Vegan Food Reviews

Liz Lovely Cookies

I am passionate about food—specifically, vegan food. I love I love talking about it, I love thinking about it, I love making it, but most of all… I love eating it! While I find great pleasure in making my own homemade goodies (whether it's a meal, a snack, or a decadent dessert), sometimes it's nice to be able to have the option of a store-bought treat.

Enter Liz Lovely, a vegan sweets company that is "Baking a Difference." It was founded by Liz & Dan Holtz, who decided to start their business when they found themselves out of work after the dot-com crash. According to their website, every "micro batch" of these delicious cookies are handmade by Liz & her baking team in their own certified vegan bakery in Vermont. (Non-vegan foods aren't even allowed in their break room! :) That's definitely something I can appreciate, especially when I think of the cheese- and meat-encrusted microwave in the break room of my current workplace!)

In addition to the fact that all of their products are vegan, I also love that they are "green," meaning that 100% of the packaging materials are recyclable (like their boxes) and/or biodegradable (like the cotton ribbons they use to neatly tie the bags closed). But perhaps the biggest draw? Liz Lovely is certified organic & fair trade. After all, for me personally, my food choices aren't just about reducing animal suffering; I also like to tread lightly on the earth & consider the quality of life of the farmers & workers who produce our food!

Knowing all of this, I knew I was in for a treat when Andy over at Liz Lovely offered to send me a sampling of their cookies. He asked me to let him know which kind I wanted, but when I reviewed my choices on the website, I knew I was in trouble… How could I possibly choose?! There's the Cowboy Cookies, with oatmeal, walnuts & dark chocolate. Cowgirl Cookies are advertised as "just like chocolate chip cookie dough!" Peanut Butter Classics are packed with peanuts, brushed with a layer of dark chocolate on the bottom, and drizzled with dark chocolate on the top. What about Ginger Snapdragons, their most popular cookie? Those are full of molasses & candied ginger. Last, but certainly not least, there's the Mochadamia Mountains, which contain coffee, macadamia nuts, and chocolate! I told Andy to surprise me because with choices like these, I couldn't go wrong…

How pleased I was when the Liz Lovely package arrived at my door! I eagerly ripped open the (eco-friendly) box to get a look at the contents. Inside were the Mochadamia Mountains, along with a cute little package of Lovely O's. On my first bite of the Mocha, my teeth sunk through the dark chocolate-covered bottom into the dough-like center. I let the cookie dissolve in my mouth so I could savor the flavor, and I noticed a slight coffee aftertaste. It only got better when I reached a macadamia nut. What a delicious combination of flavors! It was really hard to stop from eating the whole thing, but these babies are rich, and I had to save room for the Lovely O's. These O's are crème-filled sandwich cookies (think Newman O's) enveloped in a thick robe of dark chocolate. They are perfection—especially when paired with a glass of non-dairy milk!

Reviewed by Jess

Jess's blog, Domestic Vegan, focuses on her love of animals & the earth, as she does her part to save both by cooking up delicious vegan dishes! The website can be found at http://thedomesticvegan.blogspot.com/