The holidays are upon us!
In a few days it will be Halloween, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas, then New Year’s… All celebrations that are steeped in the tradition of stuffing ourselves full of candy, cookies, cake and all manner of tasty treats that – let’s face it – really aren’t that good for us. (That’s why they put New Year’s at the end you know… so that you can wait to make your resolution to be healthier after all those holidays are over with and not before!) And while none of us should recklessly stuff ourselves full of holiday fare, there are some among us for whom partaking in this holiday fare can mean severe illness or even death.
I am talking about people with food allergies. Each year more and more individuals (including children) are diagnosed with a food allergy or food intolerance. Almost everyone knows somebody who can’t eat certain foods. There may very well be a student in your child’s class who is lactose intolerant, allergic to peanuts, or gluten-intolerant. In a season of class parties, what special treat can you send to school for everyone to enjoy? If your own child suffers from food allergies, what can you offer him or her to offset the seemingly never-ending supply of “off-limits” sweets that will inevitably be offered time and time again?
I have been vegan for several years. I married a vegan with a peanut allergy. Together, we managed to produce at least one gluten intolerant child. A birthday cake at our house has to be made with no milk, no eggs, no sugar, no nuts and no wheat. I tried and tried to substitute all kinds of gluten-free flours for wheat, but they always left a grainy texture that made the dessert unpleasant. And let’s face it, if you’re going to consume as many calories as are in dessert, the dessert should taste really good. So I gave up trying to make ground millet taste like an indulgence.
My solution? Learn to make desserts using only ingredients that are not considered highly allergenic. After scouring cookbooks, a little experimentation and several failed attempts, I came up with this secret fudge recipe, and I am going to share it with you. Don’t be fooled by the ingredient list. Even though all the ingredients are healthy, on a scale of 1-10, this one is a 12!
So here it is… My secret recipe for Allergy-Free, Gluten-Free Fudge
In a bowl mix together the following ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups honey (or 1 cup honey and 1/2 cup maple syrup)
- one 16 ounce jar “Sunbutter” (an all-natural sunflower seed spread available near the peanut butter in many health food stores.)
- 3 tsp vanilla
- Add 1 cup carob powder until well blended. (also available at your health food store. Carob is a chocolate-substitute)
- Add 6 cups sunflower seeds.
(Or you can mix the seeds with nuts of your choice if nobody has a nut allergy. I like to use: 1 cup sunflower seeds, 2 cups chopped Walnuts, 3 cups sliced almonds)
Stir until well mixed.
Pack into sprayed 9″ x 13″ pan and refrigerate!
(Note: If you cannot find Sunbutter, you can substitute almond butter or peanut butter, but be aware that tree nuts are highly allergenic!)
And finally… Enjoy!
Alina Joy Dubois is wife and mother to a vegan, gluten free family. The family moved out into the country and her husband recently quit a career in software to open the “Good Old Days Farm” in Blue Ridge, Texas. They grow fruit, vegetables and herbs, raise honeybees and make handcrafted soap. To follow the goings-on of the farm, please visit the Good Old Days Farm Blog.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
This sounds delicious – thanks so much for sharing. I can’t wait to try it!!!!!
My four kids really love fudge and I have actually memorized one specific fudge recipe for each of them. Although for Granny, it really has to be gluten-free. Though I’m not really sure if she really has the condition or she just wanted to feel an extra bit special by demanding a different fudge for herself, oh nana! Anyway, she’s adorable enough for me to look for a good gluten-free fudge recipe just for her.
Your adorable Granny is so lucky to have you. How sweet (pun intended) that you will make something special for her
There are a lot of extremes in the world of Gluten Intolerance. Some people have Celiac Disease and get very sick if they have gluten. In Granny’s defense, other people only have a mild intolerance that could manifest itself in a variety of ways. Our doctor told us that the most common reaction to gluten she sees is skin disorders (rashes, itchiness, etc.) Our whole family switched over to a gluten-free diet when we noticed that the grains our gluten-free son was eating were more nutrient-dense than what the rest of us were eating! We haven’t looked back and some of our minor health issues have cleared up, too! The hardest part has been finding a gluten free dessert we like, but this fudge is so tasty! (And did you notice that it has no refined sugar?) I hope you and Granny enjoy this together! And Neas Nuttiness… I hope you enjoy it too!
This sounds really good. I wonder what I can use instead of honey or maple syrup. Those 2 feed candida. I am going to have to think about this.
Following on Networked blogs. http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/blog/my_journey_with_candida/
My Journey With Candida is the cool author of..Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil Review And Giveaway One Quart Jar
Candida… That’s a tough one I didn’t think about! Well, stevia is generally allowed on anti-candida diets so you could try that. I have never used stevia in my own baking so I’m afraid I don’t have any advice on how to use it.
In my version of the recipe, the honey and maple syrup give the fudge that ooey-gooey texture and serve as a base. You may want to try creating a tapioca pudding base including the stevia to sweeten it, then adding the other ingredients. I’m not sure how well this would set up in the fridge so you may need to eat it as a pudding/mousse-type of dessert or frozen. (Either would probably still be delicious!)
I hope that helps! Please let me know how it turns out! =)
This sounds easy and wonderful! Our kids love honey but actually our son is allergic to sunflower. So I know I could use soybutter but what about all the seeds? Do they need to be in this for consistency? Our little guy has many allergies and at one point he could hardly eat anything except chicken, peas and rice because he broke out with severe eczema to what seemed like everything! The one thing that has helped him dramatically with his skin and with intolerances has been his Belly Boost chewable probiotics for kids. He still has his allergies and we carry an Epi for this, but everything else is so much better. I would love to experiment wtih your recipe bc he has never had fudge! Thanks so much!
This IS an easy recipe and I think you and your son will love it! Is your son allergic to all nuts and seeds? Yes, the “Sunbutter” could easily be replaced with soybutter, (or almond butter, cashew butter, peanut butter if he’s not allergic to nuts, but it sounds like he probably is.) You could also use tahini (although that would change the taste slightly) as long as he is not allergic to sesame seeds. The sunflower seeds and nuts in the fudge recipe serve to give the fudge some crunch and some body so you could replace it with anything crunchy (as long as it won’t go soggy). If he is not gluten intolerant, Grape Nuts (the cereal) would be a great choice!
Another possibility that leaps to mind is to substitute dried fruit for the nuts… dates, apricots, and shaved coconut would make a great combination! If you have a dehydrator you could try drying apples and bananas and berries!
I’ve also bought puffed rice and puffed millet cereal very cheaply at the health food store. You could try adding that. (I’ve never tried it so no guarantees about how it will turn out. I would think it would be like a rice crispie square, but if you try it, please let me know!). Come to think of it, I’ve even bought that puffed rice at Walmart. Just add it at the very end to minimize the chance that it will go soggy.
Have fun experimenting! =)
PS – Probiotics are wonderful! I hear about a lot of children who benefit from them… my own children included! Hang in there! It’s a challenge and it takes a lot of work, but ultimately your son probably has a much healthier diet than most children and that is a great legacy!
For the boy who is allergic to honey – Could you substitute Agave Nectar in place of honey? I bought it at Whole foods, USDA organic certified.
{ 2 trackbacks }