Not Your Grandmother’s Snickerdoodles

At this time of year, many people are either in a whirl of once-a-year cookie preparation or getting ready to enjoy the outcome!

AI (artificial intelligence) may not have invaded Grandma’s cookie production, but AI is being used for cookie product development. For example, Swiss Miss has partnered with a gluten-free baking company, Glutino, resulting in the Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa Sandwich, decadent-but-gluten-free cookies.

Chips Ahoy! Cookie brand has also launched a gluten-free product, after experimenting with over forty recipes to ensure the gluten-free version replicated the original.

Nightfood, a company specializing in foods formulated for sleep and nutrition, is offering sleep-friendly cookies with intriguing names such as Prime-Time Chocolate Chip, Date Night Cherry Oat and Snoozerdoodle.

According to company information, “cravings for sweets naturally surge at bedtime, but high sugar snacks interfere with sleep quality.” These products promise to be lower in sugar, flavorful and a functional night-time indulgence.

Just in time for the holidays, JM Smuckers and Voortman Bakery are test-marketing Perfectly Sweet, seven varieties of cookie favorites, each with 25% less sugar.

According to the Institute of Food Technology, “consumers are looking for cookies that allow permissible indulgences and include clean labeling.” In other words, give a consumer a cookie and they’ll want a cookie that more than satisfies a craving.

Per the IFT, “there is a growing demand for functional cookies that promote health and wellness.”

Enzymedica, a company that markets food-grade enzymes and supplements, has developed Digest Gold Fiber+Cookies, formulated with probiotics and soluble corn fiber, which claims to relieve bloat, promote gut health and satisfy hunger.

Sugar-free holiday cookie offerings abound, from traditional vendors, such as Swiss Colony, the Wisconsin Cheeseman and Harry and David, as well as less mainstream bakers, such as KarmaBakery.com, offering sugar-free vegan cookies, or ChocZero, offering sugar-free, keto-friendly multi-flavored candy bark.

Otis Spunkmeyer, Ben and Jerry’s and Nestle Toll House are letting cookie consumer know, “no oven, no problem,” with their edible cookie dough products, billed as “nostalgia and indulgence.”

The  Doughy cookie company is offering edible cookie dough that is gluten- and dairy-free, plant-based and made with only seven ingredients. Good to know that there may be raw cookie doughs that are safe to eat without baking.

Moving from cookie technology to cookie social media, TikTok has made a “star” of cloud cookies. The original “cloud” cookies were baked meringues, labor-intensive and made with egg whites, sugar and vanilla ( hey, that’s gluten-free!). A “cloud” cake, basically a large baked meringue filled with custard and fruit, was said to have been created by an Australian baker in honor of the international ballet start, Anna Pavlova. After going viral on TikTok, the current cloud cookies have helped to launch several bakery businesses.

The current cloud cookies seem to vary in ingredients, ranging from “regular” all-purpose flour to corn flour to quinoa, and texture, and may be iced or plain. The agreement seems to be that the “perfect” cloud cookie should be gooey and flavorful.

 What better way to enjoy your current cookie selection then with a crackle, or crackling, latte. This media darling varies in content, but the main idea is to coat a large glass or to-go cup with liquid chocolate that quickly solidifies (think: the hard topping Dairy Queen uses to coat ice cream cones), add a cold latte, partially freeze and then enjoy “cracking” through the layers. Crackle latte presentations can get fairly complex, including additions of chocolate shavings, chips or flakes, chocolate chips, crumbled cookies, fudge or caramel sauce and flavored syrups.

The holidays are upon us! Plan to cozy up with your favorite cookie and quaff and enjoy this time of year.

Please reach out to Nancy at foodprof2@gmail with food, nutrition and consumer questions.