Written  By: Joseph Winn

One of the hardest things for me to find these days is a store bought cookie that is trans-fat free, so I was delighted when I found the Le Petit Ecolier Cookies from LU Cookies. Fully titled Le Petit Ecolier, The Little Schoolboy, these butter cookies are covered with chocolate on top and feature a a little French schoolboy printed into the chocolate covering. Of course, what drew me to the cookies is flipping the box over and finding no partially hydrogenated oils or any cleverly reworded variants of common trans-fats. The fact that I found them delicious has made me a partial addict ever since.

The name of the cookie and the cookie’s design promise a European treat, and the LU Cookie company is the American Grocer name for Lefivre Utile, a French company that has been making cookies since the 19th century. The butter wafer backing of the cookies makes these chocolate biscuits a great pairing for coffee or tea. A box of Le Petit Ecolier and a pot of Earl Grey tea is a private little version of afternoon tea that I  have shared with close friends. 

Another nice thing about these cookies is that they are pretty commonly found. Not to the level of a box of Oreos or Chips Ahoy, but most major grocers will carry the LU Cookie brand and this particular cookie. The Little Schoolboy wafers come in three variations, the milk chocolate discussed here, a dark chocolate version and on occasion and even richer dark chocolate version. I find that the milk chocolate version appeals to the most people, but the dark chocolate variety may be better for a pairing with tea or coffee.

As for other cookie options, there are too many to list, but for easily found trans-fat free store bought cookies there is far fewer options. You can normally find ginger snaps that feature all-natural ingredients, as well as some shortbread cookies. It’s the chocolate and butter biscuit pairing of Le Petit Ecolier cookies that makes them stand out.

PROS

• Widely available
• Trans-fat free
• Goes great with tea or coffee
• Design on cookies attracts the eye of guests
• Hey, it’s a cookie

CONS

• Not as many in a box as you would get with a box of Oreos or other major cookie brands
• May go stale faster than other store bought cookies

Should you try Le Petit Ecolier, The Little Schoolboy? I say yes if you are looking for something dinstictive, something to pair with tea, or a cookie free of trans-fat. I don’t just enjoy these cookies because they fit my health parameters, for after all, a cookie is not a real healthy proposition. I enjoy these cookies for they taste good and they are great with hot drinks. Just don’t leave them out in the sun or that little schoolboy will melt into a puddle of chocolate mud.