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Phone: 512-779-7234E‑mail: cookies@moorecookies.com
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Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
Where can I get your cookies? Where is your store?
We do not have a storefront; we produce our cookies in a rental commercial kitchen in south Austin. You can get our cookies at these locations or contact us directly to inquire about special orders or catering.We are planning to implement an online storefront where you can order cookies directly from us to be shipped anywhere in the continental US.
What is the shelf life of your cookies?
Because we use no artificial preservatives, the cookies do dry out and degrade in quality over time, but we've found they are still acceptable for at least 1-2 weeks. We've found that storing the cookies in the freezer or refrigerator will greatly extend their shelf life; cookies frozen for two weeks then defrosted are scarecely distinguishable from cookies baked the day before.(As a matter of food safety, the cookies are probably safe to eat for months if properly stored in a cool, dry place.)
Do you have any other cookie flavors?
We have a couple more in development, based on succesful non-gluten-free flavors we've made, but the process of converting a recipe to be gluten-free while maintaining (or improving!) its quality is time consuming. We may occasionally sell experimental flavors at the local farmers' markets we attend.Gluten-Free Issues
Are your cookies made in a gluten-free facility?
Yes, we just moved (late March 2013) to a dedicated gluten-free kitchen in south Austin. There will no longer be any risk of even trace gluten contamination.Are your cookies certified gluten-free?
Not currently. The term "gluten-free" is not currently regulated by the FDA. Several private organizations provide certification of gluten-free goods, but their certification process is beyond our means currently. Getting a gluten-free certification will be a priority in the coming year (especially if the FDA releases regulations regarding the term gluten-free, as is expected). But our cookies are made in a dedicated gluten-free facility; we are thus confident we have no gluten-contamination.Do you make regular, i.e., non-gluten-free cookies?
We started our business by making non-gluten-free cookies using all organic ingredients, but when we improved our gluten-free cookies to the point where they were as good as or better than our regular cookies, we decided to discontinue making the non-gluten-free cookies. Making both varieties is impractical for many reasons and serves no useful purpose now.What is gluten? What does gluten-free mean?
Gluten is a protein composite created from proteins found in wheat and related grain species, including spelt, barley, and rye. In baking, gluten forms molecular sheets in dough that give the dough elasticity and allow it to retain carbon dioxide bubbles created from the leavening.Gluten-free means the product was made without any ingredients containing or derived from wheat, spelt, barley, and rye. Because wheat flour is so commonly used, care must be taken to eliminate all possible sources of gluten. (For example, vanilla and other flavorings are used in a liquid form by dissolving them in alcohol. If that alcohol was fermented from wheat, gluten contamination can result.) Because gluten plays a critical role in the structure and texture of most baked goods, baking without gluten requires a great deal of research and experimentation to find combinations of ingredients that can mimic the usual effects of gluten. (I suspect my success in creating better gluten-free cookies than anyone else comes from my scientific background and approach.)
Why make gluten-free baked goods then? Why do people eat gluten-free?
Because a small but non-trivial percentage of people exhibit some form of gluten sensitivity; consuming foods containing gluten gives these people a number of adverse health issues, sometimes very serious.In addition, other people go gluten-free or consume some gluten-free products because a family member or co-worker is gluten-sensitive. Event coordinators may order gluten-free foods to make sure all attendees can participate; likewise parents may have gluten-free foods at a birthday party because (or in case) one of the other children is gluten-sensitive.
A sensitivity to gluten has been proposed as an issue (causal or aggravating) for a number of other chronic syndromes. While the evidence is mostly anecdotal and sparse, some people report improvement after moving to a gluten-free diet, and one should not ignore their one's body's reactions.
People may also avoid wheat because they are on a partial Paleo Diet or transitioning to a full Paleo Diet. Others are just distrustful of modern wheat, which, due to radical breeding, bears almost no resemblance to the plant farmed just fifty years ago.
And yes, going gluten-free is just trendy for some people, especially in liberal towns like Austin.
And a lot of people just like my cookies, gluten-free or not! They're great cookies, and you would never know they are gluten-free if I didn't tell you!
Organic Ingredients
Are your cookies organic?
Most of our ingredients are organic, and those that aren't are all-natural, containing no genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Other ingredients don't have an organic form (e.g., baking soda), but are on the FDA's list of ingredients allowed in products certified as organic. We use absolutely no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives — no artificial anything!While it's currently impractical to use only certified organic ingredients, we hope to find new ingredient sources to do so and get our products organic certification in the near future.
What is Xanthan Gum? Is it really All-Natural?
Xanthan gum is used to thicken the dough and allow the dough to retain air bubbles that give the cookies their light texture. (In normal baked goods, gluten performs this bubble-trapping role.) Xanthan gum is essentially the outer coat of a naturally occuring bacterium. The bacteria are grown in a sugar medium, then the shell is extracted with alcohol.Most xanthan gum is made using high fructose corn syrup, which we would not consider all-natural. The xanthan gum we use is grown in an all-natural starch solution, and is thus acceptable to us. This xanthan gum is also specifically certified gluten-free. Xanthan gum is on the FDA's list of ingredients allowed in products certified as organic.
Other Allergens and Restricted Diets
Do you make cookies that are dairy-free as well as gluten-free?
Yes, our Lemon Sugar cookie is free of both gluten and milk products.Do your cookies contain corn?
No, our cookies use no corn starch, corn syrup, or other corn derivatives.Do your cookies contain tree nuts?
No, our cookies contain no tree nuts of any kind.Do your cookies contain soy?
Not directly. The chocolate chips contained in some cookies (such as our Orange Chocolate Chip cookie) do contain Organic Soy Lecithin. Because lecithin from soybeans can be strongly purified, and because it is a very minor ingredient of the cookie, we doubt this would cause allergic reactions, but we nonetheless conscientiously list Soy as a possibly allergen in that cookie.Do you make vegan gluten-free cookies?
No, though we have experimented with such recipes. However, it is very difficult to make an acceptable cookie that is both gluten-free and vegan. In normal cookies, the structure is provided by the gluten and by the egg proteins. Removing one of those (the gluten) poses enough challenges; removing both is more difficult still.Our philosophy is that our cookies must appeal to everyone, not just people with restricted diets. In other words, it's not enough for a recipe to be "good for vegan and gluten-free"; it must be good, period.
Do your cookies contain peanuts?
Yes, the Chocolate Frosted Peanut Butter cookies do (obviously).Are your other products safe for people with peanut allergies?
We have been working to improve our procedures to minimize the risk of cross contamination between cookie types, but to be prudent we would currently not recommend any of our cookies to people who exhibit extreme or life threatening sensitivity to peanuts. We will continue to improve our procedures in the near future.Do you make sugar-free/low sugar cookies? Do you make Paleo-diet friendly cookies? Do you make low fat cookies?
No. While I have not added extra sugar or fat while converting recipes from regular to gluten-free, I have never stinted on them either. I use organic sources for all sugars and fats, so that the cookies are as healthy as possible, but cookies are not and will never be diet food.If you want a low-fat, sugar-free vegan gluten-free cookie, I suggest you look here.