Nut-Free News: French Macarons from Cakes for Occasions--Nut-FREE!

Nut-free French macarons...yes, NUT-FREE.

I don’t know about all of you, but while I can bake many things nut-free, French macarons made nut-free are just not in my repertoire. And that’s been kind of a shame for my daughter with severe nut allergies.

If you know anything about popular culture trends, then you know that French macarons have become the "new cupcake.” Macarons are now standard fare at local bakeries and macaron designs are even becoming a popular trend. Recently, I spotted macaron-themed items at the craft store Paper Source – they’ve got macaroon tea towels, pillboxes, aprons, thank you notes, etc. The new cupcake, indeed! 

Sandwich cookie (aka French-style) macarons like those pictured above are colorful, light, airy and culinary cute personified. However, they are normally made with pulverized almonds or some other tree nut. Obviously, tree nut allergic people can’t partake of these trendy little treats.

 

Well, until now. I was amazed when Cakes for Occasions nut-free bakery in Danvers,

 

Massachusetts, a longtime site partner of mine, told me that they now sell nut-free macarons in their storefront as well as in their online store. They asked if I wanted samples and of course the answer was YES.

 

I waited until my kids came home from school one day before I unveiled the treats. We were impressed by how well the delicate cookies traveled (from Massachusetts to Illinois), how fresh the cookies tasted and how delicious they were. The cream frosting in the center is just perfect and the cookies themselves are chewy and light—just as a macaron should be but without the pesky tree nuts for those of us who can’t have them.  These nut-free macarons would make a wonderful tea party treat for any girl aged 8 to 88 and, they are festive for birthdays, holidays or other special events.

 

My oldest daughter was very grateful because while she was interested in the whole French macaron craze, she could never actually enjoy a real, live macaron. Luckily, these were worth the wait. Thank you, Cakes for Occasions!

For information on ordering, visit the Cakes for Occasions web site or click here. They are located in Danvers, MA so if you live in the area, stop in and try them. Currently retailing for $24.95 for 15 French-style macarons. The bakery has many more online offerings so check out the website for info on cakes, cookies and other pastry items, all made nut-free.

Food Allergy News: Nut-Free Christmas Treats at the Supermarket

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, so I wanted to re-post an article I wrote last year about supermarket-available Christmas candies that are free of peanuts and tree nuts. This is for those of you who haven't seen it already as well as those of you who could use a refresher.

Of course, always do your own checking on any foods you will serve to your child with food allergies. But this post should at least get you pointed in the right direction.

Here's the link:

http://nut-freemom.blogspot.com/2010/12/peanut-free-tree-nut-free-holiday.html

 

To this list I would add Andes brand candies (made by Tootsie Corporation--their candy facilities are peanut and tree nut-free, egg-free and gluten-free).

 

Though not a candy, I would also add Skeeter Snacks and Dr. Lucy's Cookies, two peanut and tree nut-free packaged cookie options with fabulous flavors. You can find Skeeter Snacks in many supermarkets; same goes for Dr. Lucy's Cookies.

Although I am listing supermarket finds for the sake of convenience,  I can't say enough good things about my site sponsors that have online ordering for all of your nut-free treats needs. Check the right sidebar for some terrific companies devoted to bringing you nut-free, food allergy-friendly treats all year long.


What are your nut-free candy supermarket finds?

Nut-Free Candy Corn Cookies for Halloween!

Candy corn shortbread cookies.

Last week, I talked about options for nut-free candy corn. Here's a link to that blog post if you would like to learn more about where to find nut-free candy corn.

This week, it's all about candy corn cookies! Made out of a simple shortbread dough that is nut-free and egg-free (and can be dairy-free if you use dairy-free margarine), you can create sliceable refrigerator cookies that resemble a kernel of candy corn. A lot of you were asking for egg-free candy corn and I haven't been able to find any.You might be able to make these egg-free cookies work instead!

I use this type of dough to make my youngest daughter's favorite short bread cookies, simply cut into squares, but as long as you keep it well-chilled, this dough is very easy to cut out and/or mold into whatever shape you want.

The great thing about this shortbread dough is its versatility. For example, to make a different candy corn shortbread, skip the food coloring, roll out the dough in to a rectangle and cut into triangle shapes. You can then make a simple confectioner's sugar icing, color it with food coloring and voila. Iced candy corn shortbread cookies.

Another use for this rich shortbread dough is to make round cookies with a nut-free candy corn in the center. Simply roll the finished dough into 1-inch balls, criss-cross with a fork to flatten slightly, then bake. While still hot from the oven, gently but firmly place a nut-free candy corn piece into the center of the cookie.

Now for the refrigerator cookies pictured above. These are surprisingly easy to make and they are definitely a great lunch box or party treat!

Candy Corn Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
(if using unsalted butter, add a tiny pinch of salt to the dough with the flour)
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
Yellow food coloring
Red food coloring
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with an electric mixer (Kitchen Aid or electric beaters) on medium speed until well combined. Add vanilla extract, then stir in flour.

When dough is well combined, divide into 6 equal parts. Take 3 parts dough and knead until it comes together. To this dough add yellow and red food coloring until the dough takes on a bright orange hue. (Add more yellow and less red to start, then add more if needed). I placed the dough back into the Kitchen Aid added the food coloring in order to mix the color quickly and thoroughly. Remove orange dough from mixer and set aside.

Next combine 2 parts dough and add several drops of yellow food coloring to make a bright yellow dough. Set aside.

You will be left with one part dough; leave that one its natural color.

Next, put out a large sheet of plastic wrap on the counter. Pat the orange dough into a rectangle about 9 x 2 inches and 3/4 inch thick. Use a ruler to make sure you have this measurement.

Take the yellow dough and pat it out into a slightly smaller rectangle than the orange dough, about 1/2 inch thick and 9 x 3/4 inches. Center the yellow dough on the orange dough.

Roll remaining plain-colored dough into a 9 inch roll, about 3/4 inches in diameter. Place this in the center of the yellow rectangle. Using plastic wrap and a spatula to create as even lines as possible, form the dough into a triangle shape so that it will look like candy corn when sliced. This is what it should look like:

 

Wrap the dough in plastic and chill until firm, a couple of hours. You can speed this up by placing in the freezer for about 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut dough into about 1/4 inch thick slices. Place 1-inch apart on cookie sheet and bake for about 10 minutes or until set. (Test for doneness by pressing your finger gently on the cookie; no imprint should remain.)

Be careful not to over bake. You don't want these to brown at all.

Remove from cookie sheet and place on wire rack to cool. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Food Allergy-Safe Cookie Giveaway! Sweet Alexis Nut-Free, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free Valentine's Day Cookies!

Looking for nut allergy-friendly cookies for Valentine's Day? Tired of baking? Well, the wonderful Michelle of Sweet Alexis Bakery offered to do another free cookie giveaway for Nut-Free Mom blog readers! See the delightful heart-shaped cookies pictured at left? They can be yours if you are the lucky winner.

What will you win? A dozen heart-shaped and frosted cookies, individually wrapped, boxed and topped with a bow! A $36 value (including shipping). Best of all, the cookies are tree nut-free, peanut-free, dairy-free and egg-free.

All you have to do to enter this random drawing is to comment below. Please give us your first name and last initial. When a winner is chosen, you can send me your e-mail privately to discuss shipping.Since this is a Valentine's Day contest, feel free to share a story close to your heart, that explains how you went the extra mile and showed the love to someone in your life with food allergies. (Winners won't be chosen based on the stories--it's just nice to hear them!)

The winner will be announced Wednesday, February 1st right here--and on my NFM Facebook page.If you don't win, I hope you will still check out Sweet Alexis for some amazingly delicious allergy-friendly baked goods. We love their zucchini bread and banana bread, especially, and their cookies are delish! Good luck everybody! And thanks to Sweet Alexis for sponsoring the giveaway!

Food Allergy News: Home Free Organic Treats! Peanut-Free, Treen Nut-Free and More!

The unexpected benefit of having to find peanut-free and tree nut-free cookies and treats for our kids with peanut and tree nut allergies, is that sometimes the alternatives are healthier. And healthier is good--but what about taste? They have to want to eat it, right?


Recently, my kids were given the opportunity to sample some cookies from Home Free Organic Treats. Created by the mother a child with food allergies, these cookies are a wonderful nut-free option that you can feel good about for two reasons. First of all, they are made in a free-from facility--that is, free of nut, peanuts, dairy and eggs. Some of the products are even certified gluten-free, if you have that concern. Everything is made with natural, organic ingredients that are free of the Top 8 food allergens (however, they are processed on lines with soy lecithin. Please see the web site for info on allergen management/cleaning practices.)



Second, these cookies are healthy as well as tasty. They are non-GMO certified, made with whole grains, heart healthy, low sodium--wow. For all that, they taste great! I love the flavor and texture, especially the mini gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. I prefer crispy, crunchy cookies and these deliver. I had to put these cookies in another room before I ate them all.



We sampled the regular sized chocolate chip cookies, the mini chocolate chip GF cookies, gluten-free mini vanilla cookies and mini chocolate chocolate chip cookies. All of these cookies were nut-free, egg-free and dairy-free, too.



My youngest loved the mini cookies the best but my oldest, with allergies loved them all, leaning towards the chocolate chocolate chip and regular sized plain chocolate chip cookies. She told me that "these cookies put a smile on my face." OK--I'll take a smile any way I can get it these days. (Those of you without tweens, you'll find out what I mean someday.)



But seriously, these are a great, nut-free treat. I love to support companies with dedicated nut-free facilities because let's face it--there is way too much label confusion these days. When you KNOW it's safe and nut-free, it just makes life easier.



You can order these online or find them in some stores. Check out the store locator for more details.



Thanks, Home Free for the samples and for making a great option for food-allergic kids.



FTC Note: I received free cookie samples but no other compensation for this post.

Peanut Allergy-Friendly Halloween Cookies: Frankenstein Monster Toes

Time for my annual replay of this recipe! I am also working on some others for Halloween, but had to include this.

This fun recipe for "Frankenstein Monster Toes" cookies (tweaked from a recipe I found that used almonds as the "toenails")is a big hit with family, friends and blog readers alike. My recipe also now appears in the Chicago Parent online cookbook! The cookies make a great, nut-free addition to Halloween parties and are just a great treat that makes both kids and adults smile.

I found the recipe for this basic sugar cookie in a Halloween-themed food magazine and modified it to fit my own nut-free specifications. If you have kids with dairy, egg or wheat allergies or celiac disease, you can substitute your favorite "safe" sugar cookie recipe. Just be sure to refrigerate your dough for at least an hour.

Frankenstein's Monster Toes Cookies

Ingredients:

1 pouch (1 lb. 1.5 oz.) Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix--or use your favorite from-scratch sugar cookie recipe
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup melted butter or margarine
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (I use McCormick)
7 drops NEON green food color (McCormick makes this--check the supermarket baking aisle)
36 Mike and Ike or other "safe" jelly beans such as Surf Sweets or Vermont Nut-Free

Method:

1. In large bowl stir cookie mix, flour, melted butter, egg, vanilla and green food color until soft dough forms. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. For each cookie, roll heaping teaspoons of dough into 2-1/2 inch finger shapes. Be careful not to make the shapes too big or too flat--the dough spreads a lot during baking!
3. About 1 inch from the end of each "toe" squeeze dough slightly. With knife, gently make lines in the dough to look like "knuckles"
4. Bake 6-8 minutes until set. The edges of the cookies should not be at all brown. While still on cookie sheet and working quickly before cookies cool, gently but firmly press a jelly bean into the edge of each "toe" for fingernail. Cool cookies one minute; remove to cooling racks. Let cool completely, about 15 minutes.