Munchkin Munchies Monday: Top 8 Free Cheese Crackers

One of the things I hear people with EoE kids ask constantly is "What do I feed my kids?"  I know as an adult, living on an elimination diet can be frustrating.  But as a kid, I can only imagine.  There are so many "no" foods out there.  So I am dedicating a day every week for kid friendly snacks and desserts!  Any convenience item is sure to have some form of allergen in it.  As an adult I can understand this but trying to tell a grumpy, hungry toddler they can't have something is like trying tell a bird it can't fly, they just can't understand.  Living allergy free can make the grocery store seem like a war zone.  So many times I have read labels only to be disappointed and left wanting more options.  When I first started cooking allergen friendly it was out of necessity for my own diet.  I have found that my kids are willing to try things I make and actually enjoy them!  I want to share recipes for simple, easy to make snacks that kids will love.  These are great for keeping in your diaper bag or purse, they don't need to be refrigerated and can be doled out quickly to a hungry kiddo (or grown up!)  They are really quick to whip up, about 30 minutes from start to finish, and this recipe makes about 10 dozen crackers.   These are an awesome sub for those of us living under the thumb of our allergies and elimination diets!  Cheesy, crunchy and satisfying for a quick snack fix.  I hope you enjoy them!

Top 8 Free Cheez Its

 8 oz. Cheddar "cheese", shredded ( I use Daiya brand)
1/4 cup soy free vegan butter
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup white rice flour
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1/4 cup cold water

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine cheese, butter and salt in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse on high for about 30 seconds until cheese is crumbled.  Add in your flour and xanthan gum and pulse again until it resembles coarse meal.  Dump in your cold water and pulse for about 30 seconds again until the dough starts to come together.  Dump out onto a sheet of parchment paper and knead dough for about a minute.  (dough will be crumbly but the heat of your hands should help bring it together.)  Form dough into a flat disk and cover with a second sheet of parchment paper.  Roll dough between parchment sheets to about 1/4 inch thickness.  Brush lightly with water and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.  (You can omit this step if you are watching salt intake)  Cut into squares using a knife or pizza cutter.

Transfer squares to a parchment lined baking sheet making sure squares are not touching each other.  Bake at 350 for 17 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool on a baking rack.  Store in an airtight container.  Will keep for about 1 week.

Have your cake and eat it too!

One of the things I missed most was cake with an awesome buttercream frosting.  Well, no more!  This recipe is awesome and makes moist chocolate cupcakes with a rich vanilla "butter"cream frosting.  Your choices are pretty open with the buttercream, you can leave out the coconut oil and just use more shortening or vegan butter. I personally like the bit of coconut flavor it lends so I use the coconut oil and coconut milk.  No one could tell these cupcake were allergy free, and my kids actually prefer this frosting over the regular buttercreams!  Win for me!

Chocolate Cupcakes

1 cup fine white rice or brown rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch (not potato flour!)
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
2/3 cup sugar (or substitute if you prefer, I use coconut sugar)
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup oil (you can use any safe oil, I use safflower)
1 1/4 cups water

Preheat oven to 350, line your muffin tin with paper liners.
Blend all the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl with a wire whisk to break up and incorporate any lumps.  Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk until combined and uniform with no dry spots. 

Scoop batter evenly between cupcake liners, filling 2/3 full.  I use an ice cream scoop for even cupcakes. 

Bake at 350 for approximately 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center of cupcake comes out clean.*

Remove from oven and muffin tin.  Place on wire rack to cool.  Frost with frosting and decorate with safe ingredients, I like sprinkles, or Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips.

*for evenly risen cupcakes without cracked tops I place my pizza or baking stone in the oven to preheat and bake the cupcakes, it helps distribute the heat more evenly.

"Butter"cream Frosting

1/2 cup safe shortening (I use Spectrum Organic)
1/4 cup coconut oil*
1/4 cup vegan soy free butter
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut milk*
3-4 cups powdered sugar

Blend the shortening, butter and coconut oil together on high speed until smooth.  Slowly mix in the vanilla and milk.  Add powdered sugar and mix on high speed until light and fluffy and reaches desired consistency.

*If you prefer not to have a coconut taste sub the coconut oil with more "butter" and the milk with rice milk.

Welcome! Let's get started...

Hi and welcome.  A little about me: I'm a stay at home mom to two awesome boys, married to the love of my life.  I have always had eating and digestion issues, ever since I was young.  I've had countless scopes and tests and just recently found out the source of most of my issues is EOE.  Not fun.  I went to see the nutritionist who put me on a Top 8 free diet.  I was so overwhelmed and sad that I wouldn't be able to eat some of my favorite foods.  Bye bye cheese, it's been real.  Anyway I set out to find and make some of the best Top 8 free foods and share them here.  All recipes are tested by me for ease of use, and taste!!  I love to cook and experiment in the kitchen and am anxious to share good food and methods with you, so come along, follow me, and enjoy eating again!