This month we are featuring easy to make coconut sweets for your little sweethearts. If you are a coconut lover, these are for you!
A FEW TIPS
Nature’s Charm Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk is available at local grocers and online. It is coconut based and vegan. You can find other varieties in local supermarkets or online at http://www.naturescharmveganproducts.com.
To make your own vegan sweetened condensed milk, visit the Go Dairy Free website: https://www.godairyfree.org/dairy-substitutes/substitute-condensed-milk-buttermilk-sweetened-powder
Coconut is not a botanical nut; it is classified as a fruit, even though the Food and Drug Administration recognizes coconut as a tree nut. While allergic reactions to coconut have been documented, most people who are allergic to tree nuts can safely eat coconut. If you are allergic to tree nuts, talk to your allergist before adding coconut to your diet. Source: https://acaai.org/allergies/types/food-allergies/types-food-allergy/tree-nut-allergy
COCONUT MACAROONS
Free of: DAIRY, EGGS, SOY, PEANUTS, TREE NUTS, WHEAT, FISH, SHELLFISH, and GLUTEN
Yield: 24 cookies
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Refrigeration Time: 1 hour
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
- 1 14-ounce bag
- 2/3 cup gluten free flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 can sweetened condensed coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Optional topping: 1 cup dairy/soy free chocolate (melted)
Stir together coconut, flour, salt, coconut milk and extract. Refrigerate for an hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Scoop or use rounded tablespoon and place on parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake for about 20 minutes, until tops are lightly golden. Remove from oven, cool about 10 minutes, transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Optionally, dip into melted chocolate and let set until firm.
Cherry variation: Add 1 teaspoon maraschino cherry juice to the dough. When cookies have baked, top each with a maraschino cherry before the cookies cool.
HELLO DOLLY BARS
Free of: MILK, EGGS, SOY, PEANUTS, TREE NUTS, WHEAT**, FISH, SHELLFISH, GLUTEN**
Yield: 24-36 servings (double the recipe for a larger batch)
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 25-30 minutes
- 1 1/4 cups graham crumbs** (or gluten-free cereal crumbs such as cornflakes or Rice Chex)
- 6 Tablespoons melted dairy/soy free margarine
- 2 cups (12-ounce bag) dairy/soy free chocolate chips
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 can sweetened condensed coconut milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together the graham crumbs and melted margarine. Press firmly into bottom of an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 or 10 x 7 pan. Add a bit more margarine if the crumbs don’t stick together to make a firm crust – it should not be crumbly.
Layer with chocolate chips, then the coconut, then pour the coconut milk over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and cut into squares. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers.
These bar cookies are so versatile, you can modify the ingredients with little impact on quality. Don’t like chocolate? Use white chips (dairy free). Replace the coconut with mini marshmallows, or add marshmallows as a layer, too.
**Use gluten free graham cracker crumbs, or gluten free sweetened cornflakes (you don’t have to add sugar, they are very close to a graham cracker crust). One 10-ounce box of cereal yields about 2 cups of crumbs, or measured another way, 3 cups of cereal in a blender will yield about 1 cup of crumbs.
If you have any questions about our column, e-mail Kathy at allergy@roadrunner.com. For further information about food allergies, contact FARE www.foodallergy.org, or call 1-800-929-4040.
Kathy Lundquist is a Western New York parent whose son, now an adult, was born with severe food allergies. Over the last two decades, she has worked tirelessly, in a variety of capacities, to increase community awareness about food allergies.