Categories: Cookies/Baked Goods

5 Oct 2017, Comments (0)

Simple Mills Gluten Free Cookies

Author: Healthnuttxo

 

Who doesn’t like COOKIES!!! Well…. to be honest I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like at least some form of a cookie. But what about those who cannot enjoy your every day cookie from the bakery, due to gluten intolerance, vegan lifestyle, soy allergies, dairy allergies?

Simple Mills has a cookie for ya! They have a line of products for those who are gluten intolerant, as well as those with other special dietary needs. The cookies they sent me come in 4 varieties, Toasted pecan, Cinnamon, Chocolate Chip, and Double Chocolate. All of them are gluten free, paleo friendly, dairy free, vegan and soy free. They are all relatively low in sugar as well (see ingredients and nutritional information below for the double chocolate variety), and made with non-GMO ingredients.

But how do they taste?

Toasted Pecan– I was super pumped for this one. Pecans are my favorite nut, and usually one of my favorite flavored things. But these cookies fell….flat. They were relatively bland, not sweet, and just had a weird taste to them. The pecan flavor was lacking. On the bright side, the texture was pretty good– crumbly and crunchy. These would be good perhaps with a cup of coffee or tea, but not by itself. 2 stars.

Cinnamon- these were okay. The cinnamon flavor was mild, and really needed more of a punch. Mildly sweet again, but crunchy and the texture was good (this is important, especially in gluten free products which I have seen time and time again fall apart). While the flavor was good, it was just weak and really needed something to amp it up. 3 stars

Chocolate Chip– oooh. now we are talking! These were yummy. I know they were yummy because once I opened them, the box was nearly gone (thanks to my cookie monster brother). We both agreed they tasted very similar to “Famous Amos” cookies. Sweeter than the other varieties, mild vanilla flavor, crunchy, and the milk chocolate flavored chips were sweet and added a nice touch. Definitely my favorite of the 4 —  4 stars

Double Chocolate- these were also very good. Crunchy and sweeter, a nice chocolate flavor throughout, and the mini chocolate chips were sweet and melted in your mouth. There was a mild vanilla flavor as well. Really wanted to smear some peanut butter on these and inhale but…self restraint! 3.5 stars

 

Overall, not too bad. I think that they are relatively NOT sweet cookies- so you might be shocked if you are used to sweeter conventional varieties of cookies. However, I think they are a good alternative, especially if you like cookies that aren’t packed with sugar. The double chocolate variety for example, has only 4 grams of sugar for 3 cookies, which is almost unheard of for cookies. The BAD is that they are a little on the bland side, and saturated fat will run you almost 4 grams for 3 cookies, which I feel like is a lot, but guessing it’s from the coconut oil.

The One Smart Cookie plate was also a super cute touch.

 

 

DISCLAIMER: I received these cookies for free. This is an unbiased review.
13 Dec 2014, Comments (9)

EnjoyLife Handcrafted Crunchy Cookies

Author: Healthnuttxo

Who doesn’t love cookies?!?!

EnjoyLife sent me a huge box of goodies for free, and let me tell you how pleasant of a surprise it was seeing that on my doorstep!

These crunchy cookies are gluten free, dairy free, nut free, and soy free according to the box. The box also states that they are “free from the 8 common allergies”, so one could definitely assume they are allergen friendly :]

They come in 4 different flavors, Vanilla Honey Graham, Double Chocolate, Chocolate Chip, and Sugar Crisp. I was so excited! I generally prefer soft cookies over crunchy or crisp ones, but I am also never one to turn down a good cookie :]

I tried the double chocolate first. Here is what they looked like up close!

Mmmmm. These cookies were nice and crunchy, but not flaky, they had a good body to them. There was clearly a good amount of chocolate chips, but I think it had more of a dark chocolate than a milk chocolate flavor to them. These actually reminded me of a brownie-cookie. They were very sweet and a tad salty, so in other words, a great combination! The consistency was great. Couldn’t tell it was gluten free or anything aside from a regular ol’ gluten-y cookie. Haha. Very good! 4.5 stars

Next up, the chocolate chip. These were yummmay!!! Crunchy and crispy, but had body like the other ones. The chocolate chips melted easily which was a good thing, and they were plentiful without the cookie. There was a slight vanilla flavor as well. They were sweet with a slight punch of saltiness, so again, delicious combo. You really can’t tell it was gluten free! Often I tried GF cookies where you can taste the potato flour or there is a piecy consistency, but not the case with these. They held together well, and I ate, well, ALL of them 🙂 (oops) 4.5 stars

Next up, the Sugar Crisp. Again…yum! Crispy, but not airy, with a prominent vanilla flavor. In fact, these were full of flavor. These had a slight break down after you chew it where you can tell it was made of rice flour, unlike the other two, but they were still quite good. If you like a sweet cookie with a strong vanilla flavor, these are for you. 4 stars

Lastly, Vanilla Honey Graham!Look how perfect these little guys look! These cookies almost tasted like toast with honey spread on it. They had a rather strong honey flavor, and a very slight undertone of vanilla flavor. The toasted flavor however, was quite predominant, and the cookie has strong flavors. I think the toasted flavor was supposed to be the graham flavor, but not too sure. If you like honey, I would say this a good choice. I enjoyed it, but not my favorite of the 4. 3 1/2 stars

Overall, I approve! I would definitely buy some of these if I saw them on my next trip to the supermarket 🙂

3 Jun 2014, Comments (0)

Klara’s Gourmet Cookies

Author: Healthnuttxo

The nice people over at Klara’s Gourmet Cookies sent me some yummy cookies to try for free. Being a Diabetic I try not to eat sweets, but I allow myself some nibbles every now and then for events like this- a review!! 😀

I got a nice assortment and was excited to try! Let’s begin 🙂

Vanilla Walnut Crescent-

These are so cute! They are tiny cookies, powdery, soft yet crunchy, but not crispy in texture. They had just the perfect amount of sweetness and powdered sugar. They are light and sweet, with a vanilla flavor. There is a tiny walnut aftertaste, but not too much. It is a nice little most dinner snack and great with a cup of tea! They are actually so good I wanted to keep eating them, but watching my diet I gave the rest to my Mama, who happily obliged 🙂 4.5 stars

Chocolate Macaroon- These are soft and chewy, and had a strong coconut flavor. The chocolatey flavor is predominately milk chocolate, and these cookies are very sweet! It has flaked coconut in it, so I would only eat these if you are a fan of coconut! Gluten free and all natural. 4 stars


Ginger Shortbread– This cookie was spicy! It was a soft cookie, not too sweet, and it lacked shortbread flavor. In fact, you cannot really taste the shortbread part of the cookie at all. There was a “raisin” texture in the cookie, which I found out was actually pieces of ginger. But there was certainly some HEAT!!! It cleared up my sinuses after eating just one cookie. It reminded my friend of a “soft ginger snap” flavor. This one gets 2 stars, I wasn’t really a fan.

Lemon Poppy Shortbread– this is a soft cookie, a little dry, and crumbly. The smell is a nice lemon- the flavor, is, well, disappointing. It has this overwhelming metallic taste to it, with slight lemon undertones. Not sweet, or buttery in flavor. Just really a fail. I had a bite or two and then threw the rest away. My friend also was not a fan. Leaves a bad aftertaste as well. This is my first 1/2 star rating. I do not recommend this cookie, and I really did not like it.

Coconut Macaroon–

Insanely good!! These were phenomenal! They were very sweet, chewy, and had a very nice honey and vanilla flavor. They were dense and chewy, and almost had a meringue aftertaste. Gluten free. The outsides of the cookies had a nice little crunch to it from the caramelized sugar. These were literally SO good, I had to give the rest to my Mom again, who again, happily obliged. 4 1/2 stars


Overall, Klara’s Gourmet Cookies has potential! Their macaroons are amazing. The other cookies were OK. But still worth a try. Let me know if you have tried these before and which is your favorite!

8 Mar 2013, Comments (4)

Irene’s All Natural Apricot Puffs, Lemon Cranberry Puffs, and Meringues

Author: Healthnuttxo

JUST when I’ve been so good on my diet… (egg whites, oatmeal, chicken, veggies, you name it!) I get a whole box of cookies to try from Irene’s. What’s that? My diet out the window? Womp. (not really complaining though- thank you guys for your generosity!)

I have tried the Raspberry Puffs from Irene’s in the past. LOVED THEM, and was offered to try the Lemon Cranberry and Apricot versions. Irene’s also sent me some meringues to try as well.

For obvious reasons, I tried the Apricot Puff first.

Of any dried fruit or jam, it is APRICOT that I like the most. So sweet yet tangy and delicious. The puff was thick, about the width of my thumb, with a jam in the middle. The crust of the cookie was soft and doughy. It tasted kind of like a standard buttery pie crust, but a bit sweeter from the sugar granules. The fruit part was delicious as expected 🙂 Not super smooth, and had a bit of texture. Delicious. Tangy and sweet as it should be. The bottom of the cookie was a bit harder and “supported” the cookie which was nice. I liked the fruit component a lot here, but felt the cookie/crust part was a little bland and dense, so  4 stars.


Next up, the Lemon Cranberry.

This one was not as wide as the apricot, but still good. The crust part of the cookie tasted pretty much the same, but a bit sweeter as I think part of the jam/fruity part of the cookie soaked into it. The fruity part was good- more lemon than cranberry flavor and had a refreshing tartness. It reminded me of raspberry lemonade- sweet yet tart and delicious. The cookie seemed lighter than the Apricot version, and a bit sweeter. I liked the crust part of this cookie better than the Apricot, as it wasn’t as dense,  so  4 stars.


Next up, the meringues!

In a chocolate and vanilla version I would assume (black and white colors). Both were very delicate, the “brown/black” meringue smelled like cocoa powder, and had a chocolately flavor as well. Very sweet, and melted in my mouth instantly. The whiter meringue was also good, and I preferred that one over the “chocolate”. It was sweet like icing, and had a better flavor. Overall, 3 1/2 stars.


Overall, Irene’s makes some seriously yummy cookies! Addictive. I like how their slogan is “Always fresh, Always Homemade!” and they are made with natural ingredients. I also like how they were sweet yet had savory components (for the puffs) and how the meringues were just the sweet treat I need after a meal to fix my sweet tooth without derailing my diet. After all, moderation is key 🙂

28 Nov 2011, Comments (6)

Newman’s Own Organics Ginger-O’s

Author: Healthnuttxo

Rewind.

Go back a few years (ok…more than a few) to my childhood. A snack before bed would be a few Oreo’s with an ice cold glass of milk or smear of peanut butter depending on the mood. Nothing like twisting off the tops, licking the creamy middle, and then the crunchy cookie. Perfection.

Fast forward.

A new (well new cookie to me…I’ve seen them around for a while) side of a cookie, a Ginger-O from Newman’s Own Organics. Kind of like an Oreo, but also very different. According to the package, they are “creme filled ginger cookies”.  They also feature good ol’ Nell and Pa Newman on the front of the package, as well as letting us know that “Paul Newman Foundation has given over $200 million to thousands of charities worldwide since 1982”. That’s one of my favorite parts about this company, and if that’s not enough to make you go out and pick up a tasty Newman’s Own Organic product, I don’t know what will.

I got this package for free, but I can’t say I won’t buy them in the future. These Ginger-O’s are good. Don’t bite into one expecting the following:

1. A chocolate cookie with vanilla cream filling
or
2. A spicy cookie you can’t handle and won’t enjoy (I suspected this at first. GUILTY)

These cookies are GOOD! I honestly thought they would be like eating ginger candies where my mouth is on fire. Don’t get me wrong, I like that (figuratively speaking of course) but not when it comes to cookies. It was a crunchy cookie that tasted very similar to a gingerbread man cookie. A bit of spice, but not too much. By itself, the cookie was mild and not sweet, but with the creme inside it was yummy!

The creme by itself was sweet and had a vanilla flavor, but just a wee bit of ginger spice flavor to it. It was smooth and creamy, and there was a good amount of the creme on each cookie. No scrimping here!

I really enjoyed these. So did my pup, Casper. I licked the filling and she got a few of the the cookie parts. What can I say? I’m a good sharer, and her puppy-dog eyes won me over. (;

Overall, 4 stars. A good, unique, and tasty cookie! Especially if you like ginger! I wonder if the rule applies that “ginger is good for you when you have a stomachache” here. So if my stomach hurts…can I have some of these cookies?? (;

Ever had a Ginger-O? Do you like them/how do you eat them? If not, would you try them?



23 Nov 2011, Comments (2)

Newman’s Own Organics Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Author: Healthnuttxo

AS IF we need any more treats to eat with the upcoming holidays, I’m going to put these on your list of goodies to buy and eat too. Newman’s Own Organics sent me a free bag of their Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. I couldn’t really say no. It’s simple logic. I love Newman’s Own Organics. I love Chocolate Chip Cookies. I love oatmeal (does that work?) SO- voila! I must love Newman’s Own Organics Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies….no?

At first, I looked at the nutritional facts. SWEET, I thought. 1 serving was five cookies. I like when servings are more than 1 or 2, or half…. (I know some cereals where 1/4 of a cup is a serving. WHAT? WHO eats 1/4 cup!?!?)

But…..of course, the cookies were tiny.

However, even though the size lacked, the flavor was delicious. It was a crunchy/crumbly cookie with rather large chocolate chips that literally melted in my mouth. The cookies were sweet and had that crunchy-yet-soft texture thing going on, especially when you bit into a chocolate chip.

You could taste just a bit of a salty aftertaste, as well as a hint of vanilla.

In fact, these cookies reminded me of Chips Ahoy!, but thicker, and well…better. They had a bit more of a homemade flavor than a Chips Ahoy! cookie would, which is why I liked them better.

These cookies are dangerous. So tiny as in, oh I can soooooo have another one, and it’s literally impossible to eat only one. But a good dangerous. In the sense that, yea I would buy these in the future if given the opportunity. 4 stars

And…..nutrition facts

8 Oct 2011, Comments (6)

Dancing Deer Baking Co. Peanut Butter Cats and Chocolate Bats cookies

Author: Healthnuttxo

YES! Halloween is almost here!

Time to hand out candy to kids dressed up in ah-dorable costumes, and get props as one of the best houses that hands out candy. We go all out. Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, Butterfingers, Snickers….you know the good stuff. And not the mini barely more than a bite size- the bigger pieces! Ever since I was little we always handed out “good” candy. And we give a LOT of candy per person. One might call this egg/shaving cream insurance.

Say what?

As in, we hand out yummy candy, so our house doesn’t get egged or  shaving cream all over it. It hasn’t failed us yet! Although I still think we should hand out an apple or two and promote some health.

Just kidding. I want all the apples for myself. HAHA.

Anyway- At Whole Foods the other day I spotted Dancing Deer Baking Co. Peanut Butter Cats and Chocolate Bats cookies. HOW CUTE!!! I thought. And despite the $6.99 price tag (my wallet is still mad at me for that), I bought them.

I took some out, and sure enough, such cute shapes! But…what was up with the “eyeballs”? Some cats/bats barely had any, and some were smeared off…


Ha. The cat one vaguely looks like it has a mustache
from the chocolate crumbs. No? Don’t see it? Alright, maybe I’m crazy…
;  )

I tried the peanut butter one first. Obviously. You know my obsession. It was crunchy but thick, and mildly sweet. But…it tasted like a shortbread cookie, with mild peanut butter flavor. Really. A friend of mine tried one and confirmed the very mild peanut butter flavor, which was rather disappointing to me. I felt like I had to smear some peanut butter on it to give it peanut butter flavor! It definitely made me crave a glass of milk, however, as it was a “dry” cookie.

Next up, the chocolate. This one I liked better than the peanut butter cookie. It was sweet but not too sweet, and almost had a dark chocolate brownie flavor to it. It was pretty yummy! I think it would go great with milk or…a smear of peanut butter. But what DOESN’T taste good with peanut butter, really? Obviously, the chocolate ones were better, as they were sweeter and more flavorful.

Hmm….

Perhaps I’m slightly biased. I dont like cats. Maybe if they made the cats chocolate and the bats peanut butter I would have liked the peanut butter cookies better? ….

Ok no I wouldn’t have, but I’m just saying 😉

Overall, 3 stars. These cookies were ok, but nothing special. And where does the 12 grams of sugar come from!? These really aren’t that sweet! But at 3 cookies per serving, not bad! Although the  7 dollar price tag really hurts. It really, really hurts =(

What candy do you hand out/like getting the most on Halloween? Reeses PB Cups for me!!!

12 Sep 2011, Comments (6)

Newman’s Own Organics Ginger Snap Cookies

Author: Healthnuttxo

New product!! ( insert whoops and hollers here!) Newman’s Own Organics contacted me and asked if I wanted to try some of their new cookies for free. Of COURSE I agreed, seeing as I’m a big fan of Newman’s Own Organics. They sent me two flavors to try for free, including these Ginger Snap Cookies.

**On a quick side note, apologies for the less-than-spectacular photography. It’s hard to get a smooth looking picture with those crinkly-type bags, but I did my best! **

I opened up the bag and was instantly greeted by a fresh smell of ginger. The smell actually reminded me of Christmas time, with gingerbread cookies! I decided to share these with a friend, who happily obliged to take part in the taste testing.

I hear such awesome things about Ginger. Like, for instance, I hear it has medicinal powers for the stomach. In fact, I had a bit of a stomachache today, and my friend suggested to have a few of these Ginger Snap Cookies. Wonder if the ginger in cookies counts? =P

After taking a bite, I knew one thing. These were exactly how a Ginger Snap should feel and taste. They were rather hard and crunchy (as my friend noted, a cookie meant to be bitten on the SIDE of the mouth!) with a high taste of ginger. Really- you can CERTAINLY taste the ginger. It even left a slight after “burn” once I finished eating the cookie!

The cookie was mildly sweet, and really quite good. I can picture them being delicious with an ice cold class of milk (or almond milk!). My friend noted that she thought they would be delicious with tiny pieces of raisins scattered throughout the cookie. Looking back on it, I agreed. It would bring a touch more sweetness to the cookie!

Overall, a really delicious Ginger Snap. I think the Ginger level was a wee bit too high for me, but for those who love Ginger Snaps, I am sure you will love these! My friend had about 6 or 7 of them before the taste test was over! Guess she was a fan  😉

4 stars

Are you a fan of ginger? How do you use/eat it?


10 Sep 2011, Comments (6)

Crumbs Bake Shop Frosted Black and White Cookie

Author: Healthnuttxo

I know, I know. HOW could I go into Crumbs and NOT get a cupcake that everyone seems to love?

Well…..

I dont know.

The Frosted Black and White Cookie (clocking in I believe at 390 calories for one) called to me. Did I need all the inevitable sugar and fat in this cookie? No. Was I going to eat it anyway? You betcha.

So I took the cupcake, oops, cookie, home after a long walk to pick up some groceries. I was hoping the icing wouldn’t get all mushed, and it stood up pretty well. It was that type of icing that hardens a bit, and wasn’t super runny. For whatever reason, I thought it was a good idea to break up the cookie before taking a picture. (If this was Twitter, I’d put a #oops following that statement…)

The cookie was soft and thick. The bottom cookie part had a vanilla sugar cookie flavor, but was more cupcake-y than cookie-y (is that a word?) in texture.  I actually really enjoyed this part. I could probably eat a cookie entirely of this cakey-cookie part and be very satisfied. It was sweet, but not too sweet and really delicious.

The white side of the cookie/frosting I wasn’t too crazy about. It tasted overly buttery (assuming there is butter in it), or almost like a tangy sweet whipped cream cheese. I wasn’t digging it, unfortuantely. The black side was better, but also had a bit of an off taste. It had more of a cocoa flavor to me than chocolate, but was pretty good, and also pretty sweet. The frosting was very delicate, almost whipped in consistency.

I have had the Mini Black & White Cookie from Crumbs before and thought it was awesome. Honestly, I think I would rather have one of those than one of these Frosted Black and White Cookies to satisfy my sweet tooth. The vanilla or white side of the cookie really threw me off, and just wasn’t digging it. This cookie costs be $3.00, and I can’t say I’m not disappointed =(  2 stars

Again, I dont know the exact nutritionals or ingredients, except I believe it was 390 calories. Which, is a MEALS worth of calories, but it was a treat! =)

Ever buy something thinking it would be delicious only to be let down a little (or a lot!)? What was it?


7 Sep 2011, Comments (2)

Irene’s Raspberry Puffs

Author: Healthnuttxo

Look at this goodie I picked up from Whole Foods! I wanted some sort of sweet treat to follow up my lunch- and this was it! I bust my booty at the gym every day, usually after breakfast, so I like to have some “reward” for my hard work as part of my post-gym session. I was hoping these would be as delicious as they looked- and the fact that they are all natural, and have “no refined sugar” as the package states, didn’t hurt either!! =)

So after the trauma Hurricane Irene has caused last week (bless any and all who faced hardships!), let’s bring some good back to the name “Irene” with these cookies. They were delicious!

The first bite I took was all of the outer part of the cookie, and none of the raspberry middle. It was thick, and very rich, and reminded me of a homemade pie crust. It had that flavor and texture that made me crave a drink of water.

The raspberry part was smooth and sweet, but not overly sweet. They had a fresh raspberry taste, and reminded me of a raspberry jelly or jam. As I stated before, these cookies were made without refined sugars, so that’s something (as a Diabetic) I especially appreciate. Sweetener is sweetener to me, but the less refined the sweetener, I notice the less of an impact on my blood sugar levels. So a less guilty sweet treat for me? Count me in!

Overall, a perfect post-lunch treat. A good sized cookie, at only 110 calories and 4 grams of sugar. They reminded me of mini raspberry pies, but with a thicker crust! I’m not really sure why they are called puffs- I was expecting an airy or “puffy” cookie, but this was actually quite dense. Oh well, still yummy! 4 stars

Question- what’s your favorite thing involving the name “Irene” ? Let’s get some positive things to bring a better light to the name Irene after the hurricane!

Little high in saturated fat, but it’s a treat! And hey, it’s made with delicious butter 😉

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