Show 37: Excerpt - Allergy-Free Red, White and Blue Cupcakes

Cooking, and especially baking, for kids with food allergies can be challenging. Contributor Jessica Cochran and her son Jackson visited her friend Kristiann Maclean and her two daughters for an afternoon of baking to learn some tricks - and a recipe -- for allergen-free baking.

Kristiann’s Red White and Blue Cupcakes

Based on: "Blueberry Millet Muffins” from The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook by Cybele Pascal

1 cup rice or soy milk
1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
*combine and set aside to make “fake buttermilk”

1 T Ener-G egg replacer
¼ cup rice or soy milk
*combine to make “fake egg”

MIX DRY INGREDIENTS
2 cups flour (use wheat four, or use a gluten-free flour mixture plus ¾ tsp xanthum gum)
1 cup millet flour
4 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt

MIX WET INGREDIENTS
1 cup sugar
Egg replacer mixture
*combine in bowl mixer, mix on medium speed 20 seconds

“fake buttermilk”
2 t vanilla extract
¼ vegetable oil
1 t lemon zest
*Add to wet ingredients, mix 30 seconds

Add dry ingredients to wet, stirring until just combined.
Fold in 1 ½ cup blueberries (fresh or frozen).
If using frozen, coat them with a little bit of flour mixture first; Kristiann says this helps them keep their shape as they defrost and keeps the whole muffin from turning blue.

Line muffin pan with muffin liners. Fill to the brim with batter. Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes.
(Kristiann recommends turning the muffin pan half-way through baking)

FROSTING
½ cup shortening (there are soy-based or non-soy varieties available)
1 ½ c- 1 ¾ powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla
2T soy or rice milk

Beat in a stand mixer for 5 full minutes to make it fluffy.

Frost cupcakes and top with strawberries and/or raspberries and blueberries to make a red, white and blue holiday treat!