Wednesday, March 18, 2015

SunButter "Tagalongs"

Sometimes, I get a wee bit nostalgic when I see families all around us reveling in the delivery of their Girl Scout Cookies.  My two childhood favorites were Thin Mints (click HERE for my version), and Tagalongs.  Shortbread and peanut butter, all covered in chocolate....when I close my eyes and think about it, I'm back in my mom's kitchen, climbing on the counter to reach that box of creamy deliciousness. Food memories are powerful, aren't they?

Fast forward to today, when Girl Scout cookies do not fit in with our food allergy lifestyle, and of course, I have taken on the challenge to create an allergy friendly edition of my favorites. After several versions, and many willing taste-testers, I am happy to share my recipe for SunButter Tagalongs! 

By ingredients, this SunButter Tagalong recipe is peanut-free, tree nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free, fish-free, and shellfish-free. As always, check this ingredient list and your local products to make sure that this recipe is allergy safe for your family and/or friends!

Steps marked with an asterisk (*) are child friendly!  
Click HERE for more information! 

Click HERE for a printable version!

Ingredients for the Shortbread:
2 sticks Earth Balance Buttery Sticks (or other dairy free margarine)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons flax milk

Ingredients for the SunButter Filling and Chocolate Coating:
1 1/2 cups creamy SunButter
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 Tablespoon vegetable shortening

1 10 oz bag dairy free chocolate morsels (such as Enjoy Life)
1/2 Tablespoon vegetable shortening 

Directions for the Shortbread:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  2. *Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  3. *In a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together Earth Balance and granulated sugar.
  4. *In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
  5. *Add flour mixture to the creamed Earth Balance and sugar at a low speed.  
  6. *Add the vanilla and flax milk, gradually increase speed until dough comes together. 
  7. *Lightly flour a clean counter and gently roll the dough out to just under 1/2 inch thick. 
  8. *Using a circular cookie or biscuit cutter, cut circles of dough and place on lined baking sheets. (Feel free to experiment with size here, we've made small ones, large ones, there isn't a hard and fast rule about how big to make these cookies - that's the beauty of homemade!)
  9. Bake for 11-13 minutes, until cookies are set.
  10. *Immediately upon removing cookies from the oven, use your thumb or measuring spoon, make a small indentation in the center of each cookie.  This is what will hold the filling. 
  11. *Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets, then remove to wire cooling racks to cool completely.

Directions for Filling and Cookie Completion:
  1. *Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together all the filling ingredients until fully combined and creamy. 
  2. *Fill a piping bag fitted with a large circular tip with the SunButter filling. (You can also use a zip top bag and snip off the corner.)
  3. *Fill the indentation on each shortbread cookie with SunButter filling.  (We like to fill generously, use your own taste and judgement here.  Be beware, too much and it's likely to fall off in the dipping process!)
  4. *Chill cookies for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. 
  5. After the chilling time, make the chocolate coating. Melt the morsels and shortening together in the microwave at 30 second intervals. (Heat, stir, repeat until nearly smooth.  Use the residual heat to melt the last bits of chocolate.)
  6. *Using a fork, dip the chilled cookies into the chocolate to coat. Allow the excess to drip off and place cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  7. Chill for 15-25 minutes to allow the chocolate to set. 
  8. Serve and enjoy!  

Don't forget to check out my cookbooks on Amazon!

 As always, from The Allergy Safe Kitchen, I wish you "Good Cooking, and Safe Eating"!

Some items used in this recipe are available on Amazon!


  1. Yum--these look great and I love that they're nut free. My daughter is in a nut free classroom and I'm always looking for new treat ideas!

  2. I hope you enjoy them! These have been a big hit with our non-allergic friends.It's always great to be able to serve delicious tasting food, that everyone can enjoy together!