Cookies – Page 3 – The Celiathlete

April 30, 2015May 11, 2015

Product Review: So Delicious Dairy Free Snickerdoodle Cashew Milk Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert

Product: So Delicious Dairy Free Snickerdoodle Cashew Milk Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert – $6.99+

A life without ice cream isn’t a very happy life. But, where I used to be able to take something to help me digest milk proteins, my lactose intolerance has only become a little stronger. Sadly, I have said goodbye to my dairy-filled favorite treat in life. Ice cream and I just don’t get along like we used to.

But…thanks to So Delicious Diary Free…ice cream isn’t gone from my life. It’s just…well…a little different. And not a sorbet. Sorbets are all fine and good, but sometimes you just want something rich and creamy and sinful.

Cashew milk is, honestly, my latest obsession. It is my go-to milk of choice these days. Over coconut milk and almond milk. Why? It’s creamier. It’s thicker. It just, to me, tastes better. I love the nutty flavor that comes with it and it just tastes amazing. It’s all I want in my refrigerator these days.

So…talk my favorite beverage of the moment and combine it with…one of my favorite desserts…

That’s what So Delicious did. They have created a new line of non-dairy frozen desserts that are made with cashew milk, instead of soy, almond, or coconut milks. Currently, these ice cream pints come in five different flavors: Cappuccino, Creamy Cashew, Dark Chocolate Truffle, Salted Caramel Cluster, and Snickerdoodle.

You know my first purchase would have been Salted Caramel Cluster…but my Kroger store didn’t have that particular flavor when I was shopping and treating myself. So…my next favorite thing after salted caramel anything (especially ice cream) is Snickerdoodle cookies. Therefore, Snickerdoodle was the pint I purchased. I also have the Salted Caramel Cluster in my freezer now…but Snickerdoodle came first…therefore it gets consumed first.

After dinner tonight, as the week has been crazy stressful and I’ve been on this roller coaster of emotions. Ice cream seemed like the perfect way to wrap up the day. I took out the pint of So Delicious Dairy Free Snickerdoodle Cashew Milk Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert and let it thaw slightly on the counter while I ate dinner. That way it was scoop-ready by the time dessert rolled around. I opened it up, spooning out beautiful servings of the ice cream treat and serving it up to myself and my roommate.

Snickerdoodle anything has a lot to live up to, as it has always been my most favorite cookie. Ever.

So, when my roommate dug in first while I was dishing up my serving and I hear, “Holy crap! That tastes just like a snickerdoodle!” I knew I was about to experience dessert magic. I stuck the pint back into the freezer and settled in with my own bowl of ice cream. I ran my spoon through the serving and lifted my first taste to my mouth. As it began to melt against my tongue it was love. Sheer, pure, happy love. Meant to be love. Because, YES, it does taste just like a snickerdoodle cookie. We’re talking a cinnamon infused ice cream that is infused with generous bites of actual gluten-free snickerdoodle cookie dough. This just happens to make this THE BEST ICE CREAM EVER! It reminded me of the holidays, as that was when my mom always made her famous snickerdoodle cookies. It reminded me of growing up, of old friends, of home, and of happy places. THIS…was one fantastic scoop of ice cream. It is, by far, the best ice cream (dairy and non-dairy) that I have ever consumed. In my life. If Cookie Monster and the Good Humor Man had children…it would be weird…but it would probably introduce something like this to the world. I almost want to dive in for another serving. But I will resist. For now. I must.

Or not…

Let’s talk ingredients. The So Delicious Dairy Free Snickerdoodle Cashew Milk Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert is made from cashew milk (water, cashews, non-GMO canola oil), organic dried cane syrup, snickerdoodle dough (dark brown cane sugar, natural oil blend (palm fruit, canola and olive), natural flavor, sunflower lecithin, lactic acid, annatto rice flour, potato flour, tapioca flour, cane sugar, invert sugar, cinnamon, salt, vanilla extract, guar gum, baking soda) cinnamon, gum acacia, guar gum, and sea salt. It is verified non-GMO, vegan, kosher and gluten-free.

As far as nutrition goes…well…it’s basically ice cream without the dairy that hurts my tummy. It isn’t going to be a powerhouse of good things…but it’s tasty. And, sometimes, that’s all you need. A serving size of the So Delicious Dairy Free Snickerdoodle Cashew Milk Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert is 1/2 cup. In this serving you will be provided with 190 calories and 10 grams of fat (much of which is the healthy fat that comes from the nuts themselves!). You will also be taking in 45 mg sodium, 24 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 20 grams sugars, and 2 grams of fiber. It’s a dessert, so you won’t be feeling full after a serving, but it should fill you up after a meal. This ice cream has no cholesterol.

And…it’s basically a cookie on frozen crack. Frozen cashew ice cream crack. It’s…amazing, is what I’m trying to say. If you are like me and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Snickerdoodle cookies…then this ice cream is going to satisfy your love of the cookie and your crave for the ice cream. It’s creamy and rich and perfect. Yes…I said perfect.

I’m in love.

A serving of So Delicious Dairy Free Snickerdoodle Cashew Milk Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert

April 13, 2015April 13, 2015

Product Review: Krumville Bake Shop Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Krumville Bake Shop Gluten Free Double Chocolate Chip Cookie

Product: Krumville Bake Shop Double Chocolate Chip Cookies – $24.00+/-

Don’t panic. Don’t panic at that price. That’s for about 8 cookies. So $3.00 per cookie from a gluten-free bakery…that’s about what my local allergen-free bakery runs.

Okay…with that public service announcement, welcome to yet another Cuisine Cube item! I’ve been doing really well this month working my way through my box of delicious goodies, not really leaving much to settle in the snack drawer or kitchen pantry. YAY!

You all know everything there is to know about Cuisine Cube by now, but in case there are some newbies out there…the quick run-down is this…

Cuisine Cube is a monthly subscription service were a gift box will be sent to your door with goodies inside. These are meal/pantry items that are the full-size products, not little sample sizes. That’s a huge deal, as most of the time these services send you sample products only. You can sign up for a monthly, three-month, or six-month subscription, which begin as low as $29.99 per month. Each box you receive will contain one item from each major meal of the day: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, dessert. And then, sometimes, you get a bonus treat. Bonus treats are always a nice and welcome surprise. I started with Cuisine Cube a year ago, and absolutely love it.

So, as I’ve been working my way through the March Cube, I got into the dessert yesterday. We all know that I am a strong believer in dessert. I am even more of a believer when said dessert is…cookies. Because, first and foremost, I am a cookie monster. They are the perfect dessert and there are so many variations and textures. Love. You just don’t get bored with cookies.

In the March 2015 Cuisine Cube, the dessert was a container of Gluten Free Double Chocolate Chip Cookies from Krumville Bake Shop, which is located in Brooklyn, New York. Krumville Bake Shop was founded by Antonella Zangheri, who was diagnosed with Celiac in 2009. She grew up in Emilia Romagna, a region of Italy known for its rich culinary heritage, and now she would be giving up many of the foods she grew up eating. Not only that, she was highly disappointed with the gluten-free products that were available, noting that she saw a need for more exciting options. And that is how Krumville Bake Shop was born. In fact, Zangheri creates amazing focaccia, cookies, muffins, and specialty cakes that taste as good as the foods she grew up eating – just minus the gluten! Krumville Bake Shop’s mission is to provide wholesome, fresh, and delicious gluten-free products, using only the best ingredients. All of Krumville’s products are free of GMOs, artificial flavorings, and preservatives. They use high quality flour blends that are made with whole grains (sorghum, brown rice, millet) and utilize a vast selection of ancient grains as well. By perfecting their special flour blends, Krumville can offer baked goods with unique flavors and extraordinary textures. And, to limit the use of refined sugar, the bake shop uses agave nectar as much as possible.

I am falling even more in love the more I learn about this company.

This month’s dessert option had me at Double Chocolate Chip Cookies. I mean…double your chocolate, double your delicious fun, right? I think so. I actually paid attention this time and noted the “Refrigerate Me” tag on the Cuisine Cube product rundown, so into the fridge these went. And as April has gotten under way, I decided it was time to bust into these. So, last night after eating my Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegetarian Cheeseburger Pie…this was going to be dessert. I went to retrieve the clam-shell container from the fridge and popped it open. I removed two cookies…one for myself and one for my roommate to try. It was a very good thing that I then put the container back in the fridge, because I don’t know if I would have stopped at one cookie.

First of all…these cookies have a perfect texture. Crunchy outside and a bit of chewiness on the inside. They explode, with each bite, with fantastic chocolate flavor. I mean…wow. Not overpowering. Not too much. But just right. It satisfies that every craving for chocolate. Seriously. Because the cookie has this richness to it, and then you get this little burst of dark chocolate with the chips baked into them. It’s one of the most perfect cookies ever. They are about the size of a Chips-Ahoy Cookie…but way better than any of that processed garbage I used to eat. These…are amazing. Bite-for-bite. But hide them away in the fridge, or you may find yourself cookie-less and 3 pounds heavier for it.

Worth it. Totally worth it.

The container doesn’t have any of the nutrition information on there, so I can’t give you the rundown of calories/fat and all that per serving…but I can tell you what ingredients go into these fantastic cookies. The Krumville Bake Shop Double Chocolate Chip Cookies are made from Guittard chocolate, unsalted butter, dark brown sugar, brown rice flour, light brown sugar, sorghum flour, eggs, pure cane sugar, potato starch, milk, sweet rice flour, rice starch, vanilla extract, baking soda, sea salt, and xanthan gum.

Believe me when I say that these cookies are phenomenal. They are the right hit of sweetness and that perfect level of chocolate for this major chocaholic. For real. I am glad these get tucked away after I pull out that night’s worth for my roommate and I because we’d probably kill off the entire container in one go. Dessert and cookie perfection. Nicely done Krumville Bake Shop and Cuisine Cube.

April 12, 2015May 11, 2015

Product Review: Dolci di Marie Gluten Free Classic Biscotti

Dolci di Maria Gluten Free Classic Biscotti

Product: Dolci di Marie Gluten Free Classic Biscotti – $7.00

I love coffee. I really do. I wasn’t always that way, however. Coffee came to me later in life. I loved the smell and hated the taste…up until I became a barista. Then…life sort of changed. And not only, over time, did I develop a taste for coffee, but I now knew how to properly make it.

Sometimes, I like to spice up my mornings a little bit. No…not by adding cayenne pepper to my scrambled eggs (although I have been known to do that, HA!)…

…I mean having a treat with my morning cup of coffee. And one of my two favorite morning treats with coffee is a biscotti. The other is my homemade madeleines…but I digress.

Well, it just so happened that my March 2015 Cuisine Cube had a container packed with biscotti for the “Breakfast” portion of the box. YAY!

For those of you not familiar with Cuisine Cube…think about how awesome it would be to have lesser-known, smaller company, artisan gluten-free company products shipped straight to your door once a month. Think of the joy opening said box would bring you and how trying new things entices you. You get a product for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, and dessert. And sometimes…you get a bonus. Who doesn’t love a bonus? If that got your heart pumping, that’s what Cuisine Cube is all about. And, this subscription service is available for as low as $29.99/month. Pretty awesome, yes? You betcha. So, if you’re curious and want to try something new and exciting and different…hop over to their site.

Because, sometimes, you get products in the box that are like Dolci di Maria Gluten Free Classic Biscotti. I mean, it’s a treat to have while you drink your wine, your coffee, your tea…whatever. Have it any time of the day, but I like to go the classic route and dip my biscotti into my morning coffee. It is love. And who doesn’t love starting off their morning with a cookie, right? Technically, I suppose a biscotti is consider a biscuit, twice baked so that it is extra dry and crunchy. And if you’ve never had one…you’re totally missing out.

Dolci di Maria was created by Mari Tantillo, who created gluten-free and dairy-free desserts for her two young children who had food allergies and sensitivities. She was urged by her friends to start selling her desserts because they were so delicious. Dolci di Maria strives to create fine gluten and dairy-free desserts that strike a perfect balance with texture and taste. Everything is baked fresh with natural and organic ingredients. Even better…many of the products offered by Dolci di Maria are vegan.

So, with all of that being said, this week I decided to stop looking at the container of biscotti that came in my Cuisine Cube, and finally open it up and have one with my morning coffee (a delicious local blend, for those wondering). Despite being a dry treat (they are meant to be dipped, after all), I always take my first taste without anything else. That way I can judge what something tastes like and if I like it. And…when it comes to the Dolci di Maria Gluten Free Classic Biscotti…I like it…but I don’t love it. It has nothing to do with the actual biscuit itself. It actually has a great texture to it…and it holds up to the coffee dunking, that I do religiously when I get gluten-free biscotti in my clutches. So that was the part that I was okay with. The part I wasn’t okay with, when it came to the Dolci di Maria Gluten Free Classic Biscotti…was the overwhelming licorice flavor. I hate licorice. And this biscotti definitely had a heavy taste of it. I inspected the ingredient list on the bottom of the package and discovered the use of anise. That will do it. It was just…too much for me. I think I was hoping for something with more vanilla flavor than the anise. It didn’t go well with my coffee…nor did my tastebuds really enjoy the licorice flavor. A little bit of anise goes a long way…and in this batch…it took it too far. The biscotti itself is great…the flavor just didn’t work for me, and that’s more of a personal preference than anything else.

So, let’s talk about the ingredients that are in the Dolci di Maria Gluten Free Classic Biscotti, shall we? These classic Italian treats are made from brown rice flour, pure cane sugar, cage-free eggs, potato starch, tapioca starch, Earth Balance™, baking powder, xanthan gum, anise and vanilla extract, and sea salt.

The nutrition information for the Dolci di Maria Gluten Free Classic Biscotti is very nice though. You don’t feel so bad treating yourself at breakfast to a crispy Italian biscuit when you look at these stats. A serving is 1 of the biscotti, which will give you 65 calories and 2 grams of fat. You will be consuming 73 mg cholesterol, 102 mg sodium, 2 grams of sugar, 2 grams of protein, and 8 grams of carbohydrates. These have no fiber.

If you don’t mind the flavor of anise (or that licorice-like flavor) than you will probably love everything about the Dolci di Maria Gluten Free Classic Biscotti. For me, the texture was great…it was perfect for dipping, but the anise flavor just overpowered the rest of the biscuit and, for someone like me who dislikes licorice, it was a bit too much. That being said, now that I know I can find Dolci di Maria products at my Lucky’s Market in Louisville, Kentucky (discovered that via the Web site), I am curious to try other products as she has brownies, pancakes and other flavors of biscotti to see if I like them better.

At least I got a morning treat in my Cuisine Cube this month. The Dolci di Maria may not have enticed my taste buds, but I now know to look for other products in my area that might play nicer with my palate.

April 9, 2015May 11, 2015

Product Review: Girl Scout Gluten Free Toffee-Tastic Cookies

Girl Scouts Toffee-Tastic Cookies — Girl Scout Gluten Free Toffee-Tastic Cookies

Product: Girl Scout Gluten Free Toffee-Tastic Cookies – $5.00

GIRL. SCOUT. COOKIES.

Hello!! Welcome back to my life little overpriced morsels of goodness.

No joke, it has been four years since I had a Girl Scout Cookie. Four long years. It seemed each year I would be tortured at the grocery store or local department stores when the little, adorable girls in their sashes and uniforms would ask me if I wanted to buy a box of cookies. And I had to sadly decline, because being a Celiac…me and my Girl Scout Cookie days were over.

It was sad. I mourned the loss.

Because…I’m a cookie monster. My dessert of choice is always the cookie.

Well, last year there was a small group of states that had a test market for gluten-free Girl Scout Cookies. And I wasn’t in that test market. Nor was anyone I knew. So, that was sad. And I went another year without them in my life. But this year…this year the Girl Scouts put out two different flavors of gluten-free cookies.

Yes. TWO!

They are: Toffee-tastic and Trios.

So, with this in mind, I went to my grocery store religiously…I haunted department stores…and not a single Girl Scout could be found. Not one. I was sad. Sad enough to make mention of my woes on Facebook. And then, my very good friend, Jean, up in Utica, New York, sent me an amazing care package with not just one, but two boxes of the Toffee-tastic flavor. I did a dance of joy…if I had room or had been able, cartwheels might have happened. But there was squees of happiness and delight. And…you better believe I immediately tore into one box.

I mean…HELLO!! Four years without Girl Scout Cookies in my life…it was ON NOW!

Needless to say, I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest. Yes, it’s another shorbread-like gluten-free cookie…but I don’t care. One…I love shortbread. And two…IT’S A FLIPPIN’ GIRL SCOUT COOKIE! That being said…this rich and buttery cookie is crispy, and smooth and busting with this caramel-y toffee like chips throughout. These cookies are going to wow your tastebuds because they totally wowed mine. The toffee bits are the best part, giving a little extra kick to the crispy, shortbread cookies. I look forward to mine each night when I open up that box and take out a serving. They’ll be gone way too fast, I’m certain. I mean, these boxes contain 1 sleeve of 14 cookies. So, I have two boxes…and then…I wait until next season when they will hopefully be back.

Concerned about how gluten-free these cookies are? They are NSF-certified gluten-free, which ensures that all the ingredients and production complies with federal regulations for gluten-free labeling. I haven’t had a reaction to them, and I’ve been feasting on them all week. So…there is that.

Let’s talk about what goes into these cookies, shall we? The Girl Scout Toffee-Tastic Cookies are made from rice flour, tapioca starch, sugar, butter, palm oil, brown rice flour, butter toffee bits, invert sugar, and contains 2% or less of salt, soy lecthin, xanthan gum, and baking soda.

As for nutrition…let’s talk cookies. These are cookies. so they aren’t going to be great for you. But as far as cookies go, these aren’t bad. YAY for Girl Scout Cookies. Especially as a nice treat. (Cookies, as with any sort of sweet or dessert, should be a treat…) The serving size of the Girl Scout Toffee-Tastic Cookies is two (2) cookies. This serving will give you 140 calories, 7 grams fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 90 mg sodium, 19 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams of sugar, and absolutely no protein or fiber to speak of. But…a nice change of pace, especially if Girl Scout Cookies have been off your radar for awhile now.

I was actually surprised and impressed by how much I have been enjoying these cookies. Especially if you are a lover of shortbread…this just takes it to the next level. The right amount of buttery, rich flavor with that hit of sweetness from the toffee bits. Heaven. Pure…Girl Scout…heaven!!

Now…to find some Trios…

April 1, 2015

Product Review: Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Mission Fig Figgies & Jammies

Product: Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Mission Fig Figgies & Jammies – $3.99+

If you weren’t born into the world of Celiac Disease and gluten intolerance, you have probably consumed and become obsessed with these little snack cookies known as Fig Newtons. You know, those fig rolls that are made of a pastry dough with a figgy jam filling. They are magical. Fruity and savory all at once. They make the most perfect cookie, for sure.

And I was obsessed with them, growing up and as an adult. But when I was diagnosed with Celiac, this was one cookie I couldn’t find anything that came close to equaling. I totally gave up thinking about it, for fear of just becoming depressed over a snack long gone. Sure, there were a few companies out there that gave them their best shot…but they weren’t the same. Not even close.

Then, back in July, I won a giveaway put on by Gluten Free Frenzy, that meant I won a package of each of the four flavors of the newest attempt at fig cookies on the market. The difference this time was…it was made by a company I was familiar with and trusted. Enter Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Figgies & Jammies. As I mentioned, the cookies came in four different flavors: Blueberry & Fig, Raspberry & Fig, Strawberry & Fig, and Mission Fig.

Prior to the giveaway, I had managed to find a couple of the flavors at The Raisin Rack in Columbus, Ohio, and had to choose one. I went with the blueberry. And I fell in love with them. I mean, they reminded me so much of Fig Newtons that I think I actually teared up when I took my first bite. But there were three other flavors to try…and now…I had all four in my pantry.

These past few weeks, I’ve been going through a big pantry purge…and in doing so, I’m eating some of the products that I have been negligent in actually consuming. Not that they are bad, I just get distracted from the unprocessed foods I have in my freezer and fridge. It happens, friends. It happens. Well, tonight, I tore into the fourth and final flavor of Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Figgies & Jammies.

Tonight…it was all about the Mission Fig.

I had actually wanted to save this flavor for last. And I am so glad I did. Just like the previous three flavors, the Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Mission Fig Figgies & Jammies are big…larger than any Fig Newton out on the market. Being that I am a cookie monster at heart, the bigger the cookie, the better. The cake-like outer layer is so soft and moist, beautifully encasing the figgy jam on the inside. The fruit itself is full of great flavor. Seriously. Each flavor I ate, I enjoyed it more than the previous one. This held true once more. The Mission Fig is my absolute favorite…mostly because they taste exactly like…if not better than Fig Newtons. And being that it’s been three years since I had a Fig Newton, I turned that judgment over to my roommate. Cathy said they were right up there, if not better than Fig Newtons and Fig Newmans for that matter. It was the cookie I have been waiting for. Soft, delicious, fruity and perfect. Each bite was perfect. I only wish the serving size was more than one cookie.

With that being said, let’s talk about the ingredients that go into Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Mission Fig Figgies & Jammies. The cake-y outer layer of these cookies are made from a flour blend that consists of brown rice flour, white rice flour, tapioca starch sweet rice flour, and xanthan gum, added into evaporated cane sugar, organic non-hydrogenated palm oil, organic invert sugar, grape juice and whole rice syrup, sweet whey powder, glycerin, baking soda, xanthan gum, sea salt and lemon oil. The jam fruit filling is made up of mission fig paste blend, organic invert sugar, grape juice and whole rice syrup, pectin, glycerine, flour base (brown rice flower, white rice flour, tapioca starch, sweet rice flour, and xanthan gum), citric acid, sea salt and gluten-free flavor. These cookies are certified gluten-free, egg-free, contain no artificial flavors or additives, no hydrogenated oils or trans fats, no corn syrup, are low in sodium, kosher, and are cholesterol free.

As far as nutrition goes, a serving of the Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Mission Fig Figgies & Jammies is one cookie. This serving will provide you with 90 calories and 2 grams of fat. These cookies contain 40 mg sodium and 11 grams of sugar. You will also be consuming 17 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, and 1 gram of protein. A light, and non-filling snack or dessert. LOVE IT.

And you will love these too. If you are a fan of figs…if you loved Fig Newtons…if you have friends who aren’t gluten-free but love Fig Newtons, then you (and they) will surely love these. Honestly, one of the healthiest, tastiest, best gluten-free cookies on the market. They may remind me of a favorite treat as a child, but they taste so much better…and that is a treat in and of itself.

March 24, 2015

Product Review: Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Strawberry & Fig Figgies & Jammies

Product: Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Strawberry & Fig Figgies & Jammies – $3.99+

And so the great kitchen purge continues…

So…let me explain this once more for those just tuning in. At some point, last year, I won an online sweepstakes where the prize was a box of each flavor of Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Figgies & Jammies. They arrived in the mail and I dutifully placed them on the shelf of my pantry to enjoy at a later time. As I am currently working on getting a majority of processed foods out of my pantry, desserts for the rest of the month are pretty much covered…with Figgies & Jammies.

Now, I was already aware of these amazing little Fig Newton type cookies from when they first debuted back in 2014. I went searching high and low, but my area just didn’t have them in stock. I eventually found them in Columbus, Ohio at The Raisin Rack…and purchased one (of all four flavors…because I was on a budget) and immediately fell in love with them. Luckily I can pretty much find them anywhere now. But…I won these. And winning things is awesome.

If you’ve been sleepwalking through your own gluten-free journey, haven’t found these, didn’t know about them, or missed it in my previous blog, Pamela’s Products Figgies & Jammies come in four different flavors: Blueberry & Fig, Raspberry & Fig, Strawberry & Fig, and Mission Fig.

Tonight…I was all about the Strawberry & Fig.

Prior to the Strawberry & Fig flavors, I have already delved and devoured my way through Pamela’s Blueberry & Fig and Pamela’s Raspberry & Fig Figgies & Jammies. I mean, you can’t beat having gluten free Fig Newtons that actually taste good. Trust me…there are a few other attempts at fig stuffed cookies…but none of them have set this level of high standards. And, naturally, it comes from Pamela’s Products. One brand I trust with everything. No exaggeration. And every flavor I like more than the last. So blueberry is delicious, but at the bottom of my list…then raspberry…now strawberry…

…I like this trend.

I also enjoy having a guiltless treat for dessert after a long day and a quick dinner. I believe in dessert. We all have the right to reward our hard efforts of the day, the long hours, the struggle to get through, with some sort of treat. Fruit…cookies…cake…brownies…ice cream…whatever your poison…treat yourself. It’s actually good for you. Good for the soul. Nothing big…just a taste is all you need. And luckily, Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Figgies & Jammies are a 2-3 bite wonders (which is bigger than traditional fig cookies, for sure! I’m looking at you Fig Newtons!). LOVE.

So…Strawberry & Fig. Strawberry. Fig. Two of my most favorite things in the world. I am obsessed with figs. I am beyond obsessed (and have been for my entire life) with strawberries. So, naturally, this pairing seemed like a match made in heaven. Oh…trust me…it is. One bite…and that’s all I needed to fall in love. Just like the previous two flavors, Pamela’s Gluten Free Strawberry & Fig Figgies & Jammies are moist, spongy cookies that are filled with real fig and strawberry. Think Fig Newton minus the gluten. But not minus the flavor. In fact, I think I enjoy Pamela’s version of these cookies more than I ever enjoyed Fig Newtons. No joke. Even the different flavors. But Strawberry & Fig is definitely bursting with this classic combination of fruit. Blending it with the soft cookie on the outside adds a level of savoriness to the product itself. It’s magic in every bite. I. Am. Truly. Addicted.

So…now that I’ve raved about the flavor, let’s take a look at what goes into Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Strawberry & Fig Figgies & Jammies. The cake-y cookie on the outside is made from a gluten-free flour blend of brown rice flour, white rice flour, tapioca starch, sweet rice flour, and xanthan gum, in addition to evaporated cane sugar, organic non-hydrogenated palm oil, organic invert sugar, grape juice and whole rice syrup, sweet whey powder, glycerin, baking soda, xanthan gum, sea salt, and lemon oil. The jam filling is made from strawberry paste, fig paste, and citric acid. These cookies are gluten-free, egg free, contain no artificial flavors or additives, no hydrogenated oils, no trans fat, no corn syrup, no cholesterol, are made in a dedicated gluten-free facility, and are kosher certified.

As for nutrition…well…these are cookies. But I am not ashamed to eat one of these cookies. They really have fantastic stats for being a treat. A serving is 1 of the Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Strawberry & Fig Figgies & Jammies. This one cookie will provide you with 100 calories and 2 grams of fat. You will be taking in 25 mg sodium, 11 grams of sugar (it is a cookie…so I try not to panic!), and 18 grams of carbohydrates. Finally, you will be consuming 1 gram of fiber and 1 gram of protein. A treat that won’t fill you up, but is just enough to satisfy. You gotta love that.

Once again, beyond impressed with the standard, quality, and amazing flavor that I find in every Pamela’s item I try. The gluten-free community no longer has to fear missing out on some of their favorites or having their version taste flat and boring. With Pamela’s…that won’t happen. Flavor, quality…and just sheer awesomeness in every bite. Total win!

March 4, 2015

Product Review: Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Raspberry & Fig Figgies & Jammies

Product: Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Raspberry & Fig Figgies & Jammies – $3.99+

At some point, last year, I won an online sweepstakes where the prize was a box of each flavor of Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Figgies & Jammies. They arrived in the mail and I dutifully placed them on the shelf of my pantry to enjoy at a later time. As I am currently working on getting a majority of processed foods out of my pantry, desserts for the rest of the month are pretty much covered…with Figgies & Jammies.

Pamela’s Products Figgies & Jammies come in four different flavors: Blueberry & Fig, Raspberry & Fig, Strawberry & Fig, and Mission Fig.

On a previous occasion…I bought and devoured the Blueberry & Fig version of Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Figgies & Jammies. These are made of so much wow, awesome, and YUMMY! I fell in love with the Blueberry & Fig version at first bite. No lie. They were even better than the Fig Newtons I used to devour all the time. The cake was moister and spongier…and the fruit filling was more flavorful and brighter. Ah, I simply love it when more thought and care goes into a product. They were so good, even one of my coworkers who will find something wrong with everything gluten-free, had not one bad word to say about it. Not one.

So, this past week, my roommate and I went ahead and devoured the Blueberry & Fig package, to save a blog. But…that lasted for 5 days. This meant…a new flavor needed to be broken into for dessert tonight. And I decided it was going to be the Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Raspberry & Fig Figgies & Jammies.

The best thing about these cookies is that they are HUGE. They are the extra large of good-for-you cookies out on the market. Now, I’m not promoting devouring cookies like I do, as an admitted cookie monster, but…when you compare them to other options on the market, they are definitely a better choice.

Aside from that…let’s talk about the Raspberry & Fig Figgies & Jammies in partiuclar. The pie-like cookie portion is soft and tender…and wraps the amazingly flavorful fruit portion in the perfect amount of sweet and savory. The cookie is chewy, but not at all crumbly. Just…wow. And the fruit. Oh…wow! I thought the Blueberry & Fig cookies were amazing, but these…these are even better. The Raspberry & Fig Figgies & Jammies just explode with bright, sweet fruit flavor. It brings the perfect balance to each nibble or bite. I was beyond impressed. I was hooked. These cookies are..perhaps just slightly bigger than the standard Fig Newton. But way more tasty and just so much better.

The cake part of the Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Raspberry & Fig Figgies & Jammies is made from a gluten-free flour blend that includes brown rice flour, white rice flour, tapioca starch, sweet rice flour and xanthan gum, as well as evaporated can sugar, organic non-hydrogenated palm oil, organic invert sugar, grape juice and whole rice syrup, sweet whey powder, glycerin, baking soda, xanthan gum, sea salt, and lemon oil. The jam is a raspberry paste made from cane syrup, brown rice syrup, apple powder, rice starch, dried cane syrup, glycerin, water, raspberry juice concentrate, pectin, natural flavor, citric acid, red cabbage extract for color, fig paste, and citric acid. These cookies are gluten-free, egg free, low in sodium, and all natural. They have no hydrogenated oils or trans fats, no cholesterol, and no corn syrup.

As far as nutrition goes, a serving of Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Raspberry & Fig Figgies & Jammies is 1 cookie. This one cookie will give you 100 calories and 2 grams of fat. One cookie will serve up 25 mg sodium and 11 grams of sugar. These cookies are cholesterol free. This one cookie will also give you 1 gram of fiber and 1 gram of protein. Not bad!

I am proud to have won these cookies in an online sweepstakes and to have the opportunity to try every flavor. So far, I have enjoyed every bite of the two flavors I have tried. Stay tuned as the other two will be coming up in the very near future. I promise…these are so good, you don’t have to be gluten-free to enjoy them.

February 23, 2015

Product Review: Good Girl Gluten Free Mint Slim Cookies

Product: Goodie Girl Gluten Free Mint Slim Cookies – $4.99+

I feel cheated.

This past winter, my holiday Swiss Colony catalog came in…and with it, their Gluten Free and Sugar Free catalog as well. I usually never purchase anything for myself from Swiss Colony…but I was paging through and saw these new cookies they were offering…Gluten Free Mint Slims. The photograph looked all the world like what was, once, my favorite Girl Scout Cookie – the Thin Mints.

The description in the catalog read: Refreshing mint cookies with a chocolatey coating are sure to be a family favorite!

I said, “OHMYGODGLUTENFREETHINMINTS!” And I placed an order. 12 ounces of cookies…for $19.95+tax.

*sigh*

They weren’t going to ship until January 19…so I had a bit of a wait…but one day, my beloved Swiss Colony box arrived at my office and I tore into it…finding two bags (each 6 ounces) of Mint Slims from a company called Goodie Girl Cookies.

Hmmm…

Well, regardless, I ripped into the first bag and dug in. And then shared some with a select number of people in my office. And that was that. I think it wasn’t what I was expecting to arrive. And now that I am getting around to a review (as I opened up bag #2 yesterday), I find out that these bags are available on the Good Girl Cookies Website for $4.99/bag. So, yeah…I feel a bit cheated. Not by Goodie Girl…but by Swiss Colony.

However, what is done is done. And now you have the long and rather unfortunate tale of Swiss Colony’s betrayal and cheat tactics. So, let’s get down to the Goodie Girl Gluten Free Mint Slim Cookies, shall we?

Goodie Girl Cookies is based out of Tribeca, New York, specializing in creating gluten-free cookies with surprising flavors, as well as exciting twists on cookie classics to evoke memories of childhood. Founder, Shira Berk, also a mom and native New Yorker, began her journey to create an all-natural, super-delicious line of cookies that are all gluten-free back in 2010. Her intention was to create cookies that were intended for anyone to eat, but still be accessible to the 30%-and-growing number of population who had to avoid gluten. What began in a home kitchen soon grew to be made in a kitchen incubator in Queens, then to another one in Brooklyn, until now, where Goodie Girl Cookies now produces their gluten-free cookies at a contract bakery in Long Island, New York. An interesting aspect, I would like to point out, is that neither Berk, nor anyone in her family is Celiac, gluten-intolerant, or in need of a gluten-free diet. Berk And they not only loves to bake, but has created serious buzz around these cookies.

Specifically…the Mint Slims…or their take on the infamous Thin Mint Cookie from those little Girl Scouts.

Growing up, Thin Mint Cookies were my favorite treat. And as a Girl Scout, we ordered a bunch of boxes all the time for my family. It was the only flavor of Girl Scout Cookie you would find in my house. Ever. There were no others. So, for the past three years, since going gluten-free, having to bypass the Girl Scouts at the local grocery store has been heart-wrenching. I see that green box and it’s all I want. And thanks to Goodie Girl Gluten-Free Cookies…(and for Swiss Colony for now introducing me to Goodie Girl)…they’re back in my life.

So, these aren’t perfect. The main difference being that the Girl Scout variety is coated in a rich, amazing dark chocolate. And I LOVE dark chocolate. The Goodie Girl Gluten Free Mint Slim Cookies are…coated in milk chocolate. They aren’t quite as rich and sinfully good because of this…but…they are close enough. Even the people at the office thought so. And that being said…here’s a bit more on the flavor of these cookies…

The Goodie Girl Mint Slims are crunchy, just like the Girl Scout counterpart. They have this amazing mint flavor that may rival that of the Girl Scouts for sure. The coating, for me, however, just was wrong. It didn’t have the richness that the Girl Scout Thin Mints have. But, that’s also me, who prefers dark chocolate to mint chocolate any day, so…it’s more of a personal thing than anything. Other than that…these are spot on. I had one co-worker wrinkle up her nose when I offered for her to try one, and when she did, she admitted that they tasted just like the Girl Scout Cookies. Never count a gluten-free copycat out. EVER! Sometimes…they are just as good if not better as the original. I count these as just as good. Seriously…it hits all the right notes.

The Goodie Girl Gluten Free Mint Slim Cookies are made from chocolate coating (made of sugar, palm kernel, palm oil, cocoa processed with alkali, nonfat dry milk, soy lechithin), sugar, butter, the Goodie Girl Flour Blend (white rice flour, corn starch, tapioca flour, brown rice flour, powdered milk, potato starch, and xanthan gum), cocoa, whole milk, vanilla extract, pure peppermint flavor, baking soda, and salt. They are…just the right amount of wrong. In a good way. A very rock ‘n roll way.

As for nutriton, let’s keep in mind that these are cookies, shall we? The Goodie Girl Gluten Free Mint Slim Cookies come in a serving of 2 cookies (with 6 servings per bag). Each serving will give you 160 calories and 9 grams of fat. These two cookies will also provide you with 10 mg cholesterol, 35 mg sodium, and 12 grams of sugar. These cookies also provide 1 gram of fiber and 1 gram of protein, meaning they make a perfect non-filling dessert or snack. Granted, with Girl Scout cookies you get to eat 4 cookies for almost a perfect match in the nutrition area…but beggars can’t be choosers, can we? I just think the Girl Scout cookies are a bit thinner, maybe less dense on the filling as, weight-wise, a serving of 2 Goodie Girl Mint Slims is 30 grams and 4 Thin Mints from the Girl Scouts is 32 grams. Light bulb!

If you are a gluten-free cookie monster…er…lover…like me, and if you have been missing those Girl Scout Cookies something fierce, I urge you to hop over to the Goody Girl Web site (not Swiss Colony!) and place an order for the Mint Slims…stat. Trust me…you won’t regret it. You’ll never regret cookies. Especially these.

February 22, 2015

Product Review: CraveRight Gluten Free Jumbo Sesame Crunch Cookie

CraveRight Gluten Free Sesame Crunch Cookie

Product: CraveRight Gluten Free Jumbo Sesame Crunch Cookie – $3.99

I was so lucky this past Christmas, to be given one of my favorite gifts – a $50 Whole Foods Gift Card. I vowed to only purchase products I have been meaning to try and just haven’t been able to “justify” for my tight weekly budget. So, soon after the New Year passed, I decided to do a first round of product sweeping.

Now, naturally gluten free foods (fruits and veggies) I get delivered to my door. Unless I have cancelled my CSA bin that week, I am pretty set on those. And while I am doing much more clean eating these days, I decided to venture over to all those snack foods that are what all gluten-free people get stuck with. Cookies, chips, candy…

Whoever said eating gluten-free will make you lose weight has never walked through the gluten-free sections of their local grocery or natural food stores. Just sayin’.

And with that being said…we also know that the women in my family have quite the sweet tooth. Oh yes…we all do come by it honestly. And while for some people it’s cakes and cupcakes that they want…for me, it’s always been the simple, yet ultimately delicious…COOKIE. Call me cookie monster, because I love cookies. All types of cookies. I have my favorites, sure, but…cookies are my kryptonite.

Well, there I was, perusing the aisles I had been skipping whenever in Whole Foods, when the giant cookies near the bottom shelf sort of just…sang to me. It was a brand I was unfamiliar with – CraveRight. So, I leaned down and picked one up…noting that these were not just gluten free, but also dairy free, soy free, egg free, nut free, and corn free. They used no flours or starches, and actually was billing itself as a “natural meal replacement.” Really? A cookie? There were three flavors of the jumbo cookies – Sesame Crunch, Chocolate Chunk, and Brownie Chocolate Chunk. Next to them were cookie packs of the same cookies, smaller scale, more inside. My roommate said, “get one of the big ones…just in case we don’t like them.” Okay…good point. I was all set for that Brownie Chocolate Chunk and I somehow let her talk me into the Sesame Crunch. “You don’t often see sesame cookies!” That was her thoughts on that matter. And…I went along with it. And this CraveRight Gluten Free Jumbo Sesame Crunch Cookie…made it home with me.

CraveRight was created in 2009, creating “crave-worthy cookies that don’t sabotage wellness goals but reinforce them.” Tired of seeing so-called “healthy snacks” that weren’t really that good for you being sold on the market – many of which could not be eaten by people with food allergies and intolerances, and the taste all wrong – Roya S. came up with the idea of creating delicious, healthy treats – specifically their specialty – their 100% vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free cookies. All of the cookies are baked and prepared in a dedicated gluten-free and nut-free facility so cross-contamination is not a problem. CraveRight cookies are baked up being packaed with antioxidants and essential amino acids. Not only that, they are proud that their cookies contain no empty-calorie ingredients – no flours, starches or fillers. The CraveRight cookies are rich in iron and calcium, and low in sodium as well. And, the company sources their ingredients from nearby, making sure that the ingredients are minimally processed (without chemicals) and made with only the finest of ingredients, free of contaminants.

Which, all sounds really good on paper, right? But how do they taste?

I can only vouch for the CraveRight Gluten Free Jumbo Sesame Crunch Cookie…which I split with my roommate last night for dessert. You know, I was having a bad day…I just ate an amazing comfort food dinner and was all set for dessert. I grabbed the CraveRight Gluten Free Jumbo Sesame Crunch Cookie off my counter and declared it to be dessert. If anything could make me feel better, it would be a cookie, right?

So, as is typical with huge cookies…I cut it in half and gave one side to my roommate while claiming the other for myself. I climbed back onto the couch, restarted the episode of Game of Thrones I was watching, and took my first bite.

And I think my nose wrinkled up a little bit. But it was only one bite. Maybe my palate just needed cleansing. So, I gave it another taste. Nope. This was not a cookie I was enjoying. The CraveRight Gluten Free Jumbo Sesame Crunch Cookie was everything I didn’t like about a cookie. The texture was crumbly. I’m fine with a bit of crunch on my cookie, but I don’t want it to crumble when I try to eat it. I have no kitchen or dining room table in my apartment, and I don’t want to have to vacuum my couch after dessert, thank you very much. The flavor lacked sweetness. I mean, regardless of whether a cookie is billed as a “healthy meal replacement” or not, I want it to taste like a cookie. And this didn’t. It tasted like…a snack. Like those savory sesame sticks that were put into snack mixes and most people skipped eating. I think I was expecting something like a sunbutter cookie…a little more richness and depth of flavor, but that’s not what I got at all. They were bland and rather…tasteless. That bit of sesame came through in the end, but that’s about all I can say about that. It was not a winning cookie in my book, and we know I eat lots of cookies. The part near the middle was slightly chewy, but everything else was just…wrong. I wasn’t a fan at all.

Neither was my roomie.

As far as what goes into the CraveRight Gluten Free Jumbo Sesame Crunch Cookies…it seems rather basic. So…that is good. These cookies are made from sesame seeds, palm shortening, demerara sugar, tahini, sesame powder, water, chicory extract, flax meal, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt. Not actually a bad list of ingredients.

It’s just too bad they didn’t come together to form a cohesively delicious cookie.

Since the CraveRight Gluten Free Sesame Crunch Cookie is billed as a “natural meal replacement” and carries the sentiment “Crave One. Eat Two.” on each package, let’s really focus for a moment on these nutritional facts. A serving size of the CraveRight Gluten Free Jumbo Sesame Crunch Cookie is 1/2 of the cookie. Yes…half. This half will deliver 170 calories and 13 grams of fat. These cookies are cholesterol free, have only 90 mg sodium per serving and only 5 grams of sugar. One serving will also give you 3 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein. I still don’t think I’d eat a cookie instead of my dinner though. Just sayin’.

So, color me unimpressed and highly disappointed. I was not at all craving another bite of the CraveRight Gluten Free Sesame Crunch Cookie. In fact, it was a struggle just to get the half I had finished. It wasn’t what I wanted in a cookie at all, “healthy” or not. Beyond disappointed. I felt cheated out of my dessert last night.

You win some, you lose some.

CraveRight Gluten Free Jumbo Sesame Crunch Cookie

February 4, 2015

Product Review: Aleia’s Gluten Free Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

Product: Aleia’s Gluten Free Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies – $7.49

Oh, my Cuisine Cube had me pegged this past holiday season. Really. Because, everyone pretty much knows that I am a cookie monster. There is nothing better or more satisfying than the perfect cookie. And it has to be absolutely perfect. Crispy…or chewy…chocolatey…or maybe nutty…yeah…cookies are the way to my heart.

Always have been. My mom was known for her homemade cookies when I was growing up. Somehow, the entire neighborhood knew when she was baking. And all the kids would end up at our house and eat them fresh out of the oven.

My love of cookies goes way, way back.

So, yes, I was more than elated when my December 2014 (the HOLIDAY CUBE!) arrived in the mail. It had quite the variety inside. But this was one of those cubes that contained a bonus item. An extra dessert. And since I live and breathe dessert, this was a very happy and welcome bonus! Cuisine Cube is a surprise each month. All I know is that each cube will contain some gluten-free product good for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack and dessert. December actually had a gluten-free all-purpose flour for “baking.” So, double dessert, and something that doubled as a lunch/snack. Variety is key and they sure do know how to keep me coming back each month for the new selections. Subscribing to Cuisine Cube is easy and starts out as low as $29.99. Not bad for a monthly delivery of gluten-free yummies that comes right to your door for you to devour as soon or as late as you want. If you haven’t signed up for this service yet…just try it for a month. Trust me.

The cookies that were waiting for me inside December Cube were Aleia’s Gluten Free Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies. Aleia’s is devoted to producing superior, hand-crafted, certified gluten-free, non-GMO, and kosher products. These products range from cookies to bread crumbs to stuffing to croutons. The company is devoted to provide healthy, delicious options for people who are living a gluten-free lifestyle. The bakery where their products are crafted and packaged is a dedicated gluten-free bakery.

Aleia’s is actually one of the first and finest producers of gluten-free, non-GMO products out on the market. This stemmed from the founder’s (a culinary trained chef) own gluten intolerance and her desire to eat great tasting, handmade goods. Gluten-free doesn’t mean it has to be tasteless cardboard, right? The Aleia’s line includes ten artisan cookies, bread crumbs, panko, croutons, stuffing mixes, and breads.

So, tonight, with the cold weather happening outside, I was reaching for something that wasn’t frozen. Because, despite liking things like ice cream any time of the year…tonight I was feeling…cookies! Save the ice cream for this weekend’s beautiful weather. That’s my plan anyway. So, after an amazing dinner of gluten-free pumpkin gnocchi…I reached into my pantry and retrieved the package of Aleia’s Gluten-Free Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies, which I had tucked away in there when I was putting away my December Cuisine Cube products. Today was the day for this product to shine. I popped open the packaging, tore into the plastic bag and retrieved two cookies (one for me and one for the roomie!).

A simple and easy dessert, yes? That’s how I like it.

The Aleia’s Gluten Free Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies are about the size of the rim of a juice glass. They are crispy vanilla cookies that are coated with sugar. I took my first bite and immediately tasted the vanilla. The flavor reminded me of something, but I still can’t quite put my finger on what. That being said…they were a delightful, sweet, and crunchy treat after dinner. I told my roomie that I sort of wanted to get down some Smudge (that is nut-free, gluten-free, dairy-free Nutella) and spread it across the back of the cookie just to sweeten the deal a little. HA! While sugar cookies have never been my favorite cookie, these were quite tasty. They weren’t hard, but had a good crunch to them. And the sugar coating the outside gave it a little extra zip. Yeah…these definitely made this cookie monster happy!

Aleia’s Gluten Free Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies are made from pure cane sugar, tapioca flour, whole grain sorghum flour, butter, eggs, pure vanilla extract, vanilla beans, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. That’s it! And being that the first ingredient is sugar…remember…these are not just cookies…they are sugar cookies.

How about that nutritional information, right? One serving of Aleia’s Gluten Free Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies is one cookie. This one cookie will deliver 80 calories and 3 grams of fat. You will also be taking in 10 mg cholesterol, 60 mg sodium, and 6 grams of sugar. Yep…only 6 grams in a sugar cookie. A serving also gives you no fiber and only 1 gram of protein. But they are cookies. A treat. Love it.

As I have no store in my area that carries Aleia’s Gluten Free products, I am beyond thrilled that Cuisine Cube was able to introduce me to this brand. I am impressed enough to seek out more. Especially since I see they have Gluten Free Snickerdoodles. And we all know that Snickerdoodles are this cookie monster’s all-time favorite cookie. They definitely must be tried. Thank you, Cuisine Cube and Aleia’s…for your commitment to great products!