I’m sure you’ve noticed that as soon as dessert hits the table at a dinner party there are always a few guests, especially of a certain age, who are reaching in their pockets to retrieve pills. There’s a pretty good chance they are taking a medicine to guard against the consequences of lactose intolerance.
Lactose intolerance is an inability to digest and absorb lactose (the sugar in milk) that results in very uncomfortable digestive symptoms. While fairly visible in desserts, many soups (especially “cream” soups or bisques) have cream, milk or sour cream as their base, so it is necessary for the lactose intolerant to inquire about ingredients.
When planning a special dinner that includes lactose intolerant guests, it’s a challenge to create a dairy-free dessert other than the requisite sponge cake, meringue cookies or fruit compote.
Over the years I’ve collected and developed a number of dessert and soup recipes that can be served with pride. Here are a sampling of my favorites that look as wonderful as they taste and are surprisingly easy to make.
Chocolate Drops
Makes about 30
8 egg yolks
1⁄2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla or almond extract
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted
1 cup finely chopped almonds
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
pinch salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a cookie sheet. In a large bowl beat yolks and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add extract. Stir in melted chocolate, almonds, flour and salt. Drop or pipe rounds of batter on prepared cookie sheet, leaving 1 inch between cookies. Bake about 25 minutes or until cookies are crackled and dry.
Hazelnut Jam Slices
Makes about 30
1 1⁄2 cups hazelnuts, finely hopped
1⁄3 cup sugar
1 to 2 egg whites
1 1⁄2 cups jam of choice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet. In a large bowl combine nuts and sugar. Add enough egg white, a little at a time, to bind mixture together into a paste firm enough to be shaped.
Form into a long roll 11⁄2 inches in diameter. Place on prepared baking sheet. With your index finger dipped in water, make a deep trench down the center of the roll. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Meanwhile heat jam until thick and hot.
Upon taking nut roll from oven fill trench with jam. Cool slightly. Loosen from cookie sheet and cut diagonally into 1⁄2-inch slices.
Mushroom-Tomato Soup
Serves 6 to 8
2 Tbs. olive oil
3⁄4 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
4 Tbs. long grain rice
3 cups tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 Tbs. tomato paste
2 tsp. fresh or 1⁄2 tsp. dried tarragon
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
salt and pepper
In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook mushrooms until brown around edges, about 10 minutes. Remove half with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add onion and garlic to mushrooms in pan and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in rice, tomatoes, tomato paste and tarragon. Cook until bubbly. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes. Puree in blender or food processor. Reheat with reserved mushrooms. Salt and pepper and serve.
Louise Fiszer is a Palo Alto cooking teacher, author and the co-author of “Jewish Holiday Cooking.” Her columns alternate with those of Faith Kramer. Questions and recipe ideas can be sent to j. or to [email protected].