Dinner and desert

Betty crocker gluten free cookie mix. After reading the ingredients i realized they were also dairy free. Score. Halayna cant have dairy either, but a problem it calls for two eggs and yep you guessed it no eggs shes allergic. I decided to go home and play around with it anyways. I have egg re-placer on hand always do butt his seemed dry as mixed and needed something else. So i used half of a apple sauce. Like the ones you pack in your kids lunch. And followed the rest of the directions. Success and they were yummy event the non allergy kids at the birthday party wanted to eat them. Which they were able to have one only because there was nothing else at the party desert wise that Halayna could have. It was quick and easy in a pinch and tasted good, but I like the from scratch better just because I then know everything that goes in it.

On to the main dish. Gluten free dairy free home made mac and cheese.
This one made me nervous, but while at the grocery i found a soy based cheese. Oh my excitement. Halayna loves cheese and ate it daily until we found the dairy allergy. So I had to try making mac and cheese. So instead of soy milk as our base we had to use almond milk. Halayna can not have the soy due to the high vitamin B count and well her body is allergic to vitamin B. So I did the corn starch and dairy free gluten free butter to make the thickining agent (just like you would for the original )  But used almond milk. I added a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg along with my salt and pepper to taste. Its hard to tell you how much to use it depends on you really. Some dont like these strong spices but the worked great with the almond milk, also added a bit of the soy based cheese in the sauce. ( we like it cheesy) . Okay so in the other pot I had my gluten free noodle cooking. After the sauce got thick I did the usual, I grated up the soy based cheese put it on top. I baked at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes just until the cheese melted and served it. It was pretty good. And I am sure it will be made again so miss allergies can still have what she loves when she will eat by mouth.

candy cookies

Now this is a winner of a cookie. Who doesn’t love snickers candy and peanut butter cups? We are going to take the candy and hide it in a cookie, so you chose which candy to use, me I do a double batch using both kinds.
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
mix it all together very well
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 cups brown rice flour
1/2 cup potato flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
combine wet and dry ingredients and mix well
It is easier if you chill the dough for like 20 min
Grab your bag of candy and warm up the oven to 375
theres two ways to do this cookie, use which ever is easier for you

now you can wrap the dough around your candy and then place it onto a greased cookie sheet or you can take a muffin pan and scoop the dough into the muffin pan bake your cookie for 9 min and as soon as it comes out of the oven push the candy in the center. We have done both ways and they are both yummy. Make sure you let the cookie cool before removing it from the cookie sheet or the muffin pan. Again these are gluten free so you want to freeze any that wont be eaten with in 2 days

chocolate chip cookies

Chocolate chip cookies

2 1/4 cup gluten free flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
1 cup soft butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup of packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup of M&M's

preheat oven to 375

mix flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl and set aside

beat butter and sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl with mixer till creamy. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each egg. Slowly beat in your flour mixture. Add chocolate chips and M&M's. Place your round drops of cookie dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 9 to 11 mins or until lightly golden brown. Let the cookies cool on baking sheet for about 2 mins before placing them on a wire rack. This makes about 5 dozen cookies if they are small enough.

I leave a good amount on a plate for the kids and the rest I place in a ziplock freezer bag and put them in the freezer for later. You have to remember gluten free products will go stale very fast if not frozen. They also defrost very quickly so there always ready for when you need them.