<p>If I’m comparing the Betty Crocker pouch mix doctored up as we do at our house and the cookie ready-to-bake slices or squares, there is NO comparison. The pouch is much more like a home made cookie. </p>
<p>You can control the sugar to a degree in a from scratch recipe, but the sugar does serve a purpose in consistency of the cookie, not just the sweetness:
But when sugar is used in baking its role becomes more complex as it also adds volume, tenderness, texture, color, and acts as a preservative. Sugar also attracts moisture in the batter which reduces the amount of gluten formed in the flour. The result of this is twofold. First, less gluten in the batter produces a baked good with a more tender crumb. Hence, recipes that contain a high sugar content produce a baked good with a more tender crumb Second, because not as much gluten is formed, the batter will be lighter. When baked, the batter will be able to rise more and the result will be a baked good with more volume. You may have wondered why batters brown in the oven. The browning is the result of the sugar reacting with the protein in other ingredients (eggs, milk) when heated. The higher the sugar content the darker the crust.</p>