Homemade Remedies

Following are our top picks for tasty treats to soothe your teething baby. 

Baby Cereal Biscuits

2 tablespoons shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon water
1 1/2 cups baby cereal (oatmeal is best)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, baking soda, salt, vanilla extract and water. Mix until well blended. Gradually stir in cereal. Knead until smooth. Pat into rectangle. Cut into 12 (1-inch) bars, smoothing edges so they will not be sharp. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until dry. Store in an uncovered container overnight.

Baby Teething Crackers

2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk (try a little less first)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In food processor or in large bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, salt and sugar. Add the egg and mix well. Blend in enough of the milk to form a dough that will hold together in a cohesive ball. On a floured surface or pastry cloth, roll into a rectangle about 3/8 inch thick. With a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 1/2 x 3-inch rectangles. Place them on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Prick each cracker 2 or 3 times with the tines of a fork. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until the crackers are thoroughly dry. Cool on a rack. These crackers should be hard. If necessary, put them back in the oven for a few minutes. Yields 10 to 15

Teething Biscuits

2 eggs, beaten
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 to 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Beat eggs and add sugar, vanilla extract and flour. Mix well. Roll dough between two sheets of floured wax paper to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut desired shapes and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Let stand overnight for 10 to 12 hours. Bake at 325 degrees F for 20 minutes.

Creamed Banana

1 ripe banana, sliced into small pieces
1/4 cup light cream
Pinch of granulated sugar Blend ingredients in bowl until creamy. Serve. Stores well refrigerated.

Fruity Gels

1/2 cup cool water
1 tablespoon agar flakes (this is a thickener derived from seaweed – available in natural food stores)
1 1/2 cups fruit juice
1 cup puréed fruit

Place water in small saucepan. Sprinkle in agar and stir to dissolve. Add juice and heat for 1 minute, stirring well. Pour into 4 small cups. Place in refrigerator. After 1/2 hour, stir in puréed fruit.

Zwieback Biscuits (for 10 months+)

1/2 cup formula or breast milk (or whole milk for babies over 12 months)
1 envelope active dry yeast
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground anise (or cinnamon)
3 unbeaten eggs
3 cups unbleached flour (may use white, but it has less nutrients)

Heat the formula or milk until very hot, but not boiling (scald). Set aside and let it cool to lukewarm.Add yeast to the milk. Stir until well blended and let it rest for 6 minutes. Add the sugar, butter, anise (or cinnamon) and eggs. Stir until well blended. Add enough flour to handle the dough. Knead on floured surface until smooth, adding flour as needed. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Roll out dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into strips 1 inch wide then cut the strips to 3 inches long. Place on a buttered cookie sheet, 1 ½ inches apart. Let rise again for 30 minutes.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake biscuits for 20 minutes. Set on wire rack to cool. Yields about 18