The Distinguished Fudge Fancy

Some time in the mid 2000’s, I found out about a place called Vanilla Bean Bakery and Cafe in Latham (which also had a bakery in Troy), and fell in love with a cookie they used to have called the Fudge Fancy. It was a soft shortbread cookie with about an equal amount of sugary fudge on top. They kind of reminded me of my favorite childhood cookie, Stella D’oro’s Swiss Fudge cookie, only it was far better.

A couple of years and several dozen cookies after this, Vanilla Bean closed, and a place called Cookie Factory popped up in Troy, and they were selling cookies that looked strikingly similar to the Vanilla Bean Fudge Fancy; there, these cookies were called “Fudge Fantasies.” It turns out the owners of Cookie Factory owned a part of Vanilla Bean Bakery. Things have gone gangbusters for these guys, and you can find Cookie Factory Fudge Fantasies at most of the area supermarkets in the bakery section.

Later in the 2000’s, I learned that Bella Napoli Bakery (in Troy but with a bakery outpost and cafe in Latham) had their own fudge fancy. The one time I tried it, it looked very good, and it tasted good, but the fudge was much more fluid than Cookie Factory’s version. In fact, when I bit into it, a bit of the fudge dropped onto my shoe.

Since meeting my good friend MetalFrog back in 2009, we’ve argued which of our favorite was actually better. He doesn’t like the Cookie Factory version because, every time he eats them, he’s left with a lap full of crumbs.

Something I always wanted to do was design a social experiment to see which cookie would be more widely appealing. I work with a bunch of scientists, all of which come from diverse backgrounds and would be unbiased (many of them don’t know or care about either bakery.). Having each of them participate in a larger focus group made for some interesting results.

Business

I had some people pick up Fudge Fantasies from the Troy outpost of Cookie Factory, someone else pick up mini Fudge Fancies from Bella Napoli, and I picked up the Stella D’oro Swiss Fudge cookies to make things interesting.

The three cookies

The three cookies

The three cookies side by side

I handed out score sheets to the 17 people who participated. All I asked was that each person taste each cookie and rate the fudge, cookie, and overall taste each on a scale of 0 to 5. I summed the three scores for each person, took the overall averages, and normalized the totals on a scale of 100. Some people left comments.

Here’s the breakdown:

Cookie Factory Fudge Fantasy (Cookie "A")
Cookie Factory Fudge Fantasy (Cookie “A”)
Cookie Factory Fudge Fantasy (Cookie "A")
Cookie Factory Fudge Fantasy (Cookie “A”)

Cookie Factory Fudge Fantasy (Cookie “A”)

  • Fudge : 72
  • Cookie: 73
  • Overall Taste: 74
  • Total: 73
Stella D'oro Swiss Fudge (Cookie "B")
Stella D’oro Swiss Fudge (Cookie “B”)
Stella D'oro Swiss Fudge (Cookie "B")
Stella D’oro Swiss Fudge (Cookie “B”)

Stella D’oro Swiss Fudge (Cookie “B”)

  • Fudge : 40
  • Cookie: 56
  • Overall Taste: 52
  • Total: 49
Bella Napoli Fudge Fancy
Bella Napoli Fudge Fancy
Bella Napoli Fudge Fancy
Bella Napoli Fudge Fancy

Bella Napoli Fudge Fancy

  • Fudge : 81
  • Cookie: 66
  • Overall Taste: 79
  • Total: 75

When looking strictly at the sum of the scores, there’s no statistical difference between Cookie Factory (73/100) and Bella Napoli (75/100).  By looking back at the individual judging criteria, some specific trends can be drawn.

On the average, people felt Bella Napoli had superior fudge and overall taste, but had a cookie that was slightly inferior to Cookie Factory. Cookie Factory was consistent across the board. From the comments some people left on the score sheets, some felt that Cookie Factory’s fudge was overly sweet and wasn’t quite as “fudgy” as Bella Napoli; another common observation was that Cookie Factory fudge was more crispy and sugary. From the comments left, many people would love a cookie comprised of Cookie Factory’s cookie with Bella Napoli Fudge.

Stella D’oro’s cookie didn’t score great at all. Honestly, they tasted nothing like the cookies I remember. The fudge was almost as chewy as a Tootsie Roll, and I definitely don’t remember it being so hard. Some people actually thought this cookie was superior because it was the only cookie that was crunchy. There were a couple who picked this cookie as their favorite, and the main reason given was that it was nowhere near as sweet as the other two.

The most interesting thing I take from the whole study comes when breaking down the cost per gram of each cookie. A Cookie Factory Fudge Fantasy weighs 40 grams and costs 50 cents per cookie. A Stella D’oro Swiss Fudge cookie weighs 12 grams and costs 18 cents per cookie. Bella Napoli’s mini Fudge Fancy weighs 36 grams and costs 45 cents per cookie. Per gram, Stella D’oro costs twice as much as the other two and was widely received as inferior.

The bottom line is that you really can’t go wrong with the fudge cookies from either bakery. Cookie Factory has a very consistent product that you can also find at a lot of grocery stores. Bella Napoli cookies are less widely available, but probably are the cookies you’d want to feed to a chocolate lover. Either way, I’d say they’re brilliant bites.

Cookie Factory (520 Congress St, Troy, NY)

Bella Napoli (672 New Loudon Road Latham, NY 12110 or 721 River Street Troy, NY)

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For the record, here are my scores (each normalized to 100 percent):

Cookie Factory Fudge Fantasy (Cookie “A”)

  • Fudge : 40
  • Cookie: 80
  • Overall Taste: 60
  • Total: 60

Stella D’oro Swiss Fudge (Cookie “B”)

  • Fudge : 20
  • Cookie: 60
  • Overall Taste: 40
  • Total: 40

Bella Napoli Fudge Fancy

  • Fudge : 100
  • Cookie: 80
  • Overall Taste: 60
  • Total: 80

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17 thoughts on “The Distinguished Fudge Fancy

  • Woodrow

    I miss the Vanilla Bean Bakery. Thanks for the comparison. I like the look and description of that Bella Napoli cooke. But the Cookie Factory wins for me, mainly because I can get it anywhere. I love Bella Napoli but just don’t get to Latham that often, and almost never to Troy.


    • Shannon

      The owners of Vanilla Bean Bakery have opened a new bakery in Lake George- the Lake George Baking Company on Amherst Street. The sweets there still have the great taste that Vanilla Bean had. It’s a lot smaller inside the bakery but definitely worth a stop if you travel north often or once in a while.


      • derryX

        Thanks, Shannon!

        I was going to include a few words about that into this post, but it was getting a little long. As I understand it, Vanilla Bean was co-owned by the people who opened Lake George Baking Company and Cookie Factory in some capacity.


  • SaratogaSaint

    This is great. A lot of times, when people compare things side by side like this, they tend to overthink it. I’m glad you were able to make it as simple as possible.

    I agree with the conclusion here. If I’m in Bella Napoli, I never leave without Fudge Fancies, but if I want them in a pinch, Cookie Factory are just about everywhere. One thing, though. The Cookie Factory Fudge Fantasies that come in 2 packs are much much softer than the larger packs. It really takes away from the quality of the cookie and fudge.


  • Anne Rogers

    I know I’m really late to this post, but you left out the best – the original! – fudge fancy cookie from Golden Crust Bakery. Their original bakery in Cohoes burned down in 2006, but they opened a smaller bakery on Johnson Road just off Route 9 and still make the best fudge fancies in existence 🙂


    • derryX

      Thanks so much for the comment! I’m making videos for YouTube now, and I’m going to revisit the Fudge Fancy topic this summer. I’ll make sure to include Golden Crust!


    • Mike

      Was this the same Golden Crust Bakery that was also in Saratoga Springs years ago? Man, how I loved their fudge fancies!


    • Van Sorell

      OMG Anne!! I didn’t know that Golden Crust opened up a place after the fire!!! I’m on my way to get their Fudge Fancies. They were the original AND the best. Closely followed by Schuyler Bakery.
      Sorry DerryX but the cookies you have chosen for comparison are not very good. They are commercial bakeries and are more about appearance than flavor. I would never purchase any of those. Please don’t take me as a snob, just a fudge fancy enthusiast .


      • derryX

        This was done 7 years ago. At the time, Bella Napoli and Cookie Factory were the main bakeries making these cookies. If people were raving about Golden Crust or Schuyler Bakery’s fudge fancies at the time, they would have been selected. I always thought Schuyler Bakery’s strength/popularity was donuts… The Stella D’orro was selected as a control to see if people would prefer something not homemade; they didnt.


    • Rose A McAdams

      Hi! I left NY to join the military in 2004 but I absolutely loved Golden Krust Fudge Fancy’s. I am trying to find a copy cat recipe because I haven’t been home since 2007 and I am wanting one so bad! I’ve never had one that tasted identical and I looked. Please let me know if a your tube video was made and I am going to check out the new bakery on line. I am stationed in Florida now so I won’t be back any time soon. But when I do I will be sure to visit! Thank you, Rose


  • Merlin

    I am not looking for a fight but IMO Perrotta’s Bakery has the best Fudge Fancies. Verses Cookie Factory the best way I can compare is Perrotta’s remind me of homemade vs Cookie Factory is more of a mass produced flavor. I do two things when in Clifton Park, go to Fred the Butcher for his peppered ham and to Sorrentino’s Deli for Perrotta’s cookies including Fudge Fancies (the lemon cookies are great too).


    • derryX

      Thanks a lot for the comment! This is definitely really great info. I’m actually planning on doing an updated version of this for youtube this time and want to include more of the local bakeries. I dont think i’ve seen anyone recommend Perrotta’s, so I’ll check it out! I love Fred the Butcher too!


  • Meagan

    I’m really late to this post, but does anyone have a copy cat recipe they can share? I moved to Brooklyn and cannot find Fudge Fancies or any variation anywhere. Please help – I’m desperate for some good cookies from the Capital Region!


  • Hungry

    Where is the Fudge Fancy recipe? I couldn’t find it on your YouTube channel.
    I lived in in the Schenectady area 28 years ago and I STILL dream about those Fudge Fancies!! Gemme da recipe!!


  • Rose A McAdams

    If anyone wants to give me a fudge fancy recipe like golden krust bakery in Cohoes please do. I am 41 and have been away from Ny since I was 22. I miss those cookies tho:) it would me this military nurse happy!!



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