Strawberry Ice Cream - Dairy Free, Egg-Free!

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Last week my kids and I, along with some friends, spent a delightful morning picking strawberries at our local pick-your-own farm.  Its amazing how quickly 3 kids and 1 mom can fill a large box with strawberries!  We had a great time, but we weren't done yet!  With all those strawberries we made 5 pints of strawberry freezer jam and, in the process decorated our kitchen pink (lots of help from the kids made the job go quickly, but the clean-up was quite the job!)

With the rest of the strawberries, we made homemade dairy-free strawberry ice cream.  And man, was it good!  Very easy, too!  I love that we are eating all-natural ingredients while enjoying this summertime treat.  For this recipe I used more strawberries than many traditional recipes call for because I wanted it to be really flavorful and naturally pink (no food coloring, please!).  Because of the extra strawberries, this recipe was almost too much for my 1 1/2 quart ice cream maker, but it fit - just be warned it will completely fill this size ice cream maker.  Enjoy!

Dairy-Free Strawberry Ice Cream (gluten and egg-free, too!)

1 quart (about 4 cups) whole, fresh strawberries (for reference, this will be about 3 cups sliced berries or about 2 cups pureed berries)
2 (14 oz) cans full-fat coconut milk (about 3 cups)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar

Start by washing, coring and halving strawberries.  Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree.  I like mine smooth, but if you prefer to include some strawberry pieces, process the berries for a shorter about of time.  If your blender is large enough, you can do the rest of the steps all in the blender.  If not, transfer your berry puree to a large mixing bowl.  Add the rest of the ingredients (coconut milk, vanilla, lemon juice and sugar).  Using a hand or stand mixer, mix to incorporate all the ingredients.  Transfer to an ice cream maker, following instructions for your ice cream maker.  Mine churned for about 30 minutes and came out creamy but soft.  I recommend transferring to the freezer until it is firm, but you may not be able to wait that long!

You might also want to try our Mint Chip Ice Cream - very refreshing!

This recipe is being shared at Saturday Spotlight, Your Great Idea Saturday, Musings of a Housewife, Inspire Me Monday, Make Your Own Monday, Better Mom Monday, Motivation Monday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Traditional Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Wednesday Extravaganza, Gluten Free Wednesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Healthy 2day Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Cast Party Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Wednesday Fresh Foods, Tasty Traditions, Frugal Food Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Thriving on Thursday, Gluten Free Fridays, Foodie Friday, Food on Friday, Freedom Fridays, Friday Food Frenzy, Allergy Friendly Friday, Summer Potluck Party 

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies {gluten, dairy, egg-free}

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You know that recipe - the one you look forward to seeing at family gatherings or church picnics.  You expect to see Mrs. Jones' apple pie or Miss Taylor's macaroni and cheese.  You hope to see it because it's famous, at least in your circle.  It's famous because it's fabulous.  Well, let me just tell you that is the kind of recipe I'm sharing today.  But it's not my recipe.  It is my husband's and it is all it's cracked up to be.  It is requested, anticipated and gobbled up at most any occasion.  And the good news is, it is quick and easy to make.

The only tricky part is deciding if you want to make the chocolate version or the blonde version?  I have yet to decide which is my favorite so we (meaning me and the kids) usually request that my husband make a batch of each.  The best thing to do is just split the recipe in half and make one of each kind - you'll be glad you did.

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies {gluten, dairy, and egg-free}

Chocolate Version:
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup dairy-free butter (our favorite is Earth Balance No-Soy Spread)
1/2 cup dairy-free milk (we use almond milk)
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
3 1/2 cups gluten-free quick oats

Blonde Version:
as above, except omit cocoa and add 1/4 cup more peanut butter (total 1 cup peanut butter)

In a large pot (4-6 quart size gives enough room for mixing), combine sugar, cocoa, non-dairy butter and non-dairy milk.  Over medium-high heat, bring mixture to a boil stirring constantly.  Once mixture comes to a boil, continue boiling and stirring for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Add vanilla and peanut butter.  Stir until peanut butter is dissolved.  Add oatmeal and stir until thoroughly combined.  Spoon cookies onto wax paper and allow to cool.  Once set, eat and enjoy!

This recipe is being shared at Motivation Monday, Gluten Free Weekly, Inspire Me Monday, Make Your Own Monday, Melt In Your Mouth Monday, Better Mom Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Healthy 2day Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, Cast Party Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Wheat Free Wednesday, Wednesday Extravaganza, Thriving on Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Frugal Food Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Allergy Friendly Friday, Food of Fridays, Foodtastic Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Foodie Friday, Gluten Free Friday

Spread Some Valentine's Love

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Valentine's Day is almost here and maybe it's got you wondering what  you can do for that special someone who can't eat the usual Valentine's treats.  After all, we can't let a little thing like a gluten, dairy or egg allergy get in the way of celebrating love.

Baking and decorating heart-shaped sugar cookies is a great family activity to do with kids.  Heart cookies are also fun to bring in to share with classmates or co-workers.  And never overlook a plateful of hearts as a sweet gift for your heart throb.  Just grab some cutsie heart-shaped cookie cutters and pop on over to my recipe for Holiday Cut-Out Sugar Cookies.  My husband and I just made these with our kids last night and had a great family fun evening.

Another very easy idea is to make your own dairy-free heart chocolates.  You'll need a set of  heart-shaped chocolate molds, a bag of dairy-free chocolate chips and this tutorial.

If you'd like to skip the kitchen in favor of the store, you can make up a little Valentine's treat bag.  Always read labels for yourself, but here's a short list of candies that are gluten, dairy and egg-free.
Necco Conversation Hearts, Valentine's Peeps, Skittles, Dum-Dum lollipops, Starburst and whatever else you might be able to turn up at the store.  Just read those labels carefully and have fun assembling your treat bag!

Happy celebrating LOVE with your LOVE-lys!

This post is being shared at Better Mom Monday, Melt In Your Mouth Monday, Inspire Me Monday, Gluten Free Weekly, Motivation Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Healthy 2day Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Cast Party Wednesday, Wheat Free Wednesday, Wednesday Extravaganza, Thriving on Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Delightfully Inspiring Thursday, Frugal Food Thursday, Gluten Free Friday, Foodie Friday, Foodtastic Friday, Food on Friday, Potluck Party, Show and Tell Saturday

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cornflake Bars {gluten, dairy, egg-free}

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Recently I  stumbled onto this recipe for Gooey Cornflake Bars at The Better Mom and was impatiently waiting for a chance to try it.  When I finally did have an occasion to make it, a bag of Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips caught my eye and I just haaad to add them in.  I figured, you probably can't go wrong mixing peanut butter and chocolate together, right?  So I never did actually make the recipe I meant to, and I still hope to, but in the process this chocolate version emerged.  So next time you need to put together a simple sweet treat, give this one a try (or if you'd rather, try the original non-chocolate version.)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cornflake Bars {gluten, dairy, egg-free}

6 cup gluten-free cornflakes
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

In the microwave, melt peanut butter, honey and chocolate chips for 1 minute.  Remove and stir; then continue heating in 30-second increments until completely melted and combined.  (If you prefer, you can do this in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring constantly.)  Measure cornflakes into a large bowl and pour in peanut butter-chocolate mixture.  Stir to coat.  Grease a 7 x 11 inch pan.  Transfer coated cornflakes to pan.  Spread evenly into pan, pressing down firmly with the back of a pancake turner, packing mixture tightly.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Cut into squares and serve.

This recipe is being shared at Inspire Me Monday, Make Your Own Monday, Melt In Your Mouth Monday, Better Mom Monday, Motivation Monday, Gluten Free Weekly, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Cast Party Wednesday, Wheat Free Wednesday, Wednesday Extravaganza, Thriving on Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Delightfully Inspiring Thursday, Frugal Food Thursday, Gluten Free Friday, Foodie Friday, Foodtastic Friday, Food on Friday

Dairy-Free Holiday Chocolates

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Sometimes its the little things that make a kid (or grown-up) with food allergies feel normal.  Its always nice to be able to enjoy the same treats that everyone else is having.  Take those little Santa-shaped chocolates, for instance.  You know the ones wrapped in foil that often end up in stockings or as treats at Christmas parties.  Of course they are off limits for those sensitive to dairy, but there is an easy - and just as tasty - alternative.  Are you ready to make the easiest treat in the world?  Good.

All you'll need is some dairy-free chocolate (I use Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips, but there are other good choices including Enjoy Life and Chocolate Dream chips) and some Christmas-themed chocolate molds.  The chocolate molds will only run you about $5 and can sometimes be found at craft stores and on amazon.com.

Here's what you do.  Are you ready? - this is a really complicated recipe (not!).

Melt about 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips.  You can do this in the microwave or in a double boiler on the stove.  I use the microwave, putting the chips in for about 30 seconds; remove and stir, then another 30 seconds and stir, repeating until the chocolate is melted and smooth.

Using a regular teaspoon or other convenient utensil, scoop out a little chocolate and drizzle it into the molds, making sure to completely fill the shape (and try not to lick your fingers!).  Once you've filled all the shapes, tap the mold on the counter a bit to make sure you don't have any air bubbles trapped in the chocolate.  Then let the tray sit on the counter (or in the fridge for those of us with less patience) until the chocolate hardens.  Gently pop out the chocolates and voila! - you now have pretty little Christmas-shaped chocolates that are safe for those with dairy allergies to enjoy.

One cup of chocolate chips yielded 17 little snowmen, candy canes, trees, etc. using the mold I have.  And by the way, if you get interrupted while making these, or if you end up with more melted chocolate in your bowl than can fit in your mold, you can re-heat your melted chocolate and continue with no problem.

This recipe is being shared at Gluten Free Monday, Better Mom Monday, Melt In Your Mouth Monday, Inspire Me Monday, Musings of a Housewife, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Healthy 2day Wednesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, Cast Party Wednesday, Wheat Free Wednesday, Wednesday Extravaganza, Full Plate Thursday, Frugal Food Thursday, Ultimate Recipe Swap, Gluten Free Fridays, Foodtastic Friday, Foodie Friday, Food on Friday, Potluck Party, Allergy Friendly Friday

Apple Pie {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

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Apple pie and holidays just seem to go together.  Of course, apple pie is good pretty much any time - even breakfast if you ask me!  So I thought I'd share my easy apple pie recipe for those of you who must avoid gluten, dairy and eggs.  

Now before you run out and grab yourself any old apples, consider your choices carefully because different apples can really change the outcome for good or for evil.  I was always taught that Granny Smith apples were the apple of choice for pie making, but I have never had success with using them.  They start out all crisp and tart, but after baking turn into mush.  So I did a little research and discovered I'm not the only one with mushy Granny Smith pie.  According to this article from Oregon Live, the pre-sale storage is the problem.  Apparently, before being sent to your local grocery store, the apples are often stored for up to 10 months in "controlled atmosphere storage" to prevent ripening.  Unfortunately, once out of this controlled atmosphere, the apples ripen and break-down much faster, causing mushy apple pie.  My solution this year has been to use Honey Crisp apples instead of Granny Smith, and my pies have had much better texture.  There ya have it.  

Apple Pie {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

Double Pie Crust
1 cup millet flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1 cup potato starch or tapioca starch
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
1 cup cold non-dairy butter (Earth Balance or Smart Balance Light)
4 TBSP water

Apple Pie Filling (based on Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook)
6 cups (about 4 large apples) thinly sliced, peeled apples (Honey Crisp works well)
1/2 cup sugar
3 TBSP sorghum flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice

Step 1- Make your pie crust.  Don't worry - this is going to be easier than you think.  Whisk together dry ingredients (millet, sorghum, potato starch, xanthan gum, and salt).  Cut butter into dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or 2 table knives.  Add in water and work the dough, first with pastry cutter, then with hands, till everything is combined and sticks together, forming a ball.  Take your dough ball and divide it in half. Flatten each ball into a disk on a silicone baking mat, pastry mat, or plastic wrap.  Lay a second mat or piece of plastic wrap over the dough and roll out your crust (using a rolling pin on top of the plastic wrap) into a circle to fit into an 8 or 9 inch round pie plate.  To transfer crust into pie plate, flip over into your hand so you are holding the plastic wrap and the pie crust.  Peel off bottom plastic wrap/silicone mat and flip the dough into the pie plate.  Peel off top plastic wrap and trim edges as needed.  This crust is relatively easy to work with, but if it doesn't cooperate, refrigerate it for about an hour, then try again. See the original post on making pie crust for step-by-step pictures.

Step 2 - Make your filling.  Peel, core and slice your apples.  Toss your sliced apples into a mixing bowl.  In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cinnamon and allspice.  Pour your sugar mixture over apples and toss to coat evenly.  Transfer apples into your crust-lined pie plate.

Step 3 - Roll out your second ball of dough and place it on top of the apples.  Pinch edges and cut a few slits into top crust for ventilation (make a pretty pattern).  Cover edges with strips of aluminum foil or pie crust shield.

Step 4 - Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes.  Remove edge protectors and bake for another 30-35 minutes, or until crust begins to brown and filling is bubbly.

This recipe is being shared at Better Mom Monday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Gluten Free Monday, Make Your Own Monday, Monday Mania, Inspire Me Monday, Musings of a Housewife, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Healthy 2day Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Wednesday Extravaganza, Full Plate Thursday, Tasty Traditions, Gluten Free Friday, Foodie Friday, Foodtastic Friday, Food on Fridays, Potluck Party

Cranberry Orange Bread {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

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I'm really excited about this one!  And its just in time for the holidays.  It all started when I grabbed a bag of fresh cranberries at our local produce market and started thinking of all the yummy things I could make with them.  Then I started wondering about the nutritional value of cranberries, so I did some research.  It turns out cranberries are really good for us!  Besides having a nice amount of vitamin C, and fiber, the phytonutrients they contain are well know for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer benefits.  There are studies showing cranberries help support immune function and potentially lower the frequency of cold symptoms as well as benefiting the digestive tract.  And guess what?  Studies show that in order to get the most benefit from cranberries, they should be eaten in their natural food state (surprise!).

Setting aside all the good news about cranberries and their nutritional qualities, it turns out they are super yummy as part of this delicious, allergy-friendly snacking loaf.  This cranberry orange bread would make a tasty breakfast, a nice pick-me-up afternoon snack or a wonderful gluten-free bread to serve with Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.  The orange flavor subtly adds a bit of tangy sweet which compliments the cranberries beautifully.  For the recipe, I started with the one on the Ocean Spray cranberries package and adapted it to be free of gluten, dairy and eggs (and a little less sugar).  And it worked!

So run right now to the store, grab a bag of fresh cranberries and make this bread!  Its come together quickly - no fuss - and gets eaten really fast!

Cranberry Orange Bread {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

1 1/2 cups sorghum flour
1/2 cup potato starch or tapioca starch
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP ground flaxseed
3/4 cup sugar (I used white)
1 cup orange juice
2 TBSP oil
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped (I used my good old Pampered Chef Food Chopper)

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (sorghum, starch, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground flaxseed and sugar).  To this, add orange juice and oil.  Using a hand or stand mixer, mix for a few minutes until well combined.  Stir in chopped cranberries.  Transfer to a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan and bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.  Remove from pan, slice and enjoy!  Makes one loaf.

This recipe is being shared at Full Plate Thursday, Frugal Food Thursday, Delightfully Inspired Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Gluten Free Friday, Foodie Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Foodtastic Friday,   Food on Fridays, Potluck Party, Gluten Free Monday, Better Mom Monday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Monday Mania, Make Your Own Monday, Musings of a Housewife, Inspire Me Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Traditional Tuesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, Cast Party Wednesday, Healthy 2day Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Wednesday Extravaganza, Tasty Traditions


 

Pumpkin Pie {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

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Thanksgiving is coming and with it the varied traditional foods of the feast day.  Do you have to miss out on all these lovely offerings just because you have food allergies?  Certainly not!  Just as the blog's name implies, those with food allergies aren't missing a thing.  You can have your pie and eat it too, as long as its gluten free.  And dairy free.  And egg free.  I know this can be daunting sometimes, but it can be done.  So today I'm sharing this recipe for a tasty pumpkin pie that has no gluten, no dairy and no eggs!   And its no more trouble to make than a "regular" pumpkin pie. 

You may notice as you look at the ingredient list that it contains coconut milk.  If you're not a fan of coconut, fear not.  The flavor doesn't come through in this pie (at least not that I notice).  Another thing you may wonder about is why there is sorghum flour in the pie filling.  Its there to help the filling thicken and set.  Some recipes call for cornstarch, but I really prefer the sorghum.  

So if you are longing for a good old fashioned pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving (or any other day), I hope you'll give this recipe a try.  I'm sure you will enjoy it.  

Pumpkin Pie {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

Single Pie Crust

½ cup millet flour
¼ cup sorghum flour
½ cup potato starch or tapioca starch
½ tsp xanthan gum
½ tsp salt
½ cup cold non-dairy butter (Earth Balance or Smart Balance Light)
2 TBSP water
            

Pumpkin Pie Filling

15 oz can pumpkin puree (or about 2 cups fresh pumpkin puree)

13.5 oz can coconut milk

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sorghum flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp salt

Step 1- Make your pie crust.  Take courage - this is going to be easier than you think.  Whisk together dry ingredients (millet, sorghum, potato starch, xanthan gum, and salt).  Cut butter into dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or 2 table knives.  Add in water and work the dough, first with pastry cutter, then with hands, till everything is combined and sticks together, forming a ball.  Take your dough ball and flatten it into a disk on a silicone baking mat, pastry mat, or plastic wrap.  Lay a second mat or piece of plastic wrap over the dough and roll out your crust (using a rolling pin on top of the plastic wrap) into a circle to fit into an 8 or 9 inch round pie plate.  To transfer crust into pie plate, flip over into your hand so you are holding the plastic wrap and the pie crust.  Peel off bottom plastic wrap/silicone mat and flip the dough into the pie plate.  Peel off top plastic wrap and trim edges as needed.  This crust is relatively easy to work with, but if it doesn't cooperate, refrigerate it for about an hour, then try again. Pre-bake crust at 350 degrees for about 7 minutes.

Step 2 - Make the pie filling.  Put all your ingredients (pumpkin puree, coconut milk, sugar, sorghum, and spices) into a large mixing bowl.  Combine ingredients using a stand mixer or hand-held electric beater.  After your pie crust as pre-baked, pour filling into the crust.  Cover the crust edges with strips of aluminum foil or pie crust shield and bake at 375 for 25 minutes.  Remove crust edge shield and bake for another 35 minutes.  If you insert a knife into the middle of the pie, it will NOT come out clean and you'll be tempted to bake it longer.  No need.  The pie will completely set after it has cooled, so no worries.

This recipe is being shared at Full Plate Thursday, Frugal Food Thursday, Delightfully Inspiring Thursday, Gluten Free Friday, Foodtastic Friday, Foodie Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Food on Friday, Better Mom Monday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Gluten Free Monday, Monday Mania, Make Your Own Monday, Inspire Me Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Healthy 2day Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, Cast Party Wednesday, Wednesday Fresh Foods, Gluten Free Weekly Meal Plan,  What's Cooking Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Wheat Free Wednesday, Wednesday Extravaganza, Potluck Party

Tastykake Peanut Butter Kandy Kake {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

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Philadelphia.  Tastykake.  Anyone who has lived in or near Philadelphia will be familiar with the inspiration for this latest recipe featuring Philly's own Tastykake Peanut Butter Kandy Kake (yes, its suppose to be spelled that way).  Now to be fair, I have actually never eaten an authentic Tastykake, but I'm told this allergy-friendly version will satisfy the craving.  And really - vanilla cake coated in peanut butter and chocolate has to be good!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Tastykake {gluten, dairy, and egg-free}

1 1/2 cups millet flour

1/2 cup potato starch

1 tsp xanthan gum

1 TBSP baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 6 oz container of dairy-free vanilla yogurt (I used So Delicious Coconut Milk Vanilla Yogurt)

1/4 cup oil

1 TBSP vanilla

1 cup water

2 cups dairy-free chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli semi-sweet chips)

2 TBSP coconut oil

Creamy Peanut Butter

To make the cake, whisk together dry ingredients (flour, starch, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, and sugar).  To this add yogurt, oil, vanilla and water.  Using a hand or stand mixer, beat until thoroughly combined.  Pour batter into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and bake at 350 for about 40 minutes.  Let cake cool on a wire rack.  Once mostly cooled, transfer cake to the refrigerator for about an hour.  Cooling the cake will make it easier to spread the peanut butter.  

Once cooled, spread a thin layer of creamy peanut butter on top of the cake.  You can make this as thick or thin as you like - I prefer a thin peanut butter layer.  Next, melt your chocolate chips and coconut oil in a small saucepan (or microwave) until liquid, stirring often.  Spoon melted chocolate over the peanut butter layer and smooth to evenly coat.  Return cake to fridge until chocolate has set.  The coconut oil in the chocolate will turn the chocolate into a hardened candy layer.  

This recipe is being shared at Better Mom Monday, Melt In Your Mouth Monday, Gluten Free Monday, Make Your Own Monday, Inspire Me Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Healthy 2day Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Cast Party Wednesday, Wheat Free Wednesday, Musings of a Housewife

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

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"Oh my, that's good!", she exclaimed as she bit into the tender, sweet cupcake.  Although her intention had been to sample just one bite, she couldn't help herself from taking another, and another until the whole cupcake had vanished.  "Oh my, that is really good!"  Her husband wholeheartedly agreed.

Pumpkin Spice is not a cupcake flavor I would normally gravitate towards, but my 10-year old daughter requested them after enjoyed a pumpkin muffin for breakfast.  You see, she had a birthday party to attend and one of the planned party activities was to decorate your own cupcake.  As any parent of an allergic kid knows, this means you will be baking cupcakes.  So I told my daughter that the birthday girl's mom will be making vanilla cupcakes and asked if that is also what she would like to bring for herself.  She promptly suggested that she would rather bring pumpkin spice cupcakes.  My first thought was, "Hmmm, I don't have a recipe for that" but my second thought was, "I think I can do this."  And it turns out that, yes, I can!  I started with my pumpkin muffin recipe and sweetened and spiced it up a bit.  And even I am impressed with the outcome.  I hope you'll try it on one of these crisp fall afternoons.  You'll be glad you did.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

1 1/2 cups sorghum flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 TBSP flaxseed meal
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree (I used my homemade puree but I'm sure canned would be fine, too)
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, starch, xanthan gum, flaxseed, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and brown sugar.  To the dry ingredients, add vanilla, pumpkin puree, oil and milk.  Using a standing mixer or electric hand mixer, beat on a medium speed for a few minutes to be sure everything is evenly mixed.  This is also help to incorporate air into your batter, which will help them puff up.   Spoon the batter into your muffin tin.  You can make these in cupcake papers or straight in the muffin tin, whichever you prefer.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes.  After a few minutes of cooling, remove cupcakes to wire rack to finish cooling.

These are perfect just as they are, but feel free to dust them with powdered sugar or top with your favorite frosting.

This recipe is being shared at Better Mom Monday, Melt In Your Mouth Monday, Monday Mania, Make Your Own Monday, Mom's Crazy Cooking, Inspire Me Monday, Gluten Free Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Traditional Tuesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, Cast Party Wednesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Healthy 2day Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Fresh Foods Linkup, Full Plate Thursday, Frugal Food Thursday, Gluten Free Friday, Foodie Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Foodtastic Friday, Potluck Party, Potluck Party Thanksgiving

Double Chocolate Cookie Bars {gluten, dairy, and egg-free}

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Chocolate!  Its the best food ever invented!  That's why I'm so excited to share with you my Double Chocolate Cookie Bars.  These are based on my Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, with the added benefit of more chocolate (yum!).  Good cookies are meant to be shared with friends, which is why its so important (in my opinion) for a food allergic kid to have a good cookie available to eat when everyone else is having cookies.  Its even better if said cookie is good enough for food allergic kid to share with her friends and let everyone enjoy them (yeah!).  Brings a little bit of normal back to the game.  These cookies have no gluten, dairy or eggs in them, but I can't say they are health food.  But really, are cookies suppose to be healthy?  And just so ya know, these can either be made as bars or as drop cookies - you choose - recipe and cooking times are the same either way.

Double Chocolate Cookie Bars {gluten, dairy, and egg-free}

1 1/2 cups sorghum flour
1/4 cup potato or tapioca starch
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBSP ground flaxseed
1/2 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup shortening  (Spectrum Organic Shortening)
1 TBSP vanilla extract
1/3 cup applesauce
1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (Enjoy Life or Ghiardelli semi-sweet chips)

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (sorghum, starch, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, flaxseed, and cocoa).  In a second mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, shortening, vanilla and applesauce.  Cream these wet ingredients together using a hand or stand mixer.  Add dry ingredient mixture to wet and beat until well combined.  By hand, stir in chocolate chips.

Preheat oven to 325.  If making cookie bars, spread batter evenly in a large non-stick cookie sheet (mine is 12 inches x 16 inches).  The batter will be thick so you'll have to use some finesse to spread it.  Bake at 325 for 14 minutes.  It may seem a bit underdone, but its not.  Just let it cool in the pan before cutting.

For cookies, drop rounded tablespoons onto a non-stick cookie sheet.  Bake at 325 for 14 minutes.  Let cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

What doesn't get eaten right away, store in an airtight container.  Makes about 4 dozen drop cookies.

This recipe is being shared at Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Better Mom Monday, Inspire Me Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Cast Party Wednesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, Healthy 2day Wednesday, Thriving on Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Foodtastic Friday, Gluten Free Friday, Friday Favorites, Foodie Friday, Potluck Party

Dairy-Free Mint Chip Ice Cream {gluten and egg-free, too}

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This hot weather has inspired me to play with my ice cream maker and the results have been fun and yummy!  Plus, our grocery store seems to have stopped carrying dairy-free ice cream (sad, but true!), so homemade it is.  Last summer I made some soy-based ice cream and, while it was pretty good, I didn't love how the soy flavor tainted the ice cream flavor (you know what I'm talking about).  But with the use of coconut milk, all my dreams of frozen creaminess have been met!  If you have an ice cream maker, get it out!  If you have a dairy allergy and don't own an ice cream maker, you really must get one!  I have this simple Cuisinart model which does a wonderful job.  Gone are the days of dry ice and rock salt.  With this, you simple store the inner part of the ice cream maker in the freezer.  When you're ready to make ice cream, you just pull that freezer bowl out of the freezer and pop it into your maker. Pour in your ingredients and 20 minutes later . . . voila!  Plus you can use it to make sorbet, slushies, frappacchinos and more (more on those ideas later).

For this recipe, I chose to leave the mint ice cream white, but if you'd like yours green you can do it without artificial food coloring.  Check out Jennifer's recipe at The Unrefined Kitchen for a green spinach-ified mint ice cream.

So on to the recipe . . .

Mint Chip Ice Cream {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

2 (13.5 oz) cans full-fat coconut milk (about 3 1/4 cups) - *To ensure a creamy texture, use the cans of coconut milk and not the coconut milk beverage found in cartons.
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp mint extract
1/2 cup mini dairy-free chocolate chips or shredded dairy-free chocolate bars (such as Enjoy Life Boom Choco Boom bars)

Mix all ingredients except chocolate chips and let chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour (overnight is fine too).  Once chilled, pour mixture into ice cream maker, turn it on and let it churn for about 20 minutes (check the instructions on your ice cream maker for specifics to your machine).  When the ice cream has reached soft-serve consistence, add in the chocolate chips and let it churn a few minutes more to mix in the chocolate.  You can eat it straight out of the ice cream maker or, if you prefer a harder set, transfer ice cream to the freezer till firmer.

NOTE:  Store the freezer bowl of your ice cream maker in your freezer at all times.  Then your ice cream maker will be ready to use when you're ready to make ice cream.

This recipe is being shared at Allergy Free Wednesday

This recipe was featured at Real Food, Allergy Free!

Blueberry Pudding Cake {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

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While thumbing through my old recipe box, I came across this recipe for Blueberry Pudding Cake.  It's hand written on an index card with the name of a co-worker from long ago (Theresa Fogarty) written on the back.  It didn't take much to transform this summertime dessert into a very yummy gluten, dairy and egg-free version.  My family licked the dish clean, literally!  You may want to make two of these - it was just barely enough for my family of 5.



Blueberry Pudding Cake {gluten, dairy, and egg-free}

2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)     

1 cup sorghum flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup sugar

3 TBSP oil

1/2 up water

3/4 cup sugar

1 TBSP cornstarch

1 cup boiling water

Step 1: Line the bottom of an 8 x 8 inch baking dish with blueberries.  

Step 2:  In a mixing bowl whisk together sorghum flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/2 cup sugar.  Add in oil and 1/2 cup water and combine using hand or stand mixer.  Pour this mixture over the blueberries in your baking dish.  

Step 3:  In seperate bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup sugar and 1 TBSP cornstarch.  Sprinkle this over the batter.

Step 4:  Pour the 1 cup boiling water over everything in the baking dish.

Step 5:  Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.

Serve this on its own or with a side of dairy-free vanilla ice cream.

This recipe is being shared at Allergy Free Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday and Allergy Friendly Friday.

Not So Gumdrop Cookies {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

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About two years ago, my mother-in-law made these amazing cookies.  I loved them, except for the gumdrops.  I'm not a big fan of gumdrops.  So I wrote down her recipe and thought I'd make them at home, sans gumdrops.  Well, I never did - until now.  So now I've modified the ingredients to be allergy friendly, taken out the gumdrops and nuts, and created my new favorite cookie.  They've been pretty popular around here, even with our gluten-eating friends and family.  Feel free to keep the gumdrops in - if you like that sort of thing.

Not So Gumdrop Cookies {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

1 ½ cup sorghum flour

½ cup potato starch
2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup Spectrum Organic Vegetable Shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup applesauce
4 tsp vanilla
2 cups gluten-free oats
1 cup shredded coconut (I used the sweetened kind)
(optional: 1 ½ cups gumdrops)
(optional: 1 cup chopped nuts)

In large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (sorghum flour, potato starch, xanthan gum, salt, baking soda, baking powder) and set aside. 

In a separate mixing bowl, use a stand mixer or hand mixer to cream together shortening, white sugar, and brown sugar.  To this, add applesauce and vanilla and mix well.

 
Add dry flour mixture into your wet mixture and mix on medium speed.  Add in gluten-free oats and shredded coconut and mix till well blended.
 
(If you are adding in gumdrops and nuts, stir them in by hand.)

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto cookie sheet topped with silicone mat or parchment paper.  Don’t flatten your rounded mounds of dough as they will spread just right as they cook.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. They may look a little underdone when you pull them out of the oven, but they will firm as they sit a few minutes on the cookie sheet.  Finish cooling on a cooling rack.  Store in a zip-closed bag - they stay fresh for quite a while, if they don't get eaten first!

This recipe is being shared on Allergy Free Wednesday and  Allergy Friendly Friday