Ready-made GF Cookie Dough

I was at the Save-On-Foods grocery store earlier this week and noticed that Pillsbury has gluten-free options.  Excitedly, I bought the Gluten-Free Pillsbury Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and the Gluten-Free Pie and Pastry Dough.

The dough felt a bit on the greasy side, but it was quick to scoop out of the container and pop them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  I baked them in the oven for 12 minutes at 350F and they came out soft in the centre and slightly crispy on the edges.  My son didn't wait for them to cool completely before devouring one.  It tastes ok to me (which means it's sufficiently sweet enough for my sweet tooth and the rice four taste isn't too strong) but because they're so quick and easy to make, I would probably buy them again if I get a cookie craving and didn't feel like making cookies from scratch.  I'll give the pie crust a try next week and maybe use it for little tarts or something.

November 24, 2014: Follow up about the pie/pastry dough.  I used the Pillsbury GF Pie/Pastry dough to make 3 5-inch chicken pot pies.  It was easy to roll out but did fall apart a little when I tried to transfer them into the pie pans.  I cooked the filling on the stove top (cream of mushroom soup, with celery, onions, mushrooms, broccoli, peas and chicken), baked the shell of the pie crust at 400F for about 10-12 minutes, added the filling and covered the pies with dough, then baked for another 15 minutes.  It tasted ok (or as my husband likes to say "interesting" - turned out better than he expected - so it was edible), but it did leave an undesirable after-taste in my mouth.  I think we probably won't be using this dough again any time soon.  Sorry I didn't take any pictures.  I was running behind schedule, started making dinner late... and the kids needed to eat.

My Food Relationship

There's definitely a Love-Hate thing going on.  I love prepackaged processed stuff like Mr. Christy's Chips Ahoy! Chocolate Chip Cookies... but I've noticed lately that my body doesn't love it.  I get blood blisters in my mouth when I eat the cookies.  Same with those yummy chinese bakery pineapple buns.   The blood blisters go away after a few hours.  I really suspect that I have developed a wheat or gluten sensitivity or allergy.  I haven't gone to the doctor about this yet, but I should... soon.

On my EAT list:

• Fruits
• Apples, avocado, banana, bell peppers, chayote, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, grapefruits, grapes*, lemon, lichee, lime, mango, oranges, pears, plums, pumpkins, squash, strawberries*, tomatoes, winter melon
• Protein
• Beef, chicken, eggs, fish, pork, shrimp, tofu,
• Starch and Grains
• Potatoes, rice
• Vegetables
• Asparagus, beets, bok choy, broccoli, carrot, cauliflower, celery, gai lan, garlic, green beans, green onions, kale, laver, lettuce, onions, peas, pomelo, potatoes, snap peas, snow peas, soybeans, spinach, sweet potatoes, wakame, watercress, yam

* indicates only in limited quantity and preferably organic/pesticide-free.

On my AVOID list:

• Protein
• Octopus (gives me a stomachache), possibly some crustaceans (I had a moderately strong allergic reaction involving tingling then numb mouth and throat, difficulty breathing, sweating, and increased heart rate due to some spicy seaweed that was seasoned with what was labeled crustaceans)
• Starch and Grains
• Wheat (I'm getting blood blisters and rough scratchy patches in my mouth with I eat something containing wheat), tapioca (stomachache - I don't think I can digest it too well)  I think this basically means no bread, pastry, or noodles unless it's gluten-free.
• Lactose
• Ice cream, milk

*sadly waves*  Good bye wheat-filled cookies, I'll miss you!

I tried making a gluten-free muffin using almond flour, but sadly the texture wasn't great - it crumbled into little bits and it didn't quite taste right.

Update: I've been looking up Gluten-free alternatives in the Vancouver-Richmond area.  Here are places that sell gluten-free products.  I will be checking them out:

Ed's Gluten Free Specialty - 2827 Arbutus St. Vancouver BC - it's gone out of business :(
The Gluten Free Epicurean - 633 East 15th Ave. Vancouver BC
Panne Rizo Bakery and Cafe - 1939 Cornwall Ave. Vancouver BC

Grocery stores are offering a selection of gluten-free products so I'll have to look around and give some of these a try.  It looks like IGA might have a decent selection of gluten free food.

There are a couple of bakeries in North Vancouver: Mountain Top Cafe and Bakery and The Sweet Tooth Bakery but the chances of me going up there are pretty slim.


List of Gluten-Free Cookie and Cracker Brands:
First order of business... finding a chocolate chip cookie replacement.


Yes Dr. Lucy's - So far I've tried just the chocolate chip cookies.  It's a bit crispier than I like but has a nice sweet taste to it.  I would probably buy this again the next time I go to Choices.
Yes Enjoy Life - I really like the soft baked chocolate chip cookies.  They are tiny little cookies that are soft and sweet.
No Glutino Chocolate Wafers - I like sweet things but this had a sickening sweet flavour that I didn't really like.  Isaac asked for another one, but me I'll pass.  I like other Glutino products, just not this one.
No Mary's Organic Crackers - We picked up a box of Double Chocolate cookies from London Drugs today.  It had a nice soft texture but I found the taste a bit on the salty side.  It wasn't sweet enough for my tastes - so I'll probably pass on this the next time.
No Mi-Del - Found this at both Whole Foods and IGA.  It has a buttery taste.  It's not very sweet and it has a floury after-taste and texture that I don't quite like.  It's ok, but again, not something that I want to eat and eat and eat.
Yes Pamela's Products - Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Mmmm... yummy!  They are a bit on the crumbly side, but it tastes a bit like the chewy chips ahoy cookies.

I'm not crazy about the taste of rice crackers... so I won't be blogging about those.  I'm going to try out some different gluten-free crackers.
Yes Glutino - The Gluten Free Original Crackers taste really good to me (especially with some margarine on top).
No Mediterranean Snacks - While we were at London Drugs, I saw the Lentil Crackers and picked up a box.  It tastes ok but I don't really want to gorge on this stuff so I guess I don't love it.

t'm pretty excited that I was able to find GF Betty Crocker Cake Mix at IGA.  Guess what I'll be trying out for my birthday cake!?  My husband and son made me cupcakes from the mix for my birthday.  They tasted pretty good, but needed to have frosting on it so that it'd taste better.  I would consider getting it again.


August 25, 2012: Today I tried out the Glutino BBQ Chicken Pizza while my son and husband ordered a regular pizza.  I ended up pilfering some of their toppings to add on top of my pizza.  The crust was good, but the chicken was dry and I guess my own personal preference is for a more tomatoey sort of sauce... so while I might not get this flavour again, I will likely try another Glutino pizza with a different topping.