Sweet Sundays: Linda Coss was my role model when I began to share my dairy-free journey. Even though she cuts out eggs, nuts, and dairy due to her son’s multiple food allergies, her recipes are simple, tasty, and use everyday ingredients (rather than hard to find substitutes). The following recipe from her second cookbook is also vegan, but be sure to select your sugar wisely (using beet and/or organic sugars) as the refining process of cane sugar can involve non-vegan practices …

Linda ~ My son loves oatmeal cookies, and the Oatmeal Cookie recipe in my first cookbook (“What’s to Eat? The Milk-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free Food Allergy Cookbook”) has been a favorite for years. So when I was working on my second cookbook (appropriately named “What Else is to Eat?”), I gave a lot of thought as to how I could possibly improve upon that recipe.

The result of my experimentation is this recipe for amazingly delicious Apricot Oatmeal Chews. Put out a platter full at your holiday get-together, and watch them disappear!

Apricot Oatmeal Chews

Preparation time: 25 to 30 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes

• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup nut-free dried apricots
• 1/2 cup dairy-free margarine, room temperature
• 2/3 cup firmly packed pure cane dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup pure cane sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons water, and 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder, mixed together
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Spread oats in a single layer on a shallow baking pan or rimmed cookie sheet. Turn on oven to 350 degrees F and place baking pan in oven for about 10 to 15 minutes or until oats are lightly toasted, stirring once during cooking time. Remove oats from baking pan and let cool in a separate bowl for 5 minutes.

While oats are toasting, chop dried apricots; set aside. Cream margarine and sugars together in a large mixing bowl. Add flour, oil/water/baking powder mixture, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg; mix well. Add chopped apricots and toasted oats; mix well.

Form dough into 1-1/4-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for about 12 minutes or until outer edges are set but cookies are still quite soft. Cool cookies on cookie sheets for 2 to 4 minutes and then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes about 44 (2-1/4-inch diameter) cookies

Linda Coss is the author of three popular food allergy books, including “How to Manage Your Child’s Life-Threatening Food Allergies” and two dairy-, egg-, and nut-free food allergy cookbooks. A former food allergy support group leader with over 13 years of experience, Linda is the mother of a son, now in his Junior year of college, who has multiple life-threatening food allergies. Known as one of the “pioneers” in the food allergy world, Linda also gives presentations about food allergies and the issues involved in raising severely food-allergic children. Linda’s books are available at www.FoodAllergyBooks.com.