Allergy-Free Desserts: Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Egg-free,Soy-free and Nut-free Delights [Hardcover]

Elizabeth Gordon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 15, 2010

A collection of delicious dessert recipes for those with allergic reactions to nuts, dairy, gluten, etc. Even those without allergies won't know the difference. Find recipes for cookies, bars, quick breads, cakes and frostings, pies and more! Try Red Velvet Cake, Delicious Baked donuts, Super Easy Dark Chocolate Fudge or Blueberry Muffins. Learn to use allergy-free alternatives in your own recipes too! Elizabeth Gordon, hard cover, color photos, 191 pages, 2010(c).

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Safe ways to sweeten the day for people with food allergies

Some twelve million Americans suffer serious allergic reactions to nuts, dairy, gluten, and other ingredients typically found in desserts. Finally, here’s a collection of delicious dessert recipes offering a safe option for allergy sufferers who don't want to give up their favorite treats. Even though these recipes are completely free of gluten, dairy, nuts, soy, and eggs, you'll hardly notice the difference.

Allergy-free Desserts includes recipes for all of your favorite baked treats—cakes, cupcakes, pies, quick breads, cookies, and dessert bars. Written by Elizabeth Gordon, herself allergic to eggs and wheat, this indispensable cookbook will finally let you enjoy desserts safely again.

    • Featuring 82 recipes and 44 full-color photos
    • Recipes that taste just like the real thing—but without the gluten, dairy, nuts, soy, or eggs
    • The perfect dessert cookbook for the millions of people who suffer from food allergies or Celiac Disease

Allergies shouldn't hold you back. Allergy-free Desserts finally lets you indulge your sweet tooth.

Recipe Excerpts from Allergy-Free Desserts

Pretend Peanut Butter Cookies

Cool Mint Patties

Crispy Rice Squares

From the Inside Flap

Diagnosed with a variety of food allergies after the birth of her first child, Elizabeth Gordon thought her dream of becoming a professional baker was over. But rather than give up, she decided to re-create her favorite childhood treats using ingredients that were safe for food allergy sufferers like herself.

The result of her efforts is in your hands—an entire book of desserts so good that even those without allergies won't know the difference. Baking without traditional ingredients might seem daunting, but Allergy-free Desserts makes it easy with baking tips and simple tricks for mouthwatering treats that are safe for people with allergies, celiac disease, or any other condition that requires adhering to strict dietary guidelines.

These recipes include cookies that will make the kid in you grin, dessert bars that are bar-none delicious, and cakes of all kinds. Donuts and lemon sugar cookies taste just the way you remember them. Lemon Squares and Red Velvet Cake will delight kids and adults alike. Gooey and rich chocolate brownies are no longer off limits, while allergy-safe pie crusts mean you'll never have to go without American classics like apple or Key lime pie. If you're in the mood for a cold treat, try Elizabeth's one-of-a-kind Fudgsicles! And what about breakfast? You'll find plenty of options for muffins, pancakes, scones, and more. Allergy-free Desserts proves that with a little ingenuity, you can still enjoy almost any sweet treat.

In addition to these crowd-pleasing recipes, you'll also learn how to use allergy-free alternatives in your own favorite recipes. Instead of wheat, use gluten-free garbanzo bean flour and create wonderful textures in cakes and cookies. Xanthan gum makes your baked goods rise just like traditional recipes, but without the gluten. Flaxseed meal is not only a great egg substitute, but it's also high in fiber and healthy Omega-3 fatty acids. Mix cider vinegar and rice milk to create the perfect replacement for buttermilk. There's almost no limit to what you can bake!

Each and every one of these luscious desserts is completely free of gluten, dairy, nuts, soy, and eggs. With 82 recipes accompanied by gorgeous full-color photos, you'll never run out of delightful dessert options. Finally, allergies don't have to hold you back. With Allergy-free Desserts, you'll enjoy all your favorite desserts without fear—and without sacrificing the flavor!

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (February 15, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470448466
• ISBN-13: 978-0470448465
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,236 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #57 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Baking > Desserts
  • #58 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Culinary Arts & Techniques
  • #68 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Special Diet > Allergies

More About the Author

Elizabeth Gordon was born into a family of culinary professionals and has been baking her entire life. After being diagnosed with adult-onset food allergies, Elizabeth abandoned her previous career as a social worker to help allergy sufferers everywhere enjoy delicious and safe gluten, dairy, nut, soy, and egg- free treats any day of the week.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delicious Desserts!, February 12, 2010

By 

Book Lover "Book Guy" (New York) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Allergy-Free Desserts: Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Egg-free,Soy-free and Nut-free Delights (Hardcover)

My Book just arrived, and I was SO tired of seeing my friends devour sugar over the holidays...I couldn't wait to try something that would not trigger all of my allergies...yet be delicious.

I'd tried some of the author's allergen free cookies, found them far superior to similar products on the market...so why not try to learn to make such desserts myself?

Too many dinner parties of making a scrumptious dessert, only to watch in envy as it was devoured by friends...while I suffered in silence, unable to consume the dreaded egg, sugar, wheat trifecta of doom.

First of all, the book looks great...wonderful photos of mouth watering, allergen free cakes, cookies, and other treats. For my first experiment, I zeroed in on a long time favorite...vanilla cake. Directions were clear, recipe simple to follow...and it wasn't long before I stared at my reward for a holiday of dairy abstinence. I'm embarrassed to say that I devoured most of the cake before I could share it with my egg and wheat eating brethren. Unlike many of these 'healthy' desserts, it was delicious...moist, and a rich and creamy frosting. None of that disappointing aftertaste. (like you get with carob...I hate carob. I loathe carob)

I'm really happy with the book, and what I've sampled so far. Looking forward to dinner parties at which I don't have to sip green tea, clutching the saucer in resentment as I watch others down their sweet treats. The book is really wonderful, and I highly recommend it for its layout, photos, and most of all...delicious, easy to follow, recipes.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So far I'm Impressed!, November 3, 2010

By 

M. Tempel (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Allergy-Free Desserts: Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Egg-free,Soy-free and Nut-free Delights (Hardcover)

I Needed to make pumpkin-shaped cookies for a class Halloween party so I used the LEMON SUGAR COOKIE recipe and it was amazing! The cookies were moist and really held their shape. They didn't crumble like a lot of GFCF, egg free recipes. They held up to the kids spreading frosting on them and sprinkles. All the kids ate the cookies and loved them...Couldn't tell the difference. The GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE is also amazing; consistancy of moist pound cake. YUM!


For those who gave this a bad review because of bean flour, I say substitute it. I substitute coconut milk for rice milk in every recipe because coconut mild is super creamy (rice milk can a bit of grit to it). I also substitute flour ingredients (if I'm out) with Bob's Red Mill GF flour and haven't had any issues. I haven't been able to find the palm oil shortening so I use coconut oil and am very pleased with the results.

So far this book gets an A+.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book!, February 18, 2010

By 

Love to Learn - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Allergy-Free Desserts: Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Egg-free,Soy-free and Nut-free Delights (Hardcover)

Mmmmmm. Wow! The recipes I've tried so far are excellent. Both my husband and I are extremely allergic to dairy and eggs (among lots of other stuff), so I've already experimented alittle on my own with substituting non-allergenic ingredients for the milk and eggs in our favorite recipes. A few successes, lots of re-dos. It's a frustrating process, and sometimes impossible with desserts. At least that's what I thought before I got ahold of Elizabeth's book!
As any allergic person knows, dairy, eggs, wheat and soy are nearly ubiquitous in commercially prepared foods in America. If you don't want to be sick, you gotta prepare your own food! If you want really good desserts that taste the way you remember they're supposed to taste, that won't make you sick, buy this book and make your own.
I love the fact that there's lots of pictures. Makes you want to just drop everything and try the recipe! There's descriptions of ingredients in the front, and helpful tips all through the book. Elizabeth even gives you storage and freezing tips, so you can save some of your treats for later, instead of pigging out and scarfing them all up immediately (which would be my inclination!). Seriously, I'm actually pretty good at eating a balanced diet, which is why I just love this book. I want a dessert to be scrumptious and not make me sick. I want it to be so good that I can take a bite and close my eyes and savor it. This book is truly a gift. Thank you Elizabeth Gordon! Please write more books like this one.