"Cookies con Amore & GLUTENETTO" My Favorite Expo Item

                                             Glutenetto

I am Italian! So when I had to give up gluten and dairy, I also had to give up so many food traditions and memories. Holiday tables filled with homemade pastries and cookies. When relatives visit in New York they never come empty handed. Usually they would stopped by the local Italian bakery, breathing in the aroma of freshly baked Italian cookies, bread and pastries. 

I have tried to reproduce Italian treats by reworking the recipes so they are gluten-free and dairy-free but they just come out okay. Okay is not good enough considering all the labor that goes into making them. 
So until Sunday, at the Natural Products  Expo West, I just thought that I would never have a chance to taste these delectable treats again.

It was my second and last day at the Expo and we had been there for hours. We were exhausted and ready to leave but decided to go to the 3rd floor where the "newbies" were. Our arms were hurting from carrying the bags filled with flyers, booklets and product and our feet were screaming for relief. We decided to leave. The floor was crowded with people, so we walked around the back of the room. There out of the corner of my eye was 2 beautiful Italian woman surrounded by boxes of outrageous looking Italian cookies.

I look up and was taken back by their sign. It said, "GLUTENETTO CERTIFIED GLUTEN-FREE ITALIAN COOKIES." Being diary-free also, I did not put much hope into the signage. So I asked, "Is there any diary-free cookies also." "YES" they answered. Next question, "Are your cookies baked in a dedicated facility." "YES" they answered.  

I introduced myself to owner Fernanda Capraro of Cookies con Amore and GLUTENETTO. We talked awhile and she gave me 2 types of GF cookies, Pignoli and Ricciarelli . I carefully put them in my bag and took them home. I knew if they were as good as they looked, I wanted to enjoy every bite in the peace and quiet of my home.They were even better then I could have possibly imagined. They melted in my mouth, bursting with memories and flavors I have not had in years.

GLUTENETTO has a variety of CERTIFIED gluten-free cookies, including several that are dairy-free:

For a beautiful description and ingredients, please go to the website.


 Gluten-free and Dairy-free:



Amaretti - almond and macaroon flavor









 
 



Pignoli- Also flavor of almond and macaroon with pine nuts

Ricciarelli- Tuscan wedding cake style

Noninne - Lemon zest flavor









 

Rigenette - Sesame and lemon flavor with orange zest









 
Polentine - Made with corn flour and raspberry jam

Cuccidate Fig -Fig

Raspberry Linzer- shortbread cookies with raspberry jam