Are They Gluten Free Cookies Or Not?

[norahsmommy]

My MIL made us 2 batches of christmas cookies. 1 regular for us and 1 for our daughter who is gluten intolerant. I ate one just to see how they turned out since I haven't attempted gluten-free sugar cookies yet. She did not use a mix, she made if from scratch from a recipe she found online. However it called for several different flours and I know you cannot buy them in the stores around here. I recommended bob's red mill all purpose gluten-free flour because I have been using it and it works pretty good. It does however have a distinctive flavor. I happen to like that flavor. However that flavor was not there in these cookies so I am trying to figure out what she used. It tasted like a normal Christmas cookie with home made icing. Then I had a paranoid though, what if she just used regular flour to see if dd really does have a problem? I don' t know if she would do this, I don't 'think' she would but man they taste so normal. I know gluten-free cooking takes a little time to get used to and things can be off for a while until you get the hang of it. I just can't imagine her very first gluten-free from scratch recipe going off without a hitch. I had given one to dd but she didn't even touch it.

[Judy3]

My MIL made us 2 batches of christmas cookies. 1 regular for us and 1 for our daughter who is gluten intolerant. I ate one just to see how they turned out since I haven't attempted gluten-free sugar cookies yet. She did not use a mix, she made if from scratch from a recipe she found online. However it called for several different flours and I know you cannot buy them in the stores around here. I recommended bob's red mill all purpose gluten-free flour because I have been using it and it works pretty good. It does however have a distinctive flavor. I happen to like that flavor. However that flavor was not there in these cookies so I am trying to figure out what she used. It tasted like a normal Christmas cookie with home made icing. Then I had a paranoid though, what if she just used regular flour to see if dd really does have a problem? I don' t know if she would do this, I don't 'think' she would but man they taste so normal. I know gluten-free cooking takes a little time to get used to and things can be off for a while until you get the hang of it. I just can't imagine her very first gluten-free from scratch recipe going off without a hitch. I had given one to dd but she didn't even touch it.

I'd ask for the recipe and say 'They were so good I just have to make more' and then you'll know.

[sassiskull]

I made sugar cookies that taste like normal cookies, maybe even better, Is it possible she mail ordered the flours? Were they cut outs? Id be afraid to eat any gluten-free cut outs if someone was making another batch of gluten cut outs at the same time.

[Juliebove]

I'd be more than willing to bet that even if she did use gluten-free flours, she has cross contaminated them. I would NEVER have regular flour in my kitchen now.

[codetalker]

Then I had a paranoid thought, what if she just used regular flour to see if dd really does have a problem?

I was reading your post and had the same exact thought the moment before I got to this sentence. It made me laugh. I don't feel so bad being paranoid myself now.

This is one of the reasons why I simply do not eat anything made by anyone. I don't want to be in this situation.

The bottom line is that even if the person is the comsummate baker / cook and aces a gluten-free recipe the first time, there are still so many other things that could go wrong. For instance, if they bought alternative flours (potato, rice, etc.), were the flours really gluten-free? Were they ground on a dedicated mill in a dedicated facility? Was the kitchen totally gluten-free when the cookies were made? Did wheat flour in the air settle on the cookies while they were cooling?

The only workable policy I've found is to just say, no.

[norahsmommy]

I was reading your post and had the same exact thought the moment before I got to this sentence. It made me laugh. I don't feel so bad being paranoid myself now.

This is one of the reasons why I simply do not eat anything made by anyone. I don't want to be in this situation.

The bottom line is that even if the person is the comsummate baker / cook and aces a gluten-free recipe the first time, there are still so many other things that could go wrong. For instance, if they bought alternative flours (potato, rice, etc.), were the flours really gluten-free? Were they ground on a dedicated mill in a dedicated facility? Was the kitchen totally gluten-free when the cookies were made? Did wheat flour in the air settle on the cookies while they were cooling?

The only workable policy I've found is to just say, no.

she didn't mail order the flour, she made them the next day after asking me where to buy all the different flours for the cookies and where to find xanthan gum. I reccomended bobs red mill and gave her some xanthan gum. I also warned her about cross contamination and asked her to be really careful if she planned to make regular cookies too. She said she already made the regulars and wanted to make gluten-free for our youngest. I mentioned that she has to really scrub with a wash cloth or sponge scrubber that has not had gluten on it and that flour can stay in the air and is on surfaces such as cutting boards and wooden rolling pins and stuff and she gave me this exasperated look and said understood what I was getting at. So I don't feel overconfident that even if the cookies are made with gluten free ingredients that she didn't cross contaminated them.

[momtok&m]

I have that same "paranoid" thought all the time!!!! If it were me, I'd make another gluten-free batch and then just eat the others ourselves. Again, if it were me, and I believed regular cookies were being passed off as gluten-free, I'd say something like "Hmmm...she's not been feeling well the past few days. Tummy ache/diarrhea/etc." No reaction necessary but she'd then understand or believe it's not made up. I know about half of my family thinks this is all in our heads and the other half thinks a little won't hurt!

[ljgs]

I'm sure she had all good intentions, but don't take a chance. Bake some gluten-free cookies yourself and just keep smiling.

[CeliacMom2008]

Get the recipe and let's try it out! I wouldn't give the cookies to your daughter, but I'd love to try the recipe!