Ina Garten's Favorite Store-Bought Cookies Are A Southampton Icon

You might think that Ina Garten, also known as the Barefoot Contessa, would never dare incorporate store-bought food into her culinary creations. However, she actually does love grocery store vanilla ice cream and the Trader Joe's French apple tart. And as for Garten's favorite store-bought cookie? Why, that honor goes to Tate's Bake Shop chocolate chip cookies.

That's right, something you can scoop up during your next grocery run has received an enthusiastic thumbs-up from the queen of cuisine. These cookies, which actually started in Southampton, New York (conveniently located near Garten's home in East Hampton), have a crispy texture, buttery taste, and of course, lots of chocolate chips.  

Garten uses these thin and crunchy biscuits to create decadent layers in her Mocha Chocolate Icebox Cake, spacing the cookies in between rich mascarpone whipped cream. Also, on her website, Garten recommends visiting the Tate's Bake Shop if you plan on taking a trip to the Hamptons — further emphasizing her stamp of approval. 

Tate's Bake Shop was founded by Kathleen King in 1980, when she opened a bakery in Southampton at the age of 21. The name, Tate's, pays homage to her father, and since its start, has developed a cult following in the community and has been rated the Best Bakery in the Hamptons for countless years. 

King has always had a love of baking in her veins. When she was 11 years old, she sold cookies to pay for school clothing, and her passion only continued to grow. "My mom said that even back then, I was a food snob. If she bought chocolate chip cookies on sale, I'd have a fit, because they were the wrong ones. I wouldn't use them," King told The New York Times in a 2013 interview. 

Despite the hurdles she has faced (including losing her business at age 40 after an unsuccessful business deal, starting over again, and then selling it for $500 million to Mondolēz International), she has persevered to bring delicious treats to people all over America. If you want to travel to Southampton, Tate's is still around (there might be a line out the door), but you can also find the cookies at most grocers or order them online. In addition to its iconic chocolate chip cookies, the brand also features seven other flavors — including salted caramel and coconut crisp — along with select pies, coffee cakes, and loaves.