A lot of people have found that they must follow a gluten-free diet and it has inhibited what they can eat. After too many years of bland tasting foods in this category, author Nicole Spiridakis has come up with a collection of 75 recipes for naturally gluten-free desserts using a wide range of non-wheat flours to finesse the balance between decadent and dietary. These tasty recipes avoid complicated alternate flour mixes and hard-to-find “gums.”

Each one is delicious and can be served to all your guests who won’t know the difference. EatDrinkFilms is pleased to present two examples from her new book “flourless.”

Nicole Spiridakis will be appearing at Omnivore Books -3885 Cesar Chavez, San Francisco, this Sunday, August 17, from 3-4 PM. If you cannot make it Omnivore can take your order for an autographed copy.

photos by John Lee

Oatmeal–Chocolate Chip Cookies

MAKES 24 COOKIES

Oats whirled with peanut butter seems almost as natural a combination as peanut butter and chocolate, and indeed the addition of chocolate chips here sends these cookies into the realm of the sublime.  Though it’s difficult not to eat them as soon as they come out of the oven, when cooled completely these cookies make great, sturdy cookies for ice cream sandwiches, particularly with vanilla ice cream.

1⁄4 cup/55 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup/255 g creamy peanut butter
3⁄4 cup/140 g packed light or dark brown sugar
1⁄2 cup/100 g granulated sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
11⁄2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 cups/255 g rolled oats
11⁄2 cups/255 g milk chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the butter, peanut butter, and both sugars on medium-high speed. Add the eggs, baking soda, and vanilla and beat well to combine. Fold in the oats
and chocolate chips and stir until incorporated.

Using a small scoop or a teaspoon, scoop out balls of dough and drop them on the prepared baking sheets about 2 in/5 cm apart.

Bake until the cookies are lightly browned, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Photo by John Lee

Pumpkin Bread

SERVES 10

For this lightly sweetened, maple-scented loaf, scattering sliced almonds or pumpkin seeds across the top of the batter makes for a nice presentation and adds a welcome, extra layer of texture. It’s a luscious late-morning snack, topped with melted butter, or partner to tea in the afternoon, especially on cool, windy fall days.

2/3 cup/170 g pumpkin purée
1 cup/120 g ground almonds
1⁄2 cup/120 ml maple syrup
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1⁄2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1⁄4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1⁄4 cup/30 g chopped walnuts (optional)
1⁄4 cup/45 g semisweet chocolate chips (optional)
1⁄4 cup/25 g sliced almonds

Heat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Grease a 9-by-5-in/23-by-13-cm loaf pan with vegetable oil.

Combine the pumpkin purée, ground almonds, maple syrup, eggs, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, salt, and baking soda together in a medium bowl, and stir well until a smooth batter forms. Stir in the chopped walnuts and chocolate chips (if using). Pour the batter into the prepared pan and scatter the sliced almonds evenly over the top.

Bake until the loaf is puffed and slightly browned and a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Store tightly wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 1 week.