Gluten- Free; For the Gourmet Palate

Upon researching my articles on IBS, I came across a disease whose details were unknown to me - Celiac's Disease.

As an avid dessert eater - the type that plans her meals not according to the menu of entrée's in front of her, rather according to the glass window located off to the side of the front counter (and no, being on a first date has never stopped me from doing this!), and as a pastry chef who loves dessert so much she now has a degree in making them professionally, I was absolutely horrified to discover that there are those out there in this world who can not eat gluten!

I have an announcement to make however, Celiac sufferer's, fear not! I have decided to put some of my Paatissier (French for pastry chef) skills to use, and below I have included 2 of my very favorite, relatively uncomplicated, gluten free desserts:

For the Crust:

Press into a loaf shaped pan a thin layer of (gluten free) almond macaroons. Bake for 5 mins at 350 degrees to set.

Filling:

5 large eggs

¾ cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 pckge vanilla sugar

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

16 ou fresh farmer cheese

Cinn

Reduce oven temp to 325. Place a large baking dish or foil pan filled half way with water on the bottom shelf (steam released during the baking of the cake will help prevent your souflee from collapsing) of the oven.

Beat eggs with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add sugars, vanilla, lemon juice and mix. Mix in farmer cheese. Pour cheese mixture into pan with baked crust. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Place in preheated oven and bake for 40-50 minutes.

Cake

16 ou bittersweet chocolate, broken into cubes

10.5 Tbs chilled butter (1 bar has 8 tbs), cubed

¾ cup whipping cream

6 eggs, separated

¾ cup ground almonds

Preheat oven to 350. Using a Bain- Marie (double boiler), melt chocolate, butter and cream. Remove from stove and add egg yolks one at a time, making sure to incorporate after each new addition.

In a separate bowl, beat together egg whites and sugar until stiff peaks have formed. Slowly fold egg white mixture into chocolate. Fold in ground almonds, incorporating into batter until smooth.

Pour batter into a pre-greased, 10 in spring foam pan. Bake for approximately 40 minutes. Check to see if cake is ready by piercing with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes up clean, remove your cake from the oven and turn off oven.

Run a knife along the walls of the cake. Return the cake to the "off" oven for another 20 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly.

Ganache

1 cup whipping cream

1 cup bittersweet chocolate broken into pieces

Heat up cream in a saucepan; bring it to a rolling boil. Shut flame. Add in chocolate, mixing until melted.

Remove cake from pan. place on rack with plate underneath (to catch dripping chocolate), and drizzle ganache over cake.

Optional Decorations- take a bar of chocolate (white if you like the contrast) and "peel" with a vegetable peeler, little flakes of chocolate onto the cake.

So whoever said that Celiac's means missing out??!!!!