Sweethearts Candy Blog's

The owner of Little Rae's, James Morse, is himself severely allergic to peanuts. He decided to go nut-free when he realized he didn't want to expose himself to the allergens at work--and when he realized there was strong demand for nut-free baked goods. The cookies are baked in a nut-free facility. When I spoke to a bakery worker on the phone, I was told that they are getting calls from all over the country after going nut-free. In other words, it's been successful for them. Yay!

As a Chicagoan and supporter of Mr. Obama, I had to order these. They're so kitschy--and based on the chocolate chip cookies I ordered as well, they're going to be delicious. As you see from the photo, the "First Family" cookie bag includes Barack, Michelle, the two girls and the "mystery dog." Apparently the Obama's oldest daughter has several allergies, so maybe the new First Family will be more aware of allergies in general. I hope so.

Little Rae's is currently only nut-free. They do use wheat, dairy and eggs. So they're not a good choice for multiple food allergies, but still. Nut-free is a start and personally, I'm thrilled to have found out about them.

It's my hope that many more allergen-free (egg-free, nut-free, gluten-free, etc.) bakeries are on the horizon. To paraphrase our new President, "That's a "change we can believe in."

You can order from Little Rae's online or by phone: 206-762-5750.