Dessert: No wheat, egg, peanut, tree nut, barley, arrowroot

[gfron1]

I know we have a few of these topics floating around, so here's mine. I have a kid who hasn't had a dessert in 3 years other than fruit. I do gluten free and vegan stuff all the time but this is pushing my knowledge limits.

 

I really want some form of cake. I've done vegan cakes with my gluten free mix which fits that...if they're comfortable with chocolate (which most likely will have the warning - processed in a facility...).

 

And nuts, what other nuts are there that don't fit this restriction.

 

Gelatin is fine so maybe a fruit type mousse using a vegan whipped cream (do such things exist?)

 

Ideas?

[Mjx]

Not clear from your post whether or not this needs to be a vegan recipe, or whether or not dairy is off the table, but regardless, how about chocolate sorbet? Frankly, I like it better than chocolate ice cream, since the flavour is more intense, it doesn't taste like a dessert based on restrictions (of which I've eaten my share, and make me sad), and it hits all the bullets you mention.

[djyee100]

You could look at Thai desserts, often rice-based puddings with coconut milk. Tapioca starch is the binder as an alternative to arrowroot. If tapioca starch is a no-go, you're back to square one.

 

The basic mixture of coconut, coconut milk, rice flour, sugar and flavoring (e.g, pandan or vanilla) is used in a variety of steamed or griddled cakes in Thai cooking (kanom bah bin, kanom krok, kanom tuey). That's another lead you could follow.

 

Kasma Loha-unchit has various Thai desserts on her website, including kanom krok.
http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/recipe.html

[Franci]

Castagnaccio is out right, still nut tree?

 

Not a cake but something like nan-e nokhodchi, the persian chickpeas cookies?

Water chestnut cake? Just the steamed stuff I don't like...but fried it's a whole different thing. I find it delicious (I have a tried recipe if you want). Chinese  glutinous rice cakes? I love them.

 

As for nut flours, you can find easily nowadays sunflower seeds flour. I never made recipes with no eggs.

 

I would think also of a sort of polenta cake.

...

Also, something like a sbrisolona with rice flour and cornflour (substituting almonds with seeds) or a millet pudding

Edited April 14, 2015 by Franci (log)

[gfron1]

They aren't vegan but no egg

[gfron1]

Is a coconut a tree nut?

[gfron1]

I've been playing with wild grass seed lately. That could be my substitute for nut meal. For that matter, amaranth seed should work then. If that's the case then I could do my vegan cake using seed. Keep the ideas coming gang - I'm brainstorming as my day goes on. I'll go back and read comments more closely. I can tell you that I want to serve him something that he never gets because its ingredient intensive or technique intensive and so no chef would do this for him.

[Honkman]

Sherry Yard has a nice Forbidden Rice Pudding in one of her cookobooks - here is a varation but it is easy to play around with different falvors and fruits to the basic recipe

 

http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013017-forbidden-rice-pudding-with-blueberries

[Tri2Cook]

 

No wheat, egg, peanut, tree nut, barley, arrowroot

My initial intention was to entirely jokingly say "just give them the address of another restaurant and tell them they make awesome desserts" but, if that's the entire extent of the restrictions, that's really not that bad. I'm trying to figure out why you're striving for vegan if that's not one of the restrictions. That seems like being asked to swim across a pool full of piranhas and asking if they'd mind throwing in a shark or two before you jump in. But regardless of that, sorbets are a good suggestion and there are eggless cake recipes out there that you could sub your gluten free blend into. "Wacky Cake" for example is an eggless chocolate cake with a surprisingly nice texture. Flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, salt, oil, vinegar, vanilla and water. I was skeptical of it until I tried it. It's good. I've never done it gluten free but I don't see any reason it wouldn't work. I'm guessing if cocoa turned out to be an issue, you could just replace it with more of your gluten free blend and make it any flavor you want.

 

[LindaK]

If dairy is okay then:

- panna cotta. uses gelatin, not egg. a chocolate version is nice, or the standard vanilla with chocolate or fruit sauce.

- philadelphia style ice cream doesn't use eggs, and can be flavored all sorts of ways. Use for ice cream sundaes with toppings or a banana split. Or make an ice cream cake--use a vegan cake, slice into layers and spread with softened ice cream.

 

if you make a vegan pastry dough then tarts or strudel type pastries offer all sorts of possibilities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[gfron1]

not striving for a vegan cake, but I have a vegan cake that I make all the time which would eliminate the egg and wheat restrictions. It uses nuts which I could replace with seed.

My initial intention was to entirely jokingly say "just give them the address of another restaurant and tell them they make awesome desserts" but, if that's the entire extent of the restrictions, that's really not that bad. I'm trying to figure out why you're striving for vegan if that's not one of the restrictions. 

 

[Tri2Cook]

not striving for a vegan cake, but I have a vegan cake that I make all the time which would eliminate the egg and wheat restrictions. It uses nuts which I could replace with seed.

That makes sense. I misunderstood... thought you were saying you wanted to toss vegan into the equation when it wasn't a requirement.

 

[andiesenji]

While some people who are allergic to tree nuts have a "sensitivity" to coconut meat, it is far less common than tree nut or ground nut allergies.

 

I had this discussion with my allergist several years ago and he noted that palm products, in his experience and in the medical literature, have a lower incidence of allergic reactions than other tree-grown fruits.  However there are exceptions.

 

Coconuts are considered "soft plant" "seeds" like sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and the products derived from them are often essential ingredients in vegan and gluten-free foods, both commercial and home made.

 

Flours from plants other than wheat, barley, etc.,  include those from seeds - from the tiny teff, often mixed with millet, to coconut, tapicoa and other "exotic" flours to satisfy those with dietary problems. 

 

There are a number of tapioca-based desserts, often combined with fruits that are quite satisfying, especially to children. Some are milk-based but non-dairy milk has been successfully substituted.  Here is a vegan one.

 

There are thickeners other than Arrowroot  that  work beautifully.  I have used guar gum with great success, agar agar and gum arabic, which is used in many middle eastern desserts and candies.  I have a recipe for lakhoum that uses gum arabic instead of gelatin.

[djyee100]

Is a coconut a tree nut?

 

 

The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) states: “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."

https://www.foodallergy.org/allergens/tree-nut-allergy

 

Better check if this is on his No list.

[CeeCee]

Vegan whipped cream can be made with the fatty cream that splits from the watery part in the can, if you get ones without an emulsifier. This can also be used for a mousse. Temp sensative, it will melt when temp is too high, so not the most stable option perhaps. Chocolate mousse could be done with avocado, if you can get a suitable chocolate.

A silken tofu might be a possibility as well for something creamy or mousse like.

Meringue can also be made with the can residue of chickpeas and other legumes, which apparently doesn't differ that much taste and texture wise from the real thing. No eggs recquiered, just google to find gospel for vegan meringue.

Speaking of chickpeas, have you looked into Indian barfi and ladoo's? Perhaps these could come in useful as a base for something pie like or as individual pieces for a grand dessert.
Here's a coconut version for the burfi, you can sub brown rice flour for the semolina
Ladoo's can be made into many versions, like besan (chickpea), gram, coconut and dried fruit versions. Swap the optional nut decoration for (black) sesame seeds.

Perhaps swapping the cashew for pepita's, would make this gajar halwa an option. Beetroot halwa exists as well, fab colour.
Shrikandi and kheer might also be of interest as well, spiced yoghurt and rice pudding. Thai black rice coconutpudding.
If you can get your hands on a suitable bread, an eggless breadpudding could fit the bill.

 

The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook might be convenient if you get more of these guests. I have a copy, so if you something in the index that tickles your fancy and want to try it out before purchasing it, let me know and I'll PM it to you.


 

Edited April 15, 2015 by CeeCee (log)

[gfron1]

I was confirmed that coconut is okay. Good, that helps. And as far as chocolate, she says Hersheys is okay, but not others...I don't know if I can lower my standards that much

[Tri2Cook]

I was confirmed that coconut is okay. Good, that helps. And as far as chocolate, she says Hersheys is okay, but not others...I don't know if I can lower my standards that much

I feel fully confident that that kid who hasn't had a dessert in 3 years other than fruit will have a smile on his face while eating whatever you make. And if it involves chocolate, you'll use Hersheys chocolate without so much as a flinch if that's what it takes to get that smile. That's my opinion of the kind of person and chef you are.

 

[gfron1]

Oh don't play that card with me...its Hersheys. Don't make me go there!

[Tri2Cook]

Oh don't play that card with me...its Hersheys. Don't make me go there!

No card playing, just my opinion. It's Hersheys and millions of kids love it. Sometimes in our adult wisdom of what constitutes good and bad, we forget that kids aren't stuck behind those same filters.

 

[Honkman]

No card playing, just my opinion. It's Hersheys and millions of kids love it. Sometimes in our adult wisdom of what constitutes good and bad, we forget that kids aren't stuck behind those same filters.

Why should you expose kids to the lowest quality ? Kids are not stuck behind filters but often exposed to bad quality. If you expose them early on to good quality ingredients they will choose and appreciate higher quality ingredients and good food in general

[gfron1]

Larry, you know I'm just being my usual smart ass, but of course I agree, and I think you do to, that Honkman is right. I think what mom was saying is that Hershey is the only brand that she knows of that actually states that their chocolate is not made in the same place as nut confections. Probably true. I know I wasn't up for cleaning my chocolate area for them.

[Lisa Shock]

You could make an entremet style cake: layers of mousse, cake, crispy-cookies, surrounded by rolled cake and topped with the showroom-finish glaze. Mousse can be stabilized with gelatine, or white chocolate to avoid the eggs, and can be in fruit flavors or chocolate. Verrines would also be a good option.

 

[CatPoet]

gfron: I made this  glutenfree  and egg free cake for a  friend  and he loved it.

 

http://creativemissy.com/archives/797

 

Fill the cake with  butterscotch and it is a lovely treat.

 

Then there is broken glass jell-o that could work. 

 

Sad that he hasnt had  any desserts, because he doesnt  have that bad allergies, trust me  I am used to cooking with food restrictions  and sometimes all we have is   vanilla ice cream with rhubarb melt  and some of the guest can only eat the rhubarb..

Edited April 15, 2015 by CatPoet (log)

[CatPoet]

When it comes to tree nut allergies, well some people can have  almonds and pistachios  since they are not true nuts but this isnt true for all.  Because some are also allergic to  fruits with big stones and then almond and pistachios are a no go.

 

Peanut is a vegetable and  most nut allergic can eat them unless they are allergic to peanuts  which is a totally different ball park. Coconut  is a drupe and most people from the Northern hemisphere isn't allergic to these.

 

You haven't said no to dairy so you have a lot of  options.   If the child cant have peanut, it might not be able to have soy  either. 

[JeanneCake]

I also second the Wacky cake idea (I know it as Wowie Cake); you need Hershey's for it to work (well, in my experience Hershey's works better than a more expensive cocoa);  you can use the GF flour subsititute and it works.  There's one from Keller, called Cup4Cup, that a client asked me to use specifically for her cake, but I don't know offhand if it fits the requirements for your guest.  But try it; the cake works and he'll be thrilled to have it with some of the sorbet or whipped "cream" that others have suggested....

 

And you know we all want to see the smile on the little boy's face when he takes a bite of whatever you make!  And you can give the parents the recipe for it so they can have it at home