THRIVE Macaroon Cookies, Product Review

It has been a while since I've done a food storage product review, but I have a bunch of them lined up!  I wanted to quickly post about these Macaroon Cookies however, since they are on sale this month!

Every time I am working I ask the question, "what is something you would wish you had in an emergency?"  Almost always, the first answer is "dessert".  Or chocolate.  And so it seems appropriate that I do a dessert food storage review.

Thrive Macaroon Cookies

Lets start with the basics:
What is on the can?

As with all THRIVE products, there is always a recipe on every #10 can to help get you familiar with the product.  Obviously, this includes the recipe on how to make the cookies.

Directions: mix 3 1/4 c. THRIVE Macaroon Cookies mix with 1/2 c. boiling water.  Blend on low speed until smooth.
Let batter sit 5 minutes and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Drop dough by the spoonful onto a greased or paper-lined cookie sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes approximately 1 dozen cookies.

The recipe calls for 3 1/4 c. Macaroon Cookie mix, and 1/2 c. boiling water for 1 dozen cookies.  I have found that this amount actually makes more like 20 cookies, as I'll explain below.

Nutrition Facts:
I don't have anything to compare this to, so I'm just going to include this picture with all of the nutrition information on it.

 
Product Information:

Every can of THRIVE also has basic information on their cans describing suggested storage amounts, usage suggestions, shelf life, and of course, ingredients.

Ingredients:
coconut, (preserved with sodium metabisulfite), sugar, dextrose, corn syrup solids, dry egg whites, wheat starch, enriched wheat flour bleached (flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), food starch-modified, salt, corn starch, propylene glycol, artificial flavors, sodium sulfate.

Contains: eggs, wheat, coconut
Processed in a facility that handles milk, egg, soy, wheat, and peanut products.

Shelf Life: 
A sealed #10 can has a shelf life of 20 years.
Best if used within 6 months of opening to maintain life sustaining nutritional value under optimal storage conditions.
I'm still using my can that was opened 8 months ago, and cant tell any difference so far.

It also has a place on the can for you to write the date when you opened it, so you know how long it lasts.


Now lets take a look inside the can:

I LOVE that this can was filled all the way to the top!  I hate buying something to find that it is only filled halfway!

It looks  and smells like shredded coconut.  Delicious.
The texture is very fine, as you can see below:

Lets make cookies!
As I mentioned above, using the full 3 1/4 c. as the recipe mentions makes almost 2 dozen cookies.  I usually half this recipe when I make it, so in this review I will be using 1 cup + 2 Tbsp. mix.

This couldn't be simpler, just add hot water!

And give it a mix...

And in case you were wondering, the uncooked dough tastes remarkably similar to what you would find in the middle of an almond joy candy bar...

Let it rest for 5 minutes while you oven preheats, and then drop them onto a cookie sheet.

As you can see, I get 10 very decent sized macaroons by halving the recipe.

After I drop them, I give them a little 'stab' with my spoon to create some ridges on the top.

Then toss them into the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

They come out nice and golden on the bottom, with specks on the top.

These have just the right amount of crunch on the outside, and are wonderfully chewy and soft on the inside.

Seriously folks, I have not met ONE SINGLE PERSON who didn't think these were amazing.  Even my coconut hating friend likes these, because she says the 'texture of coconut isn't the same' in the cookies as it is in regular flaked coconut.

Now that I have stressed how wonderfully delicious these are, lets move on with the review.

How much does it make?
According to the can, a serving size is 1/4 cup, and there are 45 servings per container.  That equals 11.25 cups.  With this particular can, I received more product than that, just over 12.5 cups.
So... according to how I make these cookies and with how much product there was in this can,
one #10 can will make 11 batches, or approximately
111 cookies.

How much does it cost?

Like I mentioned, these are on sale this month! (March 2013).

Retail Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $16.69 

That means, if you buy them on sale, you are averaging
.15 cents per cookie!

If you are a Q-Club member, your price will be even cheaper!


Even when they are at retail price, that is .18 cents a cookie.  Not bad.  Not bad at all.

Is it worth it?
Yes.
Honestly, when it comes to things like cookies or desserts, I hardly EVER buy anything like this.  I prefer to make them from scratch, since I usually have all of the ingredients on hand, and it saves money.
However, these are seriously scrumptious.  And it may be that I have just never made macaroon cookies from scratch, or that I have never wanted to, but these are SO HANDY to have on hand for an amazing last minute dessert!  Drizzle some melted chocolate over these babies, and you've got gourmet cookies that took you 5 minutes of prep time.
The other thing that I LOVE is the long shelf life.  These are fabulous for everyday, but really would be great to have in an emergency.  Even if you couldn't cook them, the dough is wonderful by itself.  And it is completely safe to consume, since the powdered eggs have already been cooked.
Win Win in my opinion!
Plus, these make a great gift!

How do you get them?
You can purchase these bad boys online by clicking here.

If you are local to Utah County or you don't want to pay for shipping, you can go to the Shelf Reliance Warehouse and pick up your order after purchasing (you will be given the option to ship or pick up during checkout).  They are located in American Fork, UT.

What sizes and prices are available?
These reflect sale prices, valid through April 1, 2013:
#10 can (gallon): $16.69
Pantry can (4 cups): $7.89
Pouch (sample size): $4.99
Case (6 #10 cans): $95.09 - Price includes a 5% discount for buying in bulk
Pantry 10 Pack (10 pantry cans): $76.59 - Price includes a 5% discount for buying in bulk

I hope this review was helpful.  If you are interested, you can view all of this month's
sale items from Shelf Reliance.

Make it a great day!