I applied through Mom’s Ambassador to try this product and review it on my blog. I was so happy to be selected to review Monk Fruit in the Raw to regular sugar. I knew I was getting a bag of Monk Fruit in the Raw and then some sample packets to use with tea, coffee, etc.
In the Raw is a family-owned business that was established back in 1956 when founder, Marvin Eisenstadt, joined his father’s sugar packing business. Shortly after, Marvin was tasked with finding a less-processed sugar for a local restaurant’s health-conscious customers, and Sugar In The Raw was born. Fast forward to the sweetening revolution of the late 1990’s when people really caught on to wholesome, zero-calorie alternatives to processed sugar. At that time, you could find a little brown Sugar In The Raw packet in almost every coffee-house in America. Since then, the In The Raw product line has grown to include Stevia In The Raw, Agave In The Raw, and its latest addition Monk Fruit In The Raw.
Here are some fun facts about Monk Fruit In The Raw:
- Monk Fruit In The Raw is a wholesome, zero-calorie sweetener made from real monk fruit, a vine-ripened fruit that is native to Asia.
- Monk fruit, known as luo han guo in Asia, was first harvested in the 13th century by Arharts, or “Enlightened Ones,” which translates to Monks in English.
- The sweet and delicious extract from monk fruit is blended with other sweeteners to create the perfect balance of sweet.
- Monk Fruit In The Raw is naturally vegan, kosher, and gluten-free, and does not contain any added table sugar, sugar alcohols, or molasses.
- Conscious, rejoice! Monk Fruit In The Raw is about as sweet as two teaspoons of sugar.
- One box of Monk Fruit In The Raw (40 Packets) retails for $3.49, and the Monk Fruit In The Raw Bakers Bag retails for $6.99. Price may vary based on the retailer.
Baking just got a little healthier! The Monk Fruit In The Raw Baker’s Bag measures cup for cup, just like sugar and can be used to replace all the sugar in beverages, sauces, and dressings. For baked goods, it is recommended to only replace half of the amount of sugar with Monk Fruit In The Raw for best results. Try to substitute half of the sugar in your favorite baking recipes with Monk Fruit In The Raw or visit. InTheRaw.com for recipe ideas.
When I opened up my kit it contained the following: measuring spoons, 1-box 40 packets of Monk Fruit In The Raw, 1-bag Monk Fruit In The Raw Bakers Sweetener, and a canvas tote. I decided to make two batches of sugar cookies. One would be using regular sugar and the other using Monk Fruit In The Raw.
The first batch I made was with the Monk Fruit In The Raw. I was using a new recipe for sugar cookies so I had no idea what the finished dough was supposed to look like and thought it was a different kind of dough but still willing to give it a try.
Instead of doing the recommended ½ sugar & ½ Monk Fruit In The Raw, I did all Monk Fruit In The Raw and used 1 cup. I figured if I was going to give this a real go I wanted to know what it would taste like with no real sugar. I followed the rest of the directions per the recipe and was surprised at the final dough. It reminded me of homemade chicken dumpling noodles. The dough was very dry and hard to do a final incorporation to make it one ball. I decided that we were going to be creative with these cookies and use fall colors. I wanted to create a cookie that would have a design in it when I sliced the cookies to cook them. (Like the holiday ones that Pillsbury used to sell in the tubes.) The color did not want to blend and fully color the dough. (I know what it looks like, so you don’t need to say it.) I made red, orange, and brown dough balls, colored them, and rolled them out. I then took the remaining dough and rolled it out. Once I rolled it out I covered the colored dough. I then put it in the fridge to chill while I made the other batch of dough.
When I did the second batch it was totally different. After I added all the ingredients the dough was still like soup. It was super sticky and would not even form into any dough ball so I added another cup of flour and these were the results. I did the same with this dough and divided it up into four parts. When I added the coloring this time the dough was much softer and mixed well with the color. I did the same with this dough as far as rolling it out and creating the same log to chill in the fridge.
When all the dough was chilled I measured it out to have ¼” thick cookies. I marked the dough and cut it just like I used to do with Pillsbury cookies. As you can see from the pictures the Monk Fruit dough never really mixed with the color and turned out to be a marble. The real sugar dough incorporated the color nicely and gave a very bright color. To make sure that the cookies got the same cook time I cooked both on each cookie sheet. They all took the same cooking time, but as you can see a very different outcome.
Results
Monk Fruit In the Raw Cookies
- Color-The cookie was a very dark color before and after it was cooked.
- Taste-I tried the cookies raw and cooked and did not care for either. It was a really weird taste I can’t even describe if I tried. I had B, S, and my dad (a cookie expert) try these and they all were in agreement that they tasted terrible. They were blind taste tests so they had no idea which cookie they were trying.
- Overall-I am not sure if it was because I did not do half and half but these cookies did not turn out in any way. The taste was not one I would like to repeat. I love cookies and I would never take a second cookie from this batch.
Real Sugar Cookies
- Color-The color was right on with any sugar cookie I have ever made. The inside colors were very rich and did not take much coloring.
- Taste-I liked the raw and cooked flavor of the cookies. They were a little too dry for me as far as a sugar cookie but not bad. They got flying colors from S. B and my dad said they were good.
- Overall-This dough was crazy. I could not believe how wet it was after I added all the ingredients and mixed it. I had to add more flour to the dough which for me is very unusual. To have to add an extra cup of flour is crazy. The cookies did turn out well. The color of the insides was very vibrant and had a good flavor. I would definitely eat these again. My dad did not have a problem finishing off the cookies I gave him.
The Sugar Cookie Recipe I used:
Best Sugar Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In the bowl of our mixer cream butter and sugar until smooth.
- Beat in extracts and egg.
- In a separate bowl combine baking powder with flour and add a little at a time to the wet ingredients. The dough will be very stiff. If it becomes too stiff for your mixer turn out the dough onto a countertop surface. Wet your hands and finish off kneading the dough by hand.
- You can chill or not chill the dough. Divide into workable batches, roll out onto a floured surface and cut. You want these cookies to be on the thicker side (closer to 1/4″ rather than 1/8″).
- Bake at 350° for 6-8 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheet until firm enough to transfer to a cooling rack.
Recipe courtesy of In Katrinas Kitchen
Disclosure: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions are all my own, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.