Clockwise from top: Gingersnaps, Star Shortbread, Powdered-Sugar Lemon, Oatmeal, Oatmeal with Craisins, and (middle) Lemon-Flower Tarts
Image ©2010 Jason Gift Enevoldsen

Cookies for the Holidays

I baked 5 batches of cookies this week. Yum!

If you think holiday baking is harder with allergies, well, I don’t think it is. What’s hard is store-bought safe food. Here are some of my favorite recipes for the holidays.

Above

Gingersnaps
Shortbread
Powdered-Sugar Lemon Cookies
Oatmeal Cookies (add craisins for festivity)
Lemon-Flower Tarts

Not Pictured

Julekake
Sugar Cookies
Joulupiparkakut – Gingerbread
Powdered-Sugar Mints (wheat free!)
Blondies
Pumpkin Bread
And don’t forget about pie with the filling of your choice

Have a safe and yummy holiday season!

• 11 ¼ cups powdered sugar (yes, that’s eleven)
• 6 tsp peppermint extract
• Food colorings as desired
• 2 sticks margarine or butter (softened to room temp)
• Candy molds (seasonal shapes)
• superfine sugar

Directions:

Blend softened margarine and 8 ½ cups powdered sugar.

Add peppermint extract and food colorings (split mixture into portions for multiple colors).

Knead in the remaining powdered sugar until consistency allows you to make a “log roll” shape or small balls without cracks.

Cut slices from the log roll, cut slices in 4 pieces, then roll into small balls. Or scoop out teaspoon sized chunks from the mixture and roll into balls.

Dip candy mold in superfine sugar and tap out excess.

Roll balls in superfine sugar, press into mold, unmold onto waxed paper.

Let dry on waxed paper until candies can be lifted without breaking.

Store in covered container.

Okay, this has to come with the warning to DO YOUR OWN research if you have allergies, but, after many many years of not eating Jelly Bellys because of cross-contamination with the peanut butter flavored beans, I just heard that that flavor was discontinued, and all Jelly Belly flavors are now safe for vegtarians, peanut-allergic individuals, and dairy-allergic individuals. Not to mention that they’re Kosher. Their non-Jelly Belly candy is made on different equipment. They still make licorice – one of my allergens – but cross contamination is less of an issue with that one for me. They do use cornstarch.

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY I CAN EAT JELLY BELLYS AGAIN! Well, probably, I’ll be trying them carefully at first. I’ll let you know how it goes.

This is also true of their candy corn. I have been craving mallowcreme for a DECADE.

CAVEAT: Check the package of Jelly Bellys for cross-contamination warnings. As Jelly Belly’s have a long shelf-life, the store you bought them from might have some of the old peanut-contaminated batches.

Thank you Jelly Belly. Thank you!

• Soy sauce = Maggi Seasoning (no soy, but wheat) never bothers my mild soy allergy.
• Soy sauce = Two friends recommend San-J Wheat-Free Tamari (I’ve never used it – you know, the soy). Another friend recommends Bragg’s Liquid Aminos

• Fish sauce = add a 1inchx2inch piece of cooked salmon (or raw if you’re making soup anyway)
• Fish sauce = add a 1inchx2inch piece of smoked salmon works too
• Fish sauce = (I know the above don’t help you if you have a fish allergy – for you I’d add a good dollop of salt, or perhaps some seaweed if that works) You might even try beef bouillon

• sesame oil = canola oil with a touch of Maggi or “soy sauce”
• sesame oil = canola oil with some spice added, try a grind or two of white pepper to get that “Asian spice flavor”, or a bit of Fenugreek to add the richness of sesame

• “seasoned” rice wine vinegar = usually is seasoned with sugar and salt. Judge for yourself whether it is worth the risk, we have no trouble with it
• rice wine vinegar = white vinegar or apple cider vinegar with a little sugar

• bean sprouts = julienned broccoli stems (crazy, right?!)

• Shiso leaf = peppermint leaf or basil leaf (it isn’t at all the same, but sometimes random weird ideas work)

• bean noodles = rice noodles

• 2 boxes beef broth
• ¼ lb salmon (fresh or smoked, not lox)
• 2 lbs steak
• ginger (cut in thin coins)
• 5 pearl onions
• 2 Tbsp Maggi* (or soy sauce, or wheat-free soy sauce)

Bits to add

• rice stick noodles
• cilantro, shredded
• red basil or thai basil – leaves picked off stems
• scallions, small pieces
• lime wedges
• broccoli stems, cut thin (like for a slaw, we buy them precut)
• Sriracha* (red hot sauce)

Directions:

Add onions, ginger, steak, salmon (whole), Maggi, and beef broth. Bring to a boil, simmer 1 ½-2 hours until steak is tender and cooked through. KEEP COVERED, you’re not boiling it down. (Salmon will have disintegrated completely, but that doesn’t matter).

Soak rice noodles in hot water 10-15 minutes. Boil noodles for 1 minute, strain and rinse in cool water immediately.

After broth is done, cut steak in very thin strips – crossgrain if possible.

(*Listed Sriracha ingredients: Chili, Sugar, Salt, Garlic, Distilled Vinegar, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Bisulfate As Preservatives, and Xanthan Gum.)

(**Listed Maggi ingredients: Water, salt, wheat gluten, wheat, and less than 2% of wheat bran, sugar, acetic acid, artificial flavor, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, dextrose, caramel color)

Related posts: my standard Asian-food cooking substitutes.

Ener-G Egg Replacer

Their listed ingredients (but check your own box to be sure) are: Potato Starch, tapioca starch flour, leavening (calcium lactate [not derived from dairy], calcium carbonate, citric acid), sodium carboxymethylcellulose, methylcellulose.

I follow the directions on the back of the box. I always use it in baked goods, and have had luck in things like chicken nuggets as well which I wasn’t expecting.

When that’s not an option I use this recipe:

• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon water (or other liquid)
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network keeps a good list of substitutes on hand as well.

Photo by Jenn Purnell

Salad

• 4 lbs chicken
• lots of fresh tarragon
• lots of fresh thyme
• 1 head fresh elephant garlic
• 2 red onions
• 2 cups cooked wild rice
• 4 cups cooked mixed rice (we like Rice Select Royal Blend Texmati White Brown and Red which also has wild rice.)
• 1 head fresh celery
• 4 medium steamed zucchinis
• 2 steamed parsnips

Dressing

• ⅓ cup olive oil
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• ¼ tsp xanthan gum (sometimes corn-derived)
• Pinch ground black pepper
• ⅓ cup lemon juice – fresh squeezed

Serving

• Edible flowers (pansies)
• Fresh baby spinach

Directions:

Cook rice. Dice zucchini, parsnips, celery, onions, and finely chop the garlic. Clean and chop the spices. Dice the chicken.

Steam the zucchini and parsnips. Sauté garlic and onions in oil until soft. (Leave the celery aside)

Add chicken to garlic and onions along with tarragon and thyme. Sauté on high until outside of the chicken is white all over, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Stir every 5 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Whisk dressing ingredients together. Serve on side.

Mix rice, veggies, chicken. Serve over spinach, top with flowers. Add dressing to taste.

• 2 Carrots
• 3-5* Tbsp Seasoned Rice Wine Vinegar
• 2* Tbsp Olive Oil
• Fresh Basil
• Prosciutto (watch out for weird ingredients)
• Thin-sliced Smoked Turkey (watch out for weird ingredients)
• *Measurements approximate.

Directions:

Shave the carrots into nice thickish shavings – about 2-3 inches long. Toss them with the rice wine vinegar and olive oil. Let sit for 15-20 minutes.

Separate the prosciutto and turkey into individual slices, and slice in half.

Wrap a basil leaf and 5-15 carrot shavings in a cold cut. Lay out on a pretty platter.

Eat.

• 3 Russet potatoes (no, really … use Russets for this)
• 5 Tablespoons canola oil
• salt
• pepper

Directions:

Before you turn on the oven, move the rack as far down as you can. Then preheat the oven to 475F. Use 4 tablespoons of oil to grease a cookie sheet. Season the pan with salt and pepper.

Cut the potatoes into fries. Soak the potatoes in the hottest tap water available for 10 minutes. Dry the potatoes completely, toss with 1 tablespoon oil, and lay out on cookie sheet. Cover with foil and tuck in tightly.

Bake 5 minutes. Remove foil.

Bake until the fries are beginning to get golden brown on the bottom (15-20 minutes). Flip – but make sure you still have only one layer of potatoes.

Bake until done – crispy (5-15 minutes).

Rotate the pan if the fries are cooking unevenly.

Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Salt.

• Rice or other appropriate wraps, 2-3 per person?
• Napa cabbage, ½ head, shredded
• Carrots, 3 medium, julienned or peeled
• Red/orange/yellow bell pepper, 2, julienned
• Cucumber, 1-2, peeled and match-sticked
• Green onions, 6 (stalks, not bunches)
• Jicama (if allowed), 1 non-enormous, matchsticks
• Basil (regular or Thai)
• Pink grapefruit
• and/or any other non-starchy vegetables that look good

Directions:

Roll up the goodies in the wraps. Dip in dipping sauce.