Cookie dough is delicious, there's no argument with that. We've all licked the bowl and spoon clean as a child and found that the dough itself tastes so much better than the end result of the baked cookie. Yet, we are always warned not to eat the dough as it is harmful to us and we can become ill. This is why Gookie Dough was created, a cookie dough that tastes just as good as homemade but with zero risks. So, why is normal cookie dough so bad for us? 

(Image credit: Eater Dallas) 

The bacteria in homemade dough 

You think that everything you whisk up at home is relatively safe to eat if you know what you're doing. Something that may surprise you is that the flour in your dough can be harmful. Flour is a raw product which means it hasn't been treated to kill bacteria such as E.coli. Harmful pathogens can contaminate the grain while it's still in the field or at other stages when the flour is being produced. The bacteria is only killed when the product is cooked or backed. This is why the raw batter can be harmful. 

E.coli symptoms tend to develop between three or four days after exposure to the bacteria, however, sometimes it can be a lot sooner. Symptoms aren't very pleasant and include abdominal cramping and vomiting. Now, healthy adults can recover from the E.coli invasion but young children and older adults have a greater risk of becoming more ill, leading to problems such as kidney failure. 

Raw eggs

When making cookies, we add eggs because they're being put into the oven and they're one of the most used ingredients in the world. however, raw eggs or foods containing them can increase the risk of salmonella infections. Salmonella can be present on the egg shells but also inside of the egg, consuming the egg raw can cause food poisoning if uncooked because again, the heat when being cooked will kill anything harmful. It is only ever safe to consume raw eggs if they have been pasteurised. 

(Image credit: Joy of Kosher) 

Gookie Dough benefits 

So, Gookie Dough is here to save the day. There is stands on top of a skyscraper wearing it's cape and saving you all from the nasty bugs. Our flour is heat-treated which means that it kills any of the bacteria that may have been present before it is put into our mixture. We're a no-egg zone, which means we've spent hours trying to develop our recipe without the need for any eggs which means that ALL flavours are egg free, yay! 

There you have it, an educational five minutes. Have any more questions? Check out our FAQ page or feel free to shoot us an email!