Though the official Celiac Disease Awareness month is technically over, Mambo Sprouts has been kind enough to continue to ship gluten-free products samples our way. One of these gf products is Ian’s Gluten-Free Animal Cookies.

Ian’s Animal Cookies is a gluten-free alternative to the classic kid friendly treats Animal Crackers. Though they did have fun animal shapes and the sweet sugar cookie flavor I remember from the animal cookies I used to eat when I was much younger, there were also a few major differences worth mentioning. On the negative side, the texture was slightly grainy and the cookies were chewier than crunchy. On the plus side, in addition to being gluten-free, there are no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

Despite these differences, it did not take long for my household to finish of the whole 70z  bag. My personal favorite way to eat them was dip them into peanut butter. Others in the household preferred a more traditional method, and enjoyed them with a glass of milk.

To learn more about Ian’s Animal cookies as well as all the other gluten-free and allergy free products Ian’s offers visit www.iansnaturalfoods.com.

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If you read the NFCA newsletter article or have visited Lucy’s cookies official website then you may know that the recipe behind these cookies was developed to provide a safe treat to Dr. Lucy Gibney’s child who had severe food allergies.  You may also be aware that Lucy’s cookies are expanding its production to cater to its growing availability. In addition to being available in 6000 Starbucks locations, you can also find these amazing little cookies at mainstream supermarkets like Giant/Stop & Shop and Harris Teeter and in Whole Foods Markets throughout the country. If that wasn’t enough, Lucy’s cookies are also becoming near famous. They have been featured on The Rachael Ray Show and included in goody bags for film festivals and aw.

What all this success translates to is convenience for consumers who are gluten-free, have food allergies or sensitivities and even those on a vegan diet! The inspiration behind Lucy’s cookies was to provide those of us with special dietary needs a safe and handy treat that was widely available. I think it is awesome when such a goal is achieved. Not only for the company but also for the community it serves.

Congratulations, Lucy’s cookies, on all you have achieved and best wishes for continued success.

To learn more about Lucy’s cookies visit www.drlucys.com. While you are  there check out Lucy’s blog.

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Recently Starbucks started offering a variety of snack items all with 220 Calories or less per serving some of which are gluten-free. Among these gf snacks offered is the full line of Lucy’s cookies. GF cookies and Starbucks coffee sounds perfect to me!

Lucy’s cookies is available in four flavors, Sugar, Cinnamon, Oatmeal, and Chocolate Chip. The flavor and texture of these deliciously, crunchy little cookies makes it hard to believe they are not only gluten-free but are also free of milk, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts. I enjoyed the simple yet crisp sugar cookies best with my beloved Caffè Mocha. The cinnamon flavored cookies paired nicely with basic house blend coffee, making the afternoon coffee into an extra special treat. The tasty yet not overwhelming oatmeal and chocolate chip flavors go with almost every coffee on the menu. The fact that a serving size of these cookies is only 130 calories with 0mg cholesterol and 0g trans fat means they are a delicious treat that won’t destroy a healthy diet.

Keeping this product safe from allergens and cross contamination is important to Lucy’s cookies so they are made in a dedicated bakery. To learn more about why this is so important the makers of Lucy’s cookies check out the article about Dr. Lucy in this month Celiac Central Newsletter. You can also learn more about this great product by visiting www.drlucys.com . There you will find full product information as well as details on other locations where you can find these amazing little cookies.

After you go out and try some of these cookies for your self don’t forget to enter the NFCA and Lucy’s “Creative with Cookies” video and photo contest. It’s a great opportunity to win a basket full of these great cookies as well as other great prizes while showing off how much you and your family enjoy living gluten-free.

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Doodles Cookie mixes come in three gf varieties, Chocolate Chip, Sugar, and Nut Butter. Each box of Doodles Cookies Organic Gluten Free Cookie Mix contains all the dry ingredients you need to bake some fresh from the oven cookies. To mix up a batch of cookies all you need is two or three added ingredients. These are all common ingredients that can be found in most refrigerators and pantries.

In addition to adding an egg and vanilla extract to the chocolate chip cookie mix you also add applesauce. The result is a moist, yummy, chocolate chip filled cookie. For the Nut Butter cookies you can choose any nut butter you prefer. The Sugar Cookies can be mixed up with your choice of extract. Vanilla, lemon, or almond extracts are the suggestions on the box and each will result in a slightly different type of sugar cookie. So these three simple boxes actually result in a lot of variety depending on what you like to taste and bake with.

When I added the suggested ingredients to the dry mix I was surprised that the dough was so thick. It’s often suggested to refrigerate gf mixes since they are often runny. No refrigeration is required for these mixes though. If I had wanted to take extra time I could have even made the cookies into shapes.

As impressive as the cookie dough was, I was still a little skeptical. After the cookies were done baking I got another surprise. They were pretty darn tasty. The next step was to find more victims…err… test subjects. I gave cookies to two subjects both gluten eaters with a bit of experience in the wonderful wacky world of gluten free baking. The first an adult male who liked them and thought they would go great with coffee (which I completely agree with). The second an 11 year old boy who was not told they were gluten free. He quickly returned to the kitchen to say cookies were “yum!” and then asked for more.

On top of being gluten free, the ingredients that go into the mixes are organic and wholesome. Organic whole grain brown rice flour tops the list and I think that influences the final product a lot.

Great ingredients, easy prep combined with short cooking time, and yummy. I will call this product a winner. To learn more about Doodles Cookies visit www.doodles.com

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