Sugar Cookies With No Dairy, Eggs or Nuts

We make these cookies several times a year, Valentine's Day, Halloween, and Christmas.  They are great for class parties at school and for enjoying at home for dessert.  I try to do pretty decorations on mine, but the kids love to go crazy with sprinkles and frosting.  I just let them, they have so much fun and feel so proud of the hard work.  These times are so special.

Ingredients

3/4 c soybutter softened (Earth Balance works well)

1/2 c sugar

½ c brown sugar

¼ c oj

¼ c  soymilk

1 tsp vanilla

2 ½ c flour (King Arthur is my fave)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

  

Directions

Beat the soybutter and sugars until creamy.  Next add the orange juice, soymilk, and vanilla and beat on low.  Measure and the dry ingredients and mix on low until a soft dough forms.  It will be lumpy, but when it is pressed together and refrigerated it will firm up nicely.  Turn dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.     

Dust a board heavily with flour and roll out cookies.  Cut out with cookie cutters.  If desired, sprinkle with colored sugar sprinkles and bake on an ungreased baking sheet at 350 for 11-12 minutes.  Or just bake the cookies plain and frost and decorate them when they have cooled completely.  Makes about 4 dozen cookies.  

I sometimes make the cookies ahead and freeze them until I am ready to frost and decorate them.  Put them in layers between sheets of waxed paper in a large plastic container and freeze.  Take them out a few hours before you want to decorate.  

Icing

2 c powdered sugar

2 tsp water

2 tsp soy milk

Mix ingredients together well.  You can also divide the frosting and add food coloring.  Frost cookies completely and add colored sugar sprinkles or pipe icing around cookies.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Apples are such a perfect baking fruit, there are so many different ways to use them.  And I love all apple baked goods.  There is a beautiful apple orchard in the next town that we pick apples at every fall. We bring home many more than we can eat, so I bake, bake, and bake some more until they are gone (which is usually until at least the holidays).

Ingredients

1 ½  c flour

1 c oats

1 tsp cinnamon

½ c sugar

½ tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

2 tbs wheat germ

¾ c soy milk

1/3  c canola oil

1/3 c applesauce

1 c shredded granny smith apple

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease muffin cups with shortening or line with paper baking cups.  Measure dry ingredients and stir together in a medium sized mixing bowl.  Make a well in the center and mix and add the soy milk, canola oil and applesauce.  Stir until just moistened and pour in the shredded apple.  Stir gently.  Pour into greased muffin cups and bake at 400 degrees for 20 – 22 minutes.

Soy Buttermilk Pancakes

These are perfect pancakes that will delight any pancake connoisseur, which many little children are (especially mine)!  My kids help me with all of my recipes since they all have inherited my sweet tooth.  You can refrigerate any extras for a day or two and warm them up in the toaster oven for a quick school morning breakfast.

Ingredients  

1 c soymilk plus 1 tbs vinegar

1 c flour

2 tbs sugar

1 tbs wheat germ

2 tsp b powder

1 tsp b soda

¼ tsp salt

1/3 c canola oil

soybutter for cooking the pancakes

Measure the soy milk and add the tablespoon of vinegar.  Let it stand for a couple of minutes.  Preheat a non-stick frying pan and add a pat of soy butter.  Add the dry ingredients to a medium mixing bowl and stir together.  Make a well in the center and add the soy milk mixture and canola oil.  When the soy butter starts to sizzle, spoon the batter into the pan and cook.  Add more pats of soy butter for each batch of pancakes.  Serve immediately with maple syrup or your desired topping. 

No Nut Homemade Granola Bars

Granola bars are notorious for their nuts.  These bars are nut free and great for lunch boxes at school or backpacks when out for a hike.  My kids think they are a treat and have them for dessert.  You can make them more healthy by skipping the chocolate chips, (but why would you do that?).   

Ingredients


2 c oats
1 c shredded coconut
½ c wheat germ
1/4 c sunflower seeds
½ c honey
¼ c brown sugar
3 tbs soy butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2  tsp salt
½ c  chopped dried fruit, any combination of cranberries, raisins, apricots or cherries
1/3 c miniature dairy and nut free chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish with shortening and set aside.  

Spread the oats, coconut, wheat germ, and sunflower seeds onto a sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Combine the honey, brown sugar, soy butter, vanilla and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.  Once the oat mixture is done baking, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F.  Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine.  Gently stir in the chocolate chips (be careful, they may start to melt in the warm granola).

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.  Lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares. Serve at room temperature. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Oatmeal Wheat Bread

Home made bread smells delicious baking in your oven.  Besides, many commercially made breads have allergens and are full of preservatives.  Have you ever noticed how long it takes for them to go bad?  There is a great bakery in our state that makes fresh breads that does not use nuts.  But, is costs almost $5.00 per loaf!  When I have time I make fresh bread for my family and make croutons with the leftover slices.

Ingredients
1 cup very warm water
2 1/4 tsp active yeast
2 cups bread flour (all purpose will still work)
3/4 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup oats
2 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs wheat germ
2 tbs melted soybutter

1 tbs canola oil for rolling out dough

Measure the warm water and add the yeast.  Stir gently and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.  Set up your food processor with the dough blade.  Measure the dry ingredients and pour into the food processor bowl.  Process until blended.  Pour the yeast and water mixture through the top while running the processor. Open the top and add the melted soybutter.  Process again until a smooth dough forms.  Run for one additional minute.

Turn dough into a greased bowl and cover with a towel.  Let it rise in a warm place free from drafts for 45 to 60 minutes or until doubled in size.  The dough will be ready when an indentation remains.  Turn the dough onto an oiled board.  Gently turn the dough ball to oil it an all sides.  Flatten the dough with the heel of your hand into a rectangular shape.  Roll dough up tightly into a loaf shape starting from a short side and pinching it together as you roll.  Place the dough in a loaf pan and cover again.  Let it rise in a warm place for another 45 minutes or until it is at least 1 to 1 1/2 inches over the rim of the pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.  Cool for 15 minutes and turn out of pan.  Cool completely before storing in an airtight container or plastic bag.

**  I have made this recipe using my bread machine, but I used the machine so much that the mixing pan wore out.  If you want to make it in your bread maching, just follow the manufacturer's instructions for adding ingredients.  You can select the dough cycle and bake the bread in a pan in your oven or make the whole thing in your machine.

No Nut Cranberry Muffins

Vote for this recipe in the Holiday Recipe Contest at 

http://www.classesandcareers.com/education/2010/11/03/the-busy-moms-holiday-recipe-contest/

Cool fall mornings are the perfect time for these muffins, and you won't even miss the nuts that are in traditional cranberry baked goods.  Cranberries are abundant in the supermarket this time of year and freeze well to use in baked goods during the winter.

Ingredients

2 c flour

½ c sugar

½ tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

2 tbs wheat germ

¾ c milk

¼ c canola oil

1/3  c orange juice

¼ c soy vanilla yogurt

2 tbs orange zest

1 c chopped cranberries

Grease muffin cups with shortening and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir together until blended.  Make a well in the center and add the wet ingredients and the orange zest.  Stir until just blended, the batter will be lumpy but don't over-mix.  It will make the muffins too chewy. Stir in the cranberries.  Spoon into muffin cups and bake for 20 to 22 minutes.  

You can also make a loaf of bread by baking for 35 to 40 minutes in a greased loaf pan.  

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everyone loves chocolate chip cookies and you can never eat just one.  This was a cookie I was really missing when I found out that my daughter had food allergies and it was the first cookie recipe that I attempted to make.  Every should enjoy homemade chocolate chip cookies.  These are best warm from the oven and served with vanilla soy ice cream for an extra special treat.  

Ingredients

2 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 c (2 sticks) softened soy butter such as Earth Balance

¾ c sugar

¾ c brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

3 tbs water

3 tbs canola oil

1 package nut free and dairy free chocolate chips such as Divvies or Enjoy Life

Measure dry ingredients and put into a medium sized bowl.  Stir together.  Add soybutter and sugars to a large mixing bowl.  Beat on medium with an electric mixer until well blended.  Add the vanilla, water, and canola oil and beat again.  Pour in the flour mixture and beat on low until a soft dough forms.  Stir in the chocolate chips with a spoon. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 375 for 10- 12 minutes.  Cool on wire racks and enjoy.  Makes about 36 cookies.  Store in an airtight container to preserve freshness.