So when I first started this post probably about a month ago, I was all ready to sing the praises of Kickass Cupcakes in Davis Square. They carry gluten free cupcakes that, at the time, I thought kicked ass.
Not so much anymore.
Let’s start with the positives first. From the times I’ve been there, they usually carry a GF vanilla cupcake and sometimes a chocolate. The cake itself is spongy, moist, slightly eggy. Their chocolate frosting is outstanding. And I am not a person who typically likes chocolate frosting. And on the CC tip, the first time I went in there, I was offered a separate box for my GF cupcakes so they wouldn’t be contaminated by the husband’s gluteny cupcake choices.
On the flipside, their vanilla frosting is gross. It’s a buttercream, with emphasis on the butter. You sometimes feel like you’re biting into a stick of Land O’ Lakes rather than into a sugary treat. More sugar, less butter, people. We aren’t trying to impress Paula Deen.
But, if you’ll forgive the pun, here’s the kicker: Last time I went in, They had some special GF cupcakes for sale. Some vanilla cupcakes topped with chocolate frosting, and garnished with a Paul Newman wheat-free fake oreo Newman-O. I was confused because I thought they had mingled some regular cupcakes with my GF ones. But I asked, and the person working the counter said, oh no, these were gluten free cupcakes with a gluten free “No-reo” on top. I was excited firstly because I didn’t know such a product existed. I was excited secondly because I thought I was getting a super fancy treat. I scarfed down that cupcake and relished the delicious cookie on top.
So I was at the store yesterday, and what do I see on the shelf but a bag of Newman-Os. And written on the package, clear as day is the following:
NOT a gluten free product.
I look at the back of the package and what is the first ingredient? Barley flour. So Newman-O’s are wheat free, but they are not gluten free. Oh Kickass Cupcakes, why must I have to give you the wheat free vs. gluten free lecture? I thought you had it together and we were getting along so well. And oh, Paul Newman (RIP), why couldn’t you have used rice flour?
So I will have to venture forth in my search for GF baked goods. I still might get cupcakes from Kickass Cupcakes from time to time, but no bells and whistles. Other places on my list to try are Bella Moto in Arlington, Celia Cakes in Arlington, and Strawberry Moon in Stoneham.
Tags: Arlington, Celia Cakes, Desserts, Fail, GF Boston, GF Massachusetts, Kickass Cupcakes, Somerville, Stoneham, Strawberry Moon
The Glutonic Woman 
June 8, 2009 at 10:49 am |
I can’t believe they made that mistake! Check that… I can believe it, but it pisses me off! People should make sure they fully educated about all the intricacies of a Gluten Free diet before marketing any product as such! (grrrr……) Okay… rant over!
In other news: Check out my 100th Post Giveaway! (it is definitely gluten free) 🙂
June 8, 2009 at 10:55 am |
Update: I got a decently nice response from them (A coupon for a free cupcake would have been a nice gesture for destroying my intestines, tyvm):
Hi-
Thank you for pointing this out to us. It is certainly our goof in using these cookies which we were unaware are not gluten free, only wheat free. No misrepresentation was intended. We will no longer use them on our gluten free cupcakes.
June 9, 2009 at 10:05 am |
Those Newman-O’s are deceptive. My celiac teenager saw that barley right away in the grocery store. Those are the kinds of things a well-meaning non-GF person would miss and get us in to trouble. It is a gluten-filled jungle out there.
June 9, 2009 at 10:13 am |
Newman’s Own must have changed their packaging recently. If you look on the Amazon site, the picture they have of the package does not have that “NOT a gluten free product” line that the package I saw in the store has. Maybe the company got some grief for it. Again, I lament: Oh Paul Newman, why can’t you use rice flour? 🙂
Kickass Cupcakes was trying so hard in all other respects (separate box, etc.). In reply to their apology, I suggested other GF cookie brands they could use as toppers.
July 13, 2009 at 3:13 pm |
Kinnikinnick does have a gluten-free Oreo, though. And while I expected it to be bad, it’s pretty tasty. Definitely works well in crusts and such. 🙂
November 18, 2010 at 11:51 pm |
Oh man. That’s a huge downer. It makes me really sad when people insist the “get it” and they don’t. I once had a guy make me a “gluten free cocktail” that had coors light in it. Fail.