Sweethearts Candy Blog's

I've been a little lax on my recipes lately --blame it on end of school rush and our recent heat wave! To make up for it, I'm offering two nut-free recipes to celebrate summer and the month of June.

I've blogged recently about the potential nut allergens found in bottled BBQ sauce as well as ice cream so here are recipes for both of these items! My vanilla ice cream recipe does contain milk/cream but no eggs--I will post a dairy-free option next week.

These recipes come courtesy of the cookbook "How to Cook Everything" by Mark Bittman. I got this book after I got married and have used it weekly for nearly 12 years. Hope you enjoy these!

(Nut-Free) Fast BBQ Sauce

This sauce must be heated for a short while to mellow the onion and garlic--it keeps up to a week when refrigerated. Brush it onto meat or chicken at the last minute or it may scorch.

2 cups ketchup (I always use Heinz)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (I use Lea and Perrins) or soy sauce (I use Kikoman)
1 tbsp chili powder or to taste
1/2 cup dry red wine or water
1/4 cup vinegar, either wine vinegar or rice vinegar
1/2 cup minced fresh onion
1 tsp minced garlic
Salt and black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. When not in use, keep covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Nut-Free, Egg-Free Vanilla Ice Cream

Break out the ice cream machine for this great basic vanilla ice cream recipe! Also known as "Philadelphia" ice cream, this traditional recipe does not contain eggs.

1 vanilla bean or 2 tsp pure vanilla extract (McCormicks is what I usually use--Nielsen Massey is also great.)
4 cups heavy cream or heavy creamy mixed with half-and-half for a lighter flavor
3/4 cup white sugar, preferably superfine
Pinch salt

If using a vanilla bean, split in half and scrape out the seeds. (Keep the pod to make vanilla sugar, basically a vanilla bean placed inside a closed container of sugar for about a week. Wonderful in everything from cakes and cookies to coffee drinks.)

Combine all ingredients and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. Serve immediately or freeze about 2 hours for a firmer consistency. For optimum flavor, allow to soften slightly in the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving.