If your child suffers from multiple food allergies or intolerances, finding candy can be difficult or impossible. If there are commercial brands of candies that you can use, but can not find one in holiday friendly shapes, be creative and develop your own designs. This can be as simple as creating a holiday friendly package to place the safe items into and make them appear holiday friendly. For example, if you have a safe lollipop, just add some food safe cotton fabric or guaze type material around the lollipop to create a "ghost pop". Draw eyes, if desired and tie a small bow or string around the base of the sucker to secure the fabric. Another idea is to reshape a safe hard candies into new shapes. You can achieve this by coarsely crushing hard candies and then placing in an oiled heat safe metal hard candy molds and melting in a moderately hot oven, 350 degrees is a good base temperature for melting candy. Monitor closely to prevent over melting. Chocolate can also easily be transformed into new shapes and designs. Again, it is important to keep a close watch on the temperature, since over melting can destroy the texture of the candy. Gummy candies and chews can often be gently kneaded into a new shape. For example, use a gummy chew to roll a gummy worm or spider legs to adorn Halloween baked goods. If you are unable to find candy that is void of the items you must avoid, make your own. Candy making can be tricky, but exercising patience and familiarizing yourself with some basic candy making tips and techniques will most likely guide you on the path to succesful candy making.

To make small candy pumpkin:
Use one orange Gimbal's Sugar-Free Soft & Chewy Assorted Fruit Chews Candy Item # 1197, roll gently between hands to form a pumpkin shape. Cut a small piece of a green gummy candy into stem shape(i.e. Sugar Free, Low Carb Gummy Zoo Animals, item # 1617); gently press stem shape into pumpkin

To make marshmallow pumpkin and/or spider: Use either Vanilla Soy Free, Egg Free Marshmallows from Tiny Trapeze, Item # 1094 Or, 1095(chocolate for spiders), Or, Solo Marshmallow Cream & confectioner's sugar(combine to form marshmallow dough), item 1093 . If using formed marshmallows gently roll into desired shape, spritz lightly with water and roll in sanding sugars(i.e. Nature's Colors Marigold Orange Sanding Sugar, Item 1800 for pumpkins or Frost White, Item 1796 for ghosts) Roll in Guittard Decoratif Sprinkles 7223 to create "hairy spider". Spider legs & eyes can be formed using Terra Sticks, Item 1013.

To make Cracker Spider: Use Bi-Aglut Crackers, item 4037 or equivalent round cracker, spread the top of one cracker with acceptable nut butter(i.e. I.M. Healthy Soy Nut butter item 1059 or SunButter item1371, insert Terra Stick legs, item # 1013 & top with another cracker

3 packages unflavored gelatin or equivalent
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
3 /4 cups fruit juice concentrate


Combine 1 /2 cup water and gelatin, allow to stand for 5 minutes. In a saucepan, combine remaining 1/2 cup water, and sugar. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove spoon and carefully attach a candy thermometer. Without stirring, allow mixture to cook until it reaches 260 degrees. Remove from heat, add gelatin mixture and stir until completely dissolved. Add fruit juice concentrate and stir well. Transfer mixture into well greased molds or into a greased 8 x 8 pan, allow to cool for several hours before using. Dust with confectioners or extra fine granulated sugar, if desired.

1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
2 cups diced Italian style tomatoes
15 ounces tomato sauce
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 cups bell peppers, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-3 Tbsp chili powder, to taste
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cups cooked rice
*5-6 steamed medium sized bell peppers(orange, yellow &/or red )


In a large skillet, brown meat, and sauté onion & garlic. In a medium saucepan combine diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, pepper, chili powder & chopped peppers, boil 6-8 minutes or until peppers are tender when pierced with a fork. Transfer tomato mixture into skillet containing meat mixture, add cooked rice. Simmer 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

*Cut top off steamed peppers using the same method that you would follow for carving a pumpkin, reserve tops. Remove seeds; cut jack-o-latern style face on one side of each pepper. Carefully steam the peppers until tender. Allow to partially cool, fill with stuffed pepper filling.

1/2 cup Spectrum Palm Shortening or equivalent
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 cups gluten free flour mixture(i.e. Bette Hagman brown flour mix)
1/2 cup dairy substitute(reduce by 1 tsp if using rice milk)
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 1/4 tsp ground flaxseed meal
6 Tbsp water
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp oil
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, combine flaxseed meal, water, baking powder & cooking oil; mix well. Allow mixture to stand for five minutes before adding to muffin mixture. In a large mixing bowl,cream shortening & sugar until light & fluffy. Sift together flour, bakign powder & spices; add shortening mixture, flaxseed mixture, & dairy substitute. Mix well, and then transfer batter into greased cupcake tins or lined muffin tray. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Ingredients:

Skewers or sticks
8 to 10 medium crisp red apples such as Red Delicious, Winesap, Jonathan or McIntosh -- at room temperature
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup light corn or cane syrup
1 tsp beet juice
Few drops clove oil -- if desired
For small children you can make apple smiles, core and cut apple into eigths, use small bamboo skewers. Grease cookie sheet generously. Wash and dry waxed apples thoroughly. Insert wooden skewer in stem end of each apple. Mix sugar, water, syrup and beet juice in 2-quart heavy saucepan. heat to boiling over high heat; reduce heat. Boil gently, without stirring, to 290 on candy thermometer or until small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water separates into threads that are hard but not brittle. Stir in clove oil. Dip apples quickly into syrup, twirling until completely coated. Stand on cookie sheet; cool.

MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS:
Mix sugar, water, syrup and beet juice in 1 1/2-quart glass casserole. Microwave uncovered on high 19 to 23 minutes, stirring once after 5 minutes, to 290 on microwave candy thermometer or until small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water separates into threads that are hard but not brittle. Stir in clove oil. Dip apples quickly into syrup.Continue as above.

Pour any remaining syrup onto oiled cookie sheet. Cool; break into small pieces for a treat.

1 package Miss Roben's Chocolate Cake Mix (item # 3201) or Yellow Cake Mix (item #3202), prepared per instructions
1 package Miss Roben's Double Fudge Frosting, (item #2117) prepared per instructions
Gimbal's Sugar Free Fruit Chews (items # 1197)- for ears, nose, tail
Chocolate Sprinkles(item #7223) - to form realistic "hair"

Using a Wilton mini egg cake pan(Additional information on this pan can be found at www.wilton.com ), bake cake per mix instructions for cupcakes. Allow to cool. Cut a red fruit chew or equivalent candy into half lengthwise and then divide into 2 thinner slices to produce "ears". Remove a small amount of second candy piece and roll into mini balls for "eyes". Roll another red chew into rope shape or press into candy gummy worm mold to make "tail". Prepare fudge frosting mix and apply a generous coating to cupcakes, immediately sprinkle chocolate sprinkles onto the surface of the cupcakes. Press shaped candies into iced and sprinkled cupcakes to produce decorative features.

1 package Miss Roben's Chocolate Cake Item 3201 or Yellow Cake 3202 or White Cake 3200
1 package Miss Roben's Milk Chocolate Frosting Item 3100 or Double Fudge Frosting 2117
1 package Miss Roben's Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Item 1151
Green Food Coloring or Dancing Deer Sage Green Food Coloring (from item # 1057)
Ice Cream Cones Item 1232 or 1001 or 1179
Chocolate Chips Item 7224 or 1187
Pretzels 2234


Prepare and bake cake mix per package instructions for cupcakes, filling lined or greased cupcake pan 2/3 full. Cool. Prepare chocolate frosting, as instructed on package. Cover ice cream cones with chocolate frosting, place on wax covered tray wide base side down to harden. Prepare vanilla buttercream frosting, add enough green food coloring to produce desired color for witches' face. Generously frost cupcakes with light green icing, press chocolate coated ice cream cones slightly towards the back of cupcake, add chocolate chips for eyes, break one pretzel into desired length and apply to cupcake surface to produce "warty nose". Pipe chocolate frosting on to add witches' hair, using a toothpick to separate strands of hair.