Birthday Party Help For Celiac Kids!

[elfkin]

Seems like the birthday parties have hit us all at once!

While preparing gluten-free treats in the kitchen, I wondered if anyone else could use help on this issue. We had ALOT of trial and error before finding the yummiest option that (to date) has never been scorned by non-gluten-free's.

Here goes:

Never fail gluten-free cupcakes that are good enough for everyone (even adults and non-gluten-free's)

We use the Namaste choc. cake mix (available at gluten-free stores or on-line) with pretty cupcake liners (seasonal or colors from the local Walmart, Target, whatever). This also makes a pretty cake instead of cupcakes.

Wonderful cream cheese frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese (cold)

5 T. butter

2 t. vanilla

Beat until just blended and add (about a third at a time)

2 to 2 and a half cups powdered sugar, sifted (or not)

Stir in grated lemon or orange zest, or cinnamon if desired. (We never add this and it is great without it.)

If you can't use any dairy, you could try just a couple of cups of powdered sugar and a bit of soy or nut milk. I have used that to ice cookies in the past. It pours on, but dries harder later. Don't make it too thin.

Slumber party pancakes that everyone should like!

Make them small (silver dollar size)

Lightly beat 2 eggs,

Whisk in :

1 cup of sour cream

1/4 cup of Bob's (or other) all-purpose gluten-free flour

1 and 1/2 T. sugar

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. gluten-free baking soda

Lightly oil the skillet before cooking. It only takes about 1 T. of batter per mini-pancake. Carefully turn with spatula - they are very light and crepe-like.

Serve with maple syrup, honey, or fruit.

No complaints at our house, except that they are gone too fast! We always have to make 2 batches - just double (or triple - whatever) the recipe!

These are gluten-free and nut free, sorry about the dairy - maybe you could substitute?

Haagen Daz and Breyers have vanilla ice cream that is safe (according to the phone call).

Throw in a bag of gluten-free pretzels with the cake and ice cream. Add some scrambled eggs and bacon to the breakfast if desired. Add some Lifesaver Lollipops to the treat bags or Wrigley's gum (gluten-free and nut free).

This should help make a birthday party fun instead of a dreaded ordeal.

Amy's makes a rice crust cheese pizza that could be served for dinner.

All in all, not a bad party menu. Happy party planning!

(Icing and pancake recipe were slightly altered from my "Joy of Cooking" cookbook)

[jnifred]

thanks for that icing recipe...I will have to try it for my youngests birthday cake I will be making next week!, sounds yummmmmy

I made a cake last week with Namaste and made the icing from a box of french vanilla pudding mix, a pkt of Dream Whip topping mix and 1 1/2 cups milk with fresh strawberries and blackberries on top. It was delicious!!!!

[mrsnj91]

Being new here I have to ask....What kind of pudding was that? I mean the brand name? I just noticed on a package of pudding here at the house that it had mod. starch and the dr. said that is a no no. I clicked onto a site I have ordered from and they only had this watery looking "custard". Do all puddings have starch in it?

[penguin]

Being new here I have to ask....What kind of pudding was that? I mean the brand name? I just noticed on a package of pudding here at the house that it had mod. starch and the dr. said that is a no no. I clicked onto a site I have ordered from and they only had this watery looking "custard". Do all puddings have starch in it?

If it's from Kraft, the modified food starch is from corn unless otherwise specified. For example: Modified food starch (wheat)

Most jello puddings are safe, just read the label. Kraft has said they always list allergen ingredients in the ingredient statement.

And, all kozy shack puddings are gluten free, and say so on the label.

Though I did find inulin on their sugar free pudding label....

[mrsnj91]

Really. Mod. starch is on the no list I have printed out. So that would be ok uless otherwise stated?? Oh that is good!!

And I had jello pudding here but it was the instant choco. pudding. That make a difference?

[penguin]

Really. Mod. starch is on the no list I have printed out. So that would be ok uless otherwise stated?? Oh that is good!!

And I had jello pudding here but it was the instant choco. pudding. That make a difference?

If it's kraft and it doesn't say any of the offending grains are in there, they're not.

[elfkin]

Is dream whip topping a Kraft product? That sounds REALLY good!

[Smunkeemom]

I like to bake a dozen or so cupcakes and freeze them (individually) then if a friend's b-day sneeks up on us we have a serving of gluten-free cake ready and then we just frost it that day, the girls like to pick out what color they use (food coloring)

I will try that recipe thanks.

Oh, we use Miss Roben's cake mix, people not on the gluten-free diet have told me that it's the best cake they have ever tasted (I almost felt bad telling them it was Gluten free )

[lonewolf]

Thanks for a good idea. I was looking for the Namaste cake mix, but none of the stores here carry it. My son just had his 11th birthday a few days ago and I made cupcakes out of the Gluten Free Pantry cake and cookie mix. I used melted coconut oil for the oil and rice milk. They were great! I frosted the cupcakes with chocolate frosting using a recipe in Betty Crocker. I had raspberry sorbet for my son (Trader Joe's was out of coconut) and my friend brought regular ice cream (our boys shared a party). A bag of gluten-free potato chips and some juice and all the boys were happy.

[kempy99]

Oh you guys must have read my mind!!! I had planned on logging on today in search of a good gluten-free cake recipe, as we are preparing for a B-day party next week! THANK YOU!

Rebecca

[Nic]

Really. Mod. starch is on the no list I have printed out. So that would be ok uless otherwise stated?? Oh that is good!!

And I had jello pudding here but it was the instant choco. pudding. That make a difference?

The list I was given by my GI had modified food starch on the no list but with a * next to it. The * meant that it was one of the many no no's that could be bad. If it does not say on the box what it is made from, and it is not a company like Kraft that lists allergins, just call the company's 800 # and ask what their food starch is made of.

Nicole

[elfkin]

Used the gluten-free Pantry old-fashioned cake and cookie mix this morning - the cake recipe. It was very good! We made the cream cheese icing from my earlier post above and mixed in 5oz. of melted choc. chips and 3 T. coffee. The icing was heavenly and the cupcakes turned out great! Thanks to whoever suggested the gluten-free Pantry mix - it was a winner for "vanilla" cupcakes.