frequently asked questions

While my mission is to satisfy nearly everyone's sweet tooth, I know that it is impossible to produce something free of every single allergen. My recipes are mostly vegan  and 100% gluten, dairy (casein), nut, soy and egg-free. However, it is ultimately the consumer's responsibility to check labels and make informed, safe decisions about what to eat. Please check with your doctor before making any of my recipes to make ensure that my treats are appropriate for you.

What Is your Allergy-Free Lifestyle all about?

Well, it means that everything on this site, in my new cookbook, Allergy-Free Desserts, and that I blog about is gluten, dairy, soy, nut and egg-free. It also means that I am oming up with  I know that this doesn't cover every single allergy out there, but I thought it was a pretty solid start.  I am developing new recipes and entertaining ideas all the time that may be even better suited to your dietary restrictions. If you have ideas or want to share your food allergy solutions, I'd love to hear from you!

Are You Allergic?  How Did You Know?

Yes!  I’m allergic to what often feels like everything.  In fact, my own struggle to reconcile my sweet tooth with my wheat and egg allergies inspired me to create recipes that are safe for almost everyone to eat.  I learned of my allergies to wheat, eggs, and (strangely) string beans after the birth of my first daughter.  After breaking out in the worst psoriatic rash I had ever experienced, I went to a specialist who ran a battery of blood tests to determine my allergies.   Ridding my diet of these offenders has made me happier, healthier and a lot less itchy.

What Do You Eat?

Way too many cakes and cookies!  I am not a doctor, but I have learned through my own, personal experience that eating with food allergies doesn’t have to be boring or depressing.  In fact, my allergies have opened the door to a whole new world of interesting grains, fruits and vegetables that, six years ago, I never knew existed.  Here are some of the starches that I have incorporated into my diet that you might enjoy, too.  I love quinoa, millet, amaranth, rice (black, white, brown, etc.), corn, teff, artichoke pasta, potatoes, yams, plantain and buckwheat.  I also discovered that bean flours like garbanzo and fava are great for baking.  Just be very careful serving fava bean flour to friends and family; certain medications react unfavorably with fava beans.  Make sure that you disclose the ingredients in your baked goods to all recipients.  I have significantly increased the amount of fruit and vegetables in my diet, too.  I add as much color to my plate as I possibly can, always leaving out the string beans, of course.  Everyone has different allergies, so what I eat may not be appropriate for your needs.  Be sure to check with your doctor, but once you have the ok, don’t be afraid to get creative with the host of interesting grains available to us today. 

What Kinds of Ingredients Do I Need to Stock an Allergy-Free Baking pantry?

In my book, Allergy-Free Desserts, I go through an extensive list of the things that you will need for my recipes. 
However here are some of the things that I always have on hand:

• I like to stock a variety of flours in my home kitchen.  Bob’s Red Mill makes a great All-Purpose Flour blend, and I also keep Arrowhead Mills’ Gluten-Free Baking and Pancake mix handy.  These two flour blends are made from different flours, and the Arrowhead Mills brand contains some leavening as well as cinnamon and vanilla.  I keep the Bob’s around for cookies and cakes and use the Arrowhead mix to make things like pancakes and muffins.  Rice flour, garbanzo flour, tapioca flour and potato starch are also great to have around.
• Xanthan is the most important ingredient you will need for gluten-free baking.  Without it, your cakes will be flat and goopy.  In essence, none of your baked goods will turn out.  I go into greater detail in my book about Xanthan, but just know that you need it.  It is expensive and most recipes only use a teaspoon or two, so I like to store mine in the freezer to prolong its shelf life.
• Organic Palm Oil Shortening is a nice alternative to soybean or animal fat shortening.  It performs exactly the same way as a traditional solid shortening, but it is not made from soy.
• Canola oil is nice to have for greasing pans and for substituting in recipes calling for vegetable oil.
• Applesauce and ground flaxseed are fantastic egg substitutes
• Gluten, Dairy, Soy, Nut and Egg-Free Chocolate chips are something I can’t live without.  Let’s face it—everything tastes better covered in chocolate.
• Cider vinegar and rice milk mix together to make a buttermilk substitute necessary to activate the baking soda in a lot of my cake recipes
• Keep some powdered rice milk on hand, too.  It is far more economical than prepared rice milk, and it is casein and gluten-free.  It is available in some health food store, but I buy mine on line.  Powdered rice milk, like powered cow’s milk, lends additional creaminess and flavor to many recipes.

Why are all of your recipes gluten, dairy, soy-nut and egg-free?

Well, I have multiple food allergies, and I know that I am not alone.  At the same time that I was diagnosed, a friend had a baby that was allergic to cow’s milk as well as soy.  Between the two of us, we could not eat anything!  So, I set to work to make recipes that we could eat.  As my children grew, I saw how difficult it was for the food allergic kids at school.  I wanted to develop safe treats that I could serve as after-school snacks and as classroom treats.  By keeping everything gluten, dairy, soy, nut and egg-free I knew that almost everyone would be able to enjoy the same treats, ensuring that everyone never felt left out or different.

My Child is Allergic to Casein AND Gluten. Are Your Recipes and Treats Safe for Her?

Casein, an ingredient found in many food items, including chewing gum, is a protein found in cow’s and goat’s milk.  All of my recipes are made with rice milk in order to avoid this allergen.  A caveat:  when choosing rice milk, make sure that your favorite brand does not contain barley or malt as both of these ingredients contain gluten.

I love Your Cookies! What about Betsy & Claude Baking Co.? 

Don’t worry.  Betsy & Claude haven’t disappeared, but the bakery has changed.  I’m happy to announce that Betsy & Claude Baking Co. is now doing special event catering.  If you have a wedding, party or corporate event coming up, let’s talk about how I can serve you.  Prices available upon request.

There is a Baked Good That I Love But That I Had to Give Up.  Can You Help?

I love to hear from you! If there are ways that I can improve my site, questions that I can answer or new ideas for treats that you would like to share, please don’t hesitate to contact me.  I may not be able to solve every problem, but I certainly will do my best.