE. So if anyone asks you about a “cake for the weekend”, you can send them to my blog. I bake a cake every week. Recipes posted on blog. With a photo. And it’s free!