No-allergy cookies

The holiday season is quickly approaching, which means three things: family, fun and food. One of the most popular Christmas treats is the “Christmas cookie,” which can be any cookie, so long as it’s made with Christmas in mind. However, what happens when those with allergies are not able to enjoy the typical cookie?

Food allergies are a common problem for students and faculty here at UTM. Luckily, Professor Lori Littleton, a registered dietary nutritionist from the UTM Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, along with two of her students Mary Buie and Maddie Anderson, have quite a bit of information and tips to share regarding the subject of Christmas cookie allergies.

First, it is important to note that there are many kinds of allergies. Littleton mentioned that the 2004 Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) identified the following eight foods as common allergies: milk, eggs, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, soybeans, wheat and fish.

“When looking to see if a food item contains an allergen, it is important to read the food label. Food labels will have a small section under ingredients that says ‘may contain,’ and it will list the allergens,” Littleton says.

Individuals with allergies are often provided with labels and ways to check in advance to make sure that certain foods are safe for them. However, when baking Christmas cookies, there often isn’t a label for allergy-sufferers to check prior to consumption. This is why it is important to keep a clear list of ingredients and to make sure that common allergy ingredients do not get into other generally “allergy safe” foods and cause issues.

“Peanut allergies are among the most common and most fatal food allergies. Preparing all other varieties of cookies, before making anything with peanut butter or peanuts as an ingredient, will help to avoid the contamination of peanuts in the foods being cooked,” Littleton says.

Though peanut allergies are the most fatal, the principle of avoiding cross-contamination still applies with any common allergy food. Thankfully, there are foods that are generally allergy safe for all.

“A fresh fruit salad, gluten-free fruit crisp, dairy-free, gluten-free chocolate cake. Allergicliving.com has various dessert recipes that avoid the main allergens and gluten. The internet has a vast supply of recipes; of course, be cautious because not all information on the internet is accurate,” Littleton says.

Of course, there are also recipes for individuals who may not have food allergies but rather specific dietary needs such as those with diabetes. For those who are in need of recipes, Littleton provided a few recipes to get started on based on specific needs. These are all mentioned below.

“Allergy-friendly Christmas cookies could bring people together without the fear of an allergic reaction. So, prepare safely and enjoy your gatherings,” Littleton says.

Recipes

Gluten-Free Cake Mix cookies

Ingredients:

1 box of gluten-free cake mix (several name brands can be purchased at Wal-Mart)

2 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs and oil.
2. Scoop the dough into balls and place onto a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Bake cookies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-12 minutes.
4. Cool and enjoy! Remember the cookies will become harder as they cool.

Eggless Snickerdoodle Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups of flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup salted butter (1 stick)

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons water

Sugar Coating:

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Add flour, baking powder and cinnamon to a bowl. Stir and set aside.
3. In another bowl, add sugar, brown sugar and room temperature butter. Beat with a mixer for about 2 minutes, until smooth.
4. Add vanilla, water and oil to butter and sugar mixture and beat until combined.
5. While mixing, slowly add in dry ingredients to wet ingredients until smooth.
6. To make topping, combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
7. Make dough into 1-inch balls and roll in sugar and cinnamon mixture until coated. 
8. Place 12 at a time on a baking sheet and bake 9-11 minutes.

Sugar-Free Low Carb Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup peanut butter, creamy and salted

2 large eggs

1/2 cup Splenda sweetener

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

3/4 cup peanuts, optional

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, egg, sweetener, vanilla and salt. Using an electric mixer or by hand, process until smooth.
3. Pulse in the peanut pieces until just combined. Don’t overmix; you want some pieces left for crunch.
4. Use a medium cookie scoop to place balls of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet. Press the cookie dough into the scoop tightly then releasing onto the sheet. Flatten using a fork in a crisscross pattern.
5. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until very lightly golden. Cool completely before handling. Cookies will become crisp as they cool.  

No-bake Cookie Dough Bites (Gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free and peanut-free)

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted cashews

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (use gluten-free oats, if needed)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips ( use dairy-free chocolate chips, if needed )

Instructions:

1. In a food processor, add the cashews, oats, salt and cinnamon and process until the mixture is finely ground (but don’t overprocess until it becomes a paste!).
2. Add the maple syrup and vanilla and process until the dough forms a cohesive ball: This might take longer than you think. It should do more than just “come together;” the dough should stick together in one large mass.
3. Remove the blade from the food processor and add the chocolate chips, kneading them in with your (clean) hands.
4. Scoop out tablespoon-size portions of dough and roll into balls with your hands. Refrigerate to firm up a bit or eat immediately.
5. Note: An individual with a peanut allergy will not necessarily or automatically be allergic to tree nuts, like cashews.

All recipes provided by Lori Littleton, Registered Dietitian Nutrionist from the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, and students Mary Buie and Maddie Anderson.