I am being called upon more and more lately to donate treats for the various events happening at the end of the school year. And, more and more, the food allergies of the various people make it necessary to include a list of ingredients on a tent card so that someone doesn't accidentally become ill.

Confession: 2 weeks ago I forgot that I had volunteered to bring in some gluten free cookies, so I caved and bought a boxed mix. Not only was it expensive, but the cookies didn't behave like cookies made with wheat flour; the substitutes are grainy. My sons tasted them and thought I had messed up. The recipient was thrilled, she said that she has been gluten free for so long that they are normal cookies for her. That's nice to know in a pinch, but it's much better to be able to do something from (inexpensive) ingredients you may already have on hand.

Of course, you can't please everyone, but coconut macaroons can be made several different ways, and the ingredients are easy to find. They can be gluten free, GFCF, gluten free and egg free, and GFCF and egg-free, oh, and no soy or nuts either.

One recipe for Coconut Macaroons has coconut, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, egg whites, and kosher salt. If you replace the egg with 1 tablespoon of Ener-G egg substitute and 4 tablespoons of water, you have gluten-free and egg-free. These are chewy.

Gluten-free casein-free egg-free Coconut Macaroons are quite similar, but they are a bit drier (preferable to some) and use almond milk, sugar, egg substitute. Both versions can be jazzed up by stirring in a bit of mini-chocolate chips, or by drizzling melted chocolate across the tops once they have cooled.