Recipe of the Month--Nut-Free Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Here it is: my first
"Nut-
Free Recipe of the Month."


While this particular recipe is "nut-free," it does contain dairy and wheat.

I developed this recipe because my family loves coffee cake and this recipe normally contains walnuts for crunch and flavor. Instead, I use a streusel topping that adds flavor and crunch without the nuts. It gets raves and with fall upon us, the cinnamon flavors are appealing.


I welcome allergy-specific modifications to any recipes posted here and also invite you to submit dairy-free, wheat-free, gluten-free and of course, nut-free recipes. I'll give you full credit and a link to your web site or blog.

Please also note my new link to the right of this post: "The Welcoming Kitchen" under the heading "Nut-Free Food." It's a great new cookbook featuring recipes free from ALL top 8 food allergens. Most are also gluten-free.


Nut-Free Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake

Special equipment: a 9-inch tube pan with removable bottom

For the cake:

2/3 plus 1-3/4 cups sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 container (16 oz) sour cream

For the nut-free streusel topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. butter, cold

1. In a small bowl, combine streusel ingredients by either rubbing together with your fingers or using a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 9- to 10-inch tube pan with removable bottom. In small bowl, combine 2/3 cup sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat butter and remaining 1-3/4 cups sugar until blended, frequently scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Increase speed to high; beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, occasionally scraping bowl. Reduce speed to low; add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

4. Add flour mixture and sour cream, alternating between the two. Mix until thoroughly combined, but do not overbeat.

5. Spoon 1/3 of batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle about one cup cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over batter, then top with half of remaining batter. Sprinkle evenly with 1/2 cup more cinnamon-sugar mixture; top with remaining batter, then sprinkle with reserved streusel mixture. Sprinkle more cinnamon-sugar over top of streusel if desired, for added sparkle and crunch.

6. Bake coffee cake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour, 10 minutes. (Check after one hour). Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Run thin knife around cake to loosen from side and center tube of pan; lift tube to separate cake from pan side. Invert cake onto plate; slide knife under cake to separate from bottom of pan. Turn cake, streusel side up, onto to wire rack to cool completely. Serves 16.

New Look, Same Blog!

If you've visited before, you'll notice that my blog looks a bit different.

I'm always looking for ways to improve my blog to make it easier to read and more useful. I think the new layout accomplishes this.

Stay tuned for a few more changes, including a "Nut-Free Recipe of the Month." I'll start with one of mine, but I welcome them from readers. If yours is chosen I'll give you credit, of course, and a link to your blog if you have one.

Enjoy the new layout!

Those Pesky "Safe Snacks" Lists

School has been in session for us since Tuesday and so far, so good. My daughter has the option of coming home for the lunch hour (the first time we've ever been in a district that offers this) so I think I may be in for an easier time of it this year. She did stay on Thursday, and things went fine. Still, at this point we're still adjusting to the new routine, which means we'll have some tweaking to do at some point.

Which brings me "Safe Snacks" lists. This is the first year I have not been asked for one of these by the teacher. (Yahoo! Trumpet fanfare.) That's because our new school discourages edible treats in the classroom. Still, there will be other instances when I'm asked for one of these (Girl Scouts, play dates, etc.) and I know I have to be prepared. I also know that many of you are struggling to compile these right now.

Since we're all dealing with different food allergies, I can't offer a "one size fits all" safe snack list, so I won't attempt to do that here. I just really want to encourage everyone to very carefully read every label before putting down a specific food.Even if you've used it before, the label may have changed recently.

To wit: Last year, I had Jay's brand OkeDoke bagged popcorn on our "nut-free" list, only to discover that it got a new allergy label halfway through the school year. According to the new label, it "may contain hazelnuts and brazil nuts" among several other allergens. This may be a case of "list the top 8, everything will be great!" approach that seems to be the norm right now with many food manufacturers. The September 16th FDA hearing will have a lot of bearing on these labels, so stay tuned. In the meantime, make a simple list and advise all list recepients that there could be changes.

But the easiest thing of all is: no edible treats at school! Why do the kids need to constantly be celebrating with sugary treats? For one thing, childhood obesity and juvenile diabetes are both on the rise. I would think most parents would be happy not to have their kids exposed to more cake, cookies and candy while at school. If the parents you know are grumbling that they can't bring treats to school, put it to them like that. You never know--they may see it as a positive when presented in that light.


Also, for the first time ever, my daughter has another child in her class with peanut/tree nut allergies. (She's always been the only one in her actual classroom, though not the grade level.) This student also has soy allergies in addition to nut allergies. So I may not be the "baking mom" this year after all. Do any of you dealing with soy allergies have advice on treats for me? I'd love to help out as I always have, but need to keep it safe.


Which brings me to another point: Parents, please don't allow non-allergic families to provide food or treats to your classroom. Whatever you have to do (and you can be diplomatic here) make sure YOU are the "Treats Mom" or "Treats Dad." It is nearly impossible to explain to someone else how to handle the food issue, so don't give yourself or the other parents more gray hairs and stress. You bring the food--every time. I've found this to be the best way.


If anyone has ideas that I haven't covered here, please let us know. Hope everyone who's started school has had a good start! For those who haven't started yet, good luck!

Letting Go

Today is my food-allergic 3rd-grader's first day back at school. (Well, not all day--more like a couple of hours.) She's not a kindergartner anymore (I've got one of those going later today and am fully-stocked with Kleenex) but I still get very emotional every new school year.

For my family, this year is especially filled with uncertainty, since we have moved recently and my kids are attending a new school. When you've been part of a school for awhile and feel that your child's allergy needs are being met, you get comfortable. Now that's gone for us--it's time to start over.

My daughter is older now and articulate--I'm not as worried about her as I used to be. Still, it's hard for me to let her go.

All parents face this each year, but for parents with food-allergic kids, the "letting go" takes a big leap of faith.

We've talked to the teachers, principal, staff. We've gotten the doctor's notes, reviewed the emergency plans, filled out so many medical forms. We've filled the epinephrine prescriptions and labeled the Benadryl. We've offered to bring treats for the class parties and there's nothing more we can do.

If there's one thing having a child with food allergies teaches us, it's that we have so little control over our kids' lives. Every parent faces this fact sooner or later. For us, it's sooner.

When my precious daughter left this morning, I was so proud of her. She looked confident and stylish in her new school clothes and backpack. She was excited and happy, if a little nervous. I guess I must be doing something right.

So I took a deep breath. And let her go.

Where Are All the Nut-Free Schools?

I've gotten this question a lot lately--personally, besides preschools, I don't know of any schools in my area that have total bans on nut products.

Do any of you? Where do you live and what are the policies there?

It would be great if we could have consistency w/regard to food allergy policies, but since state and local governments are so diverse, I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon.

Interestingly, the FAAN does not support a ban on nut products at elementary schools. (They do endorse them for preschool--due to the fact that young kids are famous for smearing food around and sticking their fingers in their mouths.)

It's a tricky topic all right. If any of you know of, or attend a "nut-free" elementary school, please post and let us know. Thanks!