Gluten free, double chocolate chip habanero cookie mix review
(by Doodle Cookies)
In expanding the area of gluten-free baking, I wanted to give readers a convenient option and decided to take a closer look into gluten-free cookie mixes. I reached out to a small company, featured in the most recent edition of Gourmet News, named Doodles Cookies. I wanted to review one of their (gluten-free) cookie mixes. As soon as I received my sample of gluten free double chocolate chip habanero cookie mix, I was excited to try them out. I am a bit of a chocoholic and the cookies looked yummy on the box.
Following the directions on the back of the box, I mixed the ingredients with my hands instead of a mixer. With plastic gloves on, I kneaded the margarine, vanilla, and egg into the previously poured out bag of cookie mix. In less time than you can say chewy chocolaty, chocolate chips, I had the batter ready for scooping. The preparation was extremely easy and great for a young child to help out with. Using a cookie scooper, each scoop was roughly the same in diameter. A slight press, on top of each scoop, allowed for a nice rounded cookie. I selected to keep the cookies baking for 9 minutes, then cooled them off on the cookie rack.
Review (Yum? or Yuk?):
YUK!
Aside from myself, neighborhood and family reviewers consisted of 7 adults, 2 children (all said Yuk).
I truly feel bad about giving this review, but the fact is that the dried habanero pepper should not and does not belong with double chocolate chip. The texture of the cookie was great. It was chewy and the double chocolate chip part was satisfying. Unfortunately the zing from the dried habanero pepper worked its way to your taste buds way too fast, then left your mouth with quite a bit of a hot, spicy aftertaste. It just doesn't work and left you remembering the flavor that you most wanted to forget.
I didn't receive the "heart felt hug for my tummy" and wouldn't recommend this flavor (double chocolate chip habanero) of cookie mix. In fairness, I did not try the other mixes (chocolate chip, sugar cookie, and, nut free, nut butter) and suspect that they may be more satisfying to the palate because of the mainstream flavors. On the healthy meter, all of Doodles Cookies cookie mixes are made with organic ingredients.
Each box of cookie mix costs about $6.50/box. The company indicates that each serving size is 4 teaspoonfuls of the dry mix or 21 servings per container. What that actually equates to once the the cookies are baked is uncertain. I was able to bake up 15 cookies from the mixture equaling out to a cost of $.43/cookie.
About Doodles Cookies:
Started in 2008 by Deborah Sievers who is a 15 year veteran in baking delicious and healthy cookies. Based in Aurora, Illinois, Doodles Cookies decided to expand its organic cookie mixes to include a gluten-free(GF) variety to accommodate people turning to a GF diet. The products can be purchased directly through their website at http://www.doodlescookies.com/
What is gluten-free? As a consumer, it is important to educate yourself. A comprehensive video about gluten sensitivity and the meaning of gluten-free can be found at: http://www.glutenfreesociety.org/video-tutorial/gluten-sensitivity-what-is-it/
2 comments:
I love the fact that you reviewed a Doodles mix. I've sampled all of the mixes---sugar, chocolate, and nut butter, and habanero chocolate. Each one is delicious, and offers something different. With each variety, I expected, but didn't get, a nasty aftertaste. It sounds as though you like the ease of making these cookies from a mix; you just didn't like the habanero with chocolate. I, on the other hand, do like them. For me, the taste wasn't a solid habanero one; chocolate alternated with the pepper, and was quite satisfying. I hope you have the opportunity to try Doodles' other mixes. It's a great way to eat an organic, and gluten-free cookie.
Organic Food Examiner and Organic Pantry blog
Thank you for your comment, Natalie. You are absolutely correct about the wrong choice of cookie mix (habanero chocolate). I did enjoy the simplicity and texture of the cookie. It was definitely the taste that tipped the scale. I believe the other varieties would be more palatable to the majority. The habanero chocolate cookie needs a snacker who enjoys the mesh of both flavors. I guess my focus group (and neighbors) just weren't in that category. I would love to try to other varieties and give a more accurate review for the product.
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