Allergy free cooking

We haven't had a lot of experience in this family with allergies and having to cook special foods. However, since starting Steiner playgroup we have happened to come across some little people with allergies. It's a bit different to an adult having an allergy. It's easy enough for an adult to avoid certain foods but with a child it's a little different. They just don't understand that they can't have something when it's set out in front of them.

At playgroup, the food we have for morning tea during the term (soup and bread rolls) are made so that children with allergies are catered for and they don't feel left out. This year we have also started having allergy free food for our end of term party. Parents are asked to bring a plate to share for these parties and so last term we had to put our thinking caps on and make some sort of food that was wheat-free, dairy-free, egg-free and nut-free. I found it quite a challenge and ended up coming up with some disgusting concoction as this was the first time I'd had to make something like this!

Anyway, seeing as it's Jacob's birthday, I had to make a cake for him to take to kinder. Even though I didn't have to, I thought it would be nice to make some sort of cake that all the children could share, regardless of allergies. So, the above pictures are the end results! Wheat-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free chocolate cupcakes. I think they are actually pretty tasty for allergy free cupcakes and am very happy with the results! They have turned out to be really lovely and moist. Here's the end result:



Allergy-free chocolate cupcakes:

Ingredients:
125g rice flour
110g cornflour
50g cocoa
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup jam (I used blackberry)
2tsp baking powder
150g nuttelex
250ml soy milk

Method:
1.Preheat oven to 180 degrees
2. Line muffin pan with paper cases
3. Sift dry ingredients together (flours, sugar, cocoa, baking powder)
4. Add margarine, milk and jam, then beat with electric mixer until well combined
5. Half fill the paper cases with mixture and bake for 25 minutes

They taste really yummy when just cool :)