Sweet Alternative: A Cookbook for Us

Ariana Bundy, who now lives in Paris, was once the Head Pastry Chef at the L.A. Mondrian Hotel and also trained the dessert team in New York's Morgan's Hotel. I guess she can do a mean dessert.

That's good for those of us who are lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, or have dairy allergies, because her new cookbook is Sweet Alternative: More Than 100 Recipes Without Gluten, Dairy and Soy.

The description says:

Sweet Alternative has substitute choices for those who must give up dairy, gluten or soy, without compromising on taste. Using years of research and recipe testing, Ariana Bundy provides 100 mouth-watering cookies, muffins, cakes, ice creams and other irresistible treats all made without dairy, gluten or soy.

Using ingredients such as nut milks, candied peels, fresh fruit purées, and quality chocolate, the author shows how to make vanilla ice cream, chocolate muffins enriched with quinoa, and luscious crème patissiere -- all without gluten.

These recipes are simple and the ingredients are widely available. More than 150 photographs whet the appetite for such dishes as:

• Maple-sweetened Corn Muffins
  
• French Macaroons, and
  
• Silky Smooth Pumpkin Pie.

You can find the book in my Milk-Free Bookstore on the Kids, Parenting and Special Diets page along with other dessert cookbooks that feature dairy or wheat-free recipes.