Cacio e Pepe Sourdough Crackers

an easy, savory gift ready in less than 30 minutes

It’s cookie central over here, or at least it was until last night when the final tins were packed up just before 11pm. There are still two more batches of cookies to finish. I make gluten-free and dairy-free versions of my Italian Butter Cookies and Italian Rainbow Cookies for one of my best friends. Miyokos butter and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free all purpose flour are equal swaps for the regular butter and flour in both of my recipes.

People often ask me how they taste with those modifications. The doughs are definitely softer and a little lighter which isn’t a bad thing in a cookie. Taste-wise, you’d never know they were dairy and gluten-free unless I told you, which is the gold standard for me in baking with a mind towards allergen-friendly recipes.

I also often get asked if there’s a nut-free substitute for almond paste in my rainbow cookies. I’m not a gambling person but I’d be willing to bet someone has attempted this. I’ve seen recipes that are basically just a cake-like rainbow layered cookie without using any almond paste. It will never taste the same as the original made with almond paste but if you’re allergic to nuts, then you’ve never known what the original rainbow cookies taste like, so it’s probably a moot point. People get really persnickety when it comes to authenticity in recipes.