[Excentrique]

There are both egg and peanut allergic kids in DS's kindy class.
The teacher has said I'm fine to bring something in as long as its free of egg and nuts.
So I'm thinking gingerbread men, which have no egg in them.
Since they are usually iced with royal icing which is mostly egg white, I thought I would ice mine with white chocolate.
Is there anyway to help the chocolate not melt once its on the gingerbread? My car can be quite warm.
Also I want to put smarties on them but they say they have been manufactured on equipment that also manufactures nuts. Too dangerous? What else could I use?

[ali-song]

I'd just make an icing by mixing icing sugar and lemon juice - it'll dry pretty hard (make sure you use icing sugar, not soft icing mixture).

[kez71]

id also just make the icing with icing sugar and water or lemon juice.
you could decorate with jelly lollies, crushed up lifesavers, chocolate drops. theres a lot of choices, just check the ingredients

[deejie]

I would ask daycare to check with the parents of the anaphylactic children.

DS1 is ANA to egg and highly allergic to dairy (although getting a bit better with dairy). I don't like him eating any food made by other parents due to risk of error or cross contamination.

Some anaphylactic children do not eat products that "may contain traces" too. If the parents are happy for you to bake, best to stick to the absolute basics of icing sugar, water & juice.

[Banana Pancakes]

DS1 is ANA to egg and highly allergic to dairy (although getting a bit better with dairy). I don't like him eating any food made by other parents due to risk of error or cross contamination.

This is the opinion at our school as well. Could you take something that wasnt homemade? Ice blocks or those Oreo sticks in the blue packet are egg and nut free. Though I would take them in the day before so the parents could check the ingredients thoroughly before giving permission for their allergy kids to eat them.

Ice blocks like zooper doopers are usually more popular with little kids especially this time of year anyway and way less hassle for the teachers

[Mamma_mia]

DS is allergic to peanuts and cashews - we're still not sure how severe it is as the doctors didn't want to continue the testing after the initial reactions.

A couple of mums have brought cup-cakes to school and when the teacher has asked what the ingredients were, the mums said "I don't know/can't remember". And it's supposed to be a nut free school! The teacher still allowed the cakes to be given out. I was not impressed. Sometimes the teacher will give it to me at the end of the day and let me decide, which is fair enough I suppose. Other times DS has been allowed to eat it straight away.

We were looking at another school recently for DS and I noticed they didn't allow any birthday foods to be given out at school.

Sorry OP - not much help regarding your question.

ETA: It's nice that you are being considerate about it OP. Not everyone is, unfortunately.

This post has been edited by Mamma_mia: 12/12/2012, 12:23 PM

[AvadaKedavra]

I'm surprised that with anaphylactic kids in the centre that they would be happy for you to bring anything home made at all. Personally I wouldn't risk it.

Either buy something with the ingredients listed, or leave a note for the parents telling them what day you will be celebrating, and they can provide their own safe food for their kids.

[red_squirrel]

It's a lovely thought that you want to bake but in this situation it would be better to buy something from the store. There are many products now that are nut and egg (and other things) free.

[Excentrique]

I did ask the teacher thinking she would say no they don't allow any food bought in. She said its fine as long as I don't use those ingredients. Even offered to provide me with egg replacer.

[roses99]

I think gingerbread men - as long as you're super careful about the ingredients - would be fine.

However, I'm also surprised that they allow food from outside. Our daycare makes cakes for kids' birthdays, at the centre and based on the needs or the kids in that particular room. No food at all is allowed from home.

I'd be surprised if the parents of the ANA kids would be happy with their kids eating food prepared in someone else's kitchen. You might be super careful, but plenty of parents wouldn't be. I just don't think a parent of a non-ANA child could possibly be as vigilant as one who is.