Valentine’s Day desserts don’t have to kill your heart

This cookie cake can also be made heart shaped for Valentine's Day

Again, use different colors and a heart shaped pan to make a Valentine's Day Version

I really don’t like to bake.  Baked goods recipes have to be exact and are very hard to convert if you are picky about your ingredients.  Yet, I love desserts and certain festive desserts are a requirement (in my family) for birthdays, special holidays and even Valentine’s Day.

Although you can now find some cakes that cater to special diets (gluten free, vegan, etc.), they are very expensive and not easily available.   But in my case, these cakes aren’t even an option.   Since we are dealing with multiple food allergies here, I can’t run the risk of something being cross contaminated.   Basically, cross contamination is the possibility of having a tiny amount of allergen in the food since the allergen is present in the bakery.  Bakeries (even gluten free ones) have nuts and dairy in their facility….so I can’t buy any baked goods (not even bread).  As a result, I have to bake everything at home.  As a result, I end up with an allergen free and much more wholesome version of the dessert.

Necessity is the mother of invention; so over the years I learned how to make the celebratory cakes, cookie cakes and cupcakes without any of the bad things. 

As Valentine’s day approaches, it’s time to find the heart shaped baking pans, cookie pans and chocolate molds.

You don’t need to have food allergies to make these special cakes at home.  They really aren’t that hard to make and taste so fresh.

In the next few days I’m going to post recipes for the frosting, cookie cakes and cakes that can be used for Valentine’s Day.   Even if you don’t have to follow a special diet, these sweets will not clog your arteries and pack on the pounds.

Again, because baking is so exact, figuring out the right ingredient substitutions was a challenge.  Friends and family love these cakes.

Let me know which recipe you are interested in first.

related blogs:  

Tools of the trade

Creamiest mocha frosting with no gross after taste

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Mader's - Makes the Indulgence Worth it

If you live in the Chicago/Milwaukee area, Mader’s in Milwaukee is a great restaurant to visit.

It is one of the last German restaurants around (and is a historical landmark).  In addition to the great food, the place restaurant includes $3 million dollar collection of art, suits of medieval armour and antiques from as early as the 14^th century.

I hope they retain the authentic food (menu choices are authentic) and feel. There is also great German beer on tap (much better than bottle).  I’ve seen so many ‘old world’ restaurants go out of business in this area:  Little Europe in Kenosha, Hans Bavarian Lodge in Wheeling, Wunderbar in Antioch and Paprikash in Arlington Heights (formerly in Chicago).  Some say this is because the country is very health conscious.  I find that highly doubtful.  Standard franchise restaurants offer very fattening, bland and unhealthy food; many resembling a bad frozen dinner brand.  If I’m going to indulge in some extra calories, at least it should be for a good cause-a great place and great authentic food.

Winter is a great time to stop in (the Sunday brunch is phenomenal too). 

Mader's

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I completed reading a book!

It has been a long time since I actually completed reading a book.  I’m always too busy and never have time to read.  I’m still busy and the Kindle didn’t miraculously add more time to my day.  It is the convenient features (see previous blog) of the Kindle that enabled me to read more frequently and finally complete this book.

For the first book, I chose Siddhartha by Herman Hesse.  The last time I read this book I was 17.  Reading it at this age was a completely different experience. With the Kindle I was able to highlight and share these notes on facebook (or just reflect after).

If I didn’t have a Kindle I wouldn’t even have read this book since it wasn’t new to me.   But the free classic download (many classics on Kindle are free to download…even Tolstoy) led me to read it.

Prior to owning a Kindle  I didn’t completely get it.   I’m so glad I have one and I can start to enjoy reading again!

Now what do I do with the two hard cover books in progress?  They do look good on a bookshelf

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Creamy yet healthy – the tools of the trade

Friends have asked me for recipes of my frostings, “but it’s so creamy.”  They can’t believe that it’s dairy free.

I will admit, before I learned about food, I thought a good butter crème frosting was the ultimate.  I still believe that it’s not as bad for your body as hydrogenated margarine or traditional shortening (Crisco).  Actually the culprit in the dairy is not the fat, but the protein (casein).  

Without going into all the technical details, there is a way to get that great buttery taste (yes, it is a great taste) for your frosting.

It took me a while to get this right.  Sure the first version was good and people liked it, but I was looking for that whipped creamy consistency of a butter cream…. perfection.

I started out using the Spectrum Organic Shortening with a little soy milk and the typical frosting ingredients (powder sugar, vanilla, cocoa, etc.)  But it just didn’t have the right consistency.  I’ve never used shortening before (we didn’t have it in Europe) so I had no idea what to expect.  It was good, but just not good enough for me. Spectrum is also great for other baking needs.  It’s not the cheapest, but in the long run, you will save on medical bills because it’s not bad for you.

I’ve seen recipes using soy butter but I didn’t think that would work because soy butter is salted.  When I did use butter (pre 2005) I always used non salted butter.  My mother never even bought salted butter after we moved here from Europe and nor did I.  Salted butter overshadows the flavor and is not creamy.  I’ve been trying to replicate the flavor of that good homemade butter crème that I used to make with Plugra (a European butter).

Recently I tried a different formulation because of a new product  “So Delicious Coconut Milk” (note: it is not a dominating coconut flavor that you get from canned coconut milk).  This milk tastes the closest to real milk in texture and flavor.  It is organic and allergen free (and tested for allergens-so I trust the brand since I’m dealing with dairy allergies at home).

So the key to a good dairy free frosting that still has that buttery flavor we all love:

Spectrum Organic Vegetable Shortening

Ingredients: Mechanically Pressed Organic Palm Oil – and that’s ALL

Where can you buy it?  I find it at Whole Foods (watch for sales) and it's also available on Amazon. Some grocery stores also carry it, but it's a bit pricey (too specialized for the regular stores).

(and you can use this without the soy butter – the frosting is still great, just not as perfect)

So Delicious Organic Coconut Milk- Vanilla-gluten free, dairy free, soy free and vegan

This is a fairly new product.  I use about ½ cup to moisten the frosting (but not more-don’t want the flavor to dominate). Soy milk will also work, but I like the effect of this one more.
Where to find it?  I have only found this at Whole Foods so far.

Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks – dairy free, gluten free, vegan (contains soy)

Sometimes I feel like I’m the Paula Dean of soy butter.  This product is a great butter substitute; I use it for all my butter recipes (not just baking).  They also have a tub that is like whipped butter.  It is reasonably priced too.  It’s available at Whole Foods, some other grocery stores (where it’s a bit overpriced), and Woodman’s for those who live in Wisconsin.

There is a certain ratio for that perfect consistency.   I will include it in my recipes. But it’s basically one cup of Spectrum and half a cup of soy butter stick (along with others).  It’s 100% vegan, dairy free, gluten free too.  If you are avoiding soy, skip the soy butter. 

So my cakes are truly dairy free and no chance of cross contamination with nuts and dairy in my kitchen as I don’t even bring nuts and dairy into my home.

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One handed reading on my new Kindle

Yes, I broke down and bought one:

Much like my 12 year son, I seem to be more productive if there is a technology gadget involved.

But this is not just a gadget.  I’ve only had a Kindle for three days and I am finally reading again. I have read more in the past three days than I have all year (yes sad).  Why?

Portability:  If I’m relaxing I don’t have to preplan what I will read and bring the books.  Instead, on a whim, I can decide what to read.

One handed reading:  I can hold the Kindle in one hand, drink coffee/tea  or even pet my dogs with the other hand while I’m reading.  Great for my ‘multi tasking’ nature.  The iPad is so much heavier.

Contrast:  The Kindle is easy to read-much easier than some cheaper paperbacks or even some hard cover books.  Reading the Kindle is not an exercise in eye strain.

Highlight phrases:  I love being able to highlight phrases that are relevant to me.  Then being able to post these excerpts on Facebook is an added bonus.

Price of books:  This is related to the spontaneous factor again.  If I want to read a book – in a matter of minutes I can start reading it (free, real cheap or cheaper than the book).  I am in the process of reading three books right now.  Who knows, tonight that might turn into five books in a matter of hours.

There are still many features I haven’t discovered, but so far I love the Kindle. 

I have hardcover books to finish and I’m very tempted to just buy them for the Kindle because I don’t even want to pick them up.

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You are what you eat and yes-you can eat to your heart’s delight (literally)

Who doesn’t love traditional stuffing?  I remember I made my first allergen (top 8) free Thanksgiving meal in 2005.  This was necessitated when I first found out that my son had various medical conditions, at that time it wasn’t even clear if he could eat food since we were still exploring whether he could tolerate a top 8 allergen free diet or not.    Without going into the complex medical details, I felt that this was the make or break Thanksgiving.  So I made a completely allergen free meal-meaning no dairy, wheat (gluten), eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish.  But how can you make a tasty, traditional meal without all this?

I thought I perfected holiday meals but now it was a new set of rules, still driven by the same goal. 

Stuffing was a challenge-make a gluten free bread (every baked item can be cross contaminated so store brought bread is not an option), substitutions for eggs and so forth.  The meal was a success.  The family was expecting a tasteless bland meal for the “good of the child.” Instead they got a tasty traditional meal but so much better, healthier.  

Since then I’ve added eggs, soy, wheat and fish back because we no longer have to avoid this. 

Many may say “Oh yes, I wish I could eat and provide a healthier diet, but I’m not a full time stay at home mom, so I need my unhealthy processed food because it saves me time.”  Well, I’m not a “stay at home mom” either.  I’m a single mother with a full time career, a long daily commute, with three dogs and a son with all kinds of food related health challenges (my daughter doesn’t have these issues, but she is kind of vegan-so my cooking also needs to make her happy). 

I’ve had five years to master these techniques. I did quit my career for a while and learned all about how to cook without garbage – let’s call it what it is. But now I’m in production mode.  The massive research and experimentation is done.  I still research new foods and ingredients, but it’s not a full time job anymore.

As this new blog evolves (not even a day old), I will share tricks and tips about healthier cooking.  No, you don’t need to have food allergies or special circumstances to live healthier, be at your optimum weight and not develop diabetes coupled with high cholesterol.  It turns out that the old adage: “you are what you eat” is true.

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The Creamiest Mocha Frosting with no gross after effect

This mocha cake is a huge accomplishment.  A dozen organic eggs and no fat or dairy (butter).  It tasted delicious and my dairy allergic son was able to eat it.  It was the creamiest/whipped  'mocha butter cream' I have ever had and I used no butter.  This is the 'parallel kitchen' after all.  With various healthy and tasty substitutions I think I made the best cake I ever made.  Even the guests who could have dairy in their diets agreed that this was better and it didn't bloat them either as the dairy protein casein does.

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