What does "chewy" mean?  It sounds like a stupid question, doesn't it?  But it's one I've been contemplating for several days.

"Chewy" inherently means "difficult to chew."  If something puts up no resistance, you would never say it was chewy.  Taffy for example puts up a big fight.  Taffy is chewy.  

But there is a difference between something that's "chewy" and something that's just plain old "tough."  And I am very sad to report that these cookies are just plain old "tough."

Clearly meant to invoke that classic Girl Scout Cookie the Samoa.  I see that Samoas have recently been re-named Caramel De-Lites, which makes these Coconut Dreams even more of a knock-off.  They even have the same initials!

But unlike the Girl Scout cookie, these things are sorry little things.  The cookie itself has that fine grained dry texture I always think of as "dusty."  The caramel is only the barest flavor, not really a presence in and of itself.  The fudge is waxen, as all Keebler fudge is.  

And the coconut.  What a horror.  The coconut has a nice toasted flavor, but the texture of pickled wood shavings.  They resist your attempt to chew, giving the cookie most of its "hard to eat" style.  And the flakes of coconut linger on many minutes later, like a most unwelcome house guest.

Perhaps I have been spoiled by Little Debbie.  Her German Chocolate Cookie Rings are far superior to these dry, wizened creations.  And even, I would argue, superior to the original Girl Scout cookie.  

Little Debbie German Chocolate Cookie Rings are large, which corrects one problem with both the Girl Scout and the Keebler version.  

Sidebar: why are Keebler and Girl Scout cookies so darned small?  It's so clearly a ploy to make the package as big as possible, while including a bare minimum of product.  Does every cookie really need a half inch slot in between itself and its neighbor?  No, but it make the box look a lot bigger.

Each cookie is individually wrapped, which makes portion control a slightly easier job.  If you can manage to put the rest of the box out of your reach, obviously.  It also makes these a great choice for packing a lunch.  

The Little Debbie version has a soft cookie, which is a clever innovation.  It is describe as a "chocolate cookie," but it lies somewhere in texture between a fudge brownie and a graham cracker.  It has both softness and crunch, which I go crazy for.

The caramel is just as much a vague flourish as with the other two.  But the coconut, while toasted and delicious, has additionally been flaked.  These flakes of coconut are far easier to eat than the shredded coconut which tops the Keebler and Girl Scout versions.

And finally, instead of a skimpy few stripes, the whole cookie is doused in chocolate (or, to be precise, "chocolatey") coating.  Overall this is a far superior cookie in every respect.  And all the more startling for being such a ridiculous bargain, something like $1.50 for a box of eight big cookies.