Allergy Mom - learning to live with it

Summer Peach Cake
Yields 2 Bundt Cakes (each serves 16)

3 cups peaches, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup canola oil
2 1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two Bundt cake pans with dairy free cooking spray. In a medium size bowl, combine peaches, brown sugar and 1/4 cup flour. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine oil, sugar, applesauce and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix until batter just comes together. Add peaches and stir with a rubber spatula until combined.

Pour into prepared pans and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for ten minutes then invert unto a wire rack to cool completely.

Note
- You can use canned peaches if you prefer. Drain them first.
- Unless you have a huge Bundt pan, make sure to use two pans as this cake rises a fair bit.
- The cinnamon is meant to accent the peaches in this cake but if you prefer a more dominant presence, then put an additional 1/4 teaspoon. Alternatively, you can use any other spice you like, such as ginger, cloves or nutmeg.

Nutritional Info (Per Serving)
Calories 164.01, Total Fat 5.28g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 137.39mg, Potassium 52.09mg, Total Carbohydrates 28.3g, Fiber 0.68g, Sugar 17.67g, Protein 1.47g

Nutrition analysis is approximate and will vary depending on exact ingredients used. Calculations are based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutritional Facts are obtained from Radium Technologies' Living Cookbook. However, Allergymom.ca has no affiliation with Radium Technologies and does not guarantee the accuracy of this information.

Lemon Tea Cookies
Yields 4.5 dozen

3/4 cup dairy free margarine
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1 lemon, juiced and zested
2 Tbsp corn syrup
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar (for rolling dough)

In a medium bowl, cream together butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in applesauce, lemon juice, zest and corn syrup. Stir in flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Place dough in plastic wrap and chill in freezer for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using a small cookie scoop, drop chilled dough into remaining sugar and roll to coat. Place on prepared cookie sheet two inches apart. Bake for 10 to12 minutes or until the edges are golden. Let cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to wire rack to continue cooling.

Nutritional Info (Per Cookie)
Calories 63.92, Total Fat 2.59g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 67.02mg, Potassium 9.61mg, Total Carbohydrates 10.03g, Fiber 0.23g, Sugar 5.78g, Protein 0.53g

Nutrition analysis is approximate and will vary depending on exact ingredients used. Calculations are based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutritional Facts are obtained from Radium Technologies' Living Cookbook. However, Allergymom.ca has no affiliation with Radium Technologies and does not guarantee the accuracy of this information.

Lemon Sunshine Cookies
Yields 3.5 dozen

1 box lemon flavor cake mix, without pudding (dairy & egg free such as Added Touch)
2 Tbsp dairy free sour cream
1 lemon, juiced and zested
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup icing sugar (for rolling dough)


Pour cake mix into the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir in sour cream, lemon juice, zest and oil until well blended and no lumps remain. Place in plastic wrap and chill in freezer for one hour. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using a small cookie scoop, drop chilled dough into icing sugar and roll to coat. Place on prepared cookie sheet two inches apart. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes or until the middle is set. Let cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to wire rack to continue cooling.

Note: Lemon Sunshine Cookies are very delicate and can easily burn. Keep an eye on them while in the oven and remove them as soon as the edges are pale pink because they will continue to bake on the sheet as they settle.

Nutritional Info (Per Cookie)
Calories 78.16, Total Fat 3.38g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 83.4mg, Potassium 18.33mg, Total Carbohydrates 11.64g, Fiber 0.23g, Sugar 8.32g, Protein 0.64g

Nutrition analysis is approximate and will vary depending on exact ingredients used. Calculations are based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutritional Facts are obtained from Radium Technologies' Living Cookbook. However, Allergymom.ca has no affiliation with Radium Technologies and does not guarantee the accuracy of this information.

For the past week I've had a number of guests drop by so I've had to bake several different things. Actually that's a lie; I didn't have to bake anything but you know me - any excuse to bake. I've made so many cookies, squares and cakes (more than I count at any rate). I've even dabbled in some pastries but I had to stop making them. It was easier to stop making them than to stop eating them. Needless to say, I prefer generosity when it comes to serving food, especially to guests. If they do not leave my house with full and happy tummies then I have not done my job. And my job is to make everyone happy or that's what my mother keeps telling me anyway. My mom could make anyone happy by just feeding them. You know that skillful art of the way to a man's heart is his belly? Yeah, she's conquered that. I, on the other hand, have a ways to go, although I come close sometimes (or hubby seems to think so). I try... I try very hard.

The star of today's show is Lemon Lush Cake. It's not like the traditional lush cake which involves cream cheese, butter and a shortbread crust. This is a much lighter and quicker version but quite tasty. At first glance this cake seems like it takes a lot of work when in fact it's quite simple to make and comes together in very little time. Now, I'm going to make a very serious confession here, folks. On occasion, (not all the time) I will cut corners when it's appropriate and will use boxed foods (gasp!) when short on time. Really, when you have unexpected guests, you cannot afford to spend 3 hours in the kitchen. Unless it's a guest that really gets on your nerves whereby it's totally acceptable to hide in the kitchen. Anyway, back to the Lemon Lush. It's light, fluffy, sweet and refreshing after a hearty meal. And I don't mean light in a non-fat way. Fat definitely makes a guest appearance here. Yes, I have a date with the exercise bike tonight. Given the amount of baking that's been happening in our household this past week and given that my waist has the ability to rapidly expand to the size of Ontario, I will be dating the exercise bike for at least the next week if not the foreseeable future. Moving on...

One of the things I love about this recipe is that it's a total crowd pleaser. It makes a big sheet cake with generous size portions and the lemon flavor is not so overpowering which allows the blueberries to shine through. Try it, you'll love it. Take it to your next bbq or family gathering. It's the perfect summer dessert.

Dairy, Egg & Nut Free Lemon Lush Cake
Yields 18x13 sheet pan

Cake Layer
1 box cake mix, lemon (dairy, egg, nut free such as Dr. Oetker's Added Touch)
1 pack instant pudding powder, lemon (3 oz size) (dairy, egg, nut free such as Kraft's JELL-O)
1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract

Lemon Lush
1 pack instant pudding powder, lemon flavour (3 oz size)
3/4 cup soy milk or rice milk
1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 cups fresh or frozen (thawed) blueberries
2 cups Nutriwhip (or any dairy free whipping cream)
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease an 18x13 sheet pan with dairy free cooking spray. Mix the cake layer ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.

Prepare the lemon lush by combining pudding powder and soy milk. Whisk for two minutes then set aside to thicken for 5 minutes. Combine lemon juice and blueberries in a blender until smooth, or use a hand blender. Pour blueberry mixture onto pudding and mix until well combined. Set aside.

Whisk Nutriwhip on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes while adding sugar gradually until stiff peaks form. Take half of the whipped topping and add to pudding mixture. Mix gently so as not to deflate but enough so that no white streaks are visible. Pour pudding mixture on the cake layer making sure to smooth around the edges. Add the remainder of whipped topping and smooth around the edges. You can use a little bit of yellow icing to create zigzag lines or any design if you wish. Alternatively, you can add some yellow sprinkles or even a few fresh blueberries. Chill until ready to serve.

Note
- You can use two 9x13 inch glass dishes for easier storage in the fridge. 
- You can also substitute blueberries with raspberries, strawberries or blackberries
- If you have fussy family members who don't like seeds (and call them weeds instead of seeds)you can strain the berries once they are blended before adding to the pudding mixture

Nutritional Info (per square, 1/24)
Calories 202.22, Total Fat 9.75g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 198.17mg, Potassium 54.71mg, Total Carbohydrates 27.18g, Fiber 0.59g, Sugar 20.13g, Protein 1.3g

Nutrition analysis is approximate and will vary depending on exact ingredients used. Calculations are based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutritional Facts are obtained from Radium Technologies' Living Cookbook. However, Allergymom.ca has no affiliation with Radium Technologies and does not guarantee the accuracy of this information.

Okay, people. You've got to hold on to your horses once you try this recipe. These things are so good they're evil. That's what my mother in law called them. She's up for a visit and she revealed to me that one of the driving forces behind her visits is my selection of baked goods. I like to treat her when she's here because she doesn't get the chance to visit often. I cook and bake and we enjoy chatting as I run around in the kitchen like a total freak of nature (but that's old news). 

I decided to try a chocolate toffee bar recipe that I've had for a while (though I'm not sure where I found it) but I had to adjust a few things to make it allergen friendly. The recipe calls for caramel syrup. I make my own but you can use store bought as well. It's the same syrup used for sundae toppings, just make sure it's dairy, egg and nut free.

I cannot describe to you how delicious those squares are. Suffice to say that it is probably a good idea to bake them, have a few, and then ship them off to a place far far away. Do not just give them to your neighbor or you will end up living in that neighbor's house for the next two days only to get your hands on those toffee gems. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Dairy, Egg & Nut Free Chocolate Toffee Squares
Yields 8x8 inch pan

3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup dairy free margarine, melted
1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips
3/4 cup Rice Krispies (make sure they are dairy & nut free)
1 cup caramel syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 8x8 inch glass baking dish with dairy free cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium size bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Add melted margarine and stir to combine until the mixture becomes crumbly. Put half of the mixture in the prepared pan and pat down to create a smooth and even surface. Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle chocolate chips and Rice Krispies all over. Drizzle caramel syrup on top then sprinkle the remainder of the oat mixture onto the caramel. Return to oven and bake for 18 to 25 minutes or until top is golden brown and bubbly. Remove from oven and cool completely before slicing. 

Serve at room temperature and spend the rest of the day exercising extreme caution every time you pass by them in the kitchen. Then repeat after me: my body is more important than toffee squares; that size 4 summer dress I bought last month is more important than toffee squares; my thighs are going to file a union grievance if I don't stop eating toffee squares...

To make your own caramel syrup (based on Michael Smith's Caramel Sauce recipe)
Yeilds 2 cups

1/2 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup Nutriwhip or any dairy free heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Place water in a heavy bottom sauce pot. Add sugar in one pile. DO NOT STIR. Place on medium to high heat and bring to a boil without stirring until sugar turns amber in color but not burned. Remove from heat and add Nutriwhip in a very slow and steady stream while whisking rapidly. Be careful not to add liquid too quickly or sugar will boil over. Once it stops bubbling and becomes smooth and shiny, add vanilla and stir. Set aside to cool then place in a glass jar and store in fridge overnight to set.

Nutritional Info (per square, 1/16)
Calories 189.61, Total Fat 9.44g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 136.64mg, Potassium 33.67mg, Total Carbohydrates 25.64g, Fiber 0.86g, Sugar 14.22g, Protein 1.48g

Nutrition analysis is approximate and will vary depending on exact ingredients used. Calculations are based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutritional Facts are obtained from Radium Technologies' Living Cookbook. However, Allergymom.ca has no affiliation with Radium Technologies and does not guarantee the accuracy of this information.

My little girl loves rainbow cookies. You know, the ones made with colorful candy covered chocolate chips. One of the things that has kept me from making rainbow cookies for a long time was the lack of dairy free candy coated chocolate chips. Those little things are available in most grocery stores but unfortunately they contain dairy. Every time we passed by the cookie aisle in the grocery store, Maya would ask  for rainbow cookies and every time I would have to read the label and show her that they are unsafe. But that got me thinking (surprising, I know, tell me about it) that there must be a way I can make them, if not the same, then at least very similar.

It was an accidental discovery to be honest. Now that my kitchen is all nice and new (read: clean and organized) I am able to see everything stored at a glance. No more stuff hiding behind more stuff. No more dispatching of search and rescue teams to find that lone can of sliced pineapple trapped behind the mass of applesauce jars. I was in the process of making Canada Day Cookies (a recipe that will be discussed in a later post) and needed Maple extract which was sitting beside the colorful cake sprinkles. And that's when it hit me. Chocolate chips and sprinkles in cookie dough = rainbow cookies. No one said that the chocolate had to be covered in candy. As long as they both made it to the party, who cares, right? It was time to try this madness.

The results were quite good. My little girl was so happy and requests Rainbow Cookies often. These are not soft like chocolate chip cookies. They are crispy and chewy (not to mention sweet and addictive). My mouth loved them a great deal but my thighs not so much. I hope you enjoy them as much as my family did.

Dairy, Egg, & Nut Free Rainbow Cookies
Yields 4 dozen

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
1/3 cup dairy free margarine
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips
1/2 cup multicolored sprinkles (I use Cake Mate, which I talked about here)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 cookie sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine sugars, shortening and dairy free margarine. Mix until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and applesauce. Mix until smooth.

In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add to wet ingredients and mix until just comes together. Do not overbeat. Add chocolate chips and sprinkles. Stir with a rubber spatula. Using a small cookie scoop, drop dough 2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Do not flatten, as they will spread. During baking the cookies will rise a fair bit but do not be alarmed. They will sink once cooled.

Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden and the middle looks set. Let cool on sheet for 1 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in a tightly covered container and leave on kitchen counter (assuming they don't disappear within 24 hours).

Note: 
- Because they contain shortening, the cookies spread a fair bit, so do not flatten them and stick to a small cookie scoop. That will yield the standard two inch cookie size. 
- These cookies are very delicate and burn easily so keep an eye on them. They really only need 7 to 8 minutes in the oven and only a minute to cool on the tray.
- To my knowledge, the only dairy, egg, & nut free sprinkles in the city are made by McCormick Canada and are branded Cake Mate. Wilton is NOT safe for dairy and egg allergies. Please read this post for details.
 
Nutritional Info (per cookie)
Calories 70.6, Total Fat 3.25g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 55.35mg, Potassium 8.74mg, Total Carbohydrates 9.84g, Fiber 0.22g, Sugar 4.34g, Protein 0.46g

Nutrition analysis is approximate and will vary depending on exact ingredients used. Calculations are based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutritional Facts are obtained from Radium Technologies' Living Cookbook. However, Allergymom.ca has no affiliation with Radium Technologies and does not guarantee the accuracy of this information.

Hey Mommy, what's that?

It's chicken soup, very yummy, you want some?

No, soup makes me sick. But maybe we can put some chocwit in it and I can eat it all. That will be tewwiffic!

Recently, our little girl has discovered the wonders of chocolate. She's been asking me (in not so subtle ways) to incorporate more of it into her diet. And although her suggestion to add chocolate to chicken soup was quite admirable, I wasn't entirely sure that such a concoction would be well received by the rest of us. So last night I tried to come up with a recipe that would please everyone. However, as opposed to making chocolate chicken soup I opted for chocolate loaf instead. Look at all the marbling of chocolate in there. It's like a chocolate cake on steroids. ENJOY!

Dairy, Egg, & Nut Free Chocolate Loaf
Yields two 8 inch loaf pans

1/2 cup dairy free margarine
1/4 cup dairy free chocolate chips
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
3/4 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup soy milk plus 1/2 tablespoon vinegar, combined
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 8 inch loaf pans with dairy free cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium size bowl, place dairy free margarine and chocolate chips, and heat in microwave at 20 second intervals until melted. Stir until smooth. Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer and sift in cocoa powder. Stir until it's well incorporated. Combine instant coffee granules with water and add to the chocolate mixture. Add sugars, applesauce, soy milk mixture and vanilla. Stir on medium speed until smooth.

In a large bowl, sift flour, baking soda and salt. Add to wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not over mix.

Pour into prepared loaf pans and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let cool in pan for ten minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Then repeat the following (and this is a really important step; the recipe will not work otherwise): Lord, please grant me the discipline and will power to avoid cutting the loaf right now so it doesn't crumble. Wait ten minutes, then cut into the loaf anyway. Get completely swarmed by family members demanding a piece of the loaf that is still piping hot. Quickly grab the camera so you can take pictures before the loaf disappears. Watch it crumble as you slice into it. Watch as the darn thing is being inhaled by the masses. Look for any sign of crumbs. Fail to find any. Amen!

Note: We tend to like the addition of spices to chocolate in this household. I often add cinnamon or cloves, but you can add any spice you like.

Nutritional Info (per 2 ounce slice)
Calories 184.41, Total Fat 5.43g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 189.25mg, Potassium 51.02mg, Total Carbohydrates 33.07g, Fiber 0.73g, Sugar 20.98g, Protein 1.66g

Nutrition analysis is approximate and will vary depending on exact ingredients used. Calculations are based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutritional Facts are obtained from Radium Technologies' Living Cookbook. However, Allergymom.ca has no affiliation with Radium Technologies and does not guarantee the accuracy of this information.

The masses were craving chocolate this evening. Enter Chocolate Rolls... not too sweet, very tender and super quick; all comes together in under 40 minutes, 'nuff said - ENJOY!

Dairy, Egg, & Nut Free Chocolate Rolls
Yields 12 Rolls

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup dairy free margarine, chilled and cut into small pieces
1 cup cold soy or rice milk

Filling
1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips
1 tablespoon dairy free margarine
1 tablespoon soy or rice milk

Grease a 12 cup muffin tin with dairy free cooking spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in dairy free margarine until crumbly and resembles pea size. Add soy  milk. Stir to form a soft dough. Set aside.

Place filling ingredients in a small bowl and heat in microwave at 10 second intervals until chocolate is melted. 

Turn dough out on a well floured surface. Roll into rectangle about 1/3 inch thick and 12 inches long. Spread the chocolate mixture over rectangle. Roll up and cut into 12 pieces. Place cut side down in muffin pan.

Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until slightly golden on top. Turn out on a tray and let cool slightly. You can eat them as they are or drizzle some icing over them if you want them sweeter.

Nutritional Info (per roll)
Calories 177.67, Total Fat 7.37g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 390.77mg, Potassium 51.14mg, Total Carbohydrates 25.91g, Fiber 1.02g, Sugar 5g, Protein 3.05g

Nutrition analysis is approximate and will vary depending on exact ingredients used. Calculations are based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutritional Facts are obtained from Radium Technologies' Living Cookbook. However, Allergymom.ca has no affiliation with Radium Technologies and does not guarantee the accuracy of this information.

Okay, I know I haven't been posting for quite a while, but hear me out. I have a good excuse. I was swallowed by a black hole called Kitchen Reno. Due to a number of seemingly good reasons at the time, including our allergy lifestyle, my husband and I collectively decided that upgrading our kitchen (more like giving it a complete overhaul) would be a brilliant move. After a lot of stress, sweat, tears, cash, blood, more stress, more cash and more tears, it is finally done! I now have a much bigger, more beautiful, and extremely more functional kitchen than I'd ever imagined. Yes, I'm broke but I'm happy. Granted, it's not Martha Stewart's kitchen (nor do I really want it to be), but it works very well for our little family. I christened our new kitchen with a double batch of cinnamon rolls that were promptly devoured (just like the cookie monster). I realize that sometimes it seems like I'm living in Sesame Street, but I promise you the rest of the time, I'm either living in the twilight zone (on a good day) or in a horror flick (the rest of the time).

Now that my husband and daughter have proven that having their fill of cinnamon rolls is a myth, as both of them could inhale an entire tray and then ask for more, they've since started asking for my famous ginger cookies. Those ginger gems are back by popular demand. The compliments have been pouring ever since I gave them out as Christmas gifts last year. At least a dozen people have asked for the recipe so I thought I'd post it here to please the masses. Just think, what would happen if a gingersnap and a molasses cookie came together; they would produce my ginger cookie. It's neither crunchy like a gingersnap, nor soft like a molasses cookie. It's a little bit of both and it definitely has a ginger bite to it! 

WARNING: They are addictive. Eat at your own risk. For best results share with others. DO NOT hoard the entire thing and then chain yourself to the treadmill for a week. DO NOT grab all the cookies and lock yourself in the pantry. DO call the Betty Crocker clinic if symptoms persist.

Enjoy!

Dairy, Egg, & Nut Free Ginger Cookies
Yields 2 dozen

1/3 cup dairy free margarine
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 Tbsp molasses
1 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 Tbsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine dairy free margarine and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add molasses and applesauce. Mix until thoroughly incorporated.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and stir until the dough just comes together. Do not overmix. Using a small cookie scooper, place dough rounds unto the baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Pat very gently with your hands to flatten the tops a little bit. You can sprinkle a little bit of granulated sugar on top of each cookie if you wish.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes then promptly remove to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will be soft when they come out of the oven but will harden as they cool.

Note: Make sure not to overbake them. They should look a bit wet or undercooked in the centre when they first come out of the oven. One minute longer in the oven and they will become crunchy. One minute less will make them softer. Play around with the recipe and see what you prefer; make it your own.

Nutritional Info (per cookie)
Calories 68, Total Fat 2.6g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 72.79mg, Potassium 57.65mg, Total Carbohydrates 10.82g, Fiber 0.19g, Sugar 6.03g, Protein 0.57g

Nutrition analysis is approximate and will vary depending on exact ingredients used. Calculations are based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutritional Facts are obtained from Radium Technologies' Living Cookbook. However, Allergymom.ca has no affiliation with Radium Technologies and does not guarantee the accuracy of this information.

What happens on a very cold day, when it's snowing outside and you're looking for an excuse to turn on the oven? Of course, you raid your kitchen cupboards for the stuff that's taking up space; the stuff you'd bought a while back with the intention of baking something that just never came to be; stuff that's occupying very valuable real estate in your kitchen. So I pillaged and plundered the cabinets and drawers, and out came this incredibly tasty and very easy to put together cake. Yes, this is a box cake - call me lazy, but it's still yummy. Enjoy!

Dairy, Egg, & Nut Free Butterscotch Chocolate Swirl Cake
Yields Single 12 Cup Bundt Pan (20 servings)

1 box dairy & egg free cake mix, white or golden (I use Added Touch by Dr. Oetker)
1 box dairy & egg free butterscotch instant pudding powder (I use Kraft Instant Pudding)
1/2 cup orange or apple juice
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Swirl
2 Tbsp dairy free margarine
1 1/2 Tbsp soy milk or rice milk
1/4 cup dairy free chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a non stick bundt pan with dairy free cooking spray.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine cake mix, butterscotch pudding, juice, water, oil, applesauce and vanilla. Beat on low until ingredients are moistened. Increase the speed to medium high and beat for 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, place dairy free margarine and soy milk in a small bowl in the microwave. Heat until bubbling. Remove and immediately add chocolate chips. Stir gently until chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth and shiny.

Pour batter and chocolate mixture into prepared bundt pan alternating between the two to make layers. Swirl gently with a knife.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in pan for ten minutes then flip unto a wire rack. Let cool completely before slicing (if you can wait that long) then eat one piece. Decide that one piece is not enough and have another piece. Then proceed to duct tape your feet and hands to the exercycle!

Note: You can use a shiny metal cake pan instead of non stick. Just increase the temperature to 350 degrees.

Nutritional Info (per slice)
Calories 151.5, Total Fat 5.14g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 262.09mg, Potassium 19.34mg, Total Carbohydrates 25.52g, Fiber 0.21g, Sugar 12.33g, Protein 0.78g

Nutrition analysis is approximate and will vary depending on exact ingredients used. Calculations are based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutritional Facts are obtained from Radium Technologies' Living Cookbook. However, Allergymom.ca has no affiliation with Radium Technologies and does not guarantee the accuracy of this information.