gluten-freelicious

Schar Shortbread Cookies

Please…need…a glass…of…water.

Clearly everyone has different tastes.  Case in point: I bought a bag of Schar Shortbread Cookies after reading a positive review on Gluten Free Blog.  In fact, a quick Google search shows these cookies earn mostly high praise.  One health food store even claims, “Just like grandma used to make them.”

Uh, not my grandma.

The cookies have a sweet, buttery aroma.  They are crisp, crunchy, and light.  I am even willing to say these cookies have a decent, albeit somewhat bland, flavor, close to that of your typical glutenous shortbread cookie, though not quite as rich.  So far, so good, right?

The pleasure ends there.

Schar Shortbread Cookies are dry.  Very, very dry.  No matter how well I chew, I find myself swallowing two or three times to get the fine, sandpaper-like grit off my tongue.  My throat itches.

At first I thought, Maybe this is what a shortbread cookie is supposed to be like. Maybe I forget.  After all, it has been a few months since I’ve had a “real” shortbread cookie.  Nope.  According to Chefs Best, “the ideal shortbread cookie will be crispy with a sandy texture that offers a soft, melting quality while dissolving in your mouth.”  Crispy?  Check.  Sandy?  Check.  Melt-in-your mouth?  Negative, Ghostrider.

We’ve sampled several brands of cookies, and, in my opinion, there are far better options out there.  Given the expense of one bag of cookies, I would say this was not money well spent.  If you are desperate for a cookie, and Schar Shortbread Cookies are the only gluten-free goodies for miles around, they may appease your craving.  Just be sure to have a tall glass of liquid on hand.