Tidbits: Oreo cookies and Pepperidge Farm cookies

Have you, Oreo cookie lover, felt that even the Double Stuf Oreo somehow comes up short in the Stuf department? Well, say hello — at least while the "limited edition" lasts — to the Mega Stuf Oreo. Whereas each Double Stuf Oreo contains a thicker blob of filling than a regular Oreo, the filling of the Mega Stuff Oreo is really thick.

How much Stuf are we talking about? A regular Oreo cookie weighs 11.3 grams. A Double Stuf Oreo weighs 14.5 grams, and a Mega Stuf Oreo weighs 18 grams. Assuming that the chocolate-cookie part (the part that isn't Stuf) of all three versions is the same (and Mr. Tidbit does not know that to be true), and assuming that the Double Stuf Oreo contains twice the filling of a regular Oreo (and Mr. Tidbit does not know that to be true either), Mr. Tidbit's algebra teacher would calculate that the cookie part of all three kinds of Oreos weighs 8.1 grams, the regular filling weighs 3.2 grams, the Double Stuf filling weighs 6.4 grams and the Mega Stuf filling weighs 9.9 grams — more than triple the weight of the regular filling!

Regardless of any of that, all three kinds of Oreos sell for the same price. The bag of 36 regular Oreos is now 14.3 ounces. Mr. Tidbit's Law tells us is that new versions are always more expensive; indeed, for that same price the bag of new Mega Stuf Oreos contains only 13.2 ounces. (And it holds just 20 cookies.) Oddly, Double Stuf Oreos are still in a 15.35-ounce bag (30 cookies), so if you don't care how much Stuf — or how many cookies — you get, Double Stufs are the best buy per ounce.

There's a new line of Pepperidge Farm cookies called "Dessert Shop," consisting, for now, of two kinds of soft cookies: Dark Chocolate Cheesecake (including dark chocolate chunks and "drops of real cream cheese"), and Carrot Cake (with carrots and "cream cheese flavored chunks"). Yes, in one cookie it's real cream cheese and in the other it isn't. Don't ask.