FoodAllergyMama.com

I love to bake and do so nearly every day. I am obsessed with sweets, treats and everything in between. It is quite possible my own addiction to simple baked goods has propelled me to create lots and lots of tasty recipes that can be shared with everyone. I love sharing what I have learned over the years, the hits and the misses, the trials and the tribulations. I’ve made many mistakes too, but feel that it is in those moments I am one step closer to perfection. Taking risks and making messes is really the only way to learn and grow, right?

The Holiday Baking Season is finally upon us. I can hear the sighs now…what do we do when we know we have to make and bake safe treats to bring to winter parties and holiday dinners? By simply rolling up our sleeves, pull out one of my recipes and get baking. This is the perfect time to get your kids in the kitchen. Don’t worry so much about the end result, but rather the fun in doing. My two older kids, 8 and 6 have become quite proficient rolling dough, giving cookie cutters a gentle wiggle upon lifting and using a dough scraper to carefully lift cookie shapes onto parchment lined cookie sheets. The two little guys at ages 3 and 2 are still learning these little tricks, and would rather spend the time eating raw dough dipped in colored sugar. I should post a photo of my kitchen after one of these “baking sessions”!

While we all will be hitting our kitchens a little more often the next few weeks, I thought I’d share a few of my  Five Favorite Baking Products. Enjoy and Happy Baking!

1. Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mat: Use one of these two items and you’ll never have burnt, too crisp cookies again. There’s something magical about using parchment or the silicone baking mat; you’ll have perfectly shaped and baked cookies every time.

2. Dairy Free Baking Spray:  I love the Crisco brand baking spray with flour. It is quick and less messy than the traditional approach of “greasing and flouring” baking pans.

3. Silicone Rubber Spatula:  Every kitchen should have at least ONE, if not more. It is the only utensil I use to scrape down the bowl, stir in ingredients and pour into baking pans. There are so many fun colors now too.

4. Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Extract: I’m a real stickler about the vanilla I use. There are some ingredients you can’t go cheap; this is one of them. Get the good stuff, and you’ll see a real difference in your baking results.

5: Enjoy Life Allergen Friendly Chocolate Chips:  When I was considering my allergen free cookie business I did a ton of research into what were the safest chocolate chips to use. It wasn’t easy, but I can tell you that for the Food Allergic consumer, this product is your best bet for a great tasting and safe chocolate chip that has been extensively tested for allergens and executes strict manufacturing practices. There is one other too, but it isn’t readily availible to the average consumer and you’d have to buy it in bulk at expensive prices.

If you have a Favorite Baking Product you’d like to share, post your comment. I’d love to hear from you!