In September of last year, I was lucky enough to partner with Duinkerken Foods, using 6 of their amazing products to create 6 new recipes.
Unfortunately, shortly after that, I became ill, and didn’t complete the blog post that I wanted to write about this wonderful company and their products. Allow me to remedy that with this post.
A background of Duinkerken Foods finds us in 1994, when President and CEO Brenda Van Duinkerken was first diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Taking a quote directly from their website:
Brenda embraced her new gluten-free lifestyle, and discovered that the gluten-free food available lacked flavour and consistency. As a passionate baker, Brenda took on the challenge to create her own baking recipes that offers the same taste, texture and consistency as regular based products. Duinkerken was then established in 2005, and completely revolutionized the allergen-free industry. Brenda developed an innovative diverse and delicious product line consisting of various all natural baking mixes and ingredients for you and your family.
https://www.duinkerkenfoods.com/our-story
I first found their product back in February of 2018. I was tired, and I had promised my son pizza for dinner. The last thing I wanted to do was make homemade pizza crust! I was walking down the grocery aisle, thinking about how nice it would be if I could buy one of those boxed mixes off the shelf, and low and behold, there was Duinkerken! Now, I admit to not holding out a lot of hope for it, because I was picky about my gluten free crusts. Boy was I surprised!
After that first pizza, we were hooked. Anyone who knows me will attest to the fact that I LOVE the Duinkerken pizza mix. I’ve made so many pizzas with it, and even an Easy Cheese Bread Twist and Cinnamon Sticky Buns! So when the opportunity arose for me to partner with Duinkerken, and try out some more of their product, I immediately said yes.
I was asked to choose 6 products from their website. Can you say gold mine? I was so excited, because there were items that I’d seen and not tried yet. You can find their product listing here! The products I chose to try out were the Chocolate Cake Mix, the Multi-Grain Bread Mix, the Premium Bread Mix, the Muffin Mix, the Cookie Mix, and the Biscuit Mix. As soon as the product arrived, I got to work!
The first thing I created was a Spinach and Chicken Hand Pie, using the Duinkerken Biscuit Mix. These are perfect for a lunchbox, or a quick meal on the go! The biscuit mix is flaky, and rises perfectly. I’ve purchased the mix since, a few times, and they rise just like wheat biscuits!
I was so excited to get started on the next recipe, because it was National Celiac Awareness Day in a few days, so I wanted to make sure I had something tasty to share. These delicious Toffee Cookie Brownies were created using the Duinkerken Cookie Mix, which was pressed into a dish, layered with brownie batter, and then baked. These are by far the best bar I’ve ever created, and I’m sure that it’s down to the mix!
Do you remember those amazing gluten-filled apple fritters that donut shops sell? Yeah, I used to enjoy one of those with my Timmies. Now, I make these fabulous Baked Apple Fritters, with the Duinkerken Muffin Mix! These are tastier, and healthier than those deep fried donut shop fritters, because they are baked in the oven. And let’s face it…gluten free tastes better anyway, right?
This bread is my crowning glory. I look at my photos of this, and I’m in awe that I created something so beautiful! Using the Duinkerken Bread Premium Mix, and a few other ingredients, I was able to create this beautiful gluten free Rosemary and Garlic Fougasse. It has a beautifully chewy texture, and an amazing flavour. It was even moist enough to eat without butter. Fabulous!
I struggled with the Duinkerken Multi-Grain Mix…not because it was difficult to work with, but because I just wanted to slather it in butter, and eat the whole thing as it was! It had such a wonderful texture to it, and it smelled and tasted even better. I chose to use some Duinkerken Pancake Mix that I had in the cupboard, and made my take of a Monte Cristo. This is aptly named, the “Duin-Cristo” Sandwich!
The last creation I made was probably the most difficult I’ve ever made. It’s not impossible, so don’t let that discourage you! I would like to introduce you to my Chocolate Pumpkin Wellington. This baby is made up of a layer of Duinkerken Chocolate Cake Mix, then a layer of pumpkin pie, then a layer of cheese cake, and then wrapped in gluten free pie dough. TA-DA! Isn’t it a beauty? And let me tell you, it tasted even better!
I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed my partnership with Duinkerken Foods, and I truly hope to be able to join them again to create some new goodies. Their product is safe for Celiac consumption, and it just plain tastes good! Did I mention how affordable it is too? It’s not like some of those other overpriced products that don’t live up to the hype. Duinkerken products are tasty, and they are worth every penny.
Want more information about their company? Follow this link, and check them out! Interested in knowing where you can purchase their product? Check out this link, and it will bring you to a map of locations.
If you do nothing else on your next shopping trip, pick up a box of Duinkerken mixes. You won’t be disappointed.
Michelle's Gluten Free Kitchen 