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Okay, you all know by know that I have a tremendous sweet tooth and have had a long love affair with chocolate.  Well, my friends at The Gluten Free Cookie Jar Baking Company must have known this as well when two fabulous samples of their decadent brownies arrived at my door. 

I know, you are probably thinking gluten-free brownies are a dime a dozen and even Betty Crocker offers them now.  Well, those other brownies are all well and good, don’t get me wrong but the brownies from Gluten Free Cookie Jar Baking Company were truly something special.  First of all, they are gluten- dairy-  and nut-free.  There are no preservatives or trans fats AND more importantly you can recognize all of the ingredients on the label…nice!

I was lucky enough to try the chocolate chip and mint chocolate chip varieties.  First up the chocolate chip.  The first thing you notice is that the portion sizes are just perfect.  The brownies themselves are super moist but still firm enough to make you feel like you are really indulging in something fabulous and naughty – think rich fudge.  The chocolate brownies were perfectly sweetened and not at all too sweet which is saying something given the fact that each brownie was chock-full of decadent chocolate chips.  I kept these in the refrigerator which made them the perfect cool treat on the hot summer days we have been having.

The mint chocolate chip was very unexpected.  I was never a fan of mint chocolate chip ice cream so was not sure what to expect with these.  Thankfully my friends at Gluten Free Cookie Jar Baking Company are flavor alchemists and managed to make a truly decadent yet at the same time refreshing treat.  The spiciness of the peppermint oil was just perfect.  It was not overpowering in the slightest and made a believer out of me.

The Gluten Free Cookie Jar Baking Company is located in Florida but fear not if you are not local – they ship!  With the exception of their cupcakes, you can head on over to their Web site and order a delicious sampling of their truly amazing baked goods.
 
 
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My friends at Katz Gluten Free sent me a very nice sampling of some of their sweet treats and savory breads – thank you so very much.  I have to say that I could not have been more pleasantly surprise with some of my old time favorites now available in gluten-free form.  I also love the fact that they are right here in New York State.  Perhaps the most important thing (aside from being absolutely delicious) about their baked goods is they instantly transported me to my pre-Celiac diagnosis days where I indulged in challah and rugelech without care and never in a million years thought I would find delicious gluten-free versions. 

To start with, three words – gluten-free rugelech.  Yes, that is right my friends you read correctly.  I do not think there is anything finer than a good rugelech and let’s face it, even in its gluten-filled form good rugelech can be hard to find.  

Well, my friends, look no further because Katz has, what is in my opinion, the best rugelech out there – gluten or gluten-free.  The pastry is so light and flakey (as rugelech should be) that I was waiting for a reaction because I just could not believe they were gluten-free. 

Let’s begin with the cinnamon variety – think of a delicious cinnamon bun and that is exactly what these tasted like.  Little miniature cinnamon buns that were perfectly sweetened so you could enjoy the rich buttery flakey pastry.  It took all of my strength not to eat the entire package but actually they are very filling which is a good thing because three, okay four, made for the perfect dessert after dinner without leaving you feeling like there was a rock in your stomach.  The chocolate variety was equally as good with rich cocoa notes and just lightly sweetened so as not to take away from the nuttiness of the chocolate.  You can actually taste the ingredients – from the subtle saltiness of the butter to the sweet graininess of the sugar – there are the real deal and absolutely perfectly balanced from a flavor point of view.

Next up were the two varieties of cookies: chocolate dipped and chocolate chip.  After sampling the rugelech there was really no question that the bakers at Katz knew what they were doing so the cookies were no surprise – they were simply delicious.  The chocolate dipped were a simple vanilla butter cookie half-dipped in a rich coating of chocolate.  The cookies themselves were the perfect consistency – being crisp and flaky but without falling apart into pieces at first bite. 

The chocolate chip cookies were again the vanilla butter cookie base but this time with chocolate chips throughout each cookie.  These were also perfectly balanced from a sweetness perspective.  The chocolate was not overpowering and played well against the richness of the base cookie.

Now onto the breads…

Yes, there are good gluten free breads out there – we all know that and there’s no surprise there.  However, much like their rugelech Katz is a true standout with their gluten-free sliced challah and challah rolls.  Challah people, challah – I mean it just does not get any better than this.  I could not open the rolls quick enough and was not disappointed.  They are actually airy like challah should be but the taste – oh, the taste!  You first get the subtle hint of sweetness that makes challah so appealing followed by the rich savory notes – rounded out with the ever so subtle bite of the browned crust (which is hard to convey in words – but challah aficionados know exactly what I am talking about).  The sliced bread is equally as good and complex and toasts up a dream.  It is extremely hearty and keeps so well in the freezer and comes back to life without issue.  Perhaps the most shocking about Katz’s challah is that you can eat it right from the package and it tastes like a challah should.

So, to my friends at Katz Gluten-Free, thank you for making the most delicious gluten-free varieties of rugelech and challah – two items I never thought I would be able to enjoy again post-Celiac diagnosis.  To those of you out there reading this – run, don’t walk to their Web site and check out their full product portfolio but if you do not order their rugelech and challah you are truly missing out.

Oh, and they even offer first-time customers the chance to get a free sample pack of some of their delicious items – you just pay shipping.
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The number 10 spot on my Gluten Free Mike's Favorite Things goes to another company with a fantastic and delicious gluten-free product portfolio.  I can honestly say that I absolutely love EVERYTHING I have tried from Shabtai Gourmet.  Their decadent desserts are the real deal – made from simple, high quality ingredients.  If you are entertaining this holiday season that do yourself a favor and stock up on some of these delicious goodies.  Best of all they freeze (and defrost) like a dream making your dessert course super simple.  You can check out their entire sweet portfolio on their Web site where you can also place an order to arrive at your front door in time for the holidays (and they are even offering free shipping for the holidays).

Now on to the products:

Shabtai Gourmet Raspberry Roll
It is no secret that I love Shabtai Gourmet’s products.  So, here is yet another one of their delicious desserts as I eat my way through their entire product portfolio.  Enter the famed jelly roll…This is a moist and spongy rendition that is absolutely indiscernible from its gluten-laden version.  The cake itself is light and filled with delicious jam.  The outer layer is rolled in shredded coconut giving the roll an added textural dimension that makes for the perfect marriage when you take your first bite.  Perhaps the best thing about this product is that it freezes beyond compare and can be quickly thawed when surprise gluten-free friends show up unannounced.

Shabtai Gourmet Mini Black and White Cookies
Perhaps Jerry Seinfeld said it best, “Look to the cookie” when describing the goodness that is known as the black and white cookie.  I am on a roll, and a few pounds heavier, thanks to my discovery of Shabtai-Gourmet products.  So, I have been sampling their dessert offerings back to back over the past couple of weeks.  Most recently I indulged in their black and white cookies.  Now these are the mini version of the infamous oversized variety but every bit as good.The cookie itself is wonderfully spongy in consistency (as a good b&w cookie should be).  The icing is nice and thick allowing for the crunch sensation when you first break it sugary crust.  You can really taste the subtle notes of apricot and orange that make this otherwise simple cookie very complex.  Again, Shabtai-Gourmet has taken an iconic classic dessert (and personal favorite) and perfectly cloned it in a gluten free variety.No, I do not own any Shabtai stock, I just love good quality, good tasting items.  I am particularly fond of Shabtai-Gourmet because they not only use ingredients I can easily recognize, but they managed to replace a huge chunk of desserts that I quite honestly thought were gone with my Celiac diagnosis.

Shabtai Gourmet Rainbow Cookies
Continuing with my Shabtai-Gourmet kick, I had a box of these cookies in my freezer and thought why not give them a try the other evening.  Well, I have been eating the steadily for the past few days.  I grew up loving what is affectionately known as the rainbow cookie.  When I was diagnosed Celiac, a huge and quite frankly delicious, part of my childhood was wiped away.  That is until I came across these delectable gems.For those of you not familiar with the rainbow cookie, it is layers of brightly colored sponge-like cake held together by fruit jam and then…wait for it…covered in rich chocolate.  I mean does it get any better?  Shabtai’s version is the real deal.  While eating them the other evening my non-Celiac other half also was eating them and made the comment, “These taste real”.  They certainly do and it is largely because they are made from real ingredients (as with all Shabtai’s products).  One you remove these cookies from the freezer they return to their soft and moist state.  They are no worse the wear for being frozen and honestly I actually enjoy them frozen as well.  Shabtai-Gourmet excels at taking classic, memorable recipes, and keeping them simple, honest, and real.

Shabtai Gourmet Ring Ting Cupcakes
As many of you know, I love sweets.  I love chocolate, I love cookies, and I love cake.  Unfortunately in the world of gluten free, it is often a challenge to find original creations – well my gluten free friends, your search is over.Shabtai Gourmet features a portfolio of products that would make Willy Wonka weep tears of joy.  Their Ring Ting Cupcakes are, in a word, amazing.  Think the Hostess chocolate cupcakes of your childhood which were full of real ingredients and not corn syrup and preservatives.Shabtai’s cupcakes are a throwback to the glory days of baking where a few simple ingredients combined to make magical desserts.  The cupcakes are rich, devil’s food cake filled with a wonderfully sweet white cream icing center.  Ah, the icing…you can feel the grit of the real sugar between your teeth as you savor every bite.  You are not going to find this in today’s mass produced products.  There is no corn syrup here.  In fact here is a list of the ingredients: whole eggs, sugar, potato starch, organic palm fruit shortening, cocoa, cottonseed oil, tapioca starch, all natural vanilla extract, cocoa butter, and salt.  Each cake is enrobed in a fantastically rich chocolate coating that, when coupled with the moist cake and rich cream, makes for a truly magical experience.Shabtai has broken the proverbial gluten free mold and provided Celiacs (and a range of allergy sufferers) with wonderfully decadent dessert options.  I have a few more products sitting in my freezer and will be posting additional reviews in the very near future.