Namsaste Cookie Mix

This gluten free product review is for Namaste Cookie Mix. I'm pretty fond of cookies. Each one is like a happy little bite of yum! Namaste Cookie mix managed to surprise me in spite of the plethora of cookies I've tried.

Ease of Use

No joke, this mix is so easy that my nine-year old daughter mixed up the dough by herself while I was doing other things. Once the dough was mixed, it was easy to grab rounded tablespoons and plop them on the pan. They only take about ten minutes to bake. From start to finish, the entire batch of cookies can take less than 45 minute.

Appearance

At first, the dough looked really strange to me. I had expected a light colored dough like sugar cookies. What we had was darker and speckled through with black dots. I wasn't worried about the dots, but when I found the big black chunk of what looked like potting soil, I did begin to wonder. A quick check of the ingredients assured me that what I had was ground vanilla bean, a good thing in cookies. The clump broke up very easily and I was able to redistribute the bean with a few stirs.

As for the finished product, gluten free cookies never had it so good! They had a slight sheen to the outside, almost like a glaze but not thick. They were really pretty!

Taste and Texture

Namaste Cookie Mix has an earthy, rich flavor that is just the right amount of sweet. The care it took to develop this recipe shows in the fact that all of the ingredients are natural and recognizable, but the gluten free cookies don't taste gluten free. They almost taste healthy, but not in a health food way. More that they are natural and you can tell.

The texture is unbelievable! They are crunchy, chewy and soft all at once. They are definitely on the must try list for any cookie connoisseur.

Versatility

Namaste Cookie Mix is very versatile. It has recipes for variations right on the bag. I made jam thumbprint cookies that were awesome! There is also a recipe for Blackberry Crisp with Streusel Topping which shows great promise. This mix has a complexity of flavor that will blend well with any dessert recipe.

Overall Value

A little over $5 gets you a 20 oz. bag of Namaste Cookie Mix. That is a great value when you consider that most gluten free cookie mixes are sold for the same price and only contain 12 to 15 ounces.

Rating

I love it!

Pancake and Waffle Mix from Maple Grove Farms in Vermont

This gluten free product review comes with a confession. I am apparently pancake making challenged. It took me several tries to do this review and I really don't think it has anything to do with the Pancake and Waffle Mix from Maple Grove Farms in Vermont.

Ease of Use

A lot easier than I made it. When I followed the instructions, the batter was very thick. I added more liquid to thin it out. Due to this and over mixing, I ended up with very flat pancakes.

The attempt where I actually followed the instructions and the rules of not beating pancake batter to death was much better. Human error can complicate anything, but this mix should be very easy to use!

Appearance

Pancake and Waffle Mix from Maple Grove Farms in Vermont makes pretty pancakes. They are golden brown and have a sweet smell.

Taste and Texture

They actually cooked all the way through! This is quite a feat in the land of undercooked gluten free foods. When made correctly, they had a soft, fluffy, bubbly interior and a crispy exterior.

These gluten free pancakes had a sweetness all their own and barely needed any syrup. They were very good.

Versatility

To be perfectly honest, I didn't get to explore the versatility myself due to the fact that I used most of the mix on pancakes. The box does have a recipe for Pineapple Upside Down Cake that is rather promising. I'm sure you could use Pancake and Waffle Mix from Maple Grove Farms in Vermont for a variety of gluten free baked goods.

Overall Value

You get 14-15 pancakes or waffles for $3.65. Not too shabby!

Rating

I recommend trying Pancake and Waffle Mix from Maple Grove Farms in Vermont.

*Note* Make sure that you are purchasing the gluten free version! Maple Grove Farms makes lots of mixes. The one you want says "Gluten Free" in large red letters on the box.

Create a Bug Fruit Snacks from Betty Crocker

This week's gluten free product review takes me back to childhood and the simple things in life. In order to properly try Create-a-Bug fruit snacks I had no choice but to open a few packages and play with them. My daughter made some pretty silly looking creatures and had a lot of fun.

Ease of Use

Open package, eat. You can take as much time creating between step one and step two as you want.

Appearance

Betty Crocker Create-a-Bug fruit snacks come in a variety of shapes and colors. There are heads, wings and bodies in colors ranging from yellow to electric blue. Admittedly, it is hard to tell what some of the pieces are, but that made it more fun in the long run. With those pieces we had to use our imaginations and come up with uses. Thus, a head became feet and wings became fins.

Taste and Texture

Create-a-Bug pieces come in strawberry, orange, cherry and grape flavors, at least that's what it says on the box. I'm convinced there is more flavor than listed though. The bright blue ones are downright tangy and I couldn't attach a certain fruit flavor to them. They are all very good though.

As for texture, I love it! To quote the little one, "These are the good kind." Fruit snack connoisseur that she is, I must defer to her judgment. These are not the jelly-like fruit snacks that are like gummy bears. They are the softer, chewier versions. They have a bit of a bite to them.

Versatility

Art projects and ice cream toppings come to mind.

Overall Value

No gluten free pricing here, folks. A ten pack of these fruity cuties will run under three dollars.

Rating

These really are fun. I recommend you pick up a box.

*Note: From now until November 14, 2009, you can enter in a giveaway to win your own box of Create a Bug Fruit Snacks from Betty Crocker along with a lot of other great stuff!