Product: 1-2-3 Gluten Free Roll-out & Cut Sugar Cookies – $6.99+
Sugar cookies are the bane of my existence. I love them. I do. But it’s a love-hate relationship. Mostly because of what has to be put into them to get them to come out just right. It’s a lot of time and a lot of uncertainty.
Sugar cookies and I have a long history of epic fail. I try to make them and they come out wrong. I’ve made them from scratch, from mixes, and then I’ve cheated and bought the refrigerated stuff. For one of the most simplistic looking cookies, sugar cookies can be a royal pain in the ass.
But, while shopping for deals one day at the grocery store, some boxes of 1-2-3 Gluten Free Roll-out & Cut Sugar Cookie mix on manager’s special. As is normal for me…gluten-free + sale = sold! My roommate and I grabbed three boxes. I happen to have a couple cookie cutters in the kitchen, so finding a good excuse to bake these up wouldn’t be an issue.
A good reason came about at the end of October when my office had its monthly office lunch meeting. This time…a pot luck. Since I’m a vegetarian in an office full of meat-eaters (save for one vegan), my choices at the potluck are already limited. Throw in the added complication of having to be gluten-free as well, and that means whatever I make is my meal. But I also could showcase some delicious gluten-free and vegan products while I was at it. So, along with my gluten-free southwest soup and gluten-free cornbread, I pulled out one of these boxes and mixed it up (with egg replacer instead of egg to veganize it for our office vegan), ready to get to work that night on baking. What I forgot was, as with most sugar cookies…the dough needs to be refrigerated beforehand, normally overnight.
With the potluck being the very next day, that meant that I’d have to get up early in the morning and get baking. Small sacrifice for some gluten-free sugar cookie treats. I have to say, the dough mixed up beautifully, and worked really well with the egg replacer. I wrapped it up in cling wrap and into the fridge it went to stiffen.
The next morning, I was up early and pulling the very refrigerated dough out. It was pretty solid, which was a challenge when it came to rolling it out so that I could use my Halloween cookie cutters on it. But, once I got it to loosen up some, it rolled out easily, and didn’t stick to my rolling pin. Success. The shapes didn’t crumble either when I plucked them from their nests in the dough to put them on the pans and stick them in the oven. Another sugar cookie success. I poured a few decorations over the top and baked them according to the instructions on the box.
As they emerged, they looked every bit a sugar cookie as if I had done them from scratch. So, I moved them from the pan onto the cooking rack and got started on the next batch for cooking. But the real test came when I tasted them. I mean, you have to taste what you cook or bake before serving it to anyone. Quality check. It’s important.
These did not disappoint. They were crisp, yet soft in the center. So you got that bit of snap from the baking in the oven, and then a chewy softness. The flavor was sweet without being too much. I was quite happy to wrap up plates of these to take to the office. And, as an added bonus, I took some to the nice people at my bank, and the lovely people at the local gas station I frequent when I need to pick up a caffeinated beverage. Everyone raved about the cookies, including the office. And, the vegan loved that I had prepared cookies that he could eat. Much like me, often at these meals we are the ones left without a dessert. That’s okay, but I wanted to be sure it didn’t happen this time. Also, this mix isn’t just gluten-free, but it is free of wheat, soy, corn, dairy, eggs, peanuts, and treenuts as well. So…for those with certain food allergies, these are a safe bet in the end. Bonus – they are made of yum!
1-2-3 Gluten Free’s dough was not only easy to work with, but baked up perfectly, even with egg replacer. The dough didn’t crumble or pull apart when I was rolling it out or cutting out the shapes. And the cookies held up beautifully during transportation. These are marketed under a subtitle of “Lindsay’s Lipsmakin’ Roll-out & Cut Sugar Cookies,” which, according to the Web site, is because this mix is named after the company owner’s 14-year-old neice, who loves to help in the kitchen and decorate cookies.
With gluten-free sugar cookies this good…it’s no wonder. Want easy and delicious cookies that you can bake instead of pulling them straight out of a box? Give 1-2-3 Gluten Free’s Sugar Cookies a whirl. With Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up, cut them up into festive shapes for the holidays, share with others, give them as gifts, or enjoy them on your own. Know this…one box makes a lot of cookies. But…’tis the season to be sharing, right?
The Celiathlete 