Baking Basics: Baking Lactose Free
I've been baking for years. I started baking around age twelve. I'd never tried to bake lactose free before. And then my then four-year-old daughter was diagnosed as lactose intolerant. It surprised me. I thought to myself, "What am I going to do now? What about birthday cakes? Cookies? Can my daughter still have these things?" I wasn't sure where to start. What exactly can she have and what can't she have? So, let's talk about lactose intolerance for a moment. Lactose intolerance is a lack of an enyzme or an insufficient amount of an enzyme called lactase in the intestines. Lactase breaks down lactose to a simpler sugar and makes it possible to digest. It is not an allergy. Allergies are an overreaction of the immune system. Lactose intolerance doesn't involve the immune system. Symptoms of lactose intolerance include: stomach aches, gas, diarrhea or constipation, nausea, vomiting, weakness, lack of appetite and if it's not diagnosed for a lon...