[Review] Betty Crocker Gluten Free Brownie & Cookie Mix

A food post! Yes!

Ok so if you don't already know, Mike and I have recently delved into the world of gluten-free foods. We did not become curious because one day we decided that it was better than foods with gluten, but one day Mike realized he was actually gluten-sensitive, and that his frequent indigestion and headaches actually resulted from his body's inability to process gluten well. So here we are trying to find gluten-free alternatives for a diet that was previously full of regular bread, cakes, and pasta.

I saw pictures of brookies (cookies in brownies or brownies in cookies).  I don't know where it originated, and it doesn't matter, really. I decided I just needed to try it. Out of all the ones I saw, I liked the version of the cookie encased in a brownie in the shape of a muffin. I only have time to do it quickly using boxed mixes (nothing wrong with the boxes!) so I headed to the grocery store to get ready for this epic adventure.

I went to Giant and saw the following products while I was looking around for brownie and cookie mixes. I got a regular Betty Crocker brand but was delighted to see that the brand carried a gluten-free version. I don't have nutrition labels for the regular box but they are basically not much different and one is not necessarily more nutritious than the other. Brownies and cookies are basically full of fatty yumminess, and there's nothing you can really change about it =p. And when you put them together into a brookie it's just double the fun :).

I should add that I got a brownie mix and a cookie mix that were about the same in packaging weight. Since you will be using less of the cookie batter, you can buy a smaller box of the cookie mix but they only sold the sizes shown below in my neighborhood Giant.

Packaging:

                       

                   


Nutrition Labels:

                                 

Prep:

I got ahead of myself and didn't have time to bring the camera down for each step. I just have photos of the finished products! I followed the instructions on both boxes. I lined my 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners, filled each liner with the brownie mix (make sure to use up all the brownie batter and distribute as evenly as possible in all 12 liners). For the cookie batter, I used a really small ice cream scoop and dolloped it in the middle. Although the bottom shows the finished product, the dollop I added looked similar as it only expanded a little while baking. You can add as little or as much cookie batter as you want in the middle. I eyeballed it, but if you need someplace to start, try a tablespoon of cookie batter for your first try. You can always add more. You will have leftover cookie batter. If you don't, you have put waaaay too much cookie batter into each brookie.

For baking, a lot of the brookie recipes I found out there instructed to check frequently, and that the brownie must not be overcooked. The cookie part will also look undercooked. For me the cookie part turned out just right (not undercooked), and I ended up checking every 5-10 minutes. To avoid that, follow the directions for baking regular brownies. Baked around 20-30 minutes in a regular oven around 350F, that should be your guide (check what your boxed mix says). I used a toaster oven so mine was done a bit differently. The brookies baked at around 20-25 min at 300F. I also had to rotate the pan halfway to make sure it baked evenly, since my toaster oven tended to brown one side but not the other. You know your oven best, but if you're not sure, just rotate 180 degrees at the halfway point.

Baked Brookies:

I just baked the leftover cookie batter per the box's instructions.

Verdict: Brookies and cookies tasted great. The cookies were really soft and fragile, and when I put them all in a ziploc bag the next day, they stuck next to each other and it might as well have been just dough. It might have been my fault, though. I may have undercooked it. But it tasted fine, and you would have never guessed that it was "gluten-free". The texture is different with the cookie, but with the brookie the brownie was definitely "normal-tasting". My first-time brookie definitely needs some work, and maybe I need to spread the cookie batter more across the top or just put more in. Either way, it still tastes as yummy :).

How about you guys? Has anyone made brookies, or have their own cool spins to them? Or have you tried these gluten-free mixes? Comment below!