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Four Valentine’s recipes for fussy eaters

It’s almost the month of love, and you’re in the mood to bake something sweet. But you have food allergies… so now what? Whether you’re working around your own or a loved one’s food allergy, it can be a hassle – especially on Valentine’s Day. But it doesn’t have to be a romantic bust.

Try these scrumptious, allergy-friendly recipes for the most common food allergies. (And, of course, don’t overindulge in the sweet treats! We wouldn’t want you to get ill.)

Allergic to eggs?

Most baked goods call for eggs, which can be frustrating if you can’t eat them. That does not mean you have to give them up forever. Give these simple eggless sugar cookies a go.

No-egg heart cookies

Ingredients

  • 120g margarine.
  • 70g icing sugar.
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.
  • 200g all-purpose flour.

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  2. Grease a baking tray and set aside.
  3. Cream the margarine, sugar and vanilla extract until fluffy. Add the all-purpose flour all at once, and mix gently until the mixture is well combined. Then, wrap the mixture in cling film and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
  4. Roll the dough out to your desired thickness, and cut into heart shapes using a cookie cutter. Then, place the cookies on the baking tray and bake for about seven minutes, until golden.
  5. Take it out of the oven to cool, and enjoy.

Tip: These cookies are good on their own, but a few sprinkles never hurt anyone. Jazz yours up with some pink icing and 100s and 1000s.

Allergic to peanuts?

Brittle isn’t just for peanuts. This nut-free version of the old classic is just as delicious, and your Valentine will think so too.

Pumpkin seed brittle

Ingredients

  • ¼ unsalted butter.
  • ½ cup brown sugar.
  • ¼ cup honey.
  • 1 cup pumpkin seeds.

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  2. Give the pumpkin seeds a thorough rinse. Drain them in a colander and dry lightly with a paper towel. Then, spread the seeds onto a baking sheet and bake for seven to 10 minutes, until light brown and crispy.
  3. Grease a new baking sheet with butter and set aside.
  4. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and honey. Bring to a boil. Cook the mixture for about six minutes, until it is amber in colour. Then, stir in the pumpkin seeds. Cook the mixture for another two minutes.
  5. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Let it cool completely before breaking it into pieces.

Tip: Enjoy the brittle as is or broken over vanilla ice cream.

Allergic to dairy?

No dairy? No problem. Dig into this creamy cheesecake you’d never guess contains no dairy.

Raw raspberry cheesecake

Ingredients

For the base:

  • 2 cups almonds.
  • 1 cup dried dates.
  • Sprinkle of desiccated coconut.

For the filling:

  • 3 cups chopped cashews, soaked for two hours.
  • ½ cup lemon juice.
  • ½ cup agave nectar.
  • ¾ cup coconut oil.
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
  • ½ teaspoon salt.
  • 1 cup fresh/frozen raspberries.

Method

  1. To make the base, soak the dates in some warm water for 10 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water. Then, process the dates and almonds in a food processor until it clumps together.
  2. Sprinkle the coconut on the bottom of a greased cake tin. Then, press the crust into the cake tin on top of the coconut.
  3. To make the filling, blend the cashews, lemon juice, agave nectar, coconut oil, vanilla extract, salt, and raspberries together until smooth. Pour the mixture on top of the crust, smoothing evenly with a spatula.
  4. Put it in the fridge for a few hours until firm and ready to serve.

Tip: Top the cheesecake with a few raspberries for a pop of colour.

Allergic to wheat?

Gluten-free desserts don’t need to be boring and tasteless. These brownies prove it.

Flourless fudge brownies

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter.
  • ¾ cups sugar.
  • 250g semisweet chocolate, chopped.
  • 2 eggs, room temperature.
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder.
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch.
  • ¼ teaspoon salt.

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  2. Line a square pan with baking paper. Butter it lightly and set aside.
  3. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over a low heat. Then, add the sugar. Once the sugar has incorporated, add the chocolate, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat and beat for two minutes with a mixer or whisk. Add the eggs, one at a time. Then add the vanilla extract.
  4. Using a sieve, sift the cocoa powder and cornstarch into the saucepan. Then, add the salt. Stir together. Then, beat the batter vigorously for one to two minutes, until it’s smooth and glossy.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the brownies are set in the centre. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pan for 45 minutes before removing and slicing.

Tip: Add chopped nuts or chocolate chips for a more decadent and irresistible brownie, yumminess guaranteed!

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Before you go gluten-free, find out what exactly gluten is

Earlier today, we posted a hilarious Jimmy Kimmel video in which his crew takes to the streets to ask health conscious people the question: “What is gluten?”. To our surprise, not a lot of them actually knew, even though they claimed to follow a gluten-free diet!

OK, so most people know that gluten is found is foods like bread, pastries and pastas, but that seems to be where the understanding ends.

Continue reading “Before you go gluten-free, find out what exactly gluten is”