What's in a name?

COOQI--You can say “cookie,” or you can say “kooky,” either way is correct—and accurate!

We are “cookie,” as in a sweet treat, crispy and chewy, familiar and reassuring. Something that makes us feel loved and cared for. We are also “kooky,” kind of endearingly odd, quirky, funny, and definitely fun. Different from what you might expect, but in a good way. Cooqi is a new spin on an old favorite, embodying harmony with your life force, your qi (also spelled/pronounced ‘chi’). You can call us whatever you want. ‘That package with the cute bird” is fine, if the name is hard to say. However you say our name, you’ll agree that what’s behind it is a line of organic whole grain gluten-free baking mixes unmatched in superior taste and quality.

And we all can say the word for that: Delicious!

Is there corn in your products?

We do not use any corn products in any of our mixes. We do use an ingredient called xanthan gum, which is a derivative of corn processing, but does not retain any actual corn in it.

Nuts?

No, our production facility is nut-free.

Soy?

No, our production facility is soy-free.

Dairy? Are your products GFCF (gluten-free/casein-free)?

None of our products contain any dairy or casein, so that it is your choice whether to use dairy products in your own baking.

Potato?

Yes, every Cooqi product does contain potato starch.

Are your products kosher?

Yes, our production facility is certified under the Blue Ribbon Kosher certification.

How can it be whole grain and gluten free?

All grains are whole before they are processed, whether they have gluten or not. The majority of grains in fact do not have gluten, and so if unprocessed, would be whole grain and gluten-free. Win-win!

Why is organic important?

Choosing organic foods supports both human health and the health of our environment. Plant-based foods, such as grains, have been shown to retain pesticide residues when grown conventionally. These residues can be toxic, and make their way through food production and into our bodies, which can cause myriad health problems. It is not yet known exactly how much or how little pesticide residue is safe for human consumption. Organically grown and processed crops do not rely on toxic pesticides, and do not contribute to residue ingestion. In addition, pesticide runoff into lakes, streams, and rivers causes contamination of water supplies and has been linked to fish kill, frog mutation, and dead zones. High concentrations of nitrogen used in conventional farming methods depletes the soil, which in turn generates less nutrient-rich foods.

Do I need special equipment to make your mixes?

We recommend that you use a stand mixer for optimal outcome on bread-type items. An electric hand mixer can also be used, but results may be slightly varied. Similarly, a stand or hand mixer is recommended for cake mixes. It is not essential to have a mixer for making things like cookies, muffins, pie crust, brownies, bars, and the like. You can refer to individual recipes for reference to equipment recommendations. In addition, an instant read thermometer (can be purchased at virtually any grocery store for about $5) is an excellent tool to have on hand when making GF bread, to verify doneness. Keep in mind that these are only recommendations, and I support the spirit of adventure and discovery when baking. If you want to proceed with simply a bowl and a spoon, I say go for it, see how it goes!

What if I have never baked before—can I make your products?

Of course you can! In some ways, if you have not baked in the past, you bring a clean slate to the process, without comparison or criticism. This can be a good thing, since baking gluten-free can be different than traditional baking. My goal is to open up the opportunity for everyone to bake if they want to, and to have great results. If you are new to baking, or to GF baking, and have questions, please send them to me with Cooqi's Contact Form.

Are there variations on the recipes on the mix bag labels?

YES!! There are tons of variations, some of which I haven’t even thought of yet, or that you are about to come up with. For some variation ideas and recipes, take a look at the recipe page.

Can I use the Multi-Purpose Flour to make anything I would have with regular flour?

Pretty much anything but a yeasted bread will work with our Multi-Purpose Flour. Bear in mind that results may be a little different because gluten-free flour is a different animal than gluten flour. (check out the Baking Gluten-Free page for more on this—link) However, I find that I can generally substitute cup for cup my flour mix for most recipes for things like cookies, bars, brownies, cobblers, biscuits, quickbreads, etc. On a related note, while you can use this mix for cakes as well, you will find that your results will be on the heavy side. I recommend using Cooqi Cake Flour for the best, lightest GF cakes. On another related note, you can also use the Multi-Purpose Flour for all your cooking needs, such as to thicken sauces, or for dredging fried fish or chicken. Let us know if you come up with an innovative use or recipe using our Multi-Purpose Flour, and we’ll post it!

Why are gluten-free foods so expensive?

Mostly, wheat-, soy-, and corn-based foods are made within a system that subsidizes their production, which keeps costs for these commodities artificially low. There is also a pretty leveraged competition for these items. In the gluten-free realm, a number of factors affect the pricing, including the relative size of the market (volume pricing brings costs down), lack of grower subsidies for GF grains, the limited number of producers creating more demand relative to supply, and simply, as in Cooqi’s case, the higher quality of the ingredients used. Remember that you get what you pay for, though! I’m pretty convinced all that cheap wheat is not doing many people much of a favor, as the incidence of celiac has risen by a multiple of 5 in the last 50 years, when our ability to hybridize the wheat seed has led to wheat containing about 10 times the amount of gluten it used to in our grandparents’ day. More cheap gluten + more celiac and gluten intolerance = not such a bargain.

My cookies melted and spread.

Sounds like either your butter was too melty, or, more likely, you may have ‘creamed’ your butter and sugar, as in traditional cookie recipes. GF cookie dough only wants to be ‘mixed.’ Without the gluten present in wheat flour, all those lovely air holes you build by creaming the butter and the sugar have nothing to move in and hold them up when you bake the cookies, so they flop. To resuscitate floppy cookie dough, try putting it in the fridge for an hour or so, to firm it back up, than bake it.

What if I don’t have all the ingredients needed to make your products?

If you don’t have everything on hand listed on the label instructions for the first time you make one of our mixes, my recommendation would be that you wait until you can get it if you can. It’s a good idea for you to know how the mix is supposed to behave and come out with the recommended ingredients before you start mixing it up. That said, I am a big, big fan of the substitution. I often don’t have the right things in the house, and I have to see if putting in a little of this instead of that will work. Sometimes, this yields new and fabulous results, sometimes it ruins the whole thing. Most often, if you have some sense of the quality missing and fill in for that (eg, a liquid for a liquid, or a sweetener for a sweetener), you will be fine. Some things, like eggs, can be a little trickier to account for. If you really can’t get what the recipe says you need, and you really want/need to make it right NOW, and you have access to the internet, try going online and looking for recipe substitutions. There are some very good ideas out there about how to get around not having a variety of ingredients. Take a look at these substitutions