Easy allergy-free (top 8 allergens) cupcakes

For almost two years we have discovered that our 3 year-old, DR has developed new and increasingly difficult-to-avoid food allergies.  His first was eggs, so I had to learn to bake a lot the foods that we once could purchase pre-made from the stores.  The second was peanuts, which limited us further in items we could bake with that were not processed with peanuts.  The third and most recent, milk, sent us reeling again.  It’s only been 6 days, but my research and experimentation led me to the most amazing and easy cupcake recipe that is completely free of the top 8 allergens.

While all I wanted to do this weekend was keep DR next to me and hover over him while he ate, I knew it wasn’t possible.  As 3 year olds go, he’s very independent and active.  He hates for me to tell him what to eat, and he most definitely does not like to be confined to our house when he’s done nothing wrong.  So when it came to a family get together on Monday for his cousin’s first birthday I had to make a plan.  There were no bakeries in the area that could make dairy, egg, and peanut free cupcakes on short notice (not that I have the ability to trust anyone to do that right now).  So I half-heartedly started my research expecting to have to go out hunting for weird ingredients like xantham gum to make somewhat decent cupcakes.  However, in all of my research I found an amazingly easy combination of ingredients with the only “weird” one being vinegar.  The cupcakes turned out moist and springy like you want and the frosting was easy to make and apply.

So here is the ahhh-mazing recipe:

Cake:

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups coconut* flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance vegan soy-free baking sticks melted
• 1 cup coconut* milk
• 2 Tbsp vanilla
• 1 Tbsp vinegar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In one bowl whisk together sugar, coconut* flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.
3. In a second bowl whisk together butter, coconut* milk, vanilla, and vinegar.
4. Pour the second bowl contents into the first bowl and mix until just combined.
5. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Fill the liners two-thirds full.
6. Bake in oven 20-25 minutes.
7. Cool completely.
8. Frost as desired.

Frosting:

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Earth Balance vegan soy-free baking sticks  softened/room temperature
• 3 & 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp coconut* milk

Directions

1. Using mixer, beat butter until light and airy.
2. With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and coconut* milk and mix until smooth.
3. Beat on high for another 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

 

*While coconut does grow on trees it is not typically listed as a tree nut.  It is considered a botanical nut and placed in a fruit category.

~Lacey

 

Allergy Friendly Homemade Cheezits

These are buttery, soft and chewy with crispy edges. They are zesty cheesy and my five young kiddos absolutely adored them. They are egg free and nut free and can be made gluten free with just a few substitutions. As an allergy mom myself I know we are the QUEENS of substituting and swapping out ingredients! These take 30 minutes total time from start to finish and they will be gone by the end of the day! 😉

So, without anything further, I give you the recipe for:

Allergy Friendly Homemade Cheezits!

2 cups cheddar cheese ( I used mild but sharp or white would also be yummy! )

1 cup of all purpose flour

5 Tbs softened salted butter

1/2 tsp salt ( I use pink Himalayan salt )

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp onion powder ( optional )

1/2 tsp paprika ( optional )

2 Tbs milk

1/4 tsp of salt to dust the tops before putting into oven

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. I used a large cookie sheet plus a small round pan lined with aluminum foil. Use whatever you have. If you use aluminum foil, spray with non-stick spray.

Now to start your dough: Add cheese, flour, butter and spices to a food processor and pulse until well blended. Add milk and pulse until a ball of dough forms. Like this:

Then turn out dough onto a well floured surface and roll out with your rolling pin until 1/8 inch thick. Cut edges with a pizza cutter to form a large rectangle. Put all edges into a pile to the side. Cut large rectangle into 1 inch squares. Mine were more rectangular but I wasn’t striving for perfection 😉 I’m a mom of five…I was striving for get-it-done-super-fast. Now, gently transfer each square onto your lined cookie sheet. Use a thin spatula if needed. After you have all of the squares on your sheet, re-flour your surface and roll out the dough you sat aside. Repeat the process above until all of those squares are also on your baking sheet. Take the dull end of a skewer and poke a hole in the middle of each square. This keeps them from becoming too puffed up. Take a couple pinches of salt and add a very light dusting to the top of the crackers before putting into the pre-heated oven. Bake for about 15 minutes or until edges start becoming brown. Take them out, let them cool and enjoy!!

I call them rustic 😉 Either way, they taste AMAZING.

~Hope

Before and After

Food allergies are life altering.  I should know as I developed an allergy to tree nuts as a teenager.  I have had many types of reactions from rashes/hives, upset stomach, swollen body parts, and the dreaded anaphylaxis requiring epi-pen injection, an ambulance ride, and a visit to the ER.  This post isn’t about my allergies, though.  It is about my son’s.

I only mention my own brief history to point out that this wasn’t always the norm.  Just like with my son DR, we had a period where food allergies did not affect us, were non-existent.

I hated to cook, and my husband, Justin, worked long sporadic hours, so it was easy to just order out:  our options only limited by who was open or willing to deliver.  I complained when we couldn’t agree on food or when an item I wanted was out.

Our diets were that of the typical American.  I never looked at fat, triglyceride, sugar, or caloric values.  Ingredients (other than my tree-nut avoidance) didn’t matter as long as we enjoyed the flavor.  We did try to adhere to a healthy diet for DR, attempting to avoid sugary foods and things that could rot his teeth or lead to obesity.  Grandparents would call us uptight for limiting him to only three cookies or bags of gummies.

Holidays and family get-togethers were plagued with vast amounts of foods. Christmas was my favorite time of year.   From Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, we ate until we were sick.  My grandmother’s holiday baking was beyond compare.  Homemade cheesecakes, reese cups, cookies, brownies, fudge, and puff balls (different types of snack mixes dipped in melted chocolate, caramel, and peanut butter.  She would call me weeks in advance to ask what my heart desired and would spend hours baking.

I look back on all of this now with mixed emotions: sadness, frustration, acceptance, relief…the list goes on.  Our life is completely different, our food choices carefully examined and deliberated.  We eat out very little and cook much more.  Processed foods are a thing of the past, and fresh ingredients line our cabinets and refrigerator.  Holidays are a nightmare, and I am now a baker.

~ Lacey