fête à fête

With over 3 million celiac sufferers in the U.S., folks are starting to pay attention to the effects of gluten in their food. We all know special diets can be a real drag to prep for, but gluten-free cooking authority Carol Fenster came up with all the answers you'd need in her new book, GLUTEN-FREE QUICK & EASY. With over 200 recipes to play with, you will learn tricks on shaving prep time, along with identifying flavor-intensive ingredients to keep recipes short and simple. This great reference also includes instructions for baking substitutions, along with additional resources for gluten-free living.

Now you can have your coffee cake, pasta and other favorite dishes without compromising on the taste. Check out the following dessert recipe:

Gluten Free Tiramisu

Although the traditional recipe includes ladyfingers, this version using gluten-free cookies makes a fantastic subsititute. For bigger and better whipped cream, chill the beaters and the bowl for an hour prior to using. This is not a dairy-free dessert. Serves 12.

· 1 cup heavy cream, chilled

· 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

· 1 tub (8 ounces) mascarpone, softened

· ¾ cup powdered sugar

· ½ cup very, very strong brewed coffee or espresso

· 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

· 18 cookies (2 packages) pecan shortbread cookies, Pamela's Products

· 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process (alkalized) cocoa

· ¼ grated chocolate, for garnish.

1. Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.
2. Beat the cream with an electric mixer about 4 minutes, until it holds its shape and soft peaks form.
3. Using the same beaters, beat the cream cheese, mascarpone and powdered sugar in another bowl until thoroughly combined. With a spatula, fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into the cheese mixture. Carefully fold in the remaining whipped cream.
4. Combine the coffee and vanilla in a shallow bowl. Quickly and lightly dip the underside of each cookie in the mixture (do not saturate, or cookies will fall apart), then arrange 9 cookies on the bottom of the prepared pan. Spoon half of the cheese mixture on the cookies and smooth with a wet spatula.
5. Dip the remaining cookies in the coffee mixture and arrange in a single layer on top of the cheese mixture. Spread the remaining cheese mixture on top, and smooth with a spatula. Place the cocoa in a fine-mesh sieve and gently dust over the cheese mixture.
6. Cover the tiramisu with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours to firm up. (The flavor will be more fully developed if the tiramisu is chilled overnight). Garnish each slice with a scant tablespoon of grated chocolate.

Nutritional Information
Calories 455 * Fat 35g * Protein 5g* Carbohydrates 35g * Cholesterol 77mg * Sodium 134 mg* Fiber 2g

(Recipe credit: Avery/Penguin Group (USA))

See ya in the kitchen!

Tami