Delicious Holiday Treats

The holidays are a time of celebration when even those with allergies and special dietary needs can enjoy a sweet holiday treat or an allergen-free dessert.

Try these delectable whole grain, sugar-free dessert recipes that are safe for all of your family members and friends, whether they are vegans, are living with celiac disease, or have one of a number of common allergies.

Recipes

• Fruit Sorbet
• Cranberry Chocolate Cookies
• Banana Chai Muffins
• Raw Hummingbird Cake
• Fruit Brulé au Chocolat
  

Allergen-free ingredients

Never heard of some of the ingredients used in these recipes? The descriptions below clarify what they are and where you can find them.

Gluten-free baking mix
Usually made up of a mix of bean flours and rice flour, an all-purpose gluten-free baking mix is indispensable to the cook charged with preparing gluten-free baked goods. You can buy gluten-free baking mix at health food stores.

Xanthan gum
Most gluten-free baking mixes must be used in conjunction with xanthan gum. If the baking mix you have doesn’t call for xanthan gum, don’t use it in the recipes in this article. Xanthan gum is a complex sugar (meaning that it doesn’t taste sweet) that’s used as a thickening agent. Find it at health food stores.

Apricot purée
Apricot purée isn’t used to replace an allergen in these recipes, but rather to sweeten and thicken. To make, purée dried apricots softened in water (room temperature overnight or in boiling water for about 10 minutes) using a hand-held blender.