The Bottom Line
The flavor is what you'd expect from a packaged mix, but Betty Crocker's Gingebread Cookie Mix has revolutionized my gingerbread house making. No more measuring ingredients! It lives up to Betty Crocker's description. For building gingerbread houses, I give the mix 5 stars. For flavor, I give it 4 stars. I'm still sold!Note: Don't confuse this product with Betty Crocker's Gingerbread Cake and Cookie Mix. They are two different items. This is a cookie mix only.
Suggested Retail Price: $2.29
Where to Buy: Most major supermarkets during Christmas holidays only
Would I Buy It? Definitely
How the Manufacturer Describes It
- Homemade cookies in 20 minutes.
- Makes 3 dozen 2-inch cookies.
- Allergy note: This products contains wheat, milk, egg and soy ingredients.
Pros
Photo of Gingerbread House Made with Betty Crocker Gingerbread Cookie Mix
© 2008 Barbara Rolek licensed to About.com, Inc.- Betty Crocker limited edition Gingerbread Cookie Mix is a real time saver. Only three ingredients are added to the mix -- butter or margarine, water and an egg.
- No need to purchase expensive spices for a once-a-year gingerbread-making project, and the option of using margarine instead of butter makes it more affordable.
- While the cookies are what you might expect from a mix, they do have adequate spice flavor. Where they shine, however, is in their sturdiness -- strong enough to support candy and icing for a gingerbread house.
- The dough rolls well and cuts easily and directions on the back of the packaging for making Holiday House Cookies is a nice alternative to a full-blown gingerbread house.
- These Holiday House Cookies are delightful one-dimensional cookie houses that can be used as ornaments or, when bagged and ribboned, as hostess gifts or school class treats.
Cons
- The claim of "Homemade cookies in 20 minutes" is a bit of an exaggeration. True, the mixing only takes 10 minutes, but rolling, cutting and baking takes more than an additional 10 minutes.
- The purchase price of $2.29 plus tax per package could be prohibitive. It takes two packages of Betty Crocker limited edition Gingerbread Cookie Mix to make one gingerbread house using this gingerbread house pattern.
- The flavor is close, but it's not homemade.
How It Performed in the Kitchen
Photo of Another View of a Gingerbread House Made with Betty Crocker Gingerbread Cookie Mix
© 2008 Barbara Rolek licensed to About.com, Inc.The mix was easy to use. The dough rolled easily, but I would recommend letting it rest wrapped in plastic for 30 minutes before attempting to roll and cut, just to let the gluten rest. Use softened butter or margarine as the recipe directs, not melted butter or margarine. I would recommend rolling and cutting directly on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and removing the scraps from around the shapes. The dough is soft and picking up and transferring pieces would cause their shapes to distort. Don't expect a soft, chewy interior. This is more of a ginger snap -- ideal for building houses that support lots of icing and candy.
