Gluten Free White Chocoloate (Macadamias Nut) Cookies

This is my modified verison of Gluten Free cookie recipe. This cookies has a more cake like, softer texture than the other cookie version. My husband prefers this newly modified recipe.

This recipe will makes about 2 - 21/2 dozen cookies.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12-15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1. 2 1/4 Cup of Silkie Flour Mix (2/3 cup of Brown Rice Flour, 1/2 cup each of white rice flour, tapioca flour, 1/3 cup of corn starch, 1/4 cup of potato starch)
2. 1 stick of unsalted butter (melted) or 1/2 cup of oil
3. 2/3 cup of light brown sugar
4. 2/3 cup of sugar
5. 2 eggs
6. 1 teaspoon of GF vanilla extract
7. 1/4 teaspoon of salt
8. 1 teaspoon of  baking powder
9. 1 teaspoon of baking soda
10. 1 1/2 of teaspoon of xanthan gum
11. 1 cup of white chocolate chip
12. 1 tbsp of milk (optional)
13. 1/2 cup of macadamias nut (optional)

DIRECTION:

1. Prehead oven to 375 degree and line 2 baking sheet with parchment pager or use nonstick spray to grease the baking sheet.
2. Mix melted butter, brown sugar and sugar until incorporated, add eggs and vanilla extract until blended
3. In a medium bowl, whisk Silkie Flour Mix, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt
4. Stir the dry ingredients to the butter mix until incorporated. 
5. Stir in white chocolate chip and Macadamias nut into the cookie dough 
6. If the dough appears to be a little dry, add in milk but it's entirely optional
7. Use a tablespoon to scoop the cookie dough onto prepared cooking sheet, space them about 2 inches apart
8. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cookies turn golden
9. cool cookies for 5 minutes before transferring them into a wire rack

Happy Baking!!!

Gluten-Free Banana Pecans Muffin (Banana Nut Bread Option)

Banana nut muffin has to be my favorite kind of muffin and I really wanted to create a recipe that will taste great for my husband and myself. I have tried out a few combination and finally gotten down the recipe that will work great for both banana nut bread and muffin.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Bake time for muffins: 20 - 24 minutes

Bake time for bread: 1 hr - 1 hr 10 minutes

Make 2 dozen muffins or 1 loaf of banana bread

Note: When using the same batter for banana bread, the top does get bread brown quite easily; however, it is extremely moist inside.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature or 1/2 cup of oil

2/3 cup of granulated sugar

2 large eggs*

1 1/2 cup of Silkie flour mix (1/3 cup each of brown rice flour, white rice flour, tapioca flour, 1/4 cup each of  corn starch, 1/8 cup each of sorgum flour and potato starch)

1 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum

1/2 cup of sour cream

1 teaspoon of GF vanilla extract

1 cup of mashed rip bananas (3 medium size)

1/2 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts

cinnaman sugar (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375, for muffins, apply paper liner or spray oil to the muffins tin; for bread, use butter or oil spray to gease a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan; set aside.

2.  In an electric mixer, cream butter or oil, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat to blend.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together silkie flour mix, baking soda, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt.

4. Add to the butter mixture and mix until the ingredients combined.

5. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine. Stir in nuts.

6a. For Muffin, fill each muffins tin abut 2/3 full and sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on top of the batter. Bake the muffin until golden brown on top. It should take about 20 - 24 minutes depending on the oven.

6b. For bread, pour the batter and fill the prepared loaf pan. Bake the bread for 1 hrs to 1 hr 10 mins until the bread is cooked. Note: the bread does get brown easily, so cover the top with foil after 20 mins of baking.

7. Let the muffins and bread rest for 10 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool.

Happy Baking!!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have tried out different chocolate Chip Cookies recipe, playing with different ingredients and I got a recipe down that my daughter, Kimi and my son love. Isaac did not even realized that it has no egg and butter in it. This recipe is definitely a winner for the whole family except of course my husband who can't have it since I used gluten.

Preparation Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 14 - 16 mins

Make 2 dozen

INGREDIENTS

2 1/4 cup of flour

1 stick of Soy Margarine or (1/2 cup of oil)

2/3 cup of light brown sugar'

2/3 cup of sugar

Egg Substitute ( 1 teaspoon of baking powder + 1 1/2 tablespoon of oil + 1 1/2 tablespoon of water)

3 tablespoons of Vegenaise

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 cup of vegan bittersweet chocolate chips
a pinch of salt
a Tablespoon of ricemilk

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prehead oven to 375 degree and line 2 baking sheet with parchment papers or spray it with oil spra

2. Put the margarine in microwave safe bowl, cover and heat it in medium heat until melted or melt it in a small saucepan and let it cool slightly

3. Whisk the sugars, Vegenaise, egg substitute, soy margarine and vanilla together in a large bowl until smooth.

4. Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in another bowl, then stir the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix them together. Please note that not to over mix the dough

5. Stir in the chocolate chip to the dough

6. Use a tablespoon and scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, and roll the scooped dough into balls.

7. Space the dough about 2-inches apart on the baking pan.

8. Bake for 12 -16 minutes or until the cookies turn golden.

9. Cool the cookies for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack.   

Happy  Baking!!!

Ad hoc Baking - Good Idea or Not?!?

I came home from work last night and saw 2 overripe bananas sitting on the counter and decided to make some Gluten-Free banana bread. Since I have good experience with my other gluten free baking. I figured that it should not be too difficult to make banana bread. May be I am a little bit over confidence?!?

Without any recipe, I pulled out all the necessary ingredient for baking and figure out what I need.

1. I go for my gluten-free items: my silkie flour mix which includes brown rice flour, white rice flour, tapioca flour, corn starch, potato starch and xanthan gum. 
2. I pulled out other necessary ingredients for baking, such as baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract, sugar and salt.
3. I went to my fridge and pull out eggs, unsalted butter and sour cream just in case. 
4. I pulled out my loaf pan for baking

After I have all the ingredient layout in front of me, I started to guess what I need and try to work my magic. I knew the oven needed to be 350 degree and I know a typical banana bread will probably take about 1 hr.

After putting everything together and looked at the batter. The batter looked normal in the pan so I put it in the oven. I checked my banana bread after 20 mins and I realized that the top of it was getting really brown and I thought to myself, 'it doesn't look too good.' But I kept going for an hour. After the timer went off, I checked my "masterpiece". It looked very brown on top but it was not completely cook through. So I decided to put my banana bread in for another 15 minutes. At the end, my banana bread has finally cooked.

I let my very brown banana bread rest for 5 minutes before transferring to the wire rack. What the bread looked like to me at that point was a piece of brown brick. It was not the best thing to look at. After all my success in GF baking so far. This banana bread was a little bit of a disappointment. I was at the point to toss the "brick" away; however, I decided to at least taste it.

I cut a slice out from my brown brick and realized it is actually very nice looking inside and very moist. I took a bit of the banana bread and it tasted delicious. It bring my spirit up a little bit. The only comment I  have was the texture seemed a little bit of heavy. I figured I can probably alter the ingredient a little bit and try it again next time.

So my verdict of my ad hoc banana bread is 'Look bad, Texture OK, Taste Good' and it is definitely a 'Try Again' recipe. I will post a recipe once I refined my GF banana bread.

Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Soy-Free Marble Cupcake

I created this marble cupcake recipes for my daughter who has both allergies. She had a birthday party to attend yesterday and I would like her to be able to have a piece of sweet treat when other kids were eating the birthday cake. As growing up, Kimi is used to attend any birthday event without asking for a piece of cake but the situation often sadden me. I wanted her to be able to eat something when other kids were eating cake.

When I was searching for a good cupcake recipes, I turned to Martha Stewart website since I have success with some of her recipes. This recipe is an adaptation from Martha Stewart and I made the modification to add baking soda and make the recipe to be dairy-free, egg-free and/or soy-free. So thank you Martha!

For marble cupcake, you would need to make 2 set of batter, one yellow cupcake batter, and one chocolate batter. The following recipe will make approximately 12 - 15 cupcakes.
Preparation Time: 25 mins
Cook Time: 20 - 24 mins

INGREDIENTS:
1. Yellow Cupcake:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 4 tablespoon (1/2 stick) of Soy Margarine (room temp.) or Oil for Soy-Free Diet
• a pinch of kosher salt
• 1/4 cup of Ricemilk or Soymilk
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (If using vanilla favor ricemilk or soymilk, use 1/4 vanilla extract instead)
• 3/8 cup of sugar
• 1 egg substitute (1teaspoon of baking powder+1 1/2 of tablespoons of warm water+1 1/2 tablespoons of oil)

2. Chocolate Cupcake:

• 5/8 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweeteen cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 tablespoon (1/2 stick) of Soy Margarine (room temp.) or Oil for Soy-Free Diet
• a pinch of kosher salt
• 1/4 cup of Ricemilk or Soymilk
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (If using vanilla favor ricemilk or soymilk, use 1/4 vanilla extract instead)
• 3/8 cup of sugar
• 1 egg substitute (1teaspoon of baking powder+1 1/2 of tablespoons of warm water+1 1/2 tablespoons of oil)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree. Line muffin tin cups with paper liners or grease the muffin cup tins with margarine.
2. In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and/or Cocoa powder for chocolate batter; set aside.
3. In another small bow, mix ricemilk or soymilk and vanilla extract; set aside.
4. In the mixer bowl, beat soy margarine or oil and sugar until light and fluffy; add egg substitute mixture until well blended.
5. In a lower speed, add 1/2 of the flour mixture to the mixer and follow by 1/2 of the milk mixture; then remaining flour mixture and add milk mixture slowly. Check the consistency when adding the wet ingredient and make sure not to overmix.
6. After both yellow and chocolate batter have completed. Use a tablespoon or ice-cream scooper,  fill half the cup with yellow batter and half with chocolate batter and put them side by side. Fill the muffin tin cups 2/3 full.
7. Bake for 20 minutes, insert a toothpick in the center of the cupcake and if it come out clean, then it's done; otherwise, leave them in the oven for extra 2-4 minutes.
8. Let it cool for 5 minutes before removing from muffin tin and transfer to wire rack.
9. Frost the cupcake after they are completely cool.

The marble cupcake before frosting:                     

The marble cupcake after frosted by my daughter Kimimae:

Happy Baking!

Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins

This is the 2nd version of my blueberry Muffins. The 1st time when I baked the blueberry muffins was a little bit too sweet and have a little bitter after taste. So I modified the flour mix and the sugar level. I like it much better this time; hence, I am publishing this muffins recipe.

This recipe will make about 16 muffins.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Baking Time: 20-25 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups of Silkie Flour Mix (1/2 cup each of brown rice flour, white rice flour, tapioca flour, 1/4 cup of corn starch, 1/4 cup of potato starch) - reserve a little bit of flour mix to toss blueberries
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 stick of unsalted butter, melted *
• 1 cup of sugar
• 3/4 cup of milk (cow, soy, rice)
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon of bakng powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1/2 of vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

SPECIAL NOTES
* If using salted butter, then do not add any salt.

INSTRUCTION:

1. Prehead oven to 375 degree,  place paper liners in the muffin cups or grease cup muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray or butter.
2. Mix Silkie flour mix, xanthan gum, sugar, and baking powder together
3. Add the melted butter and stir to form a crumbled mixture, set aside
4. Use a medium size bowl to mix milk, oil, egg, vanilla until blended.
5. Add the mixture from step 4 to the crumbled flour mixture, stirring just until moist to make a batter.
6. Lightly toss blueberries in a little Silkie flour mix, then fold them into the batter.
7. Use a ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon to scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Fill each cup about 3/4 full.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes. The muffins should be slightly golden brown on the top. 
9. Let the muffins cool for 5-10 minutes before removing for the cup muffin tin.

Please free feel to leave any comment or suggestion on this recipes.

Happy Baking!

Basic Gluten-Free (Dairy-Free, Egg-Free) Cookies

This is the basic Gluten-Free with dairy-free and egg-free option recipe that I used for my chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. The cookie dough that produced by this recipe will texture very similar to any non-GF cookies version. You can add any fixing to this recipe to make it your own.

The following recipe will make around 18 - 20 cookies.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 stick salted butter, softened *
• 1/2 cup of packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of GF vanilla extract
• 1 egg **
• Silkie Flour Mix (1/3 cup each of brown rice flour, white rice flour, tapioca flour, 1/4 cup of cornstarch, 1/8 cup of soy flour) ***
• 1 3/8 teaspoon of xanthan gum ****
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• a pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp of milk (cow, soy, rice)

SPECIAL NOTES:

For Dairy-Free and Egg-Free version substitie the following:
* Butter substitue: 1 Stick of Willow Run Soy Margarine or 1/2 cup of oil
** Egg substitute: 1 teaspoon baking powder + 1 1/2 tablespoon warm water + 1 1/2 tablespoon oil
*** Replace the Silkie flour mix to use the regular flour and remove xanthan gum **** completely for non-GF version.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degree
2. Use mixer to cream butter (oil for dairy-free version), brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla for a minute, then add egg (egg substitute for egg-free version), mix until incorporated.
3. Add the Silkie Flour mix, xanthan gum, baking soda and to the mixer. Mix until the ingredients well blended together.
4. Use a teaspon or a scooper, drop dough balls (about 1 inch in diameter) onto cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until lightly golden on top. Rest the cookies for about 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

I am always welcome comment and please do let me know if you have any issue with the recipes.

Happy Baking!!!!

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is basically use the same ingredients as my Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe. I added creamy peanut butter to the dough and it comes out great!

The following recipe will make around 20 cookies.

Peparation time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 stick salted butter, softened *
• 1/2 cup of packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of GF vanilla extract
• 1 egg **
• Silkie Flour Mix (1/3 cup each of brown rice flour, white rice flour, tapioca flour, 1/4 cup of cornstarch, 1/8 cup of soy flour) ***
• 1 3/8 teaspoon of xanthan gum ****
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• a pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup of chocolate chips*****
• 2 tbsp of milk

SPECIAL NOTES:

For Dairy-Free and Egg-Free version substitie the following:
* Butter substitue: 1 Stick of Willow Run Soy Margarine or 1/2 cup of oil
** Egg substitute: 1 teaspoon baking powder + 1 1/2 tablespoon warm water + 1 1/2 tablespoon oil
***** instead of chocolate chips, use coco powder instead
If Gluten-Free is not what you desire, replace the Silkie flour mix *** to use the regular flour and remove xanthan gum **** completely.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degree
2. Use mixer to cream butter (oil for dairy-free version), brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla for a minute, then add egg (egg substitute for egg-free version), mix until incorporated.
3. Add the Silkie Flour mix, xanthan gum, baking soda and to the mixer. Mix until the ingredients well blended together.
4. Mix in peanut butter and milk until the ingredients well blended
5. Mix in the chocolate chips.
6. Use a teaspon or a scooper, drop dough balls (about 1 inch in diameter) onto cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.
7. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until lightly golden on top. Rest the cookies for about 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

I am always welcome comment and please do let me know if you have any issue with the recipes.

Happy Baking!!!!

Spelt Flour for Wheat allergy but not Celiac Disease?!?

When my daughter was dignosed with wheat, soy and dairy allergy 8 years ago, I cried at the doctor office. How could my daughter allergic to the 3 most common food groups? And how could my daughter ever get nitrients? To make myself feel better, I thought about my origin and thank you for it.


I am chinese so rice is in my major diet and thanks God that Kimi is not allergic to rice. Kimi is also not allergic to corn and potato. Therefore, kimi was able to use rice and corn products. The only problem I found was bread. The taste of non-wheat breads are not very appealing. They tend to be very heavy and they're rather hard for a little girl to swallow sometimes. There is also very little dessert choice out there, ice-cream, cookies, cake and cupcake etc are completely cut out from her diet. I often felt sorry for her not being able to be a little kids when she could not enjoy some common dessert.


Then one day, some major bread through; one of my co-worker a few years ago has a friend whom has a daughter also has the same allergy as my Kimi and he told me that his friend mentioned about spelt flour as substitute for wheat. Then I do more research on spelt. I have done some research before and I ruled spelt out because spelt is in wheat family. My daughter is very sensitive in term of what she eats; hence, I did not even want to try spelt flour even I have heard people with wheat allergy can somehow tolerate spelt. In addition, I don't bake. I burned everything I baked. However, after I did more research on spelt flour and connect with Jeanie, I converted. Jeanie baked a birthday cake in Dora theme for my daughter on her 3rd birthday and by seeing Kimi's face light up when she saw and ate the cake. My heart melted.


Spelt flour can be used as a good alternative for people who has wheat allergies; however, it is not suitable for Celiac Disease.

What is Spelt Flour?
Spelt (Triticum spelta) is a hexaploid species of wheat. Spelt was an important staple in parts of Europe from the Bronze Age to medieval times; it now survives as a relict crop in Central Europe and has found a new market as a health food. Spelt is sometimes considered a subspecies of the closely related species common wheat (T. aestivum), in which case its botanical name is considered to be Triticum aestivum subsp. spelta. - From Wikipedia

Spelt is similar to wheat in appearance. However, spelt has a tougher husk than wheat, which may help protect the nutrients in spelt. Spelt flour has a somewhat nuttier and slightly sweeter flavor than whole wheat flour. Spelt contains more protein than wheat, and the protein in spelt is easier to digest. This means that some people who are allergic to wheat may be able to tolerate spelt. Spelt has gluten, just like wheat, so spelt is not suitable for a gluten-free diet.

Spelt flour can replace whole wheat flour or whole grain flour in recipes for breads and pasta. Some people like to blend spelt flour with wheat flour. I have used spelt to make bread, rolls, sweet-breads, cookies, muffins, bagels, pretzels and I have used spelt to replace wheat in almost any recipes.

Spelt is becoming better known as a healthy grain, so spelt products like bread and pasta are easy to find in most health food stores. .- From About.com - articke By Shereen Jegtvig

Gluten-Free (Dairy-Free, Egg-Free) Chocolate Chip Cookies

I was trying to find a Gluten-Free recipe for cookies that taste good but also not too thin and spread out when baking them. After a few combination of flour mix. I have gotten a combination with a result that I wanted. It tastes like a regular chocolate chip cookies that my son can't get his hands off.

The following recipe will make around 18-20 cookies.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 stick salted butter, softened *
• 1/2 cup of packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of GF vanilla extract
• 1 egg **
• Silkie Flour Mix (1/3 cup each of brown rice flour, white rice flour, tapioca flour, 1/4 cup of cornstarch, 1/8 cup of soy flour) ***
• 1 3/8 teaspoon of xanthan gum ****
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• a pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup of chocolate chips*****
• 2 tbsp of milk

SPECIAL NOTES:

For Dairy-Free and Egg-Free version substitie the following:
* Butter substitue: 1 Stick of Willow Run Soy Margarine or 1/2 cup of oil
** Egg substitute: 1 teaspoon baking powder + 1 1/2 tablespoon warm water + 1 1/2 tablespoon oil
***** instead of chocolate chips, use coco powder instead

If the dough seems a little bit dry, add 2 tablespoon of ricemilk.

If  Gluten-Free is not what you desire, replace the Silkie flour mix *** to use the regular flour and remove xanthan gum **** completely.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degree
2. Use mixer to cream butter (oil for dairy-free version), brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla for a minute, then add egg (egg substitute for egg-free version), mix until incorporated.
3. Add the Silkie Flour mix, xanthan gum, baking soda, milk and salt to the mixer. Mix until the ingredients well blended together.
4. Mix in the chocolate chips.
5. Use a teaspon or a scooper, drop dough balls (about 1 inch in diameter) onto cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until lightly golden on top. Rest the cookies for about 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

I am always welcome comment and please do let me know if you have any issue with the recipes.

Happy Baking!!!!

Cleaning the Pantry - Get Ready for Dietary Need

Cleaning the Pantry is a not easy task. I myself avoid it as much as possible. I have recently spent about 4 hrs in the pantry and going through all the items in there and organize all items with labels for "Easy Navigation". I have thrown away 3 bags of items that were expired; and a full bag of items that does not fit the dietary requirement in my household and I will donate it to food bank.

The important idea of cleaning the pantry is not only to make some space but also to understand what is currently available and appropriate for your diet on hand. Once you understand what you have already had, then you can make a list to stock up something that you will need to satisfy your diet.

When I cleaned up my pantry, I implemented the following process and it works well for me. It might work for people as well:

• Take everything out and try to put them in different categories; such as soup, spices, pasta etc.
• Go through the expiration date, and toss anything that is more than 6 months old. In theory, if the product is less than 6 months past the expiration date; they are still good but make a note to use it; otherwise, should put it in a bag for donation.
• Go through every label. You will be surprised that the ingredients that are actually in each product. I learnt to read label when my daughter was allergic to 'Everything'. 'Wheat' is a very common ingredient in a lot of product and 'Soy' as well. Make sure to spend sometime to read each label carefully. If something does not meet the requirement, donate it.
• Implement a grouping system. It does not matter how you organize your items; whether by region or by type. The key is that it will allow you to find what you are looking for easier. I group my items by combination of region and type.
• Once you group your item, I put them in container and I label every container; such as 'Mexican Spices', 'Gluten-Free', 'Kid's Snack' and 'Asian' etc. 

I am on the process of converting the family into a more a gluten-free diet so that I do not have to keep and cook 2 different meal. Once you understand your pantry and know what you have, then it will prevent any "Accident", such as having a can of soup that might have containing wheat.

Like I said, it's not easy to clean the pantry and it's very time-consuming. However, it will help in keeping up with dietary restriction.

Vegan Suger Cookies

My daughter, Kimi is allergy to dairy; hence no-egg or milk for her. Since she was allergy to Soy when she was younger. She has always drink Ricemilk. With the following recipe, although I call for Ricemilk, but can be substitiue with Soymilk. I used Vanilla favor ricemilk because that's what I have in hand. I have made this for a party and everyone loves it. Nobody really know that it's dairy-free and egg-free.

ALLERGY INFO:  Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Soy-Free (if using Ricemilk)

TIMING:
Preparation Time: 1 hr
Baking Time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
Make 2 dozen.
1. 2 cups all-purpose floor
2. 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3. 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4. 1/2 cup (1 stick) of Willow Run soybean margarine (room temp.)  or 1/2 of oil for Soy-Free*
5. 1 cup sugar
6. 1 Egg substitue **
7. 2 TBSP of ricemilk ***
8. 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

SPECIAL NOTES:
* Willow Run is a Soybean margarine that is great for spreading or baking, with no artificial preservatives or flavoring. This Margarine is made from all vegetables. It also has no funny aftertaste, no aftertaste at all. It does not taste like soy, it just tastes good. To find out more information, visit http://www.organicdirect.com/willow-soybean-margarine-16oz-p-7051.html. To substitute willow run margarine, try use same amount of oil instead.
** 1 large egg = 1 tsp baking powder + 1.5 TBSP water + 1.5 TBSP of oil

*** You can substitue Ricemilk by using Soymilk.

DIRECTIONS
1. Whisk together flour, salt, and baking power in a medium bowl.
2. In the bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar.
3. Add dry ingredients (from step 1) to the butter and sugar mix and mix until incorporated.
4. With mixer runing, add, egg substitue, milk and vanilla; mix until corporated.
5. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 mins.
6. Prehead oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with nonstick baking mats or parchment paper or spray oil spray to baking pan; set aside
7. Scoop dough using a spoon and roll the dough into a ball about an inch in diameter. Space cookies one inch apart on the baking sheet or baking pan.
8. Bake for 10 minutes and make sure not to brown and over baked. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Cooking with Food Allergy

Welcome to my Allergy Blog. For some of you might know that I have another blog for Knitting which is one of my other hobbies. The other blog is http://silkieknit.blogspot.com/.

The main reason why I started this blog is because cooking in my house is very interesting. My daughter and son both has food allergy. My son's condition is relative minor, he is only allergic to nuts; whereas my daughter, she is allergic to everything in the past, as she grows older, she is only allergic to Dairy, egg, chicken (yes it's terrible), all nuts and all seafood. When she was younger, she was also allergic to wheat and soy. To add to the existing dietary restriction in my household, my husband has been dignosed with Celiac Disease (gluten allergy) a few months ago.

Ever since my daughter was cleared with Wheat and soy allergy a couple years ago. Wheat was a major food in my household. Hence, when my husband was dignosed with CD; I found it a little bit difficult to go back to my old way of cooking. It has been difficult for my husband because he loves bread and beer. So for giving up what he loves has not been easy. Nowadays, due to the increasing number of food allergy, more food companies have manufactured food that can satisfy people with special dietary need. However, I found the choice is not bad but still limited. With my husband, he has been eating wheat all his life, by switching to gluten-free food has not been easy. I have a few gluten-free cookbooks and tried some of them. Some of the recipes are good.. some are so so and some are just simple terrible. The most difficult part about not eating wheat is baked goods. My husband loves bread and dessert so I decided that I would play around with different recipes and ingredients and try to found some good recipes to satisfy my husband and my kids and to share them with anyone that has same dietary need as me.

I hope this blog will not only help me to be a better cook but also to help people with allergy.