Review of Gluten Free Bisquick

Recently I had the opportunity to try out the new Gluten Free Bisquick mix courtesy of Bisquick and MyBlogSpark.  I received the items pictured below - a sample size box of GF Bisquick, a cast iron pancake pan with instructions on how to properly season it, a spatula and a pancake pen.

We're big fans of cooking with cast iron so I was pretty stoked about receiving the pan. We haven't tried the pancake pen yet (well, Shane used it as a sippy cup, but I don't think that counts), but the idea is that you but the batter in the 'pen' and use it to write pancake letters and shapes. Very fun!

You may be surprised to learn that I know a thing or three about gluten free living. Shane was a sick little monkey when he was a baby until we learned he had GI mediated food allergies to wheat, dairy and corn.  While I was nursing him, I had to avoid those foods as well as foods that caused his reflux to flare (a list to long for this post).

Over the course of time I came to try just about every gluten free product available at our local organic market. We also experimented, with limited success, with mixing our own flours - rice, potato, tapioca, etc - for baking.

Not all gluten free products are created equally, not even close. I enjoyed some yummy stuff and suffered through some real clunkers (cause I'm too cheap to toss food no matter how yucky) so I was very excited to give this a try.

The kids voted for waffles the night I broke out the mix so waffles it was.  I made the GF ones first and sampled one while the kids weren't looking. I was very pleasantly surprised. It had a wonderful texture, not gritty and no strange aftertaste. 

Then I used regular Bisquick to make more waffles*.  I mixed the two kinds of waffles on the serving plate and put it on the table for dinner. 

No one could tell the difference between the gluten free and the 'regular' waffles, not even Mr. Culinary Wizard(my husband), and they were all completely surprised to learn that half of the waffles were gluten free.  They were crispy, light and quite yummy. Very impressive!

Just like traditional Bisquick the box has recipes for other things you can make, like pizza crust and strawberry shortcake, and you can go online to www.bisquick.com/glutenfree for even more recipe ideas..
In addition, you can visit http://www.myblogspark.com/uc/main/8b49/to download a printable coupon for $1 off Bisquick Gluten Free baking mix!

* I added a teaspoon of vanilla and a tablespoon of honey to both mixes. I do this anytime I make pancakes or waffles.

**Bisquick provided me with the product, information, and prize packs through MyBlogSpark, but the opinions are my own