Anti-Stress Nutrition Programme to Improve Mood,
Health, Behaviour and Learning
By Brenda Sampson
BAKING HINTS FOR LOW-ALLERGEN COOKS
(See also recipes) When I learnt cooking at primary school, there were three basic methods: For cakes and biscuits, cream butter and sugar; for pastry and scones, rub butter into the flour; and for sponge cakes, beat eggs and sugar and fold in flour. Low-allergy cooking may have to avoid butter, sugar or eggs. Cold-pressed oil can replace butter or margarine; linseed jelly can replace eggs; sugar can be left out. So how does this affect baking methods?
There is one basic method to replace the above methods. Sift all the dry ingredients together: flour(s), salt, baking soda, cream of tartar, and any powdered spices such as ginger, cinnamon, etc. Add things like chopped nuts or dried fruits. Then mix the wet ingredients. Either warm them or mash them in a pot, or whizz them in a liquidiser. Wet ingredients include things like oil, linseed jelly, eggs, whatever liquid is being used, plus fruits, vegetables, seeds, etc. being used for flavouring. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and mix. (Note: if using eggs, separate them. Include yolks with wet ingredients. Beat white stiff and fold into the mixture last, for extra lightness.
This quick and easy method can be used for any kind of baking by merely adapting the proportion of flour and liquid. For pancakes and pikelets, make the batter wetter and cook in a frypan. For pastry and cracker biscuits, make a drier dough that can be rolled out. For muffins make the dough soft and moist and cook in muffin tins. For loaves and cakes a similar mixture to muffins and cook in tin. For cookies, a slightly drier mixture and cook in spoonfuls on an oven tray. With this method, one can experiment with quantities, and make up one's own recipes. Remember that sugar is a preservative. Keep sugar free cakes in the fridge.
