Speedbump Kitchen

Matthew 6:34

2009-10-27T08:57:00.000-07:00

Last month, I was awakened at 2 am to answer a page and couldn't get back to sleep. The first full week of school was to start in the morning and no notices had been sent home from first grade advising the other parents on Brynn's allergies. So I composed my email to the teacher in my mind, worrying about sounding paranoid or pushy, wondering if I should just write and print the letter for her, mentally revising my prose until I finally fell asleep and forgot about the matter when I woke up.

That afternoon, this letter showed up on pink paper in the backpack. It showed up without my prompting, it showed up in spite of my worry, it showed up written better than my sleepy mind could have composed.

Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34

Makin' the Doughnuts

2009-10-21T06:47:00.000-07:00

I know I could have sent a muffin with sprinkles and it would have worked out fine. But "fine" is not the way we roll around here. Sometimes the pressure of an orchard field trip with cider and doughnuts as the class treat is what I need to move from "fine" to "Mom, you're the best!" I've made 'doughnuts' before, frying up some Meijer brand buttermilk biscuits (no butter or milk in those...really scary, eh?) and dusting them in powdered sugar. Those are tolerable when fresh, but inedible the next day, and I've always felt a bit sheepish about frying up a can of dough.
I think I read through 13 doughnut recipes, tried one that failed terribly (hint: never, ever, deep-fry in lard...no matter what Fanny Farmer or King Arthur say), and then I came upon this winner. These are an egg-free and dairy-free adaptation of a Paula Deen recipe. They're soft, cakey, slightly sweet...perfect for a fall day with a glass of cider. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Doughnuts with Cider Icing

3 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 egg replacers ( I use Ener-G)
1 cup Tofutti Sour Supreme (Dairy-Free Sour Cream)
1 cup mashed sweet potato ( I bet canned pumpkin would work, but our store had a pumpkin shortage!)

1.) Sift the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
2.) Blend the egg replacers, tofutti and sweet potato until smooth. I used an immersion blender, but a food processor or blender would be fine too.
3.) Add the sweet potato mixture to the bowl of dry ingredients and blend carefully with a spoon. Don't go crazy mixing, or they'll be tough. The dough is really sticky.
4.) Refrigerate for 30 minutes while you set up the oil and make the icing.
5.) While the oil is heating up to 360 degrees F, roll the dough out to 1/2 inch thickness, adding flour to your surface and rolling pin to keep things from sticking. Cut into donut shapes. I have a cool set of plastic nesting rounds and the biggest and smallest sizes work perfectly.
6.) Fry in vegetable oil for 2 minutes on the first side, and 1-2 minutes on the second side. Soybean oil is great, canola smells fishy, and lard smells like bovine carcass. Don't use lard, ever, ever.
7.) Let the donuts cool on paper towel before icing and sprinkling.

Cider Icing

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3-4T apple cider

1.) Mix until smooth and frost the cooled doughnuts.

Perfect Dairy Free Doughnut recipe Perfect Egg Free Doughnut recipe Vegan Doughnut recipe

Fairy Cakes, American Girl Place and Rebar!

2009-10-06T05:13:00.000-07:00

Sounds like a standard September at our house. Honestly, when we have projects...we go big. The girls had 5 and 7 year birthdays this past week, which also coincided with torrential downpours and breaking ground on our addition. We have a serious clay situation in our front yard and the backyard...words fail me. When an engineer designs an addition, prepare for overbuilding. This addition is made of concrete and enough rebar to withstand 'The Big One', which might make more sense if we weren't living in the Midwest.

I had a table full of cookbooks from the library on fancy fondant cakes and other crazy plans, but seeing the hole in my backyard pulled me back to reality. This year was the perfect chance to try out some Edible Images. Our local grocery store is one of the few left with an in-house bakery. My girls love gazing at the cakes and flipping through their glossy cake book to plan their birthdays. Lucky for me, after explaining our situation, the bakery has been willing to sell me their 'cake toppers' without a cake. This year, to my surprise and delight, they were willing to print and sell me an Edible Image with a photo to put on our allergen-friendly cakes. $4 each. Amazing. The cakes were chocolate and lemon, and we were split on which one was the best.

Add on a trip to American Girl Place to pick out their dolls, and you have a perfect September weekend. Now, if I could just fix that hole in our backyard...

So much dirt!!

Kit and Molly find their home.

Chocolate Sheet Cake

2 cups soy milk
1 T. cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cups oil ( I used canola)
1 T. vanilla (optional)

2 cups flour
2/3 cups cocoa powder ( I used Nestle)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1.) Preheat oven to 350. Prepare your cake pan. I used the birthday as an excuse to buy a new metal cake pan, but a Pyrex casserole pan should work fine. Fold a sheet of parchment so it lays crosswise into a 9 x 13 pan and hangs up over the edges (this way you can 'lift' the cake out of the pan by the paper to the cooling rack) . Spray well with cooking spray.
2.) Whisk soy and vinegar together in a medium bowl and let thicken. Then add the sugar, oil and vanilla. Mix well.
3.) In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, soda, baking powder and salt. My cocoa and baking soda are always lumpy, so I sift mine into the bowl through a mesh strainer to get out the lumps.
4.) Carefully dump and mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Just blend until most of the lumps are out. Don't beat the heck out of it.
5.) Pour batter into your prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the center is set and you can poke a knife into the center and it comes out clean. Let the cake rest for a few minutes before lifting out and cooling on a rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Frosting
You'll have extra, so don't hesitate to take a few spoonfuls while baking.

1 stick margarine, softened ( I use Fleischmann's Unsalted Margarine)
1/2 cup shortening
1/8 teaspoon of salt, or a couple pinches.
1 cup cocoa powder (I use Nestle)
5 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup soymilk ( more if needed)

1.) Cream the margarine and shortening until fluffy.
2.) Add the salt and cocoa powder.
3.) Add the powdered sugar slowly. You can add a little of the soymilk as you are trying to mix in all the powdered sugar if things get too thick.
4.) Once all the powdered sugar is mixed in, you can start adding soymilk until you get the frosting thickness you want. Sometimes I like it dense, sometimes I like it fluffy and mousse-like.

Lemon Sheet Cake
This is a great cake to try some coconut oil. The coconut flavor is very subtle and tastes rather buttery. I bought a big jar on Amazon for half the price of our local health food store, and only $1 shipping. Canola works fine, but you'll need to crank up the lemon or vanilla flavors, otherwise the cake tastes like bland cornbread. Lemon oil is amazing stuff, I found mine at Williams-Sonoma but King Arthur has it by mail order. It lasts forever in the fridge.

2 cups soy milk
1 T. cider vinegar
2/3 cup oil (I used melted coconut oil)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 T. vanilla
1/4 teaspoon lemon oil (or 1 teaspoon fine lemon zest, don't use lemon extract or the cake will taste like floor polish)

2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1.) Preheat oven to 350. Prepare your cake pan. I used the birthday as an excuse to buy a new metal cake pan, but a Pyrex casserole pan should work fine. Fold a sheet of parchment so it lays crosswise into a 9 x 13 pan and hangs up over the edges (this way you can 'lift' the cake out of the pan by the paper to the cooling rack) . Spray well with cooking spray.
2.) Whisk soy and vinegar together in a medium bowl and let thicken. Then add the sugar, oil and flavorings. Mix well.
3.) In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, soda, baking powder and salt. My cornstarch and baking soda are always lumpy, so I sift mine into the bowl through a mesh strainer to get out the lumps.
4.) Carefully dump and mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Just blend until most of the lumps are out. Don't beat the heck out of it.
5.) Pour batter into your prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the center is set and you can poke a knife into the center and it comes out clean. Let the cake rest for a few minutes before lifting out and cooling on a rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Lightly Lemony Frosting

1 stick margarine, softened ( I use Fleischmann's Unsalted Margarine)
1/2 cup shortening
1/8 teaspoon of salt, or a couple pinches.
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup soymilk ( more if needed)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon lemon oil or 1/4 teaspoon fine lemon zest (not lemon extract)

1.) Cream the margarine and shortening until fluffy.
2.) Add the salt and cocoa powder.
3.) Add the powdered sugar slowly. You can add a little of the soymilk as you are trying to mix in all the powdered sugar if things get too thick.
4.) Once all the powdered sugar is mixed in, you can start adding soymilk until you get the frosting thickness you want. Sometimes I like it dense, sometimes I like it fluffy and mousse-like.

The Sisters' Zucchini Bread

2009-09-19T07:58:00.000-07:00

This summer, for the first time in 13 years, I decided not to grow a backyard garden. I even grew a clandestine veggie garden outside my apartment while in Med school, so this was a big change! Instead, we bought shares in a local CSA and we've been up to our ears in produce. I've never had so much salad in all my life! The challenge of 'eating down' the veggies before the next week's share is delivered has been fun. I've also enjoyed the variety of vegetables.
With my small home garden, I never had the space for a sprawling zucchini plant, so we've never enjoying baking it up in bread. This recipe is adapted from my mother-in-law. This is the tried and true recipe that 'The Sisters' use...meaning that this recipe has passed the test in the kitchens of 3 Midwest grandmothers. While not exactly low-fat or low in sugar, it is classic.

Sisters' Zucchini Bread
Makes 2 loaves

2 heaping cups grated zucchini, skin and all
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
2 egg replacers ( I use Ener-G)
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour (I have experimented with 1/2 white and 1/2 whole wheat and it works)
1 T. cinnamon
1 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda

Crumb Topping (optional)

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 T. dairy-free margarine, melted ( I use Fleischmann's Unsalted Margarine)
1/2 t. cinnamon

1.) Preheat oven to 325.
2.) Mix the first set of wet ingredients together in a medium bowl.
3.) Mix the second set of dry ingredients together in a larger bowl.
4.) Dump the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until everything is just blended.
5.) Divide the batter evenly between two greased bread pans.
6.) Mix the crumb topping ingredients together in a small bowl, and sprinkle over the batter. You'll have extra, so save it in the freezer for topping muffins someday.
7.) Bake for 1 hour. They're done when the center is set. You can try inserting a toothpick to see if it comes out dry, or just touch the tops. When they spring back, the bread is done.
8.) Let them rest for a few minutes, then carefully remove from the pans to a cooling rack.

The first loaf gets devoured immediatly, the second loaf gets cut into slices. I put a small piece of waxed paper or parchment between each slice and freeze...perfect for lunches or mid-day snacks!

Egg Free Zucchini Bread Dairy Free Zucchini Bread Vegan Zucchini Bread

NDQ Sandwiches

2009-09-11T16:32:00.000-07:00

From the age of 14 until 20, I spent every summer working in various ice cream shops, everything from the little local stores all the way up to the big time...a real authentic Dairy Queen. At Dairy Queen, the secrets of the Buster Bar, Dilly Bar, DQ Sandwich and the Perfect DQ curl were finally revealed. I wish I could say that all those summers ruined me from ice cream, but I'm pretty resiliant. I probably eat ice cream every day in one form or another. The DQ Sandwich is still my favorite little treat, and I'm happy to present the Non-Dairy Queen Sandwich.

Now, there are plenty of dairy and egg-free ice cream sandwiches available at the grocery store made by Tofutti or So Delicious. But those are soft sandwiches, not to mention that the Tofutti chocolate cookie is made of some crazy mix of cocoa and glue because it sticks terribly to toddler fingers and teeth. These are crisp cookies, and super chocolatey. The ice cream is so easy to make, I'm a bit embarrased to post it...but after all that hard work on the cookies you deserve a break!

NDQ Sandwiches
(Dairy-Free and Egg-Free Ice Cream Sandwiches)

1 1/2 cups cake flour (I used Swan's Down, be careful...Pillsbury Softasilk has egg and dairy.)
3/4 cup cocoa powder ( I used Nestle)
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 sticks (14T) dairy-free margarine, room temp ( I used Fleischmann's Unsalted Margarine)

1.) I found these to be pretty fussy as far as measuring goes. For the flour, cocoa and powdered sugar, I first fluffed up the item to be measured with a spoon or my measuring cup and then scooped with the measuring cup and leveled off with a knife.
2.) Place everything except the margarine into a food processor and pulse a few times to mix.
3.) Slice the margarine into the food processor bowl.
4.) Pulse about 8-10 times until the margarine is well blended, the mixture is still crumbly and hasn't come together into a ball yet.
5.) Dump the crumbly mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap and form into a flat disk.
6.) Refrigerate for at least an hour.
7.) Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into 3 inch rounds or hearts. I have a really cool set of nesting fluted round cutters that I got from Amazon, which I use all the time, the biggest size is perfect. Decorate with toothpick or cookie cutter impressions if you want.
8.) Place the cookies on a parchment or Silpat-lined baking sheet and place in the freezer.
9.) Preheat the oven to 350 while the cookies freeze.
10.) Bake for 10-12 minutes. They should puff up, then flatten out. When they start smelling good, they're probably ready.
11.) Let them rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving to a cooling rack, they're pretty fragile when hot.
12.) When cool, you can fill them with ice cream and freeze. Because the cookies are crisp, make sure the whole sandwich is well frozen before eating...otherwise the ice cream slides out!

The World's Easiest Dairy-Free and Egg-Free Vanilla Ice Cream

3 cups mini-marshmallows or 20 big ones
3 cups Silk Vanilla Creamer (about 1 1/2 pints)

1.) In a microwave safe bowl, melt the marshmallows, 30 seconds at a time. Slowely pour in the creamer, wisking everything together until smooth.
2.) Freeze in an ice cream maker. I have a Cuisinart, which works really well. Williams-Sonoma has a deal right now with an extra bowl, which is great to have.

Back at it

2009-09-08T06:45:00.000-07:00

August just slipped through my fingers, I'm still in a bit of denial about driving two kids to school every morning now. Jack, the 2 year old, has registered his protest about sitting in the 5 point harness for 45 minutes each day. I have a feeling he is going to chub up quite a bit this year, I just keep chucking food back at him.

Speaking of which, I went to the health food store to stock up on some treats and supplies and came away just narrowly missing our 4th ER visit in a year for little Jack (the first three visits were for a prolonged febrile seizure, anaphylaxis after his first sip of cow's milk and a head laceration...when we go, we go big).

The culprit this time was an apparently benign box of Enjoy Life Caramel Apple cookies. You know Enjoy Life, right? "Eat-freely, allergy-friendly, gluten-free and free of the 8 most common allergens." Well, I guess we've moved beyond the top 8.

He was squawking, I grabbed the box off the shelf, opened it and gave him one so I could go on reading labels in peace. He coughed, I looked up and thought I should read the box...sunflower butter....hmm. Well, he's had sunflower oil before, our other allergic kid eats Sunbutter without a problem. I took the cookie away anyway and gave him some gluten free pretzels to calm his crying, sending up a quick prayer, "Come on Lord, give me a little break here, let us have sunflower seeds."

Apparently, we don't get many breaks around here. Fortunately, this resolved after 4 hours with just some Benadryl and driving around in that air-conditioned 5 point harness car seat to keep him from scratching his skin off.

iPhone distraction technique

His forehead laceration is still healing for crying out loud!

Thinking outside the Box

2009-07-28T06:31:00.000-07:00

Time to put on my thinking cap and put off the house cleaning for another Daring Baker's Challenge. My kitchen is pretty sticky right now, so I'll post first...clean later. The July Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network. The point here was try to make a homemade version of a boxed cookie.

My first few attempts at this challenge were a failure, largely because I tried to make simple allergy substitutions with the existing recipe and like a bad game of recipe telephone...the further I got from the original recipe through adaptations...the less like the original the result became.

So in this case, I started over, and created a dairy-free and egg-free shortbread cookie base for both cookies and called it close enough. The "Milanos" reminded me more of ''E.L.Fudges", and since I've never had a marshmallow cookie...those just tasted like sugar-bombs, but the kids loved them.

Dairy-Free and Egg-Free Milanos (or E.L.Fudges as the case may be)
Don't think that the irony of vegan cookies in the shape of a fish was lost on me

Shortbread (this technique makes a crisp-tender cookie, not fall-apart flaky)
2 cups cake flour (like Swan's Down, be careful, Softasilk has egg and dairy)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 T. cornstarch
Pinch of salt
11 T. dairy-free margarine at room temp (I use Fleischman's Unsalted Margarine)

1.) In a food processor, mix the flour, sugar and cornstarch together.
2.) Cut the margarine into pieces and pulse until it just barely comes together.
3.) Dump the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and form into a disk, refrigerate for 1 hour.
4.) Roll dough between two pieces of plastic wrap until 1/4 inch thick. Cut into shapes and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
5.) Preheat oven to 350 and put the cookie sheets into the freezer while the oven preheats.
6.) Bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies start to turn golden brown.
7.) Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 1 minute before transferring to a cooling rack.

Chocolate filling
8 ounces of safe chocolate chips ( I used Divvies)
1/2 cup soymilk (I used Silk Very Vanilla)

1.) Place the chocolate chips in a small bowl.
2.) Heat the soymilk up in the microwave until steaming (60-90 seconds) and dump over the chocolate chips.
3.) Stir well until all the chocolate is melted. If you didn't heat the soymilk up enough to melt the chocolate, you can put everything in the microwave for a few more seconds. Be careful though and don't burn the chocolate.
4.) Spread one cookie, top with another and smoosh them together!

Dairy-Free and Egg-Free Marshmallow Cookies

Shortbread (same as above!)

Homemade Marshmallows for overachievers who like sticky floors
(Smart people will just melt 1/2 of a large Jet-Puffed on top)

3 (1/4-ounces) envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 cup water, divided
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1.) Don't even think about trying this unless you have a stand mixer or you will lose your mind.
2.) Sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup water in the bowl of a stand mixer to soften.
3.) Heat sugar, corn syrup, salt and remaining 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved.
4.) Raise heat to medium and bring to a boil, swirling occasionally, don't stir or scrape down the sides. Continue boiling until a candy thermometer reaches 240, or soft ball stage. Remove from heat.
5.) With mixer at low speed, pour hot syrup into the softened gelatin slowly, until incorporated.
6.) Crank the mixer up to high and beat like crazy for 15 minutes, it will be really fluffy and thick.
7.) Add the vanilla and beat 1 minute more.
8.) This is where the sticky begins. Working quickly before the gelatin sets, stuff the marshmallow into a disposable pastry bag and pipe a little blob on to each cookie. This is a mess. If you have extra, pipe some kisses onto a greased piece of foil and use them in hot chocolate later.

Chocolate Dip
1 cup safe chocolate chips ( I used Divvies)
1 T. shortening

1.) Place everything in a small microwave safe bowl. Heat slowly, 30 seconds at a time, melted.
2.) Dip the cookies quickly and then place on a Silpat or some foil sprayed with oil until hardened. I dip the bottoms first and scrape off the extra, then flip over and dip the tops.

Fudgesicle Happiness!

2009-07-15T18:30:00.000-07:00

Honestly, my kids are not for lack of frozen treats during the summer. Our freezer is full of freeze pops and other frozen juice treats. There are so many great safe options out there in popsicle world...unless you really want a creamy dairy-free fudgesicle. The two dairy-free options in the store are either the terribly pricey and oddly numbered 3-pack of So Delicious Fudge Bars for $5 or the less expensive Sweet Nothings Fudge Bars which kinda gross me out having "pea starch" as an ingredient.

This little recipe is so easy. I use the same recipe to make chocolate pot de creme too. The final product is creamy and chocolaty, not icy or sorbet-like. You could add some sugar if your chocolate chips are too bitter, but my kids are into dark chocolate.

Dairy-Free Fudgesicles

1 cup safe chocolate chips (I've used Divvies and Enjoy Life)
1/2 cup vanilla or chocolate soymilk
1 box silken tofu (12 ounces)

1.) In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the soymilk and chocolate chips slowly, 30 seconds at a time stirring between zaps, until melted and smooth.
2.) Using a stand blender, immersion blender or a food processor, mix the warm chocolate soy mixture with the box of tofu until smooth and creamy. A hand mixer or whisk won't do it, you have to blend it well to get the tofu lumps out.
3.) Freeze in popscicle molds. I'm a Midwesterner. I have Tupperware ones. But I did buy them on eBay and didn't go full Midwest and buy them at a Party.

Happy Independence Day

2009-07-04T12:11:00.000-07:00

Independence Day is a big event around here, with lots of nostalgia. I met my husband 27 years ago on the 4th of July, and he proposed 14 years later... on the 4th of July. Moral of the story...choose carefully who your kids spend their time with...even when they are 8! This dairy-free and egg-free flag cake is a revision on my mother-in-law's traditional cake, and I think it may rival the original!

The cake is a double batch of the Shuna Fish Lydon's caramel cake, baked in two small jelly roll pans ( 9 x 12). You could bake it in a big jelly roll pan, but the center might not set as well, and you'd have to serve it out of the pan as it would probably break while removing it. I love this cake recipe. It is very dense, like a pound cake, due to the true butter cake technique of creaming butter and sugar and then alternating additions of flour and milk. The caramel syrup is what makes this so wonderful. It gives it a subtle, buttery flavor. I'm not one to lick beaters, but the batter is that good. The frosting is dairy-free cream cheese, which works quite well with the sweet cake. If you missed making this for 4th of July, don't fret, you can still make one to take to your next local anti-tax Tea Party.

Flag Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

2 1/2 sticks dairy-free margarine ( I used Fleischman's Unsalted Margarine)
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup Caramel Syrup (recipe below)
4 Ener-G egg replacers whipped until thick (I use an immersion blender)
Splash of vanilla extract
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cup plain soymilk thickened with 2 T. cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350F
Line two small jelly roll pans with parchment, and spray well with cooking spray.

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream margarine until smooth.
2. Add sugar and salt, cream until light and fluffy. This takes forever, I'm not kidding.
3. Slowly pour room temperature caramel syrup into bowl.
4. Scrape down bowl and increase speed. Add egg replacers and vanilla extract a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down bowl again, beat mixture until light and uniform.
5. Sift flour and baking powder together.
6. Turn mixer to lowest speed, and add one third of the flour mixture.
7. When Incorporated, add half of the soymilk, a little at a time.
8. Add another third of the flour, then the other half of the soymilk and finish with the flour. {This is called the dry, wet, dry, wet, dry method in cake making. It is often employed when there is a high proportion of liquid in the batter.}
9. Take off mixer and by hand, use a spatula to do a few last folds, making sure batter is uniform.

Divide batter among the two pans. Bake at 350 for about 20-30 minutes. Bake until sides pull away from the pan and skewer inserted in middle comes out clean. Remove from pan to a cooling rack as soon as you can, if it sits in the pan for too long, it gets really soggy. Cool cake completely before frosting.

Caramel Syrup
Sugar and water...this stuff is simply magical

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water 1 cup water for "stopping"

1. In a small stainless steel saucepan, with tall sides, mix water and sugar until mixture feels like wet sand.
2. Brush down any stray sugar crystals with wet pastry brush.
3. Turn on heat to highest flame.
4. Cook until rich amber. You can test the color by dabbing a bit on a white plate.
5. When color is achieved, very carefully pour in one cup of water. Caramel will jump and sputter about! It is very dangerous, so have long sleeves on and prepared to step back.
6. Whisk over medium heat until it the sugar is dissolved and the syrup has reduced slightly. It should be the sticky thickness of maple syrup or warm honey. {Obviously wait for it to cool on a spoon before touching it.}

Dairy-Free Cream Cheese Frosting

1 tub Tofutti cream cheese (4 ounces, or 1/4 cup), softened
1 stick dairy-free margarine, softened( I use Fleischmann's Unsalted Margarine)
1 t. vanilla extract
5 cups powdered sugar

1.) Cream the Tofutti and margarine together with a hand mixer.
2.) Add the vanilla and enough powdered sugar to make the frosting as thick as you want.

BBQ Season!

2009-06-29T15:59:00.000-07:00

My favorite summer meal of childhood is still the same today: barbecued chicken legs, mashed potatoes and steamed Michigan asparagus. It must be genetic because my kids love it too. We're all a sticky mess afterwards, but it is fun!

I have a pretty strict "no store-bought condiment' rule in the fridge. Ketchup, Dijon mustard and mayo are the exceptions but no bottled salad dressings, no dips, no sauces, no marinades. I think the habit is 1/3 Midwest frugal, 1/3 space-issue in the fridge and 1/3 'I can do better than Kraft'. Once you've made your own barbecue sauce, you'll never go back to the bottle.

Have a great 4th of July!

Homemade Barbecue Sauce

1/4 cup ketchup
1 T. brown sugar
2 T. cider vinegar
2 T. Dijon mustard
2 T. canola oil
2 T. honey
2 t. dry mustard
1 t. paprika
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. onion powder
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. cayenne

Mix everything up in a small bowl and use it as you please. If you're planning to brush this on your chicken, reserve a bit out for serving at the table.

Once in a Blue Moon

2009-06-18T08:51:00.000-07:00

Blue Moon ice cream is a Midwest favorite among kids, and has a cult-like following among adults as well. When I was growing up, the chance to actually pick Blue Moon for my cone came along just about as often as a Blue Moon. With four kids and lots of dribbly cones to manage, my parents limited us to flavors they actually wanted to lick. I'm probably the only kid to who truly believed that Butter Pecan, Chocolate Almond, Carmel Cashew and Butter Brickle were better than Superman, Bubble Gum, Black Cherry and Blue Moon.

Given the very adult flavors of soy ice cream on the shelves, I started seeing the same parenting pattern evolve here as well. "Don't worry kiddo, chocolate and vanilla really are the best flavors...so many possibilities for embellishment..." Well, today I took matters into my own hands, plucked up some tastebud courage and tasted...really tasted...the Blue Moon ice cream. The flavor is a bit hard to describe, but it is not fruity like I expected. It's kinda bland, sweet, with a little almond, nutmeg and faint lemon...and very blue. This dairy-free and egg-free Blue Moon recipe is based loosely on one by Laura at the Organizing Junkie. (The post was sent to me by a friend. I'm not a follower of her blog, in fact, I'm a complete Fly Lady flunk-out from the words 'shiny sink'.)

I have a Cuisinart ice cream maker which works great. It's probably worth buying one. If you use it 5 times, you've spent as much on the equivalent amount in Tofutti pints...but the big blue grins alone would sell me anyway!

Blue Moon Ice Cream for Everyday Use

2 cups soymilk (plain or vanilla)
2 cups mini marshmallows or 16 big ones
1/3 cup sugar
3 T. oil ( I used avocado, canola would be fine)

1 teaspoon vanilla (skip this if you used vanilla milk)
a pinch of nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon lemon oil
Blue food coloring ( I used Wilton gel icing color in sky blue)

In a big bowl, microwave marshmallows, sugar and 1 cup of soymilk until the marshmallows are melted. This takes about 1 to 2 minutes, 30 seconds at a time. Whisk in the other cup of soymilk and oil. Put it in the fridge (or freezer) until cool. When cool, whisk in the flavorings and enough blue to do the job. Freeze in your ice cream maker and enjoy!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

2009-06-10T16:35:00.000-07:00

There is no better way to start summer vacation than with a fresh strawberry rhubarb pie! I could happily go with straight rhubarb, but the little ones in the house appreciated the sweetness of the strawberries. This will be my first posting of the basic dairy-free pie crust I use all the time. The recipe is a piece of American culinary history, as it came straight out of my 1939 copy of Fannie Farmer's Boston Cooking-School Cook Book. Depression-era cookbooks are an absolute treasure of dairy and egg-free recipes. If crust making seems too daunting, you can use Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts...something I do a bit more often than I'd like to admit.

The filling is adapted from epicurious. If it seems like your berries and rhubarb are particularly juicy, you can add a few more tablespoons of cornstarch or Minute tapioca. I like tapioca a bit more because too much cornstarch as a thickener starts to taste gloppy and corny. Serve this up with a big scoop of dairy-free vanilla ice cream!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

3 1/2 cups sliced rhubarb, 1/2 inch thick slices ( 1 1/2 pound bunch, untrimmed)
16 ounce package of strawberries, hulled and halved
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 c. cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

1.) Make the dough first, then work on the filling while the dough chills in the refrigerator...unless you're thinking, fresh pie is good enough for today, and you're using a Pillsbury crust. Then just start making the filling while the crust warms up on your counter.
2.) Mix all the filling ingredients together and let them sit while you roll out the crust.
3.) Pre-heat oven to 400.
4.) Roll half the dough out and make the pie base. Dump in the filling. Roll out the other half and make the little lattice top and crimp around the edges. I do a "cheaters lattice", where the crust isn't interwoven. The pieces are just lined up at an angle. Dairy-free crust is very soft and breakable and any messing around causes the crust to crumble in your hands. I actually really hate the crust rolling part. I've made zillions of pies and it still gives me heartburn. Brush with water and sprinkle with sugar.
5.) Place the pie on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. The pie will bubble over, so be prepared.
6.) Bake for 20 minutes at 400, then decrease the heat to 350 and bake for another 1 hour and 20 minutes or so. If it starts to brown too quickly (and it will), place some foil over the whole pie loosely. The pie is done when it starts to bubble towards the center. If it is just bubbling at the edges, it is not done in the center, so keep baking.
7.) Cool before eating, it thickens as it cools.

Basic Dairy-Free Double Pie Crust

3 cups flour
1 cup shortening, sliced into chunks and frozen
1 teaspoon salt
1 T. sugar
Ice water (about 6-8 Tablespoons)

1.) I'm lazy, and crust stresses me out. I use a food processor. If you have a pastry cutter and know how to use it, you're probably better at pie making that I, so you can figure out how to adapt.
2.) Dump the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor and give it a few pulses to mix things up.
3.) Dump in half of the sliced shortening. Give it 8 short pulses.
4.) Dump in the rest of the shortening. Give it another 8 pulses.
5.) Spoon in 6 Tablespoons of ice water, give it another 8 pulses. Test the dough by pinching a bit of it together. If it seems really crumbly or dry and looks like it might hassle you while rolling it out, add the other 2 T. of water and give a few more pulses.
6.) Divide into two blobs, wrap in plastic wrap, form into a nice disk and refrigerate until you want to use it or at least an hour.

Some pie crust advice that might help your pastry-induced anxieties: The dough is sticky. Your life will be better if you roll it out between two sheets of plastic wrap. If you try use a lot of flour, the dough will get dry and tough. The dough is crumbly. Just do your best when transferring to the pie pan, pinch the dough to patch up holes. The dough doesn't taste like much (no butter!!). Keep it thin and the fruit flavor will shine through. The dough likes to burn. After the crust has baked a while and is starting to turn golden, set a piece of foil over the whole thing. Don't crimp it or anything. Just a straight piece over top.

Apple Strudel with Caramel Sauce

2009-05-27T09:27:00.000-07:00

There is a battle going on in my kitchen regarding the Strudel Theme Song. One kid says that Mary Poppins sings about it in the thunderstorm and one kid says the Larry the Cucumber sings about it when he has the blues. I'm not even going to try to sort it out. "Stop arguing and eat your strudel" definitely goes on the list of things I'd never thought I'd say.

This month's Daring Baker Challenge is Apple Strudel. In addition to being pretty close to an adult version of play-dough, it was super easy to adapt to be dairy, egg and nut-free. I really enjoyed it! I can't wait for Michigan cherry season to make a cherry strudel!

The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.

Making the Strudel

Apple Strudel
from "Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafes of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague" by Rick Rodgers

Strudel Dough
1 1/3 cups unbleached flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 Tablespoons water
2 Tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

1.) Combine flour and salt in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the water, oil and vinegar in a measuring cup. Add the water and oil mixture to the mixer on low speed. Once the dough forms, switch to the dough hook and knead for 5-7 minutes and a soft ball forms.
2.) Shape the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 30-90 minutes. Your life will be easier if you relax and wait 90 minutes. Make the filling while the dough rests.

Apple Filling
2 pounds tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4 inch slices.
1-2 Tablespoons brandy or golden rum (optional)
3 Tablespoons golden raisins, (chopped if you're trying to hide them from your kids)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon flour
A few pinches of salt

1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs ( I used Real Lovin' Breadcrumbs)
3 T. dairy-free margarine (I used Fleischmann's Unsalted Margarine)

1.) Mix the top set of apple ingredients together in a large bowl, then set to work on the breadcrumbs.
2.) Melt the butter in a skillet and add the breadcrumbs. Cook over medium high heat for 3 minutes or so, or until the bread starts smelling toasted. Set crumbs aside.

Making the Strudel
1.) Preheat oven to 375.
2.) Find a nice big table that you can walk around and cover it with a clean, lightweight cotton tablecloth. Sprinkle the tablecloth generously with flour.
3.) Slowly and gently pull the dough into a big rectangle. When it starts getting too big to handle, set it on the tablecloth and keep stretching. If the dough starts to fight back, walk away and give it time. Through a combination of pulling and rolling with a pin, you should eventually have a tissue-paper thin dough that is about 2 feet by 3 feet. Trim the edges (they will be a bit thick).
4.) Melt another 4 Tablespoons of margarine and spread it over the dough. A pastry brush was too rough on the thin dough, so I ended out covering my palms with margarine and patting the dough all over.
5.) Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the dough.
6.) Dump the apple filling about 4 inches from the short end of the rectangle and shape it.
7.) Now the rolling begins! Start by pulling the first edge over top of the filling and then using the tablecloth, carefully roll the whole thing up! Seal the edges, brush the top with margarine and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
8.) Bake for 40 minutes, let cool for 30 minutes before cutting.

Dairy-Free Caramel Sauce

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup water
1 cup plain soy creamer

1.) Heat the sugar and water in a heavy saucepan to a slow boil without stirring. Wash down any sugar crystals that form on the side of the pan with a pastry brush and water. Heat until the sugar forms a golden brown color, swirling around the pan occasionally.
2.) Remove from heat and dump in the soy creamer. Watch out, it will sputter and spurt.
3.) Return to heat, mixing well to dissolve all the lumps. Let it come to a full rolling boil and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Cool to room temp before serving.

I'll let you determine your own Strudel Theme Song.

A Hot Fudge Education

2009-05-13T13:40:00.001-07:00

Summer is almost upon us and even though ice cream is a year-round (almost daily) thing for us...summer is a perfect excuse to eat more! I was a bit appalled at my parenting lapse when neither of my girls had any idea what a "hot fudge sundae" could possibly be. Well, I fixed that today...and my house smells so good!

There are three different recipes for dairy-free chocolate sauce here, depending on your chocolate tastes and what you have in your pantry. The first is a chocolate syrup, nearly identical to Hershey's syrup, and much cheaper than $6 Ahlaska Chocolate Syrup. It is perfect for mixing with soymilk or rice milk to make your own chocolate milk and it lasts for quite a while in the fridge. The second is thick, dark and glossy. It reminds me of Sander's Fudge Topping, and this was the girls' favorite. The third is an adaptation of my mom's hot fudge recipe, substituting coconut milk for the evaporated milk. This is more of a "milk chocolate" sauce and is thinner than the second recipe. This was the favorite of the adults in the house, but we've also had gallons of my mom's hot fudge over Schwann's Peppermint Stick ice cream through the years...I guess we're a bit set in our hot fudge ways.

Oh, the "ice cream" is SoDelicious and the whipped cream is Rich's Whip in my new cream whipper!

Dairy-Free Chocolate Syrup (like Hershey's Syrup)
adapted from the Hillbilly Housewife

1/2 cup dairy and nut-free cocoa powder ( I used Nestle)
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1.) Mix water, cocoa, sugar and salt in a 2 quart saucepan over high heat.
2.) Whisk until everything dissolves and then bring to a full boil, stirring occasionally.
3.) Reduce heat and boil for a full 3 minutes, make sure it doesn't boil over!
4.) Remove from heat and stir in the salt and vanilla.
5.) Allow to cool and then pour into a pint-sized canning jar, or an old cleaned-out Hershey's squeeze bottle.

Store in the fridge for a month or two.

Dairy-Free Dark Chocolate Sauce
Adapted from epicurious, so it's their fault that you get every single measuring cup messy!

2/3 cup plain soymilk
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup dairy-free and nut-free cocoa powder ( I used Nestle)
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup dairy-free and nut-free chocolate chips (I used Divvies)
2 Tablespoons dairy-free margarine (This is probably optional, I used Fleischmann's Unsalted Margarine)

1.) Bring soymilk, corn syrup, sugar, cocoa, salt and half the chocolate chips to a boil in a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the chocolate is melted.
2.) Reduce heat and cook at a low boil, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
3.) Remove from heat and stir in the remaining chocolate, vanilla and the margarine (if you are using it) until smooth.

Makes about 2 cups, keeps refrigerated for 1 week.

Dairy-Free Milk Chocolate Hot Fudge Sauce
Adapted from my mom

1 can coconut milk (14 ounce)
1/4 cup (make it heaping) dairy and nut-free cocoa powder (I used Nestle)
1 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

1.) Bring everything to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat.
2.) Reduce heat and cook at a low boil for 5 minutes.

Store refrigerated for 1 week.

Losing my faith...

2009-05-09T09:34:00.000-07:00

...In the American Academy of Pediatrics that is. Am I the only one who thinks we (doctors) may have it all wrong? I found my baby book, which my mother filled in faithfully in a way reserved for the first born child. My first response when I read the feeding page was shock. MOM! You fed me cereal when I was 5 days old, formula when I was a week old, egg at 4 months, ice cream at 6 months! Were you crazy!! My mom just shrugged and said "that's what we were told to do...and there were a lot less food allergies back then."

Up until a year ago, the AAP feeding mantra went like this " Exclusively breastfeed for 6 months, then introduce solids slowly, continue nursing until a year, wait until then to introduce eggs and cow's milk, no nuts or fish until age 3." Now, the AAP seems as confused as anyone else and retracting all the promises that delayed solids could prevent food allergy.

The dark questions in my mind are, "Has all this advice on delaying solids actually caused the epidemic of food allergy we are now seeing? Has the advice for allergic kids to religiously avoid allergens led to the observation that this generation is outgrowing their food allergies later than previous generations? "

Anecdotally, it makes sense to me. The "good" parents who follow all the "feeding rules", end out with the rashy and allergic kids. The parents who just wing it, feeding solids way early, little tastes of table food here and there...tend to do fine. The "good" parents faithfully avoid milk after a positive skin test shows their child's eczema is due to milk allergy... then much later, their previously non-anaphylactic kid anaphylaxes from an accidental exposure. The "bad" parents get the same diagnosis for the same rashy kid, but don't fully remove milk from the diet. The kid stays a bit rashy, but doesn't ever anaphylax with accidental exposures.

For now, I keep repeating the AAP feeding mantra to the new parents...but with a lot less conviction. For now, when a RAST test on a rashy kid comes back positive, I recommend avoidance. But I wish I could say "keep feeding the allergen and we'll just treat the eczema" , or better yet, I try to talk parents out of testing altogether so we can just treat the skin without stressing about the cause. All the exciting research in food allergy seems to be focusing on prevention through early introduction of allergens or in the arena of tolerance through increased exposure. In the next few years, I would not be surprised to see my mom's feeding regimen vindicated by science.

Carrot Cupcakes

2009-04-22T14:13:00.000-07:00

I saw my first urban rabbit munching on a fresh dandelion today, a sure sign of spring! In an attempt not to do everything myself, this is my first spring in 11 years that I'm not planting a vegetable garden, sniff. I've outsourced that work to a local CSA, which should be a fun adventure anyway! Somehow, I just can't let the garden and my rainbow carrots go...so here's a little garden swan song from my kitchen.

These carrot cupcakes are otherwise known as "Morning Glory" muffins around here. They freeze really well, thanks to the eye-popping amount of oil, I just close my eyes and dump it in. My kid is barely clinging to the 3rd percentile in weight, so I'm good with oil. You can try easing back if the amount freaks you out, and let me know what happens.

The dairy-free cream cheese frosting was a nice surprise. After sampling the Tofutti cream cheese straight, I was very doubtful the frosting would be palatable. Sugar does wonders, and the frosting is pretty close to the real thing. The carrots are shaped Starburst candies with some chocolate cookie crumb dirt. A few seconds in the microwave makes the Starburst easier to shape. Happy Spring!

Egg-Free and Dairy-Free Carrot Cupcakes
or Morning Glory Muffins if you're not in a Frosting Mood!

2 cups grated carrots
1 apple, cored and grated
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup golden raisins (or regular)
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 cup oil
2 egg replacers (I use Ener-G)

2 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

1.) Preheat the oven to 350.
2.) Dump the top set of wet ingredients into a medium bowl and mix well.
3.) Measure the flour, soda, cinnamon and salt into a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
4.) Dump the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together carefully, until just blended.
5.) Scoop the batter into paper-lined muffin tins, about 3/4 full.
6.) Bake for 20-25 minutes or until set on top and they start to smell good.
7.) Remove from muffin pan and cool on a rack before frosting.
8.) Makes about 18.

Dairy-Free Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 tub Tofutti cream cheese (4 ounces, or 1/4 cup), softened
1/2 stick dairy-free margarine, softened( I use Fleischmann's Unsalted Margarine)
1 t. vanilla extract
2-2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1.) Cream the Tofutti and margarine together with a hand mixer.
2.) Add the vanilla and enough powdered sugar to make the frosting as thick as you want.
3.) This makes enough to frost generously with a knife, if you're planning to pipe on piles of frosting, you might need to make a bit more frosting.

Note: These cupcakes will freeze and thaw at room temp or in the fridge beautifully, frosting and all.

Thin Mints

2009-04-13T08:19:00.000-07:00

I actually didn't start out trying to make homemade Thin Mints, but was really on a borderline obsessive quest for the perfect egg-free and dairy-free chocolate wafer cookie to decorate a cake I want to try later this month. My quest took me through many recipes...Martha, King Arthur, Thomas Keller, Heidi Swanson, Alice Medrich...and finally, in desperation, after a pile of failed trials, I just gave up and tried my own recipe...and doggone if it wasn't exactly what I was looking for.

The problem I kept running into with all those recipes was that without the eggs and butter...the cookies were greasy cocoa-flavored tooth-breakers, not the crisp-tender cookie I was looking for. The final solution was in the type of sugar and flour. After all those failures, I was out of all-purpose flour and granulated sugar, but I did have just enough cake flour and powdered sugar left to try one last batch. And they are perfect. I don't know what took me so long. This makes quite a few, they freeze really well, but feel free to cut the recipe in half.

Egg-Free and Dairy-Free Thin Mint Cookies
Makes about 100 1-inch cookies

1 1/2 cups cake flour (I used Swan's Down, be careful...Pillsbury Softasilk has egg and dairy.)
3/4 cup cocoa powder ( I used Nestle)
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 sticks (14T) dairy-free margarine, room temp ( I used Fleischmann's Unsalted Margarine)

2 cups of safe chocolate chips for dipping ( I used Divvies)
2 T. shortening
Peppermint extract to taste

1.) I found these to be pretty fussy as far as measuring goes. For the flour, cocoa and powdered sugar, I first fluffed up the item to be measured with a spoon or my measuring cup and then scooped with the measuring cup and leveled off with a knife.
2.) Place everything except the margarine into a food processor and pulse a few times to mix.
3.) Slice the margarine into the food processor bowl.
4.) Pulse about 8-10 times until the margarine is well blended, the mixture is still crumbly and hasn't come together into a ball yet.
5.) Dump the crumbly mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap and form into a flat disk.
6.) Refrigerate for at least an hour.
7.) Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into 1 inch rounds or hearts. I have a really cool set of nesting fluted round cutters that I got from Amazon, which I use all the time, the smallest size is perfect.
8.) Place the cookies on a parchment or Silpat-lined baking sheet and place in the freezer.
9.) Preheat the oven to 350 while the cookies freeze.
10.) Bake for 10-12 minutes. They should puff up, then flatten out. When they start smelling good, they're probably ready.
11.) Let them rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving to a cooling rack, they're pretty fragile when hot.
12.) When cool, you can dip them! Melt the chocolate chips and the shortening in a microwave, 30 seconds at a time, stirring well until they are completely melted. Mix in the peppermint extract. I used about 1/4 teaspoon per cup of chocolate chips, you may want to use more or less. Dip the cookies quickly and place on a Silpat or waxed paper. Make sure to tilt and shake the cookies so the chocolate coat is thin and not really overwhelmingly thick. Once you're done, put all the cookies in the freezer. Once the chocolate is dry, you can transfer all the cookies to a freezer-safe container for safe-keeping! Enjoy!

Hot Cross Buns

2009-04-05T14:20:00.000-07:00

Good Friday is still a few days away, but we went a little rogue today and made Hot Cross Buns on Palm Sunday. I couldn't find consensus on what makes the traditional bun, so I didn't feel too badly about making my own tweaks. This recipe goes light on the spices, using just a touch of cinnamon and cardamom. I also passed on the citron (blech), and used currants and maraschino cherries instead. A little juice from the cherries gives the dough a light pink color, which always goes over well around here! Happy Easter!

Hot cross buns,
Hot cross buns,
One a penny,
Two a penny,
Hot cross buns.

If you have no daughters,
If you have no daughters,
If you have no daughters,
Give them to your sons, (unless you're in our house, and he's still wheat-allergic)
If you have none of these,
You must eat them all yourselves.

Egg-Free and Dairy-Free Hot Cross Buns
Makes 18
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup potato flakes (instant potatoes)
1 T. yeast
2 t. salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
3T maraschino cherry juice (or so) plus enough warm water to equal 1 3/4 cups liquid

6 T. dairy-free margarine at room temp (I used Fleischmann's Unsalted Margarine)

1/4 cup currants
1/4 cup chopped maraschino cherries

Glaze
1/4 cup jam (peach, apricot or orange marmalade) warmed and strained

Icing
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 -3T. fresh squeezed orange juice
1/4 t. orange zest (finely grated)

1.) In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle blade, add the flour, sugar, potato flakes, yeast, salt, cinnamon and cardamom. Give it a few turns with the paddle blade to get the dry ingredients blended, and then add the cherry-water. Mix on low until the dough just starts to come together, and then switch to the dough hook. (You could just use your dough hook, but starting with the paddle blade helps the dough come together quicker and is less strain on your mixer.) Knead on low until a nice little dough develops, about 3-4 minutes.
2.) Add the margarine in chunks and knead until it all comes together again. You may need to adjust the dough in the bowl a few times because it likes to slip around and avoid getting kneaded.
3.) When the margarine is almost incorporated, add in the currants and cherries. Keep kneading for a few more minutes until the dough is soft and well blended.
4.) Cover bowl with a towel and let dough rise in a warm spot for 2 hours.
5.) Gently deflate the dough, pinch off little balls of dough and shape into rolls. Mine were a little bigger than a golf ball, and weighed about 3 ounces each. I shape them by pulling the tops smooth and tight, pinching down on the bottom. To the best of your ability, try to keep too many currents from being exposed, either pick them off the tops or push them into the dough, or they'll burn in the oven and become quite bitter.
6.) Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, just barely touching. Cover and let rise for 1 1/2 hours.
7.) Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until they are golden brown.
8.) While the rolls are still piping hot, brush with the warmed jam.
8.) Set the rolls, parchment and all, on rack to cool.
9.) While the rolls cool, make the icing. Whisk the powdered sugar, orange zest and orange juice together. Go easy on the juice, you want this to be pretty thick, because it melts on the warm buns. Put icing in a pastry bag, or a ziplock with the corner snipped off.
10.) When the rolls are pretty much cooled, pipe the crosses on the buns and enjoy!

Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies

2009-04-01T09:10:00.000-07:00

Spring just doesn't seem to be coming in a consistent fashion around here. It's a bit presumptuous to be baking light springy cookies when the snow and gray keep lingering. So today we made some soothing warm oatmeal raisin cookies. At first the girls were grumping, "but we only like chocolate chips". I soon won them over. As long as you don't overbake these, they will be soft and chewy. These are up for adaptations, try some golden raisins or dried cherries and see what happens!

Dairy and Egg-Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
(sure to please the most die-hard chocolate chip kid)

2 sticks dairy-free margarine or shortening (I used Fleischmann's Unsalted Margarine)
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 egg replacer ( I used Ener-G)
1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick oats)
1 cup raisins

1.) Preheat oven to 325.
2.) Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream the margarine and sugar together until smooth and creamy. Add the maple syrup, egg replacer and vanilla extract and blend well.
3.) In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, cinnamon, soda, salt and coconut together.
4.) Add flour mixture to the margarine mixture and blend carefully on low speed.
5.) Add the oats and raisins and blend carefully.
6.) Drop in balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet, flatten slightly and bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove when they are very slightly browned and the center looks set. Let them rest for a minute on the pan before moving to a cooling rack.

This makes 48 cookies if you use 2 tablespoons of dough, or 32 if you make 3 tablespoon sized balls of dough. You can form the dough into balls and freeze on a baking sheet, transfer into a freezer bag once they are solid. When you want some cookies, just put the frozen balls on a baking sheet, flatten slightly and bake as usual.

Daring Bakers Do Lasagna

2009-03-28T07:28:00.000-07:00

This has been an absolutely looney week here with prolongedly feverish kids, the littlest of whom likes to have febrile seizures just to scare the crap out of me. After a week where the only action my measuring spoons got was measuring out Tylenol and Motrin, it was nice to get back to the kitchen in time to complete this month's Daring Baker Challenge.
The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge. The recipe is in three parts, the pasta, the béchamel sauce and the meat ragu.

The main point of the challenge was to make homemade pasta. This is something I've done many times before, but never a spinach version, and never with the intent to bake after boiling the noodles. And while this was easy to make with a food processor, I don't think I'll try to make my own noodles for lasagna purposes again. Without the egg, the noodles just don't hold up to the boil and bake process. I even used hardy semolina flour, and the noodles were still quite soggy. There are enough premade varieties of lasagna noodles out there that are egg and dairy-free, I'll save homemade pasta for noodles...not lasagna sheets.

Bechamel is a white cream sauce that holds everything together. I was not too creative in this regard and simply substituted dairy-free margarine and plain soymilk for the butter and milk. It worked out pretty well, I took care to use a fresh box of soymilk to avoid any possible beany taste, and it worked.

For the meat sauce, my only allergy substitution was to omit the milk in the original recipe. I also live in the Midwest, so prosciutto and pancetta are pipe dreams around here...I just used bacon ground up in my food processor. I also just used ground meat, rather than the original recipe's request that whole blobs of meat get ground in a food processor. I am minorly squeemish about cutting into flesh that I plan to eat, so the grinding process really wasn't my thing.

Topped off with Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet Mozzarella...and you'd think I had a hit on my hands! But the kids are still a bit sick...and the plate of green lasagna went over like a lead balloon. I thought it was good, a bit mushy, but good. I'll try it again when they are feeling better with some boxed noodles to resolve the mushy-green-pasta issue and see how that works.

Lasagna of Emilia-Romagna
1 recipe Spinach Pasta, omitting the egg (I cannot in good conscience recommend this recipe, it you are so stubborn as to want to try it, please see our host's post, otherwise, just use some boxed noodles.)

1 recipe Country Style Ragu (recipe follows)
1 recipe Bechamel (recipe follows)
Assembling the Lasagna:

Preheat the oven to 350. Have all the sauces, rewarmed gently over a medium heat, and the pasta at hand. Cook the lasagna pasta per the box directions.
Assemble the lasagna in a 9 x 13 pan. Start with a thin layer of bechamel in the bottom of the pan. Then start building in layers: noodles, 1/3 of the ragu, a few tablespoons of bechamel, noodles, 1/3 of the ragu, a few tablespoons of the bechamel, noodles, the last of the ragu, a few tablespoons of bechamel, last layer of noodles.
Cover the top layer of noodles with a layer of bechamel. Cover pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and top with 1 cup of mozarella and bake, uncovered for another 20 minutes until cheese melts and browns. Let it rest for a few minutes before trying to cut and serve.

Bechamel

4 tablespoons dairy-free margarine (I used Fleischmann's Unsalted Margarine)
4 tablespoons flour
2 2/3 cups freshly opened plain soymilk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Pinch of nutmeg

In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the margarine over low to medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour, quickly whisk until smooth, and then stir (without stopping) for about 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk a little at a time and keep the mixture smooth. Bring to a slow simmer, and stir 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper, and a hint of nutmeg.

Country Style Ragu’ (Ragu alla Contadina)

2 tablespoons of olive oil
3 ounces minced bacon (3 slices or so)
1 medium onion, minced
1 medium stalk celery with leaves, minced
1 small carrot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 ounces ground veal
4 ounces ground pork or mild italian sausage without casings
8 ounces ground beef
2/3 cup dry red wine
3 &1/2 cups chicken or beef stock (homemade if possible)
3 canned plum tomatoes drained or 3 small fresh tomatoes chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Browning the Ragu Base:
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the bacon, and cook until it renders som fat. Add the minced vegetables and sauté, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, 10 minutes, or until the onions barely begin to color. Add the ground meats into the pan and slowly brown over medium heat. First the meats will give off a liquid and turn dull grey but, as the liquid evaporates, browning will begin. Stir often, scooping under the meats with the wooden spatula. Protect the brown glaze forming on the bottom of the pan by turning the heat down. Cook 15 minutes, or until the meats are a deep brown. Turn the contents of the skillet into a strainer and shake out the fat.

Reducing and Simmering:
Add the wine to the pan, lowering the heat so the sauce bubbles quietly. Stir occasionally until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Scrape up the brown glaze as the wine bubbles. Then add the browned meats back to the pan.

Add the stock and slowly simmer, uncovered until the liquid has reduced by half. Partially cover the pot, and simmer for 1 hour. Stir frequently to check for sticking.

Add the tomatoes, crushing them as they go into the pot. Cook uncovered, at a very slow bubble for another 30 minutes, or until the sauce resembles a thick, meaty stew. Season with salt and pepper.

The ragu can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. It also freezes well for up to 1 month. Skim the fat from the ragu’ before using it.

Creating an Egg-Free Egg

2009-03-17T07:48:00.000-07:00

One thing about being an allergy mom...you have to start planning. You can't run to the store at the last minute for a birthday cake, you can't head out the door with vague plans to 'eat on the road' while shopping with the kids, and if the Easter Baskets aren't planned by Maundy Thursday....you're not going to have a restful weekend!

Our baskets are usually filled with Peeps, jelly beans (we love Gimballs) and some special chocolate treat from Divvies or Amanda's Own. But this year, I really wanted the kids to share in my favorite Easter treat from my childhood basket...the Cadbury Creme Egg. So I wracked my brain, did a little "field research" tasting the originals, and here is the result!

The real Cadbury eggs are made by taking two halves of a hard chocolate shell, filling with fondant, and sealing up the edges with some chocolate welding material. That procedure assures a true egg shape. I don't have a chocolate egg form in my candy-making box (yet), so I went about this backwards, making the fondant center in an egg shape and then dipping in chocolate. True to the original, they are complete sugar bombs. The difference is that mine have a flat bottom from having to set them down after dipping. After wrapping in foil, the shape doesn't matter...and the kids didn't mind at all!

Oh, and another thing about being an allergy mom...you have to have a sense of humor (see bottom).

Egg and Dairy Free Cadbury Eggs!
Dare I say "Vegan Eggs"?

1/2 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup dairy-free margarine or shortening (margarine tastes better and the final result is softer, but shortening holds its shape better during the process)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pinch of salt
3 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups of safe chocolate chips for dipping (I used Enjoy Life this time)
1 tablespoon shortening

With a hand mixer or stand mixer, blend the corn syrup and margarine together until creamy, add in the vanilla and salt and blend again. Carefully add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time and mix until creamy and smooth. Divide 1/3 of the fondant out and color with yellow food coloring. Wrap both colors in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1/2 hour.

Spray the insides of some mini plastic Easter eggs with cooking spray ( I found mine at Hobby Lobby for 50 cents!) Have fun filling the eggs, then put in the freezer for an hour or so before dipping.

Slowly melt the chocolate chips and shortening in the microwave. (The shortening helps thin the chocolate, and is a cheater's way to avoid the dusty "bloom" that happens when ill-tempered chocolate dries...I can't temper chocolate to save my life...so I've given up) Remove the fondant centers from the plastic eggs. Reshape slightly if needed.

Dip! I actually did a double dip. First, I did a really messy thin coat to make sure all the fondant was covered and let them freeze again. Then I re-dipped in a more pretty fashion.

Wrap in foil and store at room temp if you plan to eat them in a few days, otherwise refrigerate for a few weeks.

Just in case the irony of making egg-free chocolate eggs isn't enough, how about my allergic kid's favorite little song...that she knows word-for-word. Go on, click the link, I know you're so curious.

Meatloaf: Not even close to photogenic

2009-03-09T15:57:00.000-07:00

Okay, so photos of meatloaf are just not a good idea...believe me...I took a lot of photos that looked like....well...anyway. A photo of the little one chowing his meatloaf...much better idea. In keeping with my goal to create more Family Meals, I was pleased to successfully adapt my favorite Martha Stewart Meatloaf recipe to be dairy, egg, and wheat-free! I am also happy to report that it stayed together reasonably well!

The Martha Stewart meatloaf is legendary around here. Among our friends and family, there is simply no other recipe worthy of boasting and sharing the leftovers of. The best part of this recipe is that it isn't baked in a pan, it is a free-form loaf...allowing more surface area for the glaze! A food processor is so nice to have for this recipe, if you don't have one, use a cheese grater for the veggies and bread.

Martha's Photo...way better than mine...but her photographers don't have to deal with complete lack of natural light in the Northlands at dinnertime and hungry kids yelling in the background.

Martha's Meatloaf Meets a Speedbump
(Egg-Free, Dairy-Free and Wheat-Free Meatloaf for the Masses)

3 slices wheat-free bread (I used Food for Life White Rice Bread)
1 large carrot
1 celery stalk
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, loosely packed
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons ketchup
4 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard (mustard powder)
8 ounces ground pork
8 ounces ground veal
8 ounces ground round
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, plus a pinchful for sprinkling on top(skip the pinch on on top if you are using dried)
2 tablespoons dark-brown sugar
1 small red onion, cut into 1/4 inch-thick rings
1 Tablespoon olive oil

1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2.) Trim crusts from bread, grate finely or process until fine crumbs form, about 10 seconds. Transfer breadcrumbs to a large mixing bowl.
3.) Place carrot, celery, yellow onion, garlic, and parsley in the bowl of the food processor. Process the heck out it, until vegetables have been minced, about 30 seconds, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice. If you leave the veggies too big, the meatloaf will be crunchy...not cool. Transfer vegetables to bowl with the breadcrumbs.
4.) Add 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 teaspoons dry mustard, pork, veal, beef, salt, pepper, and chopped rosemary. Using your hands, knead the ingredients until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Wash hands like you have OCD.
5.) Set a wire baking rack onto a parchment or foil-lined cookie sheet. Cut a 5-by-11-inch piece of parchment paper or foil, and place over the center of rack to prevent meat loaf from falling through. Using your hands, form an elongated loaf on top of the paper/foil.
6.) Place the remaining 3 tablespoons ketchup, remaining 2 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard, and brown sugar in a bowl. Mix until smooth. Using a pastry brush, generously brush the glaze over loaf.
7.) Place pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
8.) In the meantime, thinly slice the red onion. Place in a small bowl with the 1 T of olive oil and the pinchful of rosemary. After 30 minutes, spread the mixture over the top of the meatloaf.
9.) Return meatloaf to the oven and continue baking loaf until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf registers 160 degrees...about 25 minutes more. Let meatloaf cool on rack for 15 minutes before cutting.

Enjoy with mashed potatoes...and after making such a lovely loaf of love, don't feel the least bit guilty by turning to a little Steam and Mash with dairy-free margarine at moments like this.

California Dreaming...Chocolate Bouchons

2009-03-01T01:18:00.000-08:00

Ever since we took non-allergic kid #2 with us on a trip to Napa and Sonoma Valleys six months ago, pretty much eating our way through the countryside, I've been wanting to re-create some the best treats we had for allergic kid #1. This is my version of the Chocolate Bouchons from Bouchon Bakery in Yountville. The silicone mold came from Williams-Sonoma (that company is incredibly adept at getting me to stimulate the economy).

This is also my basic dairy and egg-free brownie recipe, no fancy or crazy ingredients, making it easy to embellish or take as it is. The great thing about this brownie recipe is that it can be made as a "brownie mix" in advance. Just put all the dry ingredients, plus the chocolate chips in a ziplock bag, and when you want to bake, just dump it in a bowl with 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of oil!

Basic Dairy and Egg-Free Brownies

1 cup flour
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder ( I use Nestle right now, see my post on safe cocoa)
1/3 cup chocolate chips ( I used Enjoy Life because they are mini chips and melt in)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oil

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients and the chocolate chips together. Add the oil and water and mix well, but don't over-do it or you'll have bricks. Spread into a 9 x 9 inch baking pan, or spoon into your Bouchon molds! Bake for 25 minutes, or until the top is no longer shiny. Let cool before trying to cut or they'll crumble apart.

Have fun with these, frost them up, sprinkle them, add some vanilla or mint extract, serve with ice cream...whatever.

It's a tough job...

2009-02-26T07:24:00.000-08:00

...but someone needs to taste-test the CHOCOLATE!! In the wake of Valentine's Day leftovers, and an impending baking challenge, I pulled out all the dairy, egg and nut-free chocolate from the pantry and did a little taste test. Yes, there is safe chocolate out there...you just have to look!

The chocolate we tried today were Divvies chocolate chips, Enjoy Life chocolate chips, Amanda's Own chocolate chips, No-Nuttin chocolate chunks, a nibble on the Enjoy Life Dark Boom Choco Boom Bar, plus a few Amanda's Own chocolate hearts and the rest of the Divvies Benjamint Crunch bar from Christmas (sorry those last 2 items were devoured before picture time!). You can buy all these directly from their respective companies, but I ordered them all through peanutfreeplanet .com to get a little free shipping.

1.) Divvies: I love Divvies, their products are cute and the company has such a positive attitude. I also loved finding them in Disney World! Their chocolate chips are my standby. I order a 5 pound bag along with some cookies twice a year. They are full-sized semi-sweet chips and remind me of the intense chocolate in Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips. The price is $30 for 5 pounds, or $6.50 for a 1 pound bag (but why would you go small?) Their chocolate bars are so fun for a sweet treat. The Benjamint Crunch is a huge hit around here with little crispy shavings of peppermint candy mixed in the bar ($4/ bar).
2.) Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips: These are mini chocolate chips, but are pretty intense on the chocolate flavor. They melt a bit too much in chocolate chip cookies or granola bars, but they are great for sprinkling on sundaes or rolling around the edges of ice-cream sandwiches. They cost $3.49 for 10 ounces and are being stocked more frequently in health food stores. They also make a chocolate bar called Boom Choco Boom ($1.99 for 1.4oz) that is a treat to snack on or chop into chunks.
3.) Amanda's Own: These are mini chocolate chips and look exactly like the Enjoy Life chips, but are more sweet/waxy and not as chocolaty as Enjoy Life. They cost $6.65 for 1 pound. These were not my favorite. I'll save my money and buy Amanda's Own amazing chocolate creations instead! Their shaped chocolates are truly their niche, where else can you get a dairy and egg-free chocolate advent calendar!!
4.) No-Nuttin' 70% Dark Chocolate Chunks: Wow! Intense, bittersweet chocolate chunks. My girls love dark chocolate, so these were actually their favorite for snacking on and for adding to trail mix. These run $8.99 for 13 ounces, not the cheapest of the bunch, but a little goes a long way with these guys.

So my final report on the allergy-friendly chocolates: Divvies wins for the "normal" style of chocolate chip, Enjoy Life wins for being the only option I can find easily in a bind at my local health food store, Amanda's Own chips are not something I will buy again but I will keep buying her amazing little shaped chocolates, No-Nuttin' is something I'll use only for special occasions and even then, it will be sparingly due to the strength of the chocolate.

I Take it Back...

2009-02-17T14:30:00.000-08:00

Chocolate Pot de "Creme"

That thing I said about predestined yuck for any recipe mixing in tofu and calling it good...I take it back. As I was glancing through my cookbooks, I ran across this one again from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Cooking....a recipe I'd tried in the past to great success. It was the first recipe, other than smoothies, that I had used tofu for blending.

I only tried it because Heidi's intro promised that the tofu would not be tasted. And guess what, she was right. My success with her recipe is probably why I got sucked into buying the Mori-Nu Mate in the first place, and why I was so terribly baffled at how horrible the Mori-Nu Mate was.

So here it is, I will eat humble pie, and I promise...you won't taste the tofu. The original recipe calls for amaretto flavoring, which sounds kinda nutty to me, so I've switched it out and modified the measurements and technique slightly to make it easier.

The first time I made this, I thought I'd be all Gourmet and steeped some fresh mint in the soymilk...the idea was good, but the result was medicinal and not well-received. If you want to make these into chocolate mint, use peppermint extract instead.

Dairy and Egg Free Pot De "Creme"

1 cup safe chocolate chips ( I used Divvies)
1/2 cup Vanilla or Chocolate soymilk (depending on how intense you want it to be!)
1 12 ounce box of silken tofu, liquid drained
1 t. vanilla extract

1.) In a microwafe-safe bowl, heat the soymilk and chocolate chips slowly, 30 seconds at a time stirring in between zaps, until melted and smooth.
2.) Dump in the tofu and blend well with a wisk or a hand mixer until smooth and fluffy.
3.) Mix in the vanilla.
4.) Spoon into cups and chill for 1 hour. It will thicken up as it gets cooler.