Gluten Free Italian Baking

This is a live, interactive, hands-on cooking class held online via Zoom. See our event policies at the bottom of this webpage.

There is so much in Italian cuisine that is naturally free of gluten and that includes desserts! Viola Buitoni, our resident Italian instructor dug into her bag of desserts and found cookies, cakes, custards. These recipes are accessible to all skill levels (no need to be a baking show champion!) and cover a range of techniques, flavors, and textures. First, you'll bake a custard using only 3 ingredients (but can be tailored to every season and taste). Next, a dense torte structured by almond and enhanced by the wintry smokiness of buckwheat, paired with ripe pears. Lastly, you'll make a soft amaretti adorned with orange (if you're unfamiliar with amaretti, imagine the Italian version of macaroons). There is something for everyone in this class!

MENU

Crema cotta con fichi e cioccolato fuso - Baked custard with figs and dark chocolate

Torta di mandorle e grano saraceno alle pere - Almond and buckwheat torte with pears

Amaretti morbidi alle nocciole e scorzette - Soft hazelnut amaretti with candied orange peel

Equipment and Ingredient List for this class can be found here.

This menu contains the following common allergens: Egg, Tree Nuts, Dairy. If you have allergies or dietary restrictions that concern your ability to cook along, please e-mail info@18reasons.org before purchasing a ticket.

If you’re new to 18 Reasons Online, please read this guide: How to Take an Online Class at 18 Reasons. Five calendar days before class, 18 Reasons may decide to cancel this class if not enough tickets are sold. We will notify registrants by email about cancellations.

Viola Buitoni, chef instructor and food writer, was born in Rome and raised in Perugia, Italy. With stories and knowledge from six generations, her dishes cross the best of California agriculture with the finest Italian food imports. After moving to the US to attend NYU, Viola started Buitoni & Garretti, a catering kitchen and Italian fine foods shop in New York City. She later moved to San Francisco where she began lecturing and teaching Italian food tradition workshops at the SF Italian Cultural Institute and Italian Consulate. She teaches Italian cooking at 18 Reasons, The Civic Kitchen, and Milk Street year-round, and at the Puglia Culinary Center in the summer. In October of 2021, she will lead an immersive fall foraging workshop in Le Marche. She is a regular contributor to La Cucina Italiana US. She lives in the Mission District with her husband, son and tiny dog.

_{Photo credit: Viola Buitoni}