I am about to share somethin’ kind of embarrassing.
I know.
Shocking.
And the thing I am going to say won’t be very shocking either.
I hoard food.
And when I find something new I like, well, I buy as much as I can of the stuff.
Just in case,
You never know.
They could stop making it.
Or, um, there could be a zombie apocalypse.
Just so you know, each of those sentences caused a tightness in my chest.
I first bought some Wondra to add to my Momma’s Goin’ Out Crockpot Chicken that I make for my family. Wondra is a special type of flour that does not clump when added to a recipe. It is very fine. This makes it perfect for gravies.
I had never heard of it before last year. And I really cannot remember how I first heard of it. But if I were to guess, I would guess my best friend t.v.
I found it, of all places, on Walmart.com. And I assumed since I had never heard of it, well, they must not carry it at any of my local grocery stores. Of course, I did not check. Because when you are online shopping, everything is justifiable.
Everything.
So, I bought five containers of it.
As one does.
When they are a hoarder.
Or watch too much “Walking Dead.” Because if there was a zombie apocalypse, the first thing one would seek out would be non-clumping flour.
I wanted free shipping with that order, so I added some snack items to the mix to make my food order come to $50.
And I waited.
And Walmart shipped my small food order in four different huge boxes.
And my husband thought I was crazy.
More than usual.
As my food. From. Walmart. Arrived. In several boxes at the door.
I do have a point, I swear.
Anyhoo, the other day I was making chocolate chip cookies from this recipe. And I ran out of regular flour. I guess my hoarder side did not recognize that this was a possibility. The shame. I ran out of flour right as I needed it to add to my cookie recipe.
So, I checked my pantry. And I saw my Wondra.
I added 1 1/3 cup of Wondra and 1 cup of regular flour (all that remained of my stash).
And I baked my cookies.
The cookies were good. I could not tell the difference.
Until…
The next day, when I pulled a cookie from the cookie platter I usually keep them in. And the cookie… It was still soft! My dears, this never happens! My cookies always get hard overnight.
The next day… Still soft!
I made the cookies again. And it was the same occurrence. By substituting a little over half of the real flour with Wondra, my cookies kept their original fresh-out-of-the-oven texture!
It is a miracle.
I had to share.
It’s The Little Things: Soft Cookies!
Have you heard of Wondra? Have you tried it? In cookies? Who knew?
My cookie recipe available in the link above uses 2 1/3 cups of flour. I tried the Wondra trick a few days later substituting 1 cup of Wondra and using 1 1/3 cup real flour. The cookies were still softer than usual, but you definitely need the first ratio of 1 1/3 cup Wondra and 1 cup regular flour. Although, if you like your cookies really flat, than the one cup of Wondra was a perfect amount. They just were not as soft the next day.
The cookies made using the Wondra flour also seem to take less time to bake. So make sure you watch them so they do not burn.
And just so you know, the other day my husband and I were shopping together at the grocery store. He nudged me and said, “Hey! Isn’t that Wondra? The Wondra that you said was only available online? And now we have a whole shelf filled with it?”
I ignored the question. I ignored the little blue containers staring accusingly at me from the shelf. I ignored the other accusing stare as well.
But…
Yea. You can probably find this in your grocery store. And you probably don’t need to hoard it.
Probably.
* this post is not affiliated with or sponsored by Wondra. I just like to write about products that I enjoy using. As with any product I review, your experience with it might vary. : )
Oh sure! Now I have to search to see if we can get wonder a in Canada! Nothing better than a soft cookie!!!
Ha! Thank you for commenting. Man, I hope they have some for you in Canada. I will badly if they do not. I am down to three containers. Oy! The panic is setting in. ; )
Have a Fabulous Friday!
Jenni
How funny! I use a mixture of cake flour and bread flour in my cookies and it seems to do the trick of making soft cookies that are still crispy on the outside. But maybe I’ll have to try this next time!
Thank you Jessica. I had read somewhere that cake flour is similar to Wondra, so that makes sense. Although, now I wonder how similar. It makes me want to do an experiment. ; ). Please let me know if you do try it! I would be curious to know how they compare.
Have a great Friday!
Jenni
Mmmmm, I loooove soft cookies. My sister and I almost came to blows at Christmas because she wanted to bake the cookies til crisp and I wanted to pull them out while they were still almost raw. 🙂
Oh my gosh! Who likes crispy cookies?! Well, actually my son does. I think his favorite batch of cookies was when I forgot a batch in the oven. Man, you could have played hockey with those things… He stills talks about them with gusto. I am like you. I want them barely done. Better undone than too done!
Have a happy Friday!
Jenni
Hahaha! Victor and I were both brought up by hoarder parents – his stepdad, in particular, is always keeping the house well stocked in case of an apocalypse. My personal insanity is stocking up on dental floss, and this special toothpaste that people used to bring me from Canada. Vanilla Crest. I have SO MUCH Vanilla crest in a box in the hallways that it’s ridiculous. Victor mainly hoards kitchen rolls. I mean, he hoards a lot of other stuff too, but God help us if we ever run out of kitchen rolls. You gotta have at least five multipacks in your tiny appartment at the one time, ya know? 😉 You are not alone, girlfriend! 😉
Why? Why would you tell a hoarder about such things as Vanilla Crest? Vanilla. Crest. Oh my gosh! That sounds amazing! I must start my own collection immediately! ; )
I remember about Victor and his kitchen rolls. That is too cute. Five multipacks? One word. Yum!
I need to get me some more food. My tummy just rumbled!
Have a delicious Friday!
Jenni
Those cookies sound amazing! I have never heard of Wondra. I may have to check it out. I love soft cookies and get super annoyed when they get all crispy.
Thanks Cynthia. I might need to stop making them as I have had two a day for a week. I am weighing in tomorrow. I don’t want to see the damages. I do not like a crispy cookie! Nope! I hope you try it! Pleas let me know if you do. If Marcy will let you. I have a feeling she might like hers crispy so she can throw them at Penelope Kitten.
When you’re not looking.
Of course! ; )
I hope your Friday is marvelous!
Jenni
Hahahahahaha!!!! I am going to have to find a way to use your assessment of Marcy in the blog. Haahahahaha… so funny!
Let’s not discuss zombie apocalypse and hoarding food, because if you saw my BF’s mom’s basement … granted she’s preppy for the collapse of the government. But that’s besides the point – your Wondra sounds kind of terrific, i will need to keep an eye out for it next time!
Preppy … prepping … same, same …
Oh man. If I saw your BF’s basement?! That sounds like a dream come true. Sometimes I will watch extreme couponer shows just to get a glimpse at their stash. Growing up in the country made me slightly paranoid of not having enough food!
Have a terrific Friday!
Jenni
nice! hey, there is nothing wrong with stocking up on stuff to make baked goods….that’s a smart lady, not a hoarder! haha!
Thanks Melodee. That is what I am going to tell my husband! I’m smart! Not crazy! ; ). He does get an endless supply of baked goods so he is not really complaining. My belly is! Maybe it is not such a good idea! I cannot resist them!
I hope you have a beautiful Friday!
Jenni
It makes me so happy when an emergency substitution makes things even better! Thanks for sharing this. Chocolate chip cookies are the best. My dad always said if you really need one, you might should have two.
I like your dad’s saying. He sounds like a smart man. And there are definitely times when I NEED two or three cookies. Nothing else does the trick. Right now I am drinking iced water and longing for a baked treat. Sometimes being an adult sucks. Although, I would not let my kid have one right now either. : )
I took some amazing pictures of Ollie today. So cute! I wrote a silly post for them that I hope I can get up in the next two weeks! I thought of you when I did it. I hope you like it!
Have sweet dreams and a peaceful Friday!
Jenni
I am also preparing for the zombie apocalypse. Sure, people laugh now, but when we are eating food instead of each other, who will laugh last?
I agree! ; ). I once had a friend who said she would be coming to my house to eat my food if it ever went down. To which I laughed but quietly panicked. Cause, I love me my stash! She needs to build her own hoard.
Glad to not be alone! : ). Have a gorgeous week!
Jenni