Simple Mills - Gluten Free Almond Flour Mix, Chocolate Chip Cookie - Jan. 26, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Simple Mills
Gluten Free Almond Flour Mix
Chocolate Chip Cookie (check name and date above in title)
Good - Good+
Weight: .95 oz. (27 g.) / 7.4 oz. (216 g.) total package of dry mix
Calories: 133.5 calories in 3 small cookies
Cost: $2.99 for 1 package of mix
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA


Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Gluten Free Cookies Theme Week.

Simple Mills (Chicago, IL) produces a family of Gluten Free Almond Flour mixes, including today's Chocolate Chip Cookie flavor.

Their line includes "No Refined Sugars," and is considered "Low-Glycemic, Paleo-Friendly, Non-GMO, Free of Grain, Gluten, Soy and Dairy."

These cookies had a subtle nutty, almond butter aroma, and a satisfying chew (and weren't too sweet* - thank you!). The melted organic chocolate chips and vanilla suffused these almond flour cookies with pleasing added flavor. A bit of organic coconut flour added a very slight coconut note.

*These cookies were sweetened with organic coconut nectar.

The content and images in this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Gluten Free Klippy's - Chocolate Sea Salt Cookies - Jan. 25, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Gluten Free Klippy's LLC
Chocolate Sea Salt Cookie Dough
Good
Weight: 1.59 oz. (44.9 g.) / 12.7 oz. (360 g.) in total box of 8 cookies
Calories: 190 calories in 1 cookie
Cost: $7.99 for 1 box of 8 cookies
Purchased from: Mollie Stone's Markets, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Gluten-Free Cookies Theme Week.

Gluten-free cookie options are more numerous now than in years past.  Today's Chocolate Sea Salt cookie dough offering was from Gluten Free Klippy's LLC (Santa Clara, CA). The dough came packaged in pre-formed, frozen cookie form.

I placed the 8 frozen chocolate dough rounds on a cookie sheet, and baked them for 13-15 minutes. The results: fresh, hot cookies right out of the oven.

Each generously-sized cookie had a rich flavor and texture, and possessed an attractive crunchy-to-chewy ratio (65% crunchy, 35% chewy). The sea salt was very subtle.

This cookie dough was easier and faster than making cookies from scratch (or a mix), and offered a warm fresh cookie experience that already-baked cookies usually can't.

Also, the package size was practical. Eight cookies would be about the right number for most small households.

The content and images in this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

XO Baking Co. - Double Chocolate Chip Cookies - Jan. 24, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

XO Baking Co.
Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Good++- Very Good
Weight: 2.65 oz. (75 g.) / 15 oz. (425 g.) in total box of mix
Calories: 270 calories (estimate) in 4 cookies
Cost: $5.99 for 1 box of mix
Purchased from: HomeGoods/T.J. Maxx, Santa Clara, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Gluten Free Cookies Theme Week.

These Double Chocolate Chip Cookies were from XO Baking Co. (Woodland Hills, CA).

Solid chocolate with chocolate chips—not surprisingly today's XO cookies offered the most chocolatey tasting gluten-free cookies yet this week.

These buttery dark beauties were crispy and slightly chewy, providing textural appeal for both crunchy and soft cookie fans.

The content and images in this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Milton's - Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies - Jan. 23, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Milton's Baking Company
Milton's Craft Bakery
Gluten Free Soft Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies
Good
Weight: .74 oz. (21 g.) / 5.9 oz. (168 g.) in total box
Calories: 90 calories in 1 cookie
Cost: $1.99 for 1 box of 8 cookies
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Gluten Free Cookies Theme Week.

Milton's Baking Company (Carlsbad, CA) offers a line of gluten-free crackers and cookies. Today's Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies came packaged in a box of 8.

These soft-baked cookies held their shape, weren't too crumbly and, as promised, had a soft bite and slight chewiness to them. A fairly generous sprinkling of chocolate chips added some rich flavor and melt in a sea of cookie sweetness.

The content and images in this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Goodie Girl - Quinoa Choco-Chip Cookies - Jan. 22, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Goodie Girl Inc.
Quinoa Choco-Chip Cookies
Good +
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 6 oz. (170 g.) in total bag
Calories: 130 calories in 2 cookies
Cost: $1.99 for 1 bag
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Gluten Free Cookies.

I sampled two Quinoa Choco-Chip Cookies from Goodie Girl Inc. (NYC).

The upbeat, colorful (resealable) Goodie Girl package set the stage. Enter company founder, Shira Berk. She had a decade-long career in punk rock PR*, a stint as a plus-size fashion model, and has a cafe in Manhattan.

She's juggled family and work, and focused on mastering "the perfect dose of sugar." Give this woman a hand; she knows how to live life fully. Like many entrepreneurs, I hope she also is able to squeeze in a rest now and then.

To the marketing tagline "Just the right amount of wrong," I would add: and just the right amount of crunch. these cookies were flatter and crunchier (and less crumbly) than most gluten-free cookies. And sometimes you just need something with a buttery snap to satisfy that urge to crunch.

These semi-sweet chocolate chip cookies were certified gluten-free and made with a gluten-free flour blend that included white rice flour, quinoa flour, corn starch and tapioca flour.

*Her closing words/advice on the packaging: "Eat up and rock-on." Words to live by. Thanks, I'll give it my best shot.

The content and images in this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Among Friends - phil 'em up, cj's double chocolate cookie mixes - Jan. 21, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Among Friends, LLC
Phil 'em up Chocolate Cranberry Cookie Mix
Good +
Weight: 2.26 oz. (64 g.) in 3 prepared cookies/ 14 oz. (397 g.) in 1 package of dry mix
Calories: 280 calories (estimate) in 3 prepared cookies
Cost: $2.99 for 1 package of mix
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Among Friends, LLC
CJ's Double Chocolate Cookie Mix
Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) in 3 prepared cookies/ 12.4 oz. (352 g.) in 1 package of dry mix
Calories: 220 calories (estimate) in 3 prepared cookies
Cost: $2.99 for 1 package of mix
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Gluten Free Cookie Theme Week.

I'm kicking off this week with two gluten-free cookie mixes from Among Friends, LLC (Ann Arbor, MI). Nothing smells better than freshly baked goods coming out of an oven.

Among Friends is the creation of two friends: Suzie Miller and Lizann Anderson. These two moms (who had six kids and seven pets between them) had a common vision: "Happy healthy whole grain."

The founders named each cookie or cake mix after someone they knew; Phil and CJ are friends.

The phil 'em up, gluten-free oatmeal cookies were studded chocolate chips and whole dried cranberries, and had a slight, sweet coconut flavor. Oat flour and rolled oats gave these cookies a satisfying, slightly chewy, hearty texture.

cj's double chocolate cookies had an earthy, brownie chocolate flavor, and were lighter in texture and sugar than one would expect. (This second mix also contained two eggs vs. one egg in the oatmeal cookies.)

Finding cookies that aren't overly sweet (made with high-quality ingredients you want to taste) is always a win in my book.

Both these mixes were made with certified gluten free and non-GMO verified ingredients.

The content and images in this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Three Twins Ice Cream - Banana Nut Confetti - Jan. 20, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Three Twins Ice Cream
Banana Nut Confetti ice cream
Good - Good +
Weight: 1/2 cup (85 g.) / 1 Pint (473 g.) in total container
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 cup serving
Cost: $1.99 for 1 container
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Today's chocolate came in the form of chocolate chips. More specifically, it was part of a scoop of Banana Nut Confetti organic banana ice cream from Three Twins Ice Cream (Petaluma, CA).

I'm a fan of Three Twins ice creams -- a local San Francisco Bay Area ice cream brand. There's more of the good stuff (organic ingredients), and less of the stuff we don't really need (like preservatives, gums, etc.).

The Banana Nut Confetti ice cream was a little lighter than the caramelized banana chip gelato from yesterday, but just as enjoyable. And who doesn't like some relatively healthy ice cream with chocolate confetti* on a gray winter day? Count me in. The specks of confetti allow for more chocolate flavor accessibility (than larger, frozen chunks of chocolate).

Tiny bits of walnut rounded out the flavors nicely; nuts often helps balance out the sweetness of fruit and sugar and add some texture and richness.

Today was Day #8 of Chocolate and Banana Theme Week.

*Today's Banana Nut Confetti joins Chocolate Orange Confetti and Vanilla Chocolate Chip flavors in the Three Twins confetti hall of fame.

The content and images in this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.