Food Allergy-Friendly Chocolate Treats from Enjoy Life Foods: Boom Choco Boom!

I was SO excited to receive samples of delicious Boom Choco Boom candy bars from our friends at Enjoy Life Foods! And check out the smile on my daughter's face as she displays her candy bar in the photo. Let me just say the bar was GONE a few minutes after that photo was taken.

What are Boom Choco Boom bars? They are delicious dairy-free, gluten-free and NUT-FREE bars of chocolatey goodness. The bars are made with rice milk and they come in several varieties including dark chocolate, milk chocolate and crispy rice chocolate--my daughter's favorite (and mine.) We do not need to avoid dairy around here but let me tell you, people, these bars disappeared quicker than you can say "Hey, are there any more of those Boom Choco Boom bars left?" My entire family, including my daughter without any food allergies LOVED these bars.

One thing I really enjoyed about them was they have all the chocolate taste but a much lighter feel on the palate due to the rice milk. They don't "overfill" your tummy. This may be why my oldest kept asking to eat more of these. She told me to tell my readers that she "thought she was gonna die" if I didn't give her another crispy rice bar right after the first one. So of course I did. What's a mom to do?

These bars are available at Whole Foods stores throughout the U.S.--look in the candy section. In the Whole Foods I shop at, the candy section is located near the deli and bakery aisles. If you can't find them, you can also order them directly from Enjoy Life. Follow this link to get a coupon for Boom Choco Boom!

Nut-free chocolate is hard to find--nut-free, gluten-free and dairy-free chocolate that tastes great is even harder to find. I think these candy bars would make great stocking stuffers.

FTC Note: I received food samples but no compensation for this review.

My Favorite Nut-Free Christmas Cookie Recipe

Here's my all-time favorite Christmas cookie recipe, "Snowballs." I came up with this recipe to replace the powdered-sugar coated pecan cookies that my grandmother used to make at Christmas time. My recipe is based on a Greek butter cookie called "Kourambiethes", a cookie that has the same shape and powdered sugar finish as my grandma's pecan cookies--except without the nuts. It's very unusual for a Greek cookie to be nut-free so these are a find! I skip the spirits usually called for in the recipe to make these more palatable to children, but if you like, add a tablespoon and a half of brandy or ouzo to the dough.



Snowballs

1 lb. (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar + 2 tbsp, plus lots more for sprinkling on cookies
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp pure orange extract (optional)
1 scant tsp salt


5-6 cups of all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a standing mixer, beat softened butter until very light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, egg yolk, vanilla and orange extract if using, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add flour a little at a time until soft dough is formed that can be handled easily. Taking about a teaspoonful at a time, (I use a tiny ice-cream scoop) roll into a small ball. Place on a non-stick cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar while still hot.

If you're looking for a version of this cookie that is also dairy- and egg-free, try The Food Allergy Mama's Baking Book. Kelly has a great recipe for these. And while I'm on the subject, this book makes a great Christmas gift. I just saw the book in my local Borders bookstore in the food allergy/cooking section. You can also get a copy at Kelly's website.