Salted Caramel Brownies (A Baking with Dorie Post)

It's that time again! Time to Bake with Dorie! This week's recipe was chosen by the fabulous woman who founded "Baking with Dorie", Grapefruit. 

When she selected the recipe, she asked if I was allergic to peanuts. I was touched that she asked and the answer was "Yes, peanuts are fine!" It often surprises people that my long list of allergies doesn't include peanuts. But it doesn't. However, as I was putting this recipe together, I was thinking about the peanut-allergic folks that read my blog. Hmm....Dorie had created a wonderful peanut topping that you can either find in her book or on Grapefruit's blog. Wouldn't it be neat if I made the brownies gluten-free and peanut-free? I agreed with myself--as I am wont to do.

Living the Food Allergic Life

Two things happened in the last two days that reminded me that I am a food allergic person. Don't get me wrong, it isn't like I forget that I have food allergies! It's just after dealing with them for a lifetime, my coping skills are pretty good. Yet there are times when I am reminded that my food allergies make me, um, different.

Last night I went to get ice cream with a friend. Fun right? Well it should have been. I'd eaten at this little ice cream shop several times. Each time they were good about changing the scoop and double-checking ingredient lists for me. Not last night. Nope.

I walked in with the allergen list I'd printed from their website. Since I have multiple food allergies, printing the list is just easier. I'd only gotten my allergy spiel halfway out of my mouth when the woman working the counter said, "How bad are your allergies?" When I told her that they were severe, she said, "Well, then we'd prefer it if you didn't eat here."