America’s famous sandwich cookie is re-
formulated in a gluten-free version. Photo
by Katharine Pollak | THE NIBBLE.

Gluten refers to certain proteins found in wheat, rye, barley, spelt, oats and some other grains. The allergy can range from mild inflammation of the small intestine that causes stomach ache, to severe celiac disease. The cause of the sensitivity is unknown; the solution is to avoid all products that contain gluten.

With the growth of gluten sensitivity in our population, as well as the choice among others to avoid gluten for general health reasons (improved digestion, weight loss and other benefits that have not yet been proven scientifically), specialty manufacturers have been busy formulating everything from pizza crusts to iconic cookies into gluten-free versions.

For example, gluten avoiders can have an Oreos experience thanks to sandwich cookies from Kinnikinnick Foods and Mi-Del.

• Kinnikinnick Foods makes KinniToos chocolate sandwich creme cookies with both vanilla and chocolate filling.
• Mi-Del makes gluten-free Royal Vanilla and Chocolate sandwich cookies.

We liked the entire Mi-Del line, which includes arrowroot cookies, ginger snaps and other choices. The varieties of Kinnikinnick’s children’s cookies (animal crackers, graham-style crackers) that we tried didn’t have the same palate-pleasing qualities as the sandwich cookies.

Find more of our favorite gluten-free gourmet foods.

Gluten-free flour for baking uses a mixture of other ingredients to approximate the quality of wheat flour. Corn flour, potato flour, potato starch, corn starch, rice flour, tapioca starch and soya flour are gluten-free options that can be mixed in different blends for different types of baked goods.