Category: Sweet Stuff

Product: Jennies Gluten-Free Marble Pound Cake Minis – $6.79+

You know…it’s the law of averages.  You find a product that you absolutely love…but it isn’t available in any store near you nor does the company Web site provide a way of ordering it.  In fact, while Jennies site has plenty on their infamous macaroons, the baked goodies such as the pound cake minis are mentioned…but follow the link and you are told that there are no products to list in that category.

But…they do exist.  The mere fact that I have them in my pantry is proof enough.  However, in order to get my hands on these, I had to go through Milwaukee.  I was in town and stopped off at the Gluten-Free Trading Company and they happened to have Jennies pound cake minis on their shelves, in both classic and marble flavors.  Both varieties are Gluten-Free, Wheat-Free, Peanut-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Casein-Free, Trans Fat-Free and Kosher Pareve.

Well, the classic variety was way better than I ever even anticipated.  Those savory hints of vanilla, mixed with a light, sweet taste of pound cake.  It was hard to keep myself to just one individual cake (I did though…because 130 calories per cake and 4.5 grams of fat isn’t bad…but you can overdo it easily.

So, I was ready to give the other box a shot soon after I worked through the classic variety.  Jennies Gluten-Free Marble Pound Cake Minis are just like their classic sisters…except it’s vanilla and chocolate cake swirled together. It smelled just as amazing as the regular ones when I opened up the individual packet…that amazing vanilla scent just wafting out to greet me and prep my senses for my dessert.

As I did with the classic minis, I gave the marble ones I little warming in the microwave before topping it off with Fat Free Cool Whip and fresh strawberries.  Mmmm.  And just as I did with the classic, I fell in love with these at first bite.

Maybe it’s the addition of the chocolate, but these taste sweeter than the classic.  They do not look as perfectly swirled as they do on the box, but all the flavors are there.  The chocolate and vanilla combination is a winning one, any way you slice it, and these individual cakes bring that flavor balance together in one personal-size treat.

I love, once again, how these are both taste-wise and texturally.  They aren’t dry or dense.  In fact, these are rather light and quite soft.  I love how as my fork glides through it, the cake crumbles perfectly with each bite.  It holds any topping without growing soggy.  But it also has that perfect lightness to it.  It isn’t hard at all.  Quite soft on the inside.  Very reminiscent of strawberry shortcake the way I do mine up.  Except…swirled with chocolate.

And we all know…chocolate make things awesome.  I don’t know if I can taste the actual chocolate in these, but I definitely detected a bit more sweetness.  And that’s fine.  Everything else remained as perfect and amazing as the classic version I originally tried.

So, if the people who run Jennies Gluten-Free Bakery would get these up on their Web site…I would love to place some orders.  Until then…I guess if I happen to be in Milwaukee…I’ll get my fix there.

These are certainly a delicious treat though…and one that should be savored and tried.

Product: Jennies Gluten-Free Pound Cake Minis – $5.99+

It’s weird.  I have a lot of recipes for pound cake, but I’m never attempted to actually make one.  However, I used to eat pound cake whenever it was served somewhere.  Especially with some Cool Whip and fresh berries.  There was no better way to eat it.

Then gluten-free happened…

But all is not lost, pound cake aficionados.  Jennies, the makers of those infamous macaroons you might have heard about (that are Gluten-Free, Wheat-Free, Peanut-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Casein-Free, Trans Fat-Free and Kosher Pareve) has created another treat, individual-size, and shelf-stable, that is also all of those things listed above…but baked into a delicious pound cake.

These little minis come individually wrapped inside a box of five.  You can eat them straight out of the package, but when am I to do that?  Like I said, my favorite way to eat pound cake was topped with Cool Whip and fresh berries.  In this case…strawberries.  Yum!

The first thing I noticed was the reminiscent aroma of vanilla from the moment you pull apart the plastic to however you like to eat it.  It smells fantastic.  I gave mine a quick warm in the microwave for a couple of seconds.  By warming it up for a moment, that amazing aroma just begins to permeate the kitchen.  It definitely wakes up your taste buds.  After topping it, I slid my fork through it and it crumbled perfectly.  One bite and I had everything I wanted…cake, topping, fruit.  Perfection.

The taste and texture…awesome.  The vanilla really shines in these.  And even more, these just taste and feel so much lighter than regular pound cake.  I loved that.  It was a nice change of pace, since most gluten-free baked goods often are or feel heavier and more dense.  Not these.  These were pure perfection with every bite.

My one problem with these is…I can’t find them anywhere.  I managed to locate these at the The Gluten-Free Trading Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin when I was up there for a race.  That being said now that I know I like them…should I ever want more, I’ll have to order from the Gluten-Free Trading Company as opposed to Jennies.  The company Web site has these listed, but nowhere to get further information on them or even purchase them.  Which is sad…because they are so good.

But…at least they can be found online…albeit it does take a little hunting and searching to do.  I don’t know if I would order these online, but I do know that when I am in Milwaukee next…one of the items I choose to bring home from The Gluten-Free Trading Company will be these delicious little cakes.

Really, really good!

Product: Cherrybrook Kitchen Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix – $5.99+

Do you know what makes life better and breakfast out of this world?

Of course you do.

Chocolate chips!  Seriously…pancakes, muffins, waffles…they are all just better with chocolate chips.  Let’s face it…that hit of sweetness just makes that bite all the better.  Imagine my delight when I found a box of Cherrybrook Kitchen Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix on the manager’s special table at my grocery store.  And it was wildly discounted.  I couldn’t pass up the deal, so I snagged it and purchased it…and placed it on my kitchen counter and not in the pantry…because I just knew I would be using it soon!

I was simply going to make pancakes with it, but then the roomie put in a request.  She wanted waffles.  Now…waffles are normally a weekend thing because they have the tendency to take awhile to cook up in my waffle maker.  But…I agreed.  And most of that morning I spent in the kitchen.  I even ended up eating my waffles at the counter while I worked on the rest.  But…totally worth it.

The Cherrybrook Kitchen Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix is so easy to make.  Give it a shake to evenly distribute the chocolate chips.  Then add milk and vegetable/canola oil.  According to the package directions and how many you intend to make.  The entire box makes 9 waffles or 21 pancakes.  So…you get a lot.  But they do have additional information to make fewer at a time should you wish.  As I was doing waffles, I figured I could freeze them and then toast them back up in my toaster…so might as well prepare the entire thing.

I actually managed to get 12 waffles out of it…so…that’s not bad at all.

The trick is to let all the ingredients set in the bowl for five minutes before setting to the task of making pancakes of waffles.  I did this and then began spooning 3/4 cup servings of the mixture into my waffle maker and letting it brown up.  After the allotted cooking time, I opened up the waffle iron and removed the waffle to a rack to cool.  And what I got was nothing short of a happy, pleasant surprise.

The mix actually churned out a perfectly textured waffle.  The outside was crusty and golden and crispy to bite into or cut into with a fork.  But the inside was a soft core.  And scattered throughout…chocolate chips that just melted with the warm maple syrup and made everything so sweet and delicious.

And for those of you out there with further food allergies, this mix is wheat free, gluten free, peanut free, dairy free, egg free, nut free.  It’s all natural, made with recognizable ingredients.  None of that guesswork at all.  I prepared mine with unsweetened almond milk.  And they were fantastic.  The calorie count is quite low on these as well…which is always nice.  But they do fill you up.

And really…there isn’t anything better than chocolate chip pancakes or waffles in the morning.  It’s so comforting and just brings a smile to your face…despite how tired you might still be.

In the market for an allergy-friendly pancake/waffle mix?  I encourage you to try the amazing products from Cherrybrook Kitchen.  I was blown away and hope to buy another box again when they go on sale.  These mixes can be quite pricey…but they are amazing.  So sometimes it is worth the splurge.

Trust me…this one is!

Product: Liz Lovely Gluten-Free Lovely Oh’s – $8.49

OMG.

No…really.

According to the Liz Lovely Web site, Gluten-Free Lovely Oh’s were the most requested treat by customers.  And really…no company ignores the many requests of their consumers.  Such was the case for Liz Lovely when it came to these indulgent, amazing, decadent, rich, delicious, addicting chocolate covered sandwich cookies.

In case you didn’t get my point…these are CRAZY GOOD!

So, what exactly is a Lovely Oh?  Well, it’s simple…really.  It’s a gluten-free and vegan Oreo-style cookie that has been liberally coated in 100% dairy-free dark chocolate.  Nothing fake.  No added waxes, oils or glazes.  Just a sandwich cookie…and a layer of luscious dark chocolate.  This…good friends…is the things gluten-free chocoholic dreams are made out of.

Growing up, every now and again, my parents would buy Chocolate Covered Oreos (or what are now Oreo Fudge Cremes) for us to have as dessert.  These were a special treat.  But when I go and compare the nutritional information of the Oreo variety to those of Liz Lovely…here’s what I discover.  Not only do the Lovely Oh’s have fewer calories, but they also clock in with less sugar and more protein.  Oreos contain a bunch of ingredients that no one could ever begin to pronounce correctly.  The Lovely Oh’s have recognizable (and pronounceable) ingredients on their packaging.  No guess work.  I don’t have to sit and wonder exactly what that word is and what it might possibly be.  Taking the guess work out of what I’m eating always makes me happy.

One of these cookies was me dessert tonight.  And oh…my God!  These are dangerous.  Dangerous as in I could probably sit down with the container and eat all 8 of the cookies inside if I wasn’t careful.  Yeah.  Amazing.  Rich.  The chocolate coating melts in your mouth and gives way to the crunchy cookie that is formed around that creamy center.  Yeah…it was heaven in each bite for sure.

I didn’t even question the price tag when these were spotted at the natural food store.  I just reacted.  They were at the register in the blink of an eye.  Hey…I’m a cookie monster and these needed to be tried.  Even my non-gluten-free roomie called these one of the best cookies she has ever tasted.  Coming from someone who can eat any cookie out there, that says a lot.

If you can’t find Liz Lovely cookies in your area, then rest assured, you can order them online from the company.  And they are totally worth the splurge…trust me.  And these Gluten-Free Lovely Oh’s just edged up towards the top of my Cookie Hall of Fame.  Here’s hoping they last the rest of the week…

Product: Enjoy Life Foods Soft-Baked Lively Lemon Cookies – $4.19+

Enjoy Life is a company that should be praised.  While their products can be hit or miss, I will hand it to them for doing something that is so rare in the food industry these days.  What is it?

They really put food allergies at the forefront of their products.  It’s true.  All of their products are free of the top 8 food allergens, which mean they contain absolutely no wheat/gluten, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish or shellfish – the allergens that account for 90% of all food allergic reactions in the United States.  If that wasn’t already enough, Enjoy Life took it up another level and made sure that there products were also made without casein, potato, sesame and sulfites.

Yes…I do need to hand it to Enjoy Life.  I eat their products a lot…because I know I can trust them.

That being said…one such product eluded me from the moment I heard of them.  Apparently…Enjoy Life had, what they were calling, Lively Lemon Cookies (from their Soft-Baked varieties).  Now…you know me and lemon flavored things.  I can eat them up because I just adore what lemon does for food…especially baked goods.  So, here was the promise of a gluten-free cookie…with lemon zing to it.  I was sold.  Or would have been had I been able to find it in my area.  I went to every grocery store, natural foods store, and specialty store…and struck out.  While they all had a variety of Enjoy Life cookies…no one had the lemon ones.  Dejected…I let it go…for the time being.

Then…while in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for a race, I came across the Gluten-Free Trading Company.  It was a completely gluten-free grocery store.  For real.  Also known as my heaven…my nirvana…my happy place.  One of the first items I spotted upon entering this little oasis of gluten-free wonder was…the Enjoy Life cookies.  And there…on the top shelf…like a beacon of heavenly light…the Soft-Baked Lively Lemon Cookies smiled down at me.  And without any hesitation at all…into my shopping basket they went.

And as the dessert rotation continues in my apartment, yesterday…it came their time to be eaten.  I pulled the box from the pantry and opened it up.  Immediately, you smell lemon.  This was a very good sign.  Inside are 12 small, soft cookies, speckled with lemon zest.  No wonder they smelled so amazing!  The serving size is two of these itty-bitty cookies, which will set you back 130 calories.  I know…hard to believe something so small could be so…unhealthy.  But it’s dessert, a treat.  They are to be treated as such.

I settled in with them and took a bite.  Soft and chewy, these cookies have amazing texture.  The lemon zest doesn’t take away from the soft nature of the cookies.  And the lemon flavor…is almost perfect.  I could stand a little more…but I love lemon.  They played it safe and kept it a bit mild, but it is easy to overdo lemon.  So, I can’t blame them for that.  However, that being said, the lemon flavor is there and is prominent in each nibble of these cookies.  I was very impressed.

And…so was my roomie, who doesn’t have to eat anything gluten-free…but loves to because of me.  She’s a good judge of a product as she can have regular food.  And she was a huge fan of these.  So…that’s a win from each of us.

Every ingredient listed on the box is something that I can pronounce and recognize.  In fact, I could find most of it in the aisles of my local grocery store.  Much respect to Enjoy Life for keeping chemicals out of their food.

When it comes to cookies…I love them soft.  And these not only play up to that, but hit that love of lemon as well.  Would I buy these again should I run across them at the store…yes.  Oh, yes!!  Eating freely is what Enjoy Life products are all about.  And if you have food allergies or are just looking for something different, I encourage you to try these cookies.  They are fantastic and lemony fresh.

Product: Katz Gluten-Free Chocolate Frosted Donuts – $6.99

Katz Gluten-Free has done it again.  This company has been winning my gluten-free heart and taste buds over with the fantastic products provided via their Web site.  No joke.  Whenever I see a special being offered regarding their products, I leap on the chance to use it.  So, despite having two coupons for half off an order, the other day, Katz put up a special – order $30 worth of product and get donuts…free.  One pack of donuts…of your choosing…free.

Well, I just happened to be heading out of town, and Katz donuts are one of my favorite things on the gluten-free market.  They are amazing.  No…seriously.  You wouldn’t even suspect they were gluten-free if you didn’t know.  In fact, you might even assume it came from a local bakery, homemade, soft, amazing.

I was absolutely stoked when Katz announced they had a new product – chocolate frosted donuts.  I had been asking for chocolate donuts…and here was the closest thing I was getting to it (so far).  I was thrilled with this announcement and was making plans to buy some using some of my coupons at home…until the donut deal came over my e-mail.  As I was heading out of town to visit my friend Jenn, I figured I could order a few products, tack on some donuts, and take them up to Ohio with me to enjoy for breakfast with Jenn one morning of my visit.

And that’s what I did.

The donuts arrived…and I went to put them in the freezer for the time being.  They were transported to Ohio via a cooler and made the journey very well.  The night before the morning we decided to indulge in some donuts, we left them out on the counter to thaw.  The following morning…it was time to make the donuts.

Nothing could be easier.  As I like my donuts to be warm (like they were fresh baked), I gave it a quick heat in the microwave (about 10 seconds), which got the icing all gooey, delicious and warm.  The donut was soft, like a yeast donut (think Krispy Kreme).  The sprinkles melted in the thawing and warming process, but that was okay.  They just add a little color.

The chocolate was sweet, and the perfect compliment to the light donut that it coated.  Each bite was a sweet treat.  But, unlike Krispy Kreme (not gluten-free!), Katz is making donuts a little easier to stomach.  A chocolate frosted yeast donut (with sprinkles) at Krispy Kreme would set you back 260 calories, 12 grams of fat, and load you up with 23 grams of sugar.  Compare that donut to Katz gluten-free’s nutritional stats and one donut is only 170 calories, 8 grams of fat, and only 7 grams of sugar.  You can’t argue with those statistics.  Katz gluten-free managed to make a healthier donut.  And they don’t lack anything in texture or taste.  They are…simply amazing.

Jenn, my roomie, and I happily noshed on our gluten-free chocolate frosted donuts that morning, enjoy every last bite of them.  And, we were quite satisfied at the end of our breakfast.  Full, even.  And that’s saying something with only 2 donuts each.  It was a nice way to start off the day with a morning treat.

Katz makes fantastic products…and these donuts are just another fine example of the quality of their products.  I am once again impressed.  I brag about this company as much as possible, because they continue to churn out the best gluten-free foods out on the market.  I have yet to be let down.

Thank you, Katz…for a healthier indulgence for this donut lover.  Now my sweet tooth and my chocolate cravings are satisfied all at once.

Yum.

Product: General Mills Apple Cinnamon Chex – $3.39+

You know what I love?  Cinnamon.  Really.  I mean, obviously.  My favorite kind of cookie is a Snickerdoodle…and I just love the sweet-spice flavor that cinnamon adds to certain things.

Already a fan of Cinnamon Chex, I was elated to hear that General Mills was expanding on their gluten-free line of Chex cereals.  The new flavor – Apple Cinnamon.

Yep.  Apple Cinnamon Chex.  I figured I’d have to wait as long as I did for Gluten-Free Rice Krispies around here…but it wasn’t long after the launch that these were on the shelf of my local grocery store.  And you better believe they came home with me.

Now, I grew up in the age of the changing flavors of Cheerios.  Now, normally, unless they were Honey Nut, I didn’t care for the different varieties.  However, that changed with the introduction of Apple Cinnamon Cheerios.  For some reason…those…I liked.  I was hoping that’s what this cereal would remind me of.  Then again, it has been forever since I had Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, I’m not sure I actually remember what they tasted like.

Well, I had just polished off the brand of cereal I had open, so this morning, I cracked open the box of Apple Cinnamon Chex.  They smelled fantastic.  Like baked apples.  For real.  Who wouldn’t like that?  So if the initial aroma had anything to say about the flavor, I was already anticipating my first bite.

I poured myself a serving (3/4 cup) of the cereal, noting that there were plain Rice Chex mixed with those dusted with the apple powder and cinnamon.  I tried a couple just dry.  The plain ones, like in the other varieties…are flavorless.  However, grabbing one of the ones dusted with the apple-cinnamon flavor and yeah…that’s good.

That’s beyond good.  What was even better was when I poured my unsweetened almond milk over it.  Once those flavors got mingled in with the milk…the cereal was breakfast heaven.  Honestly.  I was just spooning that stuff up like it was going out of style.  Another great flavor in the gluten-free cereals I can trust to taste good.  Thank you, General Mills, for expanding on one of your gluten-free varieties and mixing up a delicious blend of apple-cinnamon flavor.  And, each serving is only 130 calories with 2 grams of fat.  So it’s not going to break your diet either.  So, a gluten-free breakfast cereal that is nutritious and tastes like apple-cinnamon does exist…thanks to General Mills.  And trust me, this lover of apples and cinnamon thanks them for it.

And so does my tummy…at breakfast every morning this week.

Product: Bakery on Main Gluten-Free Apricot Almond Chai Truebar – $1.99+

Bakery on Main has really been doing well in my book with the gluten-free products they have put out on the market.  I am a huge fan of their oatmeal and their granola.  Well, today I reached into my gluten-free stash for yet another goodie by this amazing gluten-free company.  You see…it was an early race morning and I knew my cereal wasn’t going to hold me for two hours, plus the time I’d spend actually running the race.  So…I needed something to eat an hour out that would provide the energy I needed without upsetting my delicate runner’s stomach.

While I usually stick to Lärabar or thinkThin bars, today…I opted to try something new.  That’s not really the smartest thing to do the morning of a race, but…I tend to have to do that in order to try these gluten-free products out.  Reaching into my stash, much of which came from the Gluten-Free Expo in Birmingham, I emerged with the Truebars.  I have a few varieties of these, but I reached for the orange wrapped one on top.

The wrapper on this Truebar declared it all: ““I am an Apricot Almond Chai Bar with nothing to hide.”  And that’s what you see through the clear wrapping.  This bar studded with almonds and chia seeds.  The clear wrapping also indicates there really is nothing to hide.

So…off to the race I went.  Upon parking the car, I knew I needed to get my bar in so I could have time to digest and not have it sloshing around in my stomach for 4 miles.  I ripped open the plastic and what I got was not the hard, crunchy bar that I was expecting.  On the contrary, what I got was this soft, chewy bar, packed with almonds, apricots, chia seeds, rice crisp, and lots of seasonings.  The soft, sticky nature of the bar does lend it great texture, however…handling it without getting hands completely gooey…was not an option.  I had to keep it in the wrappe.  This makes the “on-the-go” aspect of these bars a little problematic in the long-run.  So…intrepid gluten-free foodies…use the wrapper.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

I don’t know how the word “chai” slipped past my radar…but…let’s put it this way:

I am not a fan of chai.  I don’t like chai tea, despite being a tea-fiend.  I just find the spices to be off-putting.  So…missing that word was a shock after I took my first bite.  The initial flavor that grabs you is the sweet apricot.  Now, I love fruits and I like apricots, so this was a nice change of pace.  But then the spices that are included kick in.  These spices, according to the wrapper, include: ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom.  All of which put out some strong flavors anyway…imagine all of them in one bar…counter balanced only by dried apricots and almonds.  It’s pretty spicy and strong.  And spicy…is not something you want before the race.

If you like chia…then you’ll love this bar.  If, like me, you don’t…well…you might want to skip this one and try one of the other flavored Truebars out there.  The good news is…that it did it’s job.  Despite the spice and the fact that I really didn’t like the taste, I used it as my pre-race fuel.  So, I did eat it.  My stomach wasn’t upset after eating it…even with a 4 mile run.  And, the 3 grams of fiber meant that I wasn’t hungry until someone actually mentioned food a little bit after the race.  This flavor of Truebar has 160 calories in it and 6 grams of fat.  I hated, most of all, that it had 12 grams of sugar.  The one thing I give thinkThin is how most are low-sugar or zero sugar.  LOVE THAT!  I try to keep too much sugar out of my diet as I am an athlete.  I want a product to be able to stand up for itself as far as flavor without having to digest an incredible amount of sugar in the process.  So…that is a small complaint.

That being said, I do look forward to trying other varieties of this bar…hopefully without any chia surprise.  I know now to read the label a little more closely.  I loved the texture of this bar and how soft and easy to chew it was.  I totally wasn’t expecting that, so it was a nice surprise.  If you love chai…you will love this bar.  But…it just wasn’t for me.  Not this flavor anyway.

Oh well…on to the next…