<p>For the majority of my life, I’d say the Tollhouse cookies are by far the best… until a few years ago when I ran across a recipe for a replica of Mrs. Fields chocolate chip cookies. They are the best, but much more work involved.</p>
<p>And it should be noted that anytime you make Tollhouse cookies, prepare double the recipe for every batch you want to make into cookies… so you can eat all the raw cookie dough that you won’t be able to resist.</p>
<p>Reducing the sugar in a cookie recipe will change the texture considerably - the cookies won’t have that chewy, soft quality and will be cakier and less spread out. To reduce the sweetness in any mix containing chocolate - add a few tablespoons of good quality cocoa powder.</p>
<p>Ooh, forgot about the Mrs Fields recipe that went around like wildfire several years ago. Also very yummy.</p>
<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>
<p>I do love the pre-made tollhouse, possibly better than the tollhouse from scratch which is our go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. When we make them from scratch I like to use a little extra vanilla than the recipe calls for, which actually seems to cut the sweet a bit-- but too much vanilla is bitter so it’s a fine line, you can only add a bit. There’s another pre-made one we like, I think they sell it at Kroger, I want to say it’s called “simply” something… we get those a lot and they’re really good. Sometimes I’m not in the mood for the mess of cooking from scratch, and you can pop a premade cookie or two in the toaster oven and behave yourself and not eat a whole batch right away. 
I don’t have the restraint not to eat them all once they’re made. And when I make toll house from scratch I always make like four dozen whether I intend to or not, somehow… ;)</p>
<p>OP, how do they compare to the premade dough in the tube? That’s my go-to. Never tried the dry premixes.</p>
<p>I drive my family crazy, in that sometimes, I will just slice that dough and make myself ONE cookie so not to tempt myself into eating more. They come a-running when the sniff the air, and all that’s left is that empty pan.</p>
<p>@teriwtt- which Mrs. Field’s recipe do you use? The one with butter cut in cubes and baked at 300 degrees? Or the one with room temp butter baked at 350?</p>
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<p>I often make DH two oatmeal raisin cookies after dinner from the package where they are premade into little squares. I usually combine 3 squares, though, to make a larger cookie.</p>
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I think you mean these cookies: <a href=“http://www.pillsbury.com/products/cookies/simply-cookies”>500 - Pillsbury.com;
<p>geo1113- if you like the Nestle cookie dough, try putting some in a small ramekin and microwave it just long enough to puff up, not to change texture, warm & melty soft & yummy, but that same technique is not nearly as good with homemade cookie dough, it must be all the artificial stuff in the pre-made cookie dough.</p>
<p>CTTC-- yep, those must be it! I’ve never seen the package because I’m never the one that makes them… I just eat them all. :)</p>
<p>This is a good recipe for a microwaveable 1 minute (actually 6 minutes with prep time) chocolate chip cookie in a mug. </p>
<p><a href=“Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Cup”>http://www.number-2-pencil.com/2012/03/06/chocolate-chip-cookie-in-cup/</a></p>
<p>I suppose the time it takes to assemble all the ingredients, it would be more efficient to make a whole batch of cookies. However, when my kids crave cookies and none are available, they just use this recipe for a single serving warm cookie.</p>
<p>But back to the OP’s question:</p>
<p>I think Ema hit the nail on the head: Add a half teaspoon of vanilla and see how that works. </p>
<p>Cook them from scratch using the recipe on the chocolate chip cookie package.</p>
<p>…Although I do agree that the refrigerated Toll House dough makes a very good cookie. I couldn’t tell the difference.</p>
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<p>It is butter at room temperature. I didn’t know there was another option. </p>