Following the discontinuation of the classic Rand Cookie, Campus Dining distributed its replacement for the first time at Midnight Breakfast April 22. The new cookie was revealed following nearly a month of preparations, including a confidential taste test Feb. 27 involving student members of the Dining Advisory Board and a campus-wide tasting March 17 featuring two finalist options.
On its release day, the dining team served 7,440 cookies to lines of students extending outside of Rand as they waited for the cookie. Students had mixed reactions, with some citing the newest cookie’s higher chocolate concentration as less preferable to the original version.
Sean Carroll, senior director of communications and marketing for Vanderbilt, said the new cookie measures up to the quality of its predecessor.
“While the old Rand cookie will live on in our memories, the new Rand cookie is a worthy successor to the original,” Carroll said in a message to The Hustler. “This new recipe is rich, chocolatey and perfectly gooey when served warm.”
First-year Connor Barber tried the cookie at its Midnight Breakfast debut, expressing appreciation for the study break that trying the cookie at the breakfast provided. Barber said that although the two cookies were similar, he preferred the original due to the higher chocolate-to-dough ratio in the new version.
“If they didn’t tell me it was a new cookie, I wouldn’t know it was different,” Barber said.” I liked [the new cookie] slightly less because it was a little too chocolatey, but it was still satisfactory.”
First-year Sammie Anaipakos also cited the higher chocolate ratio in the new cookie as her reason for preferring the previous version.
“The chocolate ratio is much higher, so much so that you can’t really taste the cookie,” Anaipakos said. “It might be user error, though, and I might have just gotten a really chocolatey cookie. I’ll have to try another one to be sure.”
Despite her preference for the previous cookie, Anaipakos said she still enjoyed the new version.
“[The new cookie] definitely isn’t the same, but I’d still give it a nine out of ten,” Anaipakos said. “It’s still delectable.”
First-year Max Gross, on the other hand, said he preferred the new cookie to the original version.
“I love the new Rand cookie,” Gross said. “It’s only been two days, but it’s low-key better than the old one.”
Sophomore Emily Moore also said she prefers the new cookie, as she found the original too crunchy.
“The new cookie was much softer and chewier, with the same melty chocolate chips,” Moore said. “In my opinion, the new Rand cookie beats the old one, and I’m much more likely to grab one of these with my lunch in the upcoming semesters.”
Carroll said students’ input regarding the options for the new cookie was ultimately the deciding factor in achieving the final version.
“What is most important, however, was that Vandy students chose this — by almost a 2 to 1 margin — as the winning recipe,” Carroll said. “It’s a new take on a revered campus institution, and our Campus Dining team was so grateful to our students for being part of this process.”
