Frequently Asked Questions
1
Help! The brown sugar in the jar has hardened and it's not coming out. What should I do?
All Turtle Tracks Co. cookie mixes use premium, fresh ingredients and care is taken during preparation to maintain this freshness. However, it is natural for brown sugar to lose its moisture over time, especially in a jar with other moisture wicking ingredients.
First, rest assured, if you are using the cookie mix by its “best by” date, hardened brown sugar is fine to consume, will bake normally, and will not alter the cookies’ taste or texture. Still, we understand it is frustrating to work with brown sugar that has hardened.
If you experience hardened brown sugar, please use one or more of the following tricks to free it:
(1) Gently break it up with a sharp knife or fork, ensuring the brown sugar is sufficiently separated before adding it to the bowl;
(2) Run warm water over the outside of the closed jar near the brown sugar layer, being careful not to melt the chocolate--the heat will soften the brown sugar; and/or
(3) If you can wait a day to bake the cookies, place a fresh apple slice, marshmallow, or piece of bread over the brown sugar, replace the lid, and wait 24 hours. The moisture-rich item will re-hydrate the brown sugar, making it easier to remove the next day.
If you need additional help, feel free to reach out to us via email or use the messaging feature below.
2
I always thought you're supposed to cream the butter and sugar first when making cookies. Are you sure I'm supposed to dump the entire jar in at the same time?
Yes, you are meant to cream the butter and liquids first, then add all of the contents of the jar. This method is known as "reverse creaming." When using this method, you may experience the following:
(1) The wet ingredients may not look fully combined after beating and before adding the dry ingredients. Do not worry about this, the ingredients will come together in the dough; and
(2) The dough may look like coarse crumbles at first, after adding the dry ingredients. Do not worry about this either, it will eventually come together to form a dough after a few more minutes.
3
My seal didn't "pop" when I opened the jar. Is everything OK?
Yes, Turtle Tracks Co. cookie mix jars are not vacuum sealed. While the lid is affixed tightly to ensure freshness, the canning lid seal is not meant to pop.
4
Where does Turtle Tracks Co. source its recipes?
We gather recipe inspiration from several places, including Sally's Baking Addiction, magazines such as Better Homes & Gardens, and our families recipe boxes! In each case the recipes have been extensively tested and usually modified for an optimal experience using a cookie mix (where you dump the entire cookie jar contents into the bowl at one time). We also modify flavours and ingredients to bring our customers a unique experience, and in some cases this means combining 2-3 recipes or coming up with one from scratch!
5
I have food allergies. Can I eat Turtle Tracks Co. cookies?
We recommend reviewing the ingredients on your cookie mix jar tag before consuming Turtle Tracks Co. products. You may also find full page printables of all our ingredients on the "Meet Our Flavours" page on the website.
All Turtle Tracks Co. products are also produced in the same facility, and some of our cookie mixes do contain common allergens such as nuts, dairy, and soy. While care is taken during preparation to prevent allergen cross-contamination, we cannot guarantee your cookie mix is free of these allergens.
6
I am vegan. Can I eat Turtle Tracks Co. cookies?
Our Lemon-Raspberry Thumbprint and Unicorn Magic Sugar Cookie Mixes contain vegan ingredients, and can be baked into vegan cookies with common substitutions for ingredients such as butter and eggs. However, as Turtle Tracks Co. does not currently have baking instructions using these vegan alternatives, we are not able to guarantee taste or texture of the final baked cookie. We hope to be able to offer these instructions at a later time.
Note that our Ghirardelli Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix and our Signature Turtle Cookie Mix are not vegan as they both contain milk chocolate ingredients.
7
How many cookies do Turtle Tracks Co. jars make?
This varies based on the cookie mix. For our four launch flavours, customers can expect the following quantities:
Signature Turtle Cookie Mix: Yields approximately 48 cookies.
Ghirardelli Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix: Yields approximately 24 cookies.
Lemon-Raspberry Thumbprint Cookie Mix: Yields 40 cookies.
Unicorn Magic Sugar Cookie Mix: Yields 20-24 cookies.
The size of cookie dough balls will determine the exact quantity.
8
Your cookie mixes sold out at the last market I was at. Do you take pre-orders or offer online ordering?
Yes, online pre-orders are now available through King Road Kitchen's 'Friends of the Kitchen' online shop! Visit our order online page for more information. Order Online
9
What does "small batch" mean? How many jars does Turtle Tracks Co. make at a time, and how many will be available at each market?
To ensure freshness and precision, we produce all our cookie mixes in batches of between 32 and 60. This is our typical stock at each market.
10
I don't really eat cookies. How can I support Turtle Tracks Co. other than purchasing cookie mixes?
Thank you! There are many ways to support us (and ultimately, Ontario's turtles) if you don't wish to purchase a cookie mix. Here are a few ideas:
(1) You may donate to our "Startup Fundraiser" by following the link at the top of the webpage, or by clicking on the "Donate" button below in the footer or in the Menu. We also accept donations in-person at vendor markets.
(2) You can follow us on Instagram and/or Facebook, and like our posts and share with others widely. Links to both are at the top of the webpage. Having more followers helps us with exposure, which can help us with our sales, and ultimately helps us send more funding to the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre.