Pink Sugar Cookie Bars

I thought I would get a jump start on Valentines Day treats with a pretty pink Sugar Cookie Bar.

*I will have to apologize up front for the use of food coloring (evil) and the non-natural sprinkles as part of this recipe! ......let me explain~

This is a gift to my youngest daughter who is my inspiration for all my allergy free cooking.  
She has been obsessed (that is putting it lightly) with rainbow-colored food!  She has been googling pictures constantly.  For Christmas, her wish was for Santa to bring her sprinkles.
She didn't want "her" food coloring and sprinkles, the all natural kind.  She wanted the beautiful brightly colored kind that she keeps seeing everywhere!  She actually shed a tear at the grocery store when I told her we couldn't buy them once.  

So I broke down and bought her some food coloring and non natural sprinkles.  We have stayed away from any and all food coloring since her Autism diagnosis, knowing the havoc it can reek.  (And needless to say, she lucked out eating a cookie and didn't have any awful effects)  It's funny and sad at how such a simple thing can make her feel left out from everyone else.  

That is why I strive so hard to cook and bake allergy free foods.  I don't see why anyone should have to miss out on eating and making delicious recipes just because their body rejects them.  
I promise not to make a habit to bake or cook with these items, but just this once I needed to let my daughter "experience" what everyone else gets to take for granted.  The next batch will have all natural pink color and all natural sprinkles!

These cookie bars came out amazing!  The cookie bar itself has a tender center, but still has a beautiful crumble to it.  I added almond flavor to it for a true sugar cookie taste, but if you prefer vanilla extract flavor instead, that would work also.  I would just increase the amount for vanilla since it is not as strong of flavor.  The icing is my standby Butter Cream recipe and you can't go wrong with that!  You always want to serve these at room temperature so the icing has time to soften and the cookie has time to relax.  

I hope you can share these with someone you love and bring a smile to their face!  


gluten free/vegan



Sugar Cookie Bars with Pink Butter Cream Icing:
12 X 8 Brownie Pan -

1 Cup  Brown Rice Flour
1/2 Cup  White Rice Flour (I used sweet white rice flour)
1/2 Cup  Potato Starch
1/4 Cup  Tapioca Starch
3/4 tsp.  Xantham gum
1/2 tsp.  Baking Powder
1/2 tsp.  Fine Sea Salt
1/2 Cup  Butter Substitute ( I use Earth Balance Soy Free)
1 Cup  Organic Granulated Sugar
1 1/2 tsp.  Egg Replacer mixed with 2 TB warm water
2 TB  Coconut Milk Yogurt (I used So-Delicious vanilla)
1/2 tsp.  Almond Extract (gluten free)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Prepare a 12 x 8 brownie pan with parchment paper or oil.
In small bowl whisk together brown rice flour, white rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, xantham gum, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.  In large mixing bowl with paddle attachment combine; "butter" and sugar.  Mix on medium/low until light and fluffy (about 1 minute).  Next add egg replacer mixture, "yogurt" and almond extract.  Mix on medium low until well incorporated.  On low speed add in flour mixture, slowly. Mix on low until completely combined (1 or 2 minutes).  Press into prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool completely and decorate with icing and sprinkles.  Enjoy!


Pink Butter Cream Icing:

1/4 Cup + 1/8 Cup  Butter Substitute ( I use Earth Balance Soy Free)
1/4 Cup + 1/8 Cup  Spectrum Shortening
Pinch of Salt
2 1/4 Cups  Organic Powdered Sugar
1 1/2 TB  Coconut Milk (carton)
1 tsp.  Pure Vanilla Extract

In large mixing bowl with paddle attachment add; "butter", Spectrum and salt.  Mix on medium/low speed for about 1 minute.  Add powdered sugar, coconut milk and vanilla.  Mix on medium/low until light and fluffy (1-2 minutes) scraping down with a spatula when needed.  Add in desired drops of food coloring and mix until color in completely incorporated.  Spread onto cooled cookie bar and top with sprinkles.

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Also shared at: 

Fat Tuesday,Gluten, Free Wednesdays,Waste Not Want Not Wednesday,Allergy Free Wednesday,Gluten Free Fridays,Whole Food Friday

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

This is my youngest daughters new favorite bread.

We go back and forth on foods constantly, and now we are back-on to raisins!  

It's so exciting when she accepts a food (again) and we can try and work it into as many recipes as possible.  Autism can be very narrow minded, so it's the little things that excite us as parents and caregivers.  

This is a really delicious bread and stands on it's own, but is even more yummy when used as a sandwich bread, french toast or grilled on the stove top with some butter. Yum! 

Don't be weary of the yeast in this recipe.  It is probably the simplest yeast bread recipe you'll ever bake.  The key to it turning out right is making sure your warmed liquid is at the 120 degree mark and you don't rise it to much.  I have made the mistake many times letting my bread rise a bit to high and then once in the oven, it "pours" over the pan as it bakes and makes such a lovely mess! (not!)  

 I hope you enjoy this recipe and it brings a bit of change to your everyday bread.........

gluten free/vegan......allergy free!


Cinnamon Raisin Bread:
Glass Pyrex Loaf Pan 8.5 X 4.5 X 2.5 Inches

1 1/2 Cups  Rice Milk
3 TB  Oil ( I used coconut/canola blend)
3/4 Cup  Brown Rice Flour
3/4 Cup  White Rice Flour
1 Cup  Potato Starch
1/2 Cup  Tapioca Starch
2 tsp  Xantham Gum
5 TB  Organic Sugar (of choice)
1/2 TB  Salt
1/2 TB  Active Rise Yeast
1 TB  Ground Cinnamon
2 TB  Palm Sugar
1 Cup Organic Raisins

Preheat oven to 200 degrees, turn off.  Oil/grease loaf pan, set aside.
In small bowl combine; ground cinnamon, palm sugar and raisins.  Stir together and set aside.
In large mixing bowl with paddle attachment add; brown rice flour, white rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, xantham gum, sugar, salt and yeast.  Mix on low for a few seconds to incorporate.  In microwave safe bowl heat milk and oil until a thermometer reads 120 degrees.  Add warmed milk to flour mixture and mix on medium/low for about 2 minutes, scraping down as needed.  Once mixed, add in raisin mixture and mix on low until just blended.  Scrape into greased loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap and rise in warmed oven for 20-30 minutes.  Remove and preheat oven to 380 degrees.  Place pan into oven with foil "tent" and bake 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes, remove "tent" and bake additional 33 minutes or until done.  Remove and cool completely.  Slice and enjoy!

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Also shared at:Fat Tuesday,Gluten Free Wednesdays,Allergy Free Wednesday,Gluten Free Fridays,Whole Food Friday,Wellness Weekend,

Mint Truffles

You know the holidays are near when you start making chocolate truffles!  

I always wonder why the recipes with the least amount of ingredients are the messiest and most time consuming!?  I always appreciate the candy makers out there every time I make a batch of truffles or any other confection!  You are a very patient bunch.

My truffles are truly a refrigerator truffle since I used canned coconut milk instead of cream.  And they are melt- in- your- mouth delicious!   I am going to warn you though, this is a very messy recipe!  Your hands and kitchen will probably be coated in chocolate; o.k. that's not such a bad thing is it?  

The chocolate coating I ended up using, turned out the most aesthetic out of the three I tried.  You can also use a very simple recipe of melting coconut oil and adding in cocoa powder to use as a coating.  However keep in mind, once melted coconut oil hits something cold, it instantly seizes up.  But that will not effect flavor, just looks.  You will likely get tiny lumps in your coating, but if you want to cut back on sugar this is a great way to go.  I added in the oil to the chocolate chips to help thin and add a bit of gloss for the final product.  These are for company so I wanted them to be as pretty as possible!

My crew loves mint, so I went with a hint of it.  Make sure when buying your extracts that they are alcohol free and allergy free!  All extracts are made differently.  You could add whatever flavor you like or none at all.  

Needless to say the effort is worth every bite with these decadent truffles!


gluten free, dairy free.....allergy free!



Mint Chocolate Truffles:

1 Can  Organic Coconut Milk- canned (13.5 oz)
1 Bag  Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips (10 oz)
2 TB  Organic Coconut Oil
1 1/2- 2 tsp.  Organic Mint Flavor (alcohol free, I use the Frontier brand)


In a medium saucepan add all ingredients and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring continuously(do not boil).  Once the ingredients have combined, pour into a bowl and refrigerate overnight until "set".  Once mixture is set, using a small spoon or scoop, form into small balls and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet (about every 5 truffles I would rinse my hands in very cold water).  Place formed truffles into the freezer for 20 minutes or longer until they are hardened.  Once hardened, coat with melted chocolate or cocoa powder and store in a airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to eat.  Enjoy!



Chocolate Coating:

1 Cup  Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips
1-2 tsp.  Oil (I used Canola)

In small microwavable bowl combine chocolate chips and oil.  Microwave and stir every 20 seconds until melted.  Coat truffles and place back in refrigerator or freezer to set.

*Depending on the heat of your microwave, you may need to add more or less oil to thin the chocolate.
*The sprinkles I made is a mixture raw sugar with a touch of natural green food coloring.

Coated with the traditional cocoa powder

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Also shared at:Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Fat Tuesday,Allergy Free Wednesday,Waste Not Want Not Wednesday,Gluten Free Fridays,Healing With Food Friday
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Whipping Cream- dairy free!

Little things like really good whipped cream are sorely missed when enjoying a Allergy Free food lifestyle.  You can certainly now buy a soy or rice styles, but to have homemade that doesn't contain all those "extra" ingredients is a real pleasure!

Having a Isi Whipped Cream Dispenser is a must if you want a whipped cream that is light, fluffy and stands up like it's dairy counterpart.  It's certainly worth the cost since you will be using this in all the years to come.  

I made this recipe very light in flavor and sweetness which truly compares to a dairy style whipped cream.  If you'd like a sweeter taste, feel free to add more powdered sugar.  I also went with the Thai Kitchen canned coconut milk since it does tend to "set up" better than most.  The melted coconut oil adds as extra fat to help it mimic dairy cream as I was hoping to avoid gelatin, as a lot of recipes call for.  

This is a year around recipe I hope you and your family enjoy many times over!


dairy free/gluten free.....allergy free!


Whipping Cream-dairy free:
Isi Whipped Cream dispenser


2 Cans  Coconut Milk; refrigerated 24 hours and drained  (I used the "Thai Kitchen" brand)
1 Cap-full  Organic Pure Vanilla Extract  (1/2 tsp-1 tsp, depending of preferred taste)
4 TB  Organic Coconut Oil (melted)
4 TB  Organic Powdered Sugar     (*or to taste: sweeter or less sweet)

Place Isi dispenser (minus the charge) into the freezer until cold.
In medium size bowl add; coconut milk, vanilla extract, coconut oil and powdered sugar and whisk together until completely incorporated.  Pour (this mixture is very thick)  into chilled Isi dispenser, screw on top and add charge. Shake mixture down towards spray tip and use as directed.  Enjoy!

*When using a canned coconut milk with less "ingredients", the mixture may clump up on you before adding it to the Isi dispenser.  In that case I microwave the mixture a few seconds at a time and whisk it until smooth.  Then I place it in the refrigerator to chill (just like a whipping cream would be) before placing into Isi dispenser to use.

Pies, cakes, hot chocolate the options are endless for whipped cream!

This is my Isi Dispenser, worth every penny!

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Also shared at: Slightly Indulgent Tuesday,Fat Tuesday,Allergy Free Wednesday,Waste Not Want Not Wednesday,Gluten Free Fridays,Healing With Food Friday

Cranberry Orange Donuts

Here is a quick, simple and straight forward recipe for a yummy Holiday breakfast.  If you don't want to spend hours making a yeast roll or bread for that special breakfast how about a donut!?

With a little orange juice and a bit of dried cranberries you can whip these up in no time and still relax.  Don't get me wrong a beautiful cinnamon roll is tough to top for a special breakfast.  But with life being so busy or you end up having last minute guests or extra presents to buy, it's hard to make the time for mixing, rising, rolling, rising.....etc.  With this recipe you can mix it, bake it, glaze it and be done!  


gluten free, vegan....allergy free!



Cranberry Orange Donuts:
1-6 hole donut pan or 1-12 hole mini donut pan

1/2 Cup  Brown Rice Flour
1/4 Cup  White Rice Flour
1/4 Cup  Potato Starch
1/4 tsp.  Xantham Gum
1/2 tsp.  Baking Powder
1/4 tsp.  Baking Soda
1/4 tsp.  Fine Sea Salt
1/4 tsp.  Pumpkin Pie Spice (or your favorite holiday mix)
1/4 Cup  Spectrum Shortening
1/2 Cup  Organic Sugar
1/2 TB  Egg Replacer mixed with 2 TB Rice milk
1/4 tsp.  Pure Vanilla Extract
1/4 + 1/8 Cup  Orange Juice
1/4 Cup  Dried Cranberries - chopped finely


Grease donut pan (if needed) and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl mix together; brown rice flour, white rice flour, potato starch, xantham gum, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt and spice.  Set aside.
In mixing bowl with paddle attachment; add shortening and sugar and mix on medium until combined.  Add in vanilla, egg replacer mixture and orange juice and mix on medium/low for about 1 minute.  Scraping down with a spatula as needed.  On lowest speed add in dry mixture (slowly) and mix until just combined.  Stir in cranberries by hand.  Fill donut pan 1/2 to 3/4 full (I put mine in a ziplock bag, cut the tip and pipe it in) Bake 12-15 minutes  or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool, glaze, sprinkle with extra cranberries if desired and enjoy!

Orange Glaze:

1/2 Cup Organic Powdered Sugar
1 TB  Orange Juice

Mix together in a small bowl and drizzle over cooled donuts.  Double if you like a heavier glaze.

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Also shared at:   Slightly Indulgent Tuesday,Fat Tuesday,Create Link Inspire,Allergy Free Wednesday,Gluten Free Fridays,Simple Meals Friday,Healing Food Friday,Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love

Chocolate Nog Pudding Pie

Since our Eggnog Pie ( here) was such a success with my picky eater, she decided she was willing to try a chocolate version.  Since my youngest daughter has Autism, different textures can be a real issue with her.  Both of my girls have never been fans of pudding/jello textures, so I don't ever end up cooking them.  But since my youngest surprised me with loving the eggnog recipe we kept going!

Trying new things for someone with Sensory Issues is HUGE!  We celebrate change when it is welcomed.  Believe it or not, you could make the most kid friendly dessert and if one tiny thing looks "wrong" with it, it ends up being a no-go.  Needless to say we end up dumping a lot of new foods we introduce.  You just never know when the right moment is going to hit, so you keep trying, over and over again!  

I made these into mini-tortes for a change, but you could certainly just make one large pie if you so desire!  It has a nice silky chocolate flavor to it.  I decided to use the Coconut Nog again since it has such a rich texture and really soft flavor, it is quite versatile.  




gluten free/vegan........allergy free!



Chocolate Nog Pudding Pie:
4- 5 (4 1/2 inch) mini torte pans or 1- 9 inch pie pan

Prebaked Pie Crust : In 4 or 5(4 1/2 inch) mini-torte sized or 1- 9 inch pie pan  (my recipe here)

3 1/2 Cups  So-Delicious Coconut Nog
1/4 Cup  Organic Sugar
1/2 Cup  Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips
5 TB  Cornstarch
pinch of salt
2 TB  Butter Substitute (I use Earth Balance-soy free)

*Whipped Coconut Cream for topping (mine here)

In small bowl premix 1/2 cup coconut nog and 1 TB of the cornstarch, set aside.
Over md/high heat in a large saucepan, combine remaining nog, sugar, chocolate chips, cornstarch and pinch of salt.  Whisk continuously until a soft boil is formed.  Add in the cornstarch mixture and bring back to a soft boil and immediately remove from heat and stir in butter substitute.  Pour into prebaked pie shell(s) and refrigerate until set (mine only took a couple hours).  Top with whipped cream of choice and enjoy!

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Also shared at: Fat Tuesday,Tasteful Tuesday Party,Slightly Indulgent Tuesday,Allergy Free Wednesday,Gluten Free Wednesdays,Waste Not Want Not Wednesday,Healthy 2Day Wednesday,Gluten Free Fridays,Simple Meals Friday,Healing With Food Friday,Allergy Friendly Lunchbox

Slab Apple Pie

This recipe comes as a request from my oldest daughter who loves Apple Pie!  
She loves it best when topped with a crumble topping and a little bit of whipped cream (Coconut Whip for us.....recipe  HERE) on the side.

I decided to make this into a slab/bar style since at the end of a hearty Holiday meal a whole piece of pie can be a bit too much and cutting pie into small pieces can be quite a mess.  This works great since a slab is so much thinner than a pie and you can cut it into any size desired!   This recipe will feed a crowd and is a lot easier than putting two separate pies together.

The crumb topping gives it a delicious extra crunch and flavor and keeps quite well for several days. I used Gala Schoolboy Apples because they are our favorite, but please use whatever is yours.  I hope you get to enjoy this Holiday dessert this season because you can never have enough pie this time of year!


gluten free/vegan......allergy free!


Slab Apple Pie:
Jelly Roll Pan (12x15x1)
Oven:  375 degrees



Allergy Free Pie Crust, doubled (my recipe HERE);  prepared and refrigerated

7 Gala Apples (schoolboy size), peeled, cored and sliced thin
1/4 Cup  Organic Granulated Sugar
3 TB  Cornstarch
1 tsp.  Pumpkin Pie Spice (or your favorite mixture)
1 TB  Lemon Juice (or 1/2 tsp. Crystallized Lemon powder)

Crumb Topping:

3/4 Cup  Organic Brown Sugar
6 TB  Brown Rice Flour
6 TB  Spectrum Shortening
3 tsp.  Ground Cinnamon


Prepare pie dough as instructed and refrigerate.
Line a 12x15x1 jelly roll pan with parchment paper, set aside.
Between two pieces of parchment paper lightly dust the bottom with the extra flour from Pie Crust recipe, dust top of dough and place another piece of parchment on top.  Roll out dough to fit onto jelly roll pan. Slide rolled dough onto pan and crimp the edges.  Set into refrigerator until ready to add toppings.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Prepare Crumb Topping mixture;  In small bowl add brown sugar, brown rice flour, shortening and ground cinnamon.  Mix with fork until a fine crumble is made, set aside.
In a large bowl add; apples, sugar, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice and lemon juice.  Stir together until well mixed.  Pour mixture onto rolled out pie crust and top with crumb topping.  Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes until crust in browned and apples are bubbling.  Remove from oven and cool.  Cut into pieces and enjoy!

Just before putting into the oven.

Even delicious without a topping!

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Also shared at:Fat Tuesday,Tasteful Tuesday Party,Slightly Indulgent Tuesday,Allergy Free Wednesday,Gluten Free Wednesdays,Waste Not Want Not Wednesday,Healthy 2Day Wednesday,Gluten Free Fridays,Simple Meals Friday,Healing With Food Friday,Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love