Not remotely like the grocery store boxed version! I made the mistake of assuming this and missed out, until now! This is my Nana's recipe. A few tips to get the best results: coarsely chop the crystallized ginger, don't cut tiny pieces. I don't know why, that just what she said to do. Also, make sure you make only 1 balls, don't make them bigger unless you give them more space to spread. Otherwise they'll overlap edges and not be perfectly round ('course they will still taste great!). Final tip - don't overcook - yank them out as soon as the 8 minutes are up. With my oven, I have to keep the cooking time to 8 minutes even though the recipe says 8-10min. You may have to play with the time, but even < minute will make a difference. If you do it right, they will harden but still have a soft center.