The Time Top Chef All Stars Had Cookie Monster On As A Judge
When you think of the world's greatest authority on cookies, who springs to mind? If your brain keeps coming up with well-known human celebrity chefs, you are forgetting one very important figure in the cookie realm — but you're not alone.
When Insider put a selection of chefs' chocolate chip cookie recipes to the test, the outlet determined that Duff Goldman's was supreme, confessing that "after just one bite, they were in love." Spoon University conducted a similar experiment, but their top cookie recipe was the one created by Giada De Laurentiis, proclaiming that any cookie that can "burst with a quadruplet of flavors with one bite" deserves to take the top spot. And, just to make things a tad murkier, when Eat This Not That! tested celebrity chocolate chip cookies, it had a different lineup and yielded totally different results. Alton Brown proved victorious with his recipe yielding crunchy edges with a "soft and gooey" center. It would seem that identifying the best cookie recipe is too subjective for a consensus to be reached. But, perhaps, they weren't using the right parameters to determine who is, indeed, the master of cookies.
Who has dedicated their entire life to eating cookies? Yes, the most significant person — rather monster — in the world of all-things-cookie-related is the Cookie Monster, himself. And no one knows cookies better than he does. Thankfully, "Top Chef: All Stars" recognized his breadth of cookie knowledge, inviting this furry blue legend to be a judge.
The Cookie Monster is a 'Cookie Boss'
One could safely say, that no guest judge has ever appeared more enthusiastic about tasting the contestants' offerings than the Cookie Monster. Before the "Top Chef" Quick Fire competition had even started, a YouTube video of the episode showed the googly-eyed superstar eagerly demanding cookies. Co-judging the competition were his close friends, Telly and Elmo. Giving "last minute advice" for the competitors, Elmo said he preferred his cookies to be prepared with zucchini or carrots (prompting Cookie Monster to pull an elaborate facepalm). Cookie Monster, of course, asked that they be "yummy," perhaps with chocolate chips.
Despite his comical appearance and the fact that he is a mere puppet, the competitors bowed down to his extensive knowledge in the field of biscuitry. When Richard Blais' ice cream-based "cookies" were called out for not being cookies, he admitted, "He is an expert. ... You don't want to be called out on a cookie challenge by the Cookie Monster." Dale Talde's potato chip pretzel concoctions were deemed the best of the bunch. Antonia Lofaso's white chocolate treats came in second.
Notably Cookie Monster is no stranger to culinary television as he was given his own cooking segment on Sesame Street in 2017 (via Fox News). He also showed Rachael Ray how to make his grandma's cookie recipe while promoting his book "The Joy of Cookies: Cookie Monster's Guide to Life" (via YouTube) Clearly, this is no ordinary Muppet. He is the "Cookie Boss."