Let’s Talk Substitutions in a Recipe for Common Allergies…
I am all about breaking down recipes into single-ingredient items. I can’t tell you how much I love cooking and baking with this principle in mind. It is part of my mindset when it comes to providing healthy meals for my family. It gives me a great sense of peace about what I am feeding to everyone. Overall, once you purchase the ingredients that you can stock in your pantry, it is more budget-friendly to make meals, snacks and treats from scratch. Most importantly, for those of us who deal with food allergies, it is a necessity to know what is going into what you eat. I love working with single ingredient items as a foundation for a recipe because if you have multiple people in your family with different food allergies, it is easier to swap out one ingredient for another that can work for everyone. As an example, it can be hard to find a diabetic-friendly, no-dye, gluten-free, no vegetable oil, soy-free pre-made item at the store that is also organic. That is a long list of things that can’t be included. When you change how you shop and view store-bought products, it will free you from worrying about always scanning the nutritional info box on the back of a package for allergy-inducing ingredients. This does not mean that I don’t support those of you who buy store-bought cookies, for example. Maybe you’re in a hurry or don’t like to bake. There can be a number of reasons for buying pre-made treats or meals and that is totally ok if that is what works best for your family. I’m speaking specifically about those families that have struggled in the past or are currently struggling with cooking for those with food allergies.Allergy-Friendly Ingredient Substitutions
Flour: You can use any all-purpose flour. My go-to when I need to make something gluten-free is Bob Red Mill’s 1:1 flour. Almond flour is also a go-to if you don’t have a nut allergy. Butter: For butter, I usually use grass-fed organic butter but there are also vegan butters that you can substitute with. We do better with grass-fed than soy which is found in a lot of plant-based options. Sugar: I substitute monk fruit for raw cane sugar in recipes. This helps the cookies to not cause the glucose spike that cane sugar does. This can be very important for those who are diabetic and need to watch their numbers. Monk fruit can be used as a 1:1 sub for raw cane sugar. Note: Monk fruit is a great substitute for cane sugar, however it will taste a little different. The sweetness of the cookie is more subtle than it would be with cane sugar. Egg: Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer or aquafaba. This is the liquid from a can of garbanzo beans, believe it or not. Here are the conversions for using that liquid: 1 Tbsp.= 1 egg white 2 Tbsps.= 1 egg yolk 3 Tbsps. = 1 whole egg Dye-Free Food Coloring and Sprinkles: I use these to avoid dyes and preservatives. (Watkins food coloring and sprinkles, and Supernatural food colors and sprinkles). I also used up some of the leftover chocolate fondue (link mentioned above for how I make this) from our #strawberries (see how I wash and store those here) for frosting on our Valentine’s heart shaped cookies made with the assistance of a little helper.Did You Know You Can Make Your Own Powdered Sugar?
You put a cup of sugar and blend it on high for 30 seconds. You can achieve that smooth texture by adding 1 tablespoon of arrowroot (as a substitute for cornstarch) per cup of sugar. Blend on high in a blender for 30 seconds. This works in both the Magic Bullet and Vitamix blenders. I have not tried to make it in other blenders. When I make my powdered sugar, I work with 1 cup batches. I normally put a towel over the lid to catch any particles flying and give it a minute to settle so you don’t breathe in all of that very fine sugar. The short video of me doing this is below. After I learned how to make powdered sugar I stopped purchasing it from the store. This trick allows me to store less items in my pantry and still be prepared to make anything without making a trip to the store. To see my pantry blog post and a more detailed tour of it on YouTube, click here and here respectively. I only make as much as I will need for a recipe. It is not recommended to save it. If you do choose to buy powdered sugar from the store, make sure to store it in a glass jar to keep it longer.Storing Your Cookies
If they aren’t all eaten first, they will last about 2 weeks in a glass container. When you put them in a container and they are frosted, make sure to let the frosting set for a few hours before stacking the cookies. Otherwise you will have a sugary mess on your hands. Literally. I have included my Auntie Nessa’s special frosting recipe at the end of this post for you all to use if you wish. She has some great substitutions which could be very helpful for those who need it. Traditional vanilla frosting, believe it or not, contains Red dye 40. Auntie Nessa’s recipe has only the good stuff. I hope you have fun with these and that these tips will help your family to adjust the recipe as needed for your special dietary needs. Happy baking!Allergy-Friendly Sugar Cookies
A homemade sugar cookie recipe that can be used to accommodate all types of food allergies and dietary needs.
Equipment
- Cookie sheet
- Parchment paper
- Rolling Pin
- Cookie cutters
- Measuring Spoons
- Measuring Cups
Ingredients
Instructions
PREPARE THE DOUGH:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Cream the butter and sugar together.
- Add eggs, vanilla, and lemon to the butter and sugar. Mix all together.
- Slowly mix in the flour, cup by cup.
- Finally, add in the baking powder and salt. Mix until a dough forms.
- Chill dough for an hour in the fridge before baking for the best results
CUT OUT YOUR COOKIES:
- Dust the countertop with flour and roll out cookie dough until it is ¼" thick.
- Using whatever cookie cutters you want, cut the dough into shapes and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
BAKE AND DECORATE:
- Bake 12 minutes or until golden brown.
- Decorate as desired.
Video
Notes
- Lemon is my little trick to these cookies. You don’t even really notice it, but it does something magical for your tastebuds. Don’t worry though, adding in the lemon does not make them taste like lemon cookies. It just adds a bit more to the flavor profile.
- This dough does not need to chill before rolling.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookieCalories: 217kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 3gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 136mgPotassium: 38mgFiber: 1gSugar: 10g
Auntie Nessa's Italian Buttercream
This is the perfect icing to go with my Allergy-Friendly Sugar Cookies.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Measuring Cups
- Medium Saucepan
Ingredients
- 6.37 oz. Egg whites, roughly the whites from approx. 6 eggs (room temperature)
- Pinch of salt
- 1¾ c. Sugar,
- ¾ c. Water
- 5 sticks Butter (room temperature)
Instructions
- Whip the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer until foamy, add a pinch of salt, continue to whip until it reaches stiff peaks.
- In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar and water together and cook until it reaches about 240° F.
- Slowly, and very carefully, drizzle the sugar syrup into the egg whites while the mixer is going. If you pour it too fast it will pool at the bottom of the bowl and won’t incorporate. Let it whip until it cools to just warm.
- With the mixer still going, start adding the butter in pieces, roughly half a stick at a time. It might look soupy during this part, but don’t panic. Continue to add the butter until it has all been added. If it is still soupy, let it whip. It should thicken as it cools.
Notes
*For eggs, water, and butter, their weight is the same as their volume.
*The bowl and whisk should be super clean as any fat will cause the whites not to whip.
*This can be done in a large mixing bowl with a handheld mixer, or if you have really buff arms, can be mixed with a whisk. But I recommend a mixer.
*To make it egg free use the same amount of aquafaba. The rest of the recipe would be the same.
*To make it dairy free, use a plant-based butter. Oil will not work for this.
*To make it vegan, use aquafaba and a plant-based butter. The rest of the recipe would stay the same.
The Cross Legacy provides estimated nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is collected from the USDA database via Spoonacular, when available. If not available, nutrition information is pulled from other online calculators. Ingredients can vary and The Cross Legacy can make no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
Serving: 1batchCalories: 6614kcalCarbohydrates: 673gProtein: 20gFat: 440gSaturated Fat: 280gCholesterol: 1200mgSodium: 3909mgPotassium: 430mgSugar: 673gCalcium: 18mgIron: 0.1mg
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