Schär Gluten Free Hazelnut Wafers

Schär Gluten Free Hazelnut Wafers
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Dessert wafers are meant to be a lightweight and delicate sort of treat when they're eaten and while companies used to sell these wafer treats primarily in flavors of vanilla, vanilla or vanilla, there have certainly been some expansions on the classic treat with just about every sort of flavor put into the wafers themselves or into the powdery, sugared filling in the center.

Schär Gluten Free Hazelnut Wafers are a nice step in a creative direction by the company as they not only offer a light style of dessert to people who require gluten-free food, but they also do it in such a way that it's a bit different from the standard vanilla wafer setup. Hazelnut is an intriguing choice for a wafer candy since it's pretty subtle and is a great compliment to the overall weight of the treat itself.

The best way to describe these little treats is that they taste like a less substantial version of a Ferrero Rocher chocolate ball. They are a great flavor to put in a wafer and like vanilla, hazelnut is a particular type of flavor that doesn't require any accompaniment and stands just fine on its own.

The texture of the wafers is appropriate although like most wafer treats, they do seem to be rather prone to leaving crumbs absolutely everywhere. 

It's likely that the best time to eat these isn't going to be while sitting on the couch wearing black pants because everything just gets covered with wafer dust and crumbs whenever someone takes a bite.

As long as someone isn't worried about the crumbs in these things or has a suitable place to eat the wafers (outside is a good place. you'll really, truly never get all those crumbs out of the couch cushions!), the only things to be concerned about with this treat are the calories and fat in them. For such a feathery and dainty type of treat, they sure do pack a punch when it comes to the nutritional content. 

Just a single, small package weighs in at 260 calories and a rather hefty 13g of fat (the picture at the top of this blog post is a small, snack-size pack and should probably be as much as anyone should eat in a single sitting). For as light as the wafers are, it's amazing that much fat is in there somewhere.

Overall, these wafers are exactly what you might expect from any sort of wafer treat and the fact that they're gluten-free seems to be a bonus as they wouldn't look out of place amongst the rest of the bagged cookies and dessert offerings on the shelf at the grocery store.

Schär Gluten Free Hazelnut Wafers
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Schär Gluten Free Hazelnut Wafers Report Card

The Good Things:

If you like hazelnut and would enjoy an airy sort of treat, these little wafers will fit the bill. The flavor of hazelnut is a terrific choice for this type of dessert and Schär has done exceedingly well with their recipe. 

Another tasty element of these little wafers is that they don't taste like they're gluten-free and this means that someone could probably put these little wafers out at a party or share them with a friend without having to preface the offering with "well, they're gluten-free, but they're still good."

What Could Change:

As noted above, these little things might be delicate as far as weight and taste are concerned, but they're certainly not fragile when it comes to their calorie and fat content. It's best not to eat too many of these little treats in one sitting.

In addition, they are ferociously messy and even though Schär has conveniently offered them in a small, snack-size bag, they probably should still have a plate under them unless they're going to be snacked upon while walking around outside where the crumbs won't matter.

Lucy's Sugar Cookies

Lucy's Sugar Cookies
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Cookies come in a million different flavors and are especially fun to eat in just about any type of combination with no shortage of creativity coming from dessert makers who are quite apt to taunt individuals who can't eat wheat or gluten with tons of different wheat-filled masterpieces that have everything from chocolate to lemon to pecan flavoring. 

Fortunately, finding gluten-free options has become markedly easier in the last few years as the gluten-free revolution has taken off and gotten immensely popular. But not all gluten-free cookies are created equal and one of the biggest problems that cookies tend to have when they're gluten free is that they're a bit gritty or they don't have the same sort of consistency that a gluten-filled version might have.

And there seems to be two schools of thought surrounding cookies and one is the art of imitation where a cookie is meant to taste just like the "real thing" while the other is an attempt to make a good tasting cookie that offers a nice dessert or snacking experience. And with Lucy's Sugar Cookies, it's clear that the company is attempting to mimic the style and taste of cookies that have gluten in them as a sugar cookie is usually a soft, sugary experience in the cookie world.

Lucy's Sugar Cookies
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

But beware, upon biting into one of these sugar cookies, it's definitely not going to be a soft experience as these little suckers are fairly taut in their presentation. And this isn't something that makes them taste any less delicious, but it is something that some people might not like as far as the consistency of a traditional cookie is concerned. And the interesting fact about these cookies is that they do taste good, but they're awfully crunchy.

And crunchy just doesn't seem to be the most interesting word one would want to apply to a cookie. It's more a descriptor that should be used for a cracker. These cookies certainly aren't Soft Batch, that's for sure. But perhaps some enterprising individual could pop them in the microwave for ten seconds and see what happens...

The basic appeal of these cookies is going to be that they taste good and not necessarily their lack of an accommodating texture. They're a crunchy sugar cookie and the taste certainly isn't something that would immediately suggest that they were something that was free of gluten. If you enjoy sugar cookies or any cookies really, they're worth a taste as the recipe is definitely something that tastes great.

Lucy's Sugar Cookies
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Lucy's Sugar Cookies Report Card

What's Good:

The basic taste of these sugar cookies is exactly what you would expect and there's only the barest hint that they are a gluten-free variety and as a snack, they are great for getting a sugar fix. Tons of sugar will fly off these things every time you take a bite as they crunch in half, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. That's just the fun of eating a sugar cookie.

What Could Improve:

As noted above, the consistency of these cookies is really stiff! And it's going to catch some people off guard. But it's not something that would necessarily doom these cookies as something that shouldn't be tried at least once. In fact, the taste of these cookies is very satisfying and they're a tasty dessert or snack.

King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Brownie Mix

King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Brownie Mix
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Baking is a fairly tricky thing to accomplish as someone who requires wheat or gluten-free food since wheat flour is essentially the lifeblood of just about every traditional baked good. There are virtually no recipes outside of a flour-free cake (which is very dense) that offers a wheat free experience as far as the baked goods world is concerned even though there seem to be many companies that have tried to offer gluten free baked goods in the past (most of them have had the consistency of chalk or cardboard). 

To get a baked good that tastes good, substitutions and changes that are fairly significant in how much they change the consistency of the finished product must be made. And this can be hard for people who don't have a lot of experience in baking as finding a mixture that offers a result that's close to the "real" thing can be a challenge. 

King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Brownie Mix
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

One company who offers up a lot of different wheat-free baking options is the King Arthur Flour Company who ships a variety of gluten-free flour options to grocery stores across the United States. For the purposes of this review, we'll be using King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Brownie Mix.

One of the pluses of using a baking mixture is that most such recipes call for nothing more than a few eggs and a few other ingredients such as butter and that's exactly what this mixture calls for. So it's pretty easy to dump the mixture, the eggs and some butter into a bowl and swirl it around a bit. Remember to melt the butter for just a few seconds in the microwave before you toss it in the bowl. It doesn't have to be completely liquid.

King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Brownie Mix
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

The cooking time is approximate to a regular batch that uses traditional wheat flour, but it's worth noting whether your oven runs hotter or colder than the temperature suggests because it's pretty easy to make these things too gooey or too dried out. Keeping an eye on them for a bit is usually important to make sure that they don't cook for too long.

Upon coming out of the oven, the brownies should look the same as regular wheat-style brownies and just like a regular batch, it's best to let them cool a bit before you dive into them. Letting them stand allows them to solidify just a tad and will usually ensure that most of the brownies end up in your stomach and not all over the floor in the kitchen.

King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Brownie Mix
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Taste-wise, these brownies will deliver well as they do taste quite good and should satisfy the baking urge anyone might have for something that's mushy and chocolaty. 

Anyone who likes their brownies particularly cake-like might find the consistency a tad bit closer to pudding than cake (but just a tad). 

Either way, if you're restricted from eating gluten and need an alternative baking option, these brownies should do the trick. Generally gluten-free baking can result in some fairly strange creations that either turn out to be something that is quite mushy and strange, even if it tastes good. 

Often gluten-free baking results in a treat that is either spectacularly dry or is kind of like a baked soup. These brownies are kind of mushy, but they do have a mild cake-like texture, which is nice. And the fact that they taste good and chocolaty is a rather nice bonus.

King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Brownie Mix
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

One major plus is that you can probably offer them to people who don't have a gluten allergy and they'll likely be unable to tell the difference in taste. Note that the brownies do have a rather hefty 170 calories per brownie and so it's probably best not to eat half the batch immediately. Just a few should suffice.

King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Brownie Mix Report Card

King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Brownie Mix
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

The Good Stuff:

This mixture tastes like a traditional batch of brownies and as long as you cook it for the appropriate amount of time, you should be fine with your batch. It's also recommended that you let them cool a fair bit since they have a tendency to fall apart if you try to toss them down the hatch three seconds after you've removed them from the oven.

Another perk of these brownies is that they're easy to make and cleanup should include nothing more than the baking pan and the bowl you used to stir them up prior to baking them.

What Could Change:

Well, like many gluten-free items, this mixture is expensive! But it does make a whole batch of brownies, so if you're really aching for some baked goods, this mixture should offer you a brownie that is nearly indistinguishable from a wheat-flour filled brownie. 

They are also kind of rich and thick and this might not be suited to your tastes if you're more of a cake fan than a pie fan (but really, what sane person is?). Brownies are supposed to be a bit more like cake than these brownies tend to turn out. But this isn't really a huge detriment unless you're very particular about the consistency of your brownies.

Glutino Gluten Free Dream Cookies

Glutino Gluten Free Dream Cookies
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Offering joy sleeve by sleeve for the past hundred years, Oreos are a classic comfort food that generations of kids have grown up around, dipping them gleefully in milk and going into delirious sugar comas.

Over the years there have been many significant developments in the world of Oreos from cookies that have twice the amount of stuffing to Oreos that are dipped in chocolate like a cone from Dairy Queen.

The food trucks at your local fair have even come up with a delicacy involving the Fry Daddy and Oreos. Because the only thing that an Oreo is missing is being dipped in a deep fryer, right?

For those of us who are considerate of our cholesterol levels and are looking for an Oreo type of cookie that isn't filled with gluten, one option is a box of Glutino Gluten Free Dream Cookies, which look suspiciously like Oreos in their design and might lead one to think that heaven has indeed arrived.

Glutino Gluten Free Dream Cookies
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

But the reality of these cookies is not quite like a dream. Sure, they look like Oreos, but they are definitely impostors!

The signature taste of an Oreo is something that is likely almost impossible to fully imitate with the limited ingredients available to a gluten-free bakery and while Glutino has certainly done well with the basic taste of some of their other foods, these cookies definitely fall victim to issues of tasting a little stale when they've clearly just been opened.

In addition, the cream-filled center of these cookies is a tad bit gritty and isn't as smooth as what one might find in an actual Oreo. And this is confusing since they have almost as much fat as regular Oreos with six grams for two Dream cookies versus seven grams for two Oreos (bet you didn't know that a handful of Oreos or Dream cookies would offer you an entire day's supply of fat, did you?)

Overall, these cookies should taste a lot smoother for the amount of calories and fat they pack since if someone is going to have to deal with such high calorie content, the food should at least be unforgettable. Like a fresh Oreo dipped in a crisp glass of milk.

Glutino Gluten Free Dream Cookies
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Glutino Gluten Free Dream Cookies Report Card

The Good Stuff:

If you were on a desert island and you needed some dessert to forget your troubles, these cookies might do the job. Or perhaps you could tie them together with palm fronds and use them as a life raft to get off the island.

What they Forgot:

While this cookie is clearly supposed to make you think of an Oreo, the taste is just not there. There are definitely other cookies on the market you might want to consider. If you want a better chocolate experience and must resign yourself to eating gluten free options, try Kinnikinnick Foods KinniKritters Chocolate Animal Cookies as they are quite delicious and you won't feel like you're sacrificing your cholesterol level and good taste by eating a handful.

Enjoy Life Soft Baked Lively Lemon Cookies

Enjoy Life Soft Baked Lively Lemon Cookies
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

One of the most significant types of food that people who cannot eat wheat or gluten tend to miss is the glorious cookie. From giant chocolate chip cookies that are the size of a Frisbee to soft baked sugar cookies, there are just an endless supply of delicious treats that like to sit on store shelves and taunt anyone with an allergy. 

And this is why many dessert and candy manufacturers have been searching for the perfect cookie recipe. But most companies have had little true success with creating a cookie that actually tastes like it has the right consistency.

And that is one of the biggest things about cookies that are gluten free. Usually the question is: are they smooth and sugary or cake-like and gritty?

For Enjoy Life Soft Baked Lively Lemon Cookies, the answer is something in the middle as they do have a nice consistency yet it's still possible to tell that it's a gluten free type of cookie. But this isn't necessarily a deal-breaker as people who must eat things that don't have the magical "glue" of gluten are used to their food falling apart before it even comes out of the package.

Enjoy Life Soft Baked Lively Lemon Cookies
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

But these cookies definitely stay together and upon opening the box, you'll likely see twelve completely intact cookies. But they are twelve very tiny cookies as they are not much bigger than a half dollar. If you don't pay attention to what you're eating, you can down this entire box in a matter of seconds. And for anyone who doesn't otherwise possess the metabolism of a marathon runner, this would mean a whopping 600 calories! That's more calories than a Quarter-Pounder with Cheese! It's hard to believe, but just a single cookie is actually fifty calories and has 3.5 grams of fat. 

This is definitely a food you need to eat in moderation unless you happen to be running a marathon the next day.

Enjoy Life Soft Baked Lively Lemon Cookies - Tiny Cookies
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

One of the nice things about these cookies is that they're not only gluten free, but they're also nut free as well and this is a plus for anyone seeking dessert food who is also allergic to nuts. Many dessert foods that are in the cookie category are either filled with nuts or are produced in a facility that processes nuts. 

Fortunately for people with gluten allergies or nut allergies, the Enjoy Life bakeries are stated to be free of either substance.

The consistency of the cookies is nice though and for the lemon variety (the company makes several flavors), the aroma of lemon will definitely fill the general vicinity when you open the box. Some other nice things about these cookies include the fact that they are completely free of artificial flavors, although it's interesting to note that they're not organic (so many gluten free and "natural" foods are also organic).

Biting into one of these cookies is a nice experience, even if the cookie's size is not exactly significant.

Enjoy Life Soft Baked Lively Lemon Cookies
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

Enjoy Life Soft Baked Lively Lemon Cookies Report Card

The Good Things:

The lemon aroma of these cookies is great and the "soft baked" angle is a tasty way to present the cookie. If you like lemons and you like cookies, these cookies provide a decent cookie experience. You won't fall out of your chair in bliss, but you'll get your cookie fix.

What Could Be Improved:

It's likely that the bakery responsible for these cookies was concentrating on taste and consistency more than making a cookie that could be eaten without worry about things like fat and calories. The cookies are pretty small and could be flattened out a small amount to make their real estate seem a little more significant.