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Little truffles with surprise: the alternative to Easter eggs

The best part of an Easter egg is definitely opening it to find out what surprise it contains, so I didn’t want to miss out on this pleasure by proposing a mouth-watering dessert that is perfect for a picnic on the first days of spring: my Little truffles with surprise.

Thinking of the perfect dessert for an Easter Monday lunch, perhaps by the sea or surrounded by nature, a bite-sized treat to be eaten without cutlery is definitely the perfect solution. And do you know how my Little truffles with surprise were born? By pure chance with ingredients found in the fridge after my online cooking course on Fantastic Tarts. I recommend not underestimating the surprise effect by putting whatever you like in the centre of the soft mascarpone cream: in addition to my suggestions, give free rein to your imagination to make each bite unique.

Another added value of Little truffles with surprise is that you can prepare the dough even a week in advance by storing it in the freezer! Simply take it out of the freezer a few hours before completing the preparation… in short, a dessert for busy mums.

And if you want to know what my Easter lunch menu is going to be, here it is: Tuna and pepper quiche, Herb-marinated chicken salad and Little truffles with surprise.

Little truffles with surprise

33.15g carbohydrates per 100g of truffles without filling

Ingredients for about 20 little truffles

  • 250g Mascarpone
  • 180g shortbread biscuits**
  • 45g icing sugar*
  • 30g espresso coffee
  • filling to taste: jam*, berries, chocolate cream*, hazelnut cream*, almonds, hazelnuts, dried fruit
  • bitter cocoa powder*

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Blend the shortbread biscuits in a mixer, then mix them with Mascarpone, icing sugar and espresso coffee to obtain a homogeneous mixture. Place the mixture in the freezer to harden and make it workable.
  2. When the mixture is firm, weigh out 25g spoonfuls, flatten them on the palm of one hand and place the filling of your choice in the centre, closing to form a ball.
  3. Place the cocoa powder in a soup dish or small bowl and roll the truffles in it so that they are well coated with cocoa.
  4. Place the truffles in paper cups and keep them in the fridge, taking care to remove them about 30 minutes before serving.

N.B.: to use them for a picnic, keep them in the freezer until the last moment, then store them in a cooler until ready to eat.

Tartufini-close-up

Version with gluten of Little truffles with surprise

Replace gluten-free shortbread biscuits with conventional biscuits; all other ingredients are naturally gluten-free, so no adaptations are necessary.

 

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Dessert for all: Chocolate and cherry ganache with no added sugar

What could be more satisfying than a dessert prepared without the addition of sugar and with two of the most delicious ingredients par excellence, chocolate and cherries? The answer is: this Chocolate and cherry ganache, the pleasure of a dessert without the (or perhaps it is better to say ‘with very little’) guilt!!!

Yes, because while this fantastic recipe does not include added sugar and cream, it does not mean that it is calorie-free because it is made with avocado and chocolate, but at the same time, it is calories from nutritionally valuable foods.

Avocado is in fact rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids (therefore good for our organism), antioxidants (it is no coincidence that it is used in many cosmetic products), vitamins, fibres and mineral salts, so much so that it has an anti-inflammatory function on our body: a true natural supplement. Moreover, for some years now, its cultivation has been spreading to Sicily and Sardinia, making its consumption much more environmentally sustainable for us Italians.

As far as chocolate is concerned, the choice you have at your disposal is very wide, so buy your favourite chocolate considering a cocoa percentage of no more than 55-60% (otherwise you will feel the need to add some sugar to the preparation) and perhaps lactose-free for those who are lactose intolerant: in short, Chocolate and Cherry Ganache is really the dessert for everyone, considering that with the right chocolate it is also suitable for vegans.

Also, since the cherry season is, alas, always too short for such a delicious fruit, indulge yourself with any other fruit to make the accompanying sauce, perhaps following the recipe for Panna cotta with berries.

Chocolate and cherry ganache with no added sugar

 18.83g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients for chocolate ganache for 4 servings

  • 200g avocado pulp (approx. 1 avocado)
  • 120g chocolate with no added sugar*
  • 25g bitter cocoa*
  • water, if needed
  • edible flowers for decoration (optional)

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Ingredients for the cherry sauce

  • 400g cherries
  • the juice of 1/ 2 lemon
  • water

Preparation 

  1. Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie or microwave, then let it cool down.
  2. Put the avocado pulp in the blender with the cocoa powder and melted chocolate: blend to obtain a smooth and fluffy cream adding a few tablespoons of cold water if it is too hard.
  3. Stone the cherries and place them in a non-stick pan with the lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of water over high heat so that the cherries release some of their juice: this will take about 5 minutes.
  4. Assemble the cups by placing a portion of chocolate ganache and the cherries with their cooking liquid as a complement: you can serve them cold or warm as you like.

ganache di cioccolato e ciliegie

Version with gluten of Chocolate and cherry ganache with no added sugar

This recipe contains only naturally gluten-free ingredients, so no adaptations are necessary.

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Gluten-free and traditional Canestrelli biscuits

Easter is approaching and with it the traditions of Easter sweet and savoury recipes with which we celebrate it. This year I thought I would share with you the recipe for a biscuit that I love and that was the star of the course dedicated to Italian Biscuits: I am talking about the gluten-free and traditional  Canestrelli  recipe that you can give to your loved ones with the certainty of making them happy, a perfect gift also for Father’s Day.

The Canestrelli recipe between legends and truths

Canestrelli biscruits are so famous and popular that they need no introduction, yet not many people know their history and preparation techniques.

Their origin dates back to the Middle Ages and even then they were so popular to be depicted on Genovini, i.e. the coins minted from 1252 onwards by the Genoese Republic. The value of this biscuit was linked not only to its taste, but also to the ingredients used, namely white flour and butter, which in the hinterland of Genoa, in the Val di Trebbia, were true rarities, so much so that Canestrelli were used for centuries as currency.

And the name Canestrello is also linked to notoriety as it first appeared in an official document in 1576 that reported on a hapless muleteer stabbed and robbed of a ‘basket’ of biscuits (basket being ‘canestro’ in Italian, hence the name of the biscuits), confirming the value that was attributed to this product.

Precious ingredients and… magical mistakes

While it was considered scandalous to ‘waste’ white flour and butter on a biscuit, there is no shortage of legends to explain why hard-boiled egg yolks are used in the Canestrelli dough instead of fresh eggs (in fact, shortcrust pastry made with hard-boiled egg yolks is a specific type of dough that results in cakes with a crumbly, silky texture).

One such story tells of a woman baker who, on the very day she had a large order of biscuits to prepare, did not wake up as usual. Her husband, in an attempt to help her, had hard-boiled all the eggs to have them ready for breakfast the following days. Having no time to buy more eggs, the baker decided to use the hard-boiled yolks to prepare the biscuit dough: these biscuits were so successful that they became famous throughout the region.

As is often the case in Italy, typical recipes have countless local and even family variants, and Canestrelli are no exception, so although they are recognised as Traditional Food Products (PAT) of Liguria, ingredients and preparation may vary slightly from area to area.

But what are their main characteristics?

Definitely the daisy shape that goes from a diameter of about 10cm with scalloped edges to smaller diameters to be eaten in one bite. The central hole is proportionate to the diameter, while the thickness is always quite high, at least 7 millimetres. The colour is barely golden, made even lighter by the icing sugar with which the surface is dusted.

So, are you now feeling like turning on the oven and baking some biscuits? Do you have some paper bags ready to wrap them for daddy or as a gift for Easter? Have fun with my gluten free Canestrelli!

Canestrelli senza glutine

The typical flower shape of Canestrelli

Gluten free and traditional Canestrelli

carbohydrates 64.31g per 100g canestrelli without icing sugar on the surface

Ingredients for 23 biscuits

  • 120g butter
  • 100g gluten free flour mix for bread, brand BiAglut** (wheat flour for a version with gluten)
  • 100g potato starch or corn starch*
  • 50g icing sugar*
  • 2 yolks of hard-boiled eggs
  • grated rind of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1 egg white for brushing
  • icing sugar* to complete

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Put the eggs in boiling water and boil them for 8 minutes; shell them and extract the hard-boiled yolks.
  2. Place the flour, icing sugar, soft butter, starch and sifted egg yolks in a bowl or planetary mixer and start mixing, add the pinch of salt and grated lemon zest, then knead until smooth and firm. Initially the dough will seem dry, but once the butter is mixed in, it will be soft and smooth. Cover the mixture with cling film and put in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
  3. Roll out the shortcrust pastry to a thickness of approx. 7mm-1cm, then cut the biscuits using the flower-shaped cookie mould with the hole in the centre. Brush them with egg white.
  4. Put Canestrelli on a baking tin covered with parchment paper and bake them in a static oven preheated to 170°C for about 15-20 minutes without allowing them to get brow: it is important not to bake them too much!
  5. Let them cool down, then dust with icing sugar.

The mould for cutting Canestrelli 

Version with gluten of Canestrelli

Replace the gluten-free flour with an equal amount of wheat flour.

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Parma Accoglie: Crème brûlé with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

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When something good happens you cannot keep it to yourself, you have to share it and rejoice in it all together. And the project ‘Parma Accoglie‘ is really something beautiful. It is a simple, yet extraordinary way to say thank you to the people who made themselves available to the community during the Covid emergency.

What does the ‘Parma Accoglie’ initiative consist of? Federalberghi Parma in collaboration with Ascom Parma, Consorzio Albergatori Promo Parma, FIPE – Pubblici Esercizi and Parma Quality Restaurant, with the patronage of the Municipality of Parma, have decided to offer a stay of up to two nights free of charge in a local hotel with the possibility of a typical Parma dinner, at a special price, in one of the participating restaurants to health, medical, nursing, volunteer, Civil Defence, Public Assistance and  Italian Red Cross personnel.

Any ideas of what you’ll do while in Parma? In the meantime, here are some shots of the city taken by my photographer friend Francesca Bocchia then I will share some activity proposals with you shortly!

And I hope to contribute to your desire to come to my city through the extraordinary products that have made it world-famous and through a few recipes that you will certainly not find in the city’s restaurants… because you absolutely must try the fresh stuffed pasta and the deli meats and cheese platters!

A land of great products

To tell you about my land, I have decided to propose recipes in which Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma (here is the recipe) are used in an unusual way as I am sure that the ‘usual way’ will be known even to those who are not from Parma!

My ‘obligatory’ starting point is Parmigiano Reggiano, the product I was born and raised with, as my family has been producing it since 1895. It is natural that I adore the product that has accompanied me for as long as I can remember and that has marked the rhythms of my family’s life, but Parmigiano has remained a table companion even after diabetes and celiac disease entered our lives, so it is even more precious to us!

Parmigiano Reggiano contains no carbohydrates and is allergen-free. It is also suitable for those who are intolerant to milk proteins if it is purchased with a maturation of 36 months or more. And to alleviate the guilt in case we are overwhelmed by its goodness and can’t stop ourselves in front of its fragrant slivers accompanied by fresh fruit, bread, nuts or a glass of full-bodied red wine, you should know that Parmigiano is a semi-fat cheese as it is made with half of the milk partially skimmed (find out how)!

My recipe to try to make you forever prisoners of the Parmigiano Reggiano spell and continue to welcome you to Parma? A soft cream enveloping fruit and enclosing it under a crunchy caramelised crust… after all, popular culture has warned us: don’t let the farmer (and us) know how good cheese with pears is!

La crème brûlé pronta per essere gustata

Crème brûlé ready to be enjoyed

Parma Accoglie and my recipe for Crème brûlé with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

10.93g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients for 6 servings

  • 250g ripe pear (or white grapes)
  • 300g real or vegetable cream
  • 100g milk
  • 50g grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
  • 40g egg yolk (2 yolks)
  • 30g brown sugar
  • ½ lemon
  • ½ vanilla pod

 Preparation

  1. Bring the cream and milk to the boil with the seeds contained in half a vanilla pod. In a bowl, whip the egg yolks until stiff and pour the hot milk over them in a trickle. Add the grated Parmesan cheese and incorporate well.
  2. Cut the pear into small pieces, put it in a non-stick pan with the juice of half a lemon and let it soften slightly, allowing all the lemon juice to dry.
  3. Take 6 mini-mouldsput the pear pieces or cut grapes on the bottom, pour the milk, egg and Parmesan mixture on top and put the moulds on a baking tin containing hot water that should reach halfway up the moulds.
  4. Bake in a static oven preheated to 120°C for 1 hour. Remove and allow to cool, then transfer the moulds to the refrigerator until serving time.
  5. At this point, sprinkle the surface with brown sugar and caramelise it with the special torch. Serve the crème brûlé immediately.
La superficie caramellata della crema

The caramelised surface of Créme brûlé

Version with gluten of Crème brûlé with Parmesan cheese

The recipe contains only naturally gluten-free ingredients, so no adaptation is necessary for its version with gluten.

 

 

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Raspberry panna cotta

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La panna cotta ai lamponi è uno dei dolci più semplici e flessibili che conosca (credetemi!). E’ naturalmente senza glutine quindi perfetta per i celiaci ed è perfetta anche per chi è affetto da diabete avendo l’accortezza di sostituire una parte o tutto lo zucchero con un dolcificante di propria scelta.

Durante l’estate, la panna cotta è un dolce fresco e pratico che potrete accompagnare con salse preparate con qualsiasi frutto di stagione.

Raspberry panna cotta is one of the simplest and most flexible desserts I know (believe me!). It is naturally gluten free, making it perfect for celiacs and it is also perfect for people with diabetes, taking the precaution of replacing some or all of the sugar with a sweetener of your choice.

During the summer, Panna cotta is a fresh and practical dessert that you can accompany with sauces made from any seasonal fruit.

You can also decide to make it more or less rich in fat by playing around with milk and cream: the important thing is that you have a total of 500g when you mix them together, but you can vary their proportions as you like… bearing in mind that if it is called Panna (i.e. cream) cotta, the original recipe certainly expresses its preference.

Preparation will only take you a few minutes, but you have to allow time for the Panna cotta to solidify, so remember to plan ahead if you want to serve it to your guests, perhaps making it the day before so you have less to do at the last minute.

Raspberry panna cotta    

19.64g carbohydrates per 100g raspberry panna cotta with sugar

Ingredients for 6 servings

  • 250g milk
  • 250g cream
  • 100g sugar or sweetener* as desired
  • 10-12g gelatine sheets* (follow the instructions given for the product you choose)
  • a bit of vanilla from the pod

Ingredients for the raspberry sauce

  • 220g raspberries
  • 30g sugar or sweetener* to taste
  • 30g lemon juice

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Pour the milk and cream into a saucepan, add the sugar or sweetener and put everything on the heat, stirring occasionally so that the sugar dissolves well.
  2. Separately, soak the gelatine in water to soften it. When the milk is about to reach the boil, remove from the heat and add the squeezed gelatine while stirring with a whisk. Let it cool down, then fill the moulds you selected. Put them in the refrigerator for a few hours until the mixture becomes thick.
  3. Meanwhile, prepare the raspberry sauce. Place the raspberries in a non-stick pan with the lemon juice and sugar or sweetener. Let the raspberries cook for 5 minutes over high heat until they release a bright red sauce. Let it cool down.
  4. Remove the Panna cotta from the moulds and place it directly on the serving platter, decorate it with the raspberries and their sauce either cold or warmed in a microwave or on the stove.

Version with gluten of Raspberry panna cotta

The recipe is naturally gluten free, so no adaptations are needed.

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Gluten-free sweets: Coconut puddings with liquorice flavoured chocolate cream

On these summer days, people look for something cool to quench the feeling of excessive heat, but taste always comes first. Our idea is an alternative to ice cream, a mouth-watering soft dessert with contrasting flavours to savour: Coconut puddings with liquorice flavoured chocolate cream. 

If you like cold desserts, try these Mini cheesecakes.

Coconut puddings with liquorice flavoured chocolate cream

19.57g carbohydrates per 100g coconut puddings without cream

Chocolate flavoured liquorice cream 

30.31g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients for 6 servings

  • 200g milk
  • 200g coconut milk
  • 150g fresh cream
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 50g sugar
  • 50g brown sugar
  • 45g grated coconut*
  • 25g wholemeal rice flour*
  • 1 organic orange
  • almond or hazelnut oil

Ingredients for the liquorice flavoured chocolate cream

  • 50g fresh cream
  • 35g water
  • 30g sugar
  • 25g dark chocolate*
  • 15g bitter cocoa powder*
  • 1 teaspoon powdered liquorice*
  • 6 raspberries

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Bring milk, coconut milk and grated coconut to the boil, then remove from the heat and leave until the mixture has cooled.
  2. Beat the egg yolks well with the sugars, then add the rice flour while continuing to stir and the coconut-flavoured milk through a sieve (so that the grated coconut is removed). Place everything in a saucepan and over low heat, stirring until it starts to thicken. Remove from the heat, flavour with grated orange peel and leave to cool, stirring occasionally.
  3. Whip the cream and finally fold it into the coconut mixture so that it does not lose airiness.
  4. Brush 6 single-portion moulds with almond or hazelnut oil and fill them with the cream. Place in the freezer for about 6 hours.
  5. Prepare a chocolate cream. Dissolve the cocoa in the water, then add cream and sugar and cook over medium heat, simmering for 5 minutes, stirring well with a whisk (the temperature should be between 70 and 80 degrees). Turn off the heat and add the dark chocolate, stirring until completely melted; continue stirring until the temperature has dropped well, then add 1 teaspoon of liquorice powder, stir well and store in the refrigerator.
  6. Take the puddings out of the freezer, remove them from the moulds, place them on a serving plate and wait 30 minutes before serving. When serving, top them with 1 spoonful of liquorice flavoured chocolate cream and garnish with 1 raspberry.
Budino-cocco-crema-cioccolato-liquirizia-senza-glutine-uno-chef-per-gaia

Coconut pudding with liquorice flavoured chocolate cream

 

Version with gluten of Coconut puddings with liquorice flavoured chocolate cream

The recipe contains only naturally gluten free ingredients or ingredients bearing the gluten free wording, so no adaptation is necessary for its version with gluten.

If you like creamy desserts, also try Mahalabiya a journey through flavours.

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Dairy-free fruit cheesecakes

December is the month of dinners, aperitifs and delicious social moments, accompanied by the desire to wish each other well and celebrate the arrival of Christmas. But delicious doesn’t necessarily mean heavy, and Dairy-free fruit cheesecakes are perfect for those who have to deal with diabetes and coeliac disease, but also for those who are lactose intolerant.

This very simple, yet colourful and tasty recipe is therefore an idea not only for an end-of-meal dessert, but also for a snack or a fun breakfast.

These cheesecakes were also enthusiastically received at the last Parma Ham Festival where the focus was on food intolerances and how to look for solutions to avoid giving up taste and eye catching ideas. And for a savoury snack idea, try the Gluten free potato pizza with olives.

Dairy-free fruit cheesecakes

carbohydrates 13.47g per 100g without chocolate decorations

Ingredients for 12 servings

  • 500g white soy yoghurt*
  • 250g blueberry soy yoghurt*
  • 120g mixed fruit (kiwi, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, mango, etc.)
  • 70g sugar coated peanuts* or nut brittle*
  • 30g brown sugar
  • 12 dark chocolate decorations*

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Add brown sugar to the white soy yoghurt and mix well.
  2. Take 12 single-portion cups and place 4 sugar coated peanuts or small pieces of nut brittle on the bottom of each one. Place 2 heaped tablespoons of white yoghurt on top of the base, then a heaped tablespoon of blueberry yoghurt, spreading it so that it covers the light yoghurt: the colour is in strong contrast, so you should see a clear separation.
  3. Decorate each cup with 2 slices of fruit, varying so that they are very colourful and cheerful. Finally, add a chocolate decoration to each cup and serve.
finte-cheesecake-alla-frutta-senza-glutine-uno-chef-per-gaia

Dairy free fruit cheesecakes

 

Version with gluten of Dairy free fruit cheesecakes

The recipe contains only naturally gluten-free ingredients, so no adaptation is necessary for its version with gluten.

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Charlotte Mont Blanc: New year’s eve ideas

If you have decided to spend New Year’s Eve at home with friends, you will certainly be struggling with recipes for the New Year’s Eve dinner. Yes, because it is not enough to make something good to eat, you also have to surprise your guests with dishes worthy of a chef, admit it! Then we have the perfect dessert for you: Charlotte Mont Blanc.

If you don’t like chestnuts, how about a Celebration Sacher?

Don’t be afraid, making it is much easier than you might expect. Let’s begin!

Charlotte Mont Blanc

36.23g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients for 10-12 servings

  • 500g chestnut cream or compote*
  • 500g fresh cream
  • 150g boiled and peeled chestnuts (it will take about 45 minutes to cook them in boiling water)
  • 150g ladyfingers**
  • 80g Marrons glacés*
  • 70g milk
  • 10g bitter cocoa*
  • 10g gelatine sheets*
  • 1 vanilla pod

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation of Charlotte Mont Blanc

  1. Soak the gelatine in cold water, then dissolve it in a few tablespoons of cream and leave to cool.
    Whip the cream and set aside a small amount that will be used to decorate the cake. Gradually fold in the chestnut cream in the whipped cream, taking great care not to make it go flat. Chop 60g of marrons glacés, add them to the chestnut and cream mixture and finally add the melted gelatine.
  2. Take a tall mould with a diameter of about 20cm (we used a rather high cake tin with a larger diameter, so the biscuits turned out to be further apart), cover it with cling film, cut the ladyfingers on one side by removing about 1.5-2cm of the length and lay them along the edge of the mould resting them on the cut side. Pour the chestnut and cream mixture inside the mould lined with the ladyfingers, cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
  3. In a small saucepan, place the boiled and peeled chestnuts with the contents of a vanilla pod on the stove, add the milk and cook for about 10 minutes. Then incorporate the bitter cocoa and whisk to obtain a rather thick and homogeneous cream, adding some extra milk if necessary. Cover with cling film and set aside.
  4. Remove the mould with the ladyfingers and cream from the refrigerator and, with the help of the clingfilm underneath, put the Charlotte on a cake stand, then remove the clingfilm on the sides with the help of scissors or a sharp knife, and tie the cake with a decorative bow.
  5. Using a potato masher, mash the chestnut and cocoa cream inside the circle of ladyfingers, on top of the cream mixture; finally, decorate with cream tufts and the remaining chopped marrons glacés.
Ricetta-charlotte-mont-blanc-senza-glutine-uno-chef-per-gaia

Charlotte Mont Blanc ready to be enjoyed

Version with gluten of Charlotte Mont Blanc

Replace the gluten-free ladyfingers with standard ones, no further adaptations are needed.

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Tartlets with strawberries

Today we are in the mood for strawberries, their bright colour and inviting taste that goes well with desserts. And here we are with a reinterpretation of the classic shortcrust pastry tartlets, lighter but still delicious: Tartlets with strawberries

The trick?

Simple, the dough is prepared with ‘Zero Butter’, a fantastic all-vegetable substitute of butter.

We can begin!

Tartlets with strawberries

40.5g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients for the shortbread

  • 100g wholemeal rice flour*
  • 60g sugar
  • 50g gluten-free cake flour mix, brand Mix C Dolci Schär**
  • 50g almonds, peeled
  • 50g Zero butter* or butter
  • 1 egg
  • 8g baking powder*

Ingredients for the pastry cream

  • 160g low fat milk
  • 50g sugar
  • 15g corn starch*
  • 3 egg yolks
  • a bit of vanilla from the pod

Ingredients for garnishing

  • 200g fresh strawberries

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Grind the almonds in a food processor into a flour and add all the other ingredients for the shortcrust pastry; mix them together to obtain a soft, smooth dough. Cover with cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare the pastry cream: in a food processor or bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until the mixture is frothy; add the corn starch and vanilla. Meanwhile, put the milk on the stove and bring it to the boil; pour it over the egg and corn starch mixture and stir quickly with a whisk so that no lumps form. Put everything back on the heat and let it thicken while continuing to stir. Let cool by covering with cling film.
  3. Roll out the shortcrust pastry and line tartlet moulds; prick the bottom with a fork and bake in a static oven preheated to 160°C for about 20 minutes. Let them cool down.
  4. Top the tartlets with custard and strawberries.
    Since no gelatine is used to coat the fruit, eat the tartlets on the same day or the next day at the latest.

Crostatine-di-fragole-gluten-free.blog-uno-chef-per-gaia

Version with gluten of Tartlets with strawberries

Replace the gluten-free flour with an equal amount of standard flour.

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Strawberry cheesecakes

Spring doesn’t just mean milder air and the awakening of nature, it also means the arrival of juicier fruit that precedes summer delights… in short, it means strawberries and Strawberry cheesecakes.

In fact, remember that strawberries are a very diabetes-friendly fruit, having only 5.3g of carbohydrates per 100g of strawberries. And since they are in season and friendly to our needs, also try Ricotta and strawberry cake.

Let’s get to work now!

Strawberry cheesecakes

22.01g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients for the cake

  • 200g gluten-free biscuits**
  • 110g butter
  • 50g Nutella

Ingredients for the mousse

  • 200g strawberries
  • 250g whipping cream
  • 150g cream cheese at room temperature
  • 60g icing sugar*
  • 10g gelatine sheets*
  • 2 tablespoons of milk
  • 1 vanilla pod

Ingredients for the strawberry sauce

  • 250g strawberries

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Place the biscuits with the softened butter in the blender and chop until a rather fine mixture is obtained; complete by adding the Nutella and mixing well with the chopped biscuits.
    Pour the mixture on the bottom of 9 round pastry rings with a diameter of 8cm placed on a tray, levelling well and compacting it with the back of a spoon. Finally, let your bases rest in the refrigerator for half an hour.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare the mousse.
  3. Soak the gelatine in plenty of cold water for at least 10 minutes.
    In a bowl, mix the cheese with the icing sugar with a fork; wash and clean the strawberries, then blend them to a juice and add them to the cheese cream, mixing well.
    In another bowl, whip the cream and add the seeds of the vanilla pod.
    Heat 2 tablespoons of milk in a saucepan without reaching the boil, remove from the heat, add the squeezed gelatine and stir to dissolve it.
  4. When the gelatine mixture has cooled, add it to the cheese cream. Finally, also incorporate the whipped cream and stir gently with a spatula, from the bottom upwards so as not to cause the mixture to go runny. Pour the resulting cream over the biscuit base inside the rings.
    Now put the cheesecakes in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
La preparazione delle cheesecake

Cheesecake preparation

  1. Before serving, set aside some strawberries to use as a garnishing and blend the remaining ones to make a sauce.
    Take the cheesecakes out of the refrigerator, remove the rings and top with the strawberry sauce and a sliced or whole strawberry.
  2. This recipe can also be prepared by replacing sugar in the cream with a sweetener of your choice, e.g. 30-40g agave syrup, thus reducing the amount of carbohydrates.
La cheesecake pronta da gustare

The ready-to-eat cheesecakes

Version with gluten of Strawberry cheesecakes

Replace gluten-free biscuits with standard ones; no other adaptation is needed.

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