Product Review: Betty Crocker Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

So, this weekend, I'll be heading out to Sunset Beach, NC for a friend's bachelorette party.  This friend is ALSO gluten free, so I wanted to make some goodies that we could enjoy while we're soaking up some sun and celebrating.  I made some pineapple orange gluten free cupcakes (to be written in another post) from scratch, but decided to go with a box mix for some chocolate chip cookies.  Betty Crocker makes a line of gluten free products that have gotten pretty good reviews from other gluten free blogs I've read, so I decided to give their mix a try.

The mix requires a stick of softened butter, vanilla, and one egg.  I would recommend a few extra chocolate chips if you like a lot of chocolate or chunks (I like a very chippy cookie).  All that's required is to mix the butter, vanilla, and egg first, then add the mix.  The dough that results is very crumbly.  I found mixing it with a wooden spoon was pretty futile so I just dove in there with clean hands and squeezed the dough, which resulted in something a bit more compact.  The texture after using my hands was a lot more like what you would get with a "place and bake" cookie from the refrigerated section of the grocery store.  I formed the dough into balls, placed two inches apart (fit 6 cookies to a sheet) and baked. The resulting cookies are very good.  Generally, I like a buttery chocolate chip cookie, which is pretty flat and has a little bit of a crispy edge to it.  These cookies actually come pretty close to what I would normally bake with all purpose flour.  I definitely prefer these cookies to the Bob's Red Mill that I've made before.  Bob's Red Mill was not unpleasant, but had a beany aftertaste to it that I didn't like that well.  These don't have that aftertaste, and they're about as close as I've eaten to the scratch made, gluten-filled toll house cookies I've been making for years.

I would recommend these to anyone, and they're definitely user friendly.  If you're not gluten free and want to bake for someone who is, this is a really easy way to make something that your gluten free friend will be happy with.  If you are gluten free, you can bake these up, take them to a party, and no one would notice that they're a gluten free cookie.

Pizza Product Reviews!

Pizza.  One of my truest loves.  I have only ever encountered one truly inedible pizza in my life and I made it myself.  But, most gluten free pizza products out there aren't too bad.  Here's some of what I've found since the last time I posted:

Arrowhead Mills Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix:

I gave this mix a try a couple of months ago.  One of the biggest adjustments to making gluten free boxed or homemade pizza doughs is the texture of the dough before it's baked.  These doughs are often extremely sticky, and aren't so much rolled out like a typical dough as they are spread onto an oiled pan.  That is definitely the case with this mix.  It's very sticky, and pretty difficult to spread.  The results left me feeling unsatisfied.  It was edible, but not enjoyable.  The pizza I made with this mix left a lot to be desired in terms of both taste and texture.  I probably won't make it again.

Gluten Free Bisquick Pizza Recipe

I gave this a try last night.  There's a recipe on the side panel of this mix for pizza crust.  I decided to add some typical seasonings to the crust like garlic, onion, and oregano.  The result was a pizza on a sort of okay tasting biscuit.  The taste of the crust wasn't bad, but the texture wasn't like a pizza.  This is the real trap of most gluten free pizzas I've had.  If the end result is a pizza with a fluffy crust, the texture is likely to be "off" somehow.  However, if the end result is a thinner crust, the texture tends to be less objectionable.  In this case, the texture wasn't terrible, but it's not necessarily what you expect when you think pizza.  I WOULD make this again, but only if I was dying for a pizza and didn't have any other options.  

Domino's Gluten Free Pizza

Gluten free pizza at a national chain. . . sort of.  Like the disclaimer says, the pizza is prepared in a kitchen with all the delicious gluteny goodness.  So, Domino's doesn't guarantee that it's not going to cause a reaction.  So, what have I learned?  That I need to order it takeout from the store over near campus.  College campuses tend to have a lot more people that are gluten free, and/or employees that know about gluten sensitivities or Celiac, etc.  The several times I've ordered the gluten free pizza from that store I've been fine, and have not had a reaction to the pizza.  The one time I ordered from the store that delivers to my house?  Probably the worst I've felt in months.  Seriously.  Honestly, I've not been back to Domino's since then, but not because I wouldn't go back, but because I've found a better option.  However, I'd be happy to order another Domino's gluten free pizza.  I know I'm taking a risk, but it is tasty.  It's one of the better one's out there, and really. . . convenience does it for me.  The texture of the thin crust is good, and the taste of the crust, the toppings, and the cheese are all to my liking, so this is up there on my list.

Mellow Mushroom

Back when I was able to eat gluten, I LOVED Mellow Mushroom.  The pretzels.  Oh my God, the pretzels. I loved it.  The chewy texture of the crust, and the awesome toppings.  It was always a good time, if not a little pricey.  The same is true for their gluten free pizza.  The crust has a pleasant taste (although I've had a bit of a beany after taste one or two times) and the texture is good as well.  It's a solid piece of pizza that you could pick up and enjoy eating with your hands.  The crusts are prepackaged, so the staff aren't actually making these in the kitchen with the other pizzas.  They're essentially unwrapping them, oiling a pan and cooking it.  But, they do use designated pans and utensils for the gluten free products.  But, because it's a prepackaged crust, no luck on any delicious gluten free pretzels.  Despite that, I'd eat Mellow Mushroom's gluten free pizza any time.  Taste and texture wise, it's worth the money.

Slices

I don't have a picture of Slices by Tony's gluten free pizza.  Tony is an awesome dude who my friend Gianna knows.  He's Italian and she babysits his newborn.  Tony makes the BEST gluten free pizza in the world HANDS DOWN.  My husband, who tries all of my gluten free pizza products, but generally hates all the homemade ones, and says the chain products are just "passable" absolutely LOVES Slices' gluten free pizza.  He said not only is it the best gluten free pizza he's had, but he rates it very highly on his list of all time good tasting pizzas.  I have no idea what Tony puts in it.  I don't know how he does it, but I know that I never, ever want him to go out of business.  I will cry.  I will be the saddest person in the world when I have to leave Greensboro and leave this pizza behind me.  Slices' gluten free is worth every single penny that I pay for it, and I will pay it over and over again.

As always, I'm still going to be experimenting with pizza crusts here in my home.  I'm eager to do a cauliflower crust, and there's a brown rice crust that my friend Spencer suggested months ago, that I really need to experiment with!

Van's Waffles

For Valentine's Day, my very sweet husband went on a gluten-free shopping spree.  He purchased all kinds of goodies for me that I would never get.  It's not that I want to deprive myself of food that I love, it's that I don't want to spend the money for expensive stuff, and I don't have a lot of time to bake right now.  The food items that he purchased are things that I don't need to eat.  I know that a lot of folks that end up going gluten free eat a lot of whole foods.  I can honestly say that I eat more fruits and vegetables now than I ever did before, and it's not a bad thing.  There are worse things in the world to eat than broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, celery, beans, apples, strawberries, dates, oranges and bananas.  The fact that my diet is filled with that, and lean proteins like chicken, pork, and extra lean ground beef is fantastic, and I know that for the most part, I'm putting good stuff in my body.

But sometimes, you just want a waffle.  The college that I went to for my undergrad used to have make your own belgian waffle stations.  They'd have all sorts of delicious toppings like strawberries and whipped cream, bananas, chocolate, etc.  Even when I was first living out on my own, I'd buy frozen waffles, and put some syrup, or smear peanut butter on one on my way out the door to work in the morning.  Sometimes, when it's very early in the morning, milk upsets my stomach.  So, this was a perfect breakfast.  I have some gluten-free Bisquick that I'd like to use but, I don't have a waffle maker in my house.  It's one of those appliances that some people have, and some people love and use regularly.  But, a lot of people have sort of banished it to some cupboard, or into storage in the basement, because they just don't use it that often.  I live in a small townhouse with a TINY kitchen (my oven is not even full sized, as in, I can't fit a regular sized cookie sheet into it), so extra appliances are a no go.

But, one of the products that my husband bought for me during his spree were Van's Gluten-Free waffles.

And they are very, very, good.  Just like any other frozen waffle, you can toast them in the toaster oven or a regular toaster.  I toasted them in my toaster oven.  You have to cook them for at least 2 minutes, and then go from there based on how you like your waffle.  To me, they taste EXACTLY like any other frozen waffle.  The texture is very similar, although that sort of rubbery feeling that you can get with a regular frozen waffle is not there.  But, these waffles have a light, satisfying crisp on the outer layer, and dare I say, a slight chew in the interior.  I was so happy to remember that I had these in the freezer this morning.  I just didn't feel like cold cereal and milk.  These would hold up well also to a peanut butter or cream cheese smear if that's how you like them.  

I have no idea how much these cost, because I didn't buy them.  I just know they're tasty and I would definitely get this brand again.  For those of you who read this blog because I post links on facebook, you may have noticed that I've been a little angry at the food world lately. I haven't had as much time to cook meals at home, and I miss the ability to just pick something up anywhere I go.  The Jimmy John's dude walked through the building I work in the other day and was handing out free samples.  My coworkers were happy to munch on their delicious, chewy, crusty, bread sandwiches, and the guy apologized that he didn't have any unwich samples with him, because it's just not as big a market, and they don't travel well.  It's not his fault.  It's not my coworker's fault.  It's no one's fault that I can't eat bread. But, despite the existence of some really good, convenient food, a diverse repertoire of quick stuff that most places have readily available just doesn't exist.  And the monotony of eating the same things over and over when you don't have time to prepare something different can make you a little cranky.  

So, it's on days like these, after weeks like those that make me really thankful for products like this.

A Tale of Two Pizzas

So, I love pizza.  I could eat pizza almost every day of the week without ever getting tired of it.  Unfortunately, I can't just order a pie from anywhere, or use refrigerated dough tubes, or pick up a CHEAP frozen pie anymore, so eating pizza several times a week really isn't a possibility.  That's probably for the better.  But, I'm certainly not ready to give up my indulgence.  However, my first try at homemade pizza dough really wasn't that successful.  When I was reading up on gluten free recipes, I read frequently that gluten free baking is all about trial and error, with a large emphasis on error.

The error in this case was mostly in the choice of gluten free all purpose flour blend.  Pizza dough recipes are pretty simple for the most part.  Flour, yeast, salt, oil, maybe a sweetener, and water. . . not really that complicated.  But, gluten free flours are different and they usually require a slightly different combination of ingredients and some additional ingredients that mimic gluten like xanthan gum, or guar gum.  Also, depending on the ingredients sometimes the dough doesn't rise well, or at all (some recipes don't involve yeast, or a rise).

Here's the recipe I used:

2 c. gluten free all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tbsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 c. warm (110 degree) water
3 tbsp. olive oil (extra for drizzling)

1. Mix flour, yeast, xanthan gum, yeast, sugar and salt to combine.

2.  Add olive oil and water and mix.  Dough will be sticky.  If it's EXTREMELY sticky, add additional flour

3.  Place dough in oiled bowl, turn to coat.  Cover with a towel and place bowl somewhere warm to rise for an hour.

4.  Wrap risen dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour

5.  Roll dough between two pieces of plastic wrap.  Roll edge to create crust.

6.  Brush dough with olive oil.  Blind bake at 400 degrees for 5-7 minutes.  Remove from oven.

7.  Top with sauce, cheese and other toppings.  Return to oven and bake until cheese is melted, toppings are heated, about 5-7 minutes.

This seems very typical for pizza dough recipes.  A lot of gluten free crusts I have seen though don't recommend creating a rolled crust.  Since delicious, puffy crusts are one of my favorite things about pizza, I was looking forward to having this crust work out.  I like thin crust, but a delicious pan style or Chicago style deep dish really puts wind in my sails when it comes to pizza.  But this was just not meant to be.

I don't necessarily think that it's the recipe.  I think the choice of flour may have had a lot to do with it.  But I saved a few crusts so my husband could try it, so I could see whether it was me, or the recipe that was off.  My husband replied that it was the worst pizza that he had ever had.  Some people say that there's no such thing as bad pizza.  I beg to differ.  There is such a thing, and it came out of my oven last Tuesday.

Not for pizza.

Maybe this flour is okay for SOME pizzas, but just not this particular recipe.  I'll have to try this blend in other recipes to see whether it's something that I'm going to continue to use, or whether I'm going to move on to another product.


So, this post is titled "A Tale of Two Pizzas".  The second pizza that I'm reviewing is Kinnikinnick ready made crusts.  When I first decided to go gluten free, I knew that I would be tempted to have pizza.  I wanted to make sure that I had something on hand that was ready made, and foolproof.  I bought a four pack of these crusts at Whole Foods in the frozen section for about $9.00.  These are single-serve portions of pizza crust that do not require rolling out or blind baking.  They're essentially little rectangles that are ready to top, bake, and eat.

Delicious.

Although I love these crusts, I'm not going to throw in the towel on a homemade pizza dough.  I have had several people make excellent suggestions about different recipes that I can try next, and I'm always up for eating pizza, so I'll have plenty more recipes and reviews!