Every year my dear friend Nikki throws a Christmas cookie exchange. It is one of my favorite holiday events. Sadly, this year’s event was canceled since Nikki moved to Houston and had last minute work issues dampen our yearly event plans. Boo.
But that did not stop us from baking cookies!
As many of you may know, my son has HORRIBLE eczema. The poor thing has rashes all over his elbows and knees and I will do almost anything to prevent him from scratching. He was diagnosed as a baby and we went to an allergist. After a blood test revealed that he was allergic to almost everything – nuts, wheat, dander, blah, blah, blah, we put him on a gluten-free diet. We were able to slowly wean him off that diet and he started eating regular bread products but I think this year’s ridiculously dry weather has activated and exacerbated the eczema.
Now it’s back to no wheat, no dairy, and no eggs… which seems to be making a HUGE difference. So, for all you allergy sufferers out there, here’s a delicious cookie recipe that you can make!
Ingredients:
Vegan buttery spread
3 cups gluten free oats (blended to a flour)
1.5 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
½ cup sugar
¼ cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup dairy-free dark chocolate chips
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup candy coated chocolate (this is optional – note that this is not dairy free but a small amount is ok for my son)
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat cookie sheet with vegan buttery spread.
2. Add the gluten-free oat flour, baking soda, and salt to a medium-sized bowl and mix to combine.
3. Add the applesauce and sugar to a mixing bowl and beat on high until light and cream, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the maple syrup and vanilla extract. Beat on medium high speed until thoroughly mixed, about 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the dry ingredients, mixing on low until the dough is combined.
5. Refrigerate the dough for 10 minutes and then add the chocolate chips, cranberries, and candy coated chocolate.
6. Drop the dough by tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets.
7. Bake until the edges are golden, approximately 13-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on the trays for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Mixing the cookie dough
Above are some of the ingredients we used to make the cookies
Cookie success!
No Ugly Duckling 