Gluten-Free Pantry: Light & Luscious Angel Food Cake Mix

Hey what's this in my pantry? Oops- it's a mix of Light & Luscious Angel Food cake mix that I forgot to use. I probably purchased it about 8 months ago- maybe its age had something to do with the outcome however.

So I mixed up the package of Gluten-Free Pantry's Light & Luscious Angel Food Cake Mix with 1 3/4 cups warm water using a free-standing mixer with a wire whisk attachment. I should have seen the tip-off - which was that after nearly 15 minutes my stiff peaks had not yet formed. I kept my poor Kitchen Aid whirring away until finally the volume doubled. I added the vanilla and beat mercilessly again, loaded up my 10 inch ungreased tube pan and placed in a hot 350 degree oven.

After 40 minutes, the top was golden- but not dark- but I couldn't imagine that it could cook much longer. I took it out and used an old trick from Mom- insert a bottle in the tube pan and turn pan upside down to cool on the counter.

At long last, I cut a piece. So it tasted like Angel food cake- which remains one of my favorites- but it was concentrated in texture- almost like if you took a piece of fluffy Angel Food cake, and smushed it down to squeeze out the air. What you'd be left with is what's here in my kitchen. It had a very sponge-like quality that wasn't altogether bad- but not great either. Rob was rather amazed at how sweet it was.

So I'm going to chalk this one up to a mix that had gone past its prime. Unfortunately there was no "Best By..." date to prove it- which reminds me that I often don't find the "Use by..." dates on many gluten free mixes. Has anyone else noticed this phenomenon?

Better luck next time!

Ingredients:
Sugar, white rice flour, cornstarch, powdered egg whites, gluten free baking powder (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate), cream of tartar, sodium lauryl sulfate (a whipping agent), salt. Contains eggs.

Nutrition Facts:
Serving size: 3 Tbs Dry mix (38g)
Servings per container: 12
Calories: 140
Calories from fat: 0
Total fat: 0 g
Sat. fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 90 mg
Total carb: 32 g
Dietary fiber: 0 g
Sugars: 21 g
Protein: 4 g

Pure Fit Nutrition Bar: Almond Crunch

This is the second PureFit Nutrition bar that Rob and I taste-tested. This one is Almond crunch and on first bite, it sure packs a punch- but I'd say you need to love almond paste or marzipan to fully enjoy it. I'm actually a marzipan fan - Rob not so much. With a strong almond flavor, the almond crunch has a similar mouth feel- it does seem to be on the dry side by mid-mouth- but it is moister than the peanut butter crunch. A swig of water solves that dilemma instantly however. Be forewarned that this is a dense bar- I definitely was feeling no hunger pangs for a few hours after eating it. Perhaps though that's due to the high protein content. I'm still in amazement over the 18grams of it! Pretty impressive!
Now don't go expecting PureFit Almond Crunch bars to taste like a Snickers- because they won't- but it does taste good- and is really good for you!

Ingredients:
Non GMO soy protein isolate, ground almonds, brown rice syrup, energy smart (fruit juice, natural grain dextrins), PureFit Energy blend (TM) (fructose, natural extract of chicory, dextrose), soy crisp, (soy protein isolate, rice flour, calcium carbonate), honey, soy nuts, soy flour, textured soy flour, almonds, natural flavors. Contains soy & almonds. Manufactured in a plant that processes milk, egg products, tree nuts and peanuts.

"No dairy, no wheat, no gluten, no animal products, and will not melt"

Nutrition Facts:
Serving size: 58 g
Servings per container: 1
Calories: 230
Calories from fat: 60
Total fat: 6 g
Sat. fat: 1 g
Trans fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 190 mg
Potassium: 180 mg
Total carb: 25 g
Dietary fiber: 3 g
Sugars: 16 g
Protein: 18 g

Pure Fit Nutrition Bar- Peanut Butter Crunch

Rob and I tried out a few varieties of Pure Fit nutrition bars. This particular one is the peanut butter crunch. With a whopping protein content (18g!) and all natural ingredients- it's hard not to like Pure Fit. Containing no dairy, no wheat, no gluten, and no animal products, it's a great pick me up or even a meal replacement on the run.
Taste-wise Pure Fit's peanut butter crunch is creamy and nearly resembles peanut butter. It's density does not overpower either- though I would like it to be a bit moister. It sort of dries out by the mid-mouthful. There is a nice crunch to counter-act it though. Another perk to the bar is it's exterior; it's not sticky to the touch and though I didn't test it- Pure Fit claims these bars won't melt. Fine by me! With the exterior temperature registering at 25 degrees I can't really imagine anything melting at the moment.
In sum, this is a high-protein pleasant tasting nutrition bar that will certainly give you the energy to get you where you want to go.

Ingredients:
Non GMO soy protein isolate, peanut butter, energy smart (fruit juice, natural grain dextrins), brown rice syrup, PureFit Energy blend (TM) (fructose, natural extract of chicory, dextrose), soynuts, honey, soy crisp, (soy protein isolate, rice flour, calcium carbonate), textured soy flour, peanuts, natural flavors. Contains soy & peanuts. Manufactured in a plant that processes milk, egg products and tree nuts.

"No dairy, no wheat, no gluten, no animal products, and will not melt"

Nutrition Facts:
Serving size: 58 g
Servings per container: 1
Calories: 240
Calories from fat: 60
Total fat: 7 g
Sat. fat: 1.5 g
Trans fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 200 mg
Potassium: 160 mg
Total carb: 26 g
Dietary fiber: 2 g
Sugars: 16 g
Protein: 18 g

We're back in time for the holidays

Sorry we've been away for so long- but moving to a new home took its toll and I never could find enough time to review foods properly. Hey we strive for quality celiac food reviews!

Happy Holidays- especially the gluten-free kind to all!!