A gluten-free recommendation from Georgi Page-Smith, who reports on GF products for THE NIBBLE.

One of the perks of my gluten-free lifestyle is the license I give myself to eat limitless quantities of cheese.

Years ago I indulged my cheese cravings with perhaps the best cheese crackers ever to exist (including Cheez-Its): Gluten Free Cheddar Snackers, by The Grainless Baker.

These crackers were unabashedly rich and cheesy, with just the right melt-in-your-mouth crumb. I purchased them in bulk from a local store until they were discontinued by the store; then I stalked them online.

One day in 2011 the crackers disappeared completely. I searched, I Googled…and I found the Grainless Baker website. It said that the company had recently joined forces with The Gluten Free Food Group and would be replacing their old products with a new gluten-free product line under a new brand name, Three Bakers.

I joined their Facebook community and waited to hear about the rollout. I think I even wrote a sad note “beg-couraging” them to not change their Cheddar Snackers formula. And then I cold-stored the information in a mental box with other sad things and doubled-down on my brie consumption.

Recently, however, these crackers drifted into my mind again and I went to check their Facebook page for an update. The page was defunct and a cheerful selection of Snackers were now available from the Three Bakers website!

I swung into action and within days, four bags of Snackers—Cheddar, Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chocolate Chip and Honey Graham flavors—arrived at my doorstep. That was Friday. As of this Sunday’s writing there is about one-quarter of one of the bags left. They were that good.

Four Flavors, Cheesy Or Sweet

The Cheddar Snackers, though not as intense and decadent an experience as the originals, are incredibly good. The flavor is authentic tangy-and-toasty cheese, and they are quite light, delivering more flavor than you would expect in such a small package. The only downside on these was the texture, which was slightly more brittle than the other Snackers.

Use them as dippers, as croutons on salad or chili (photo #1), in a crust for apple pie or pot pie, as a garnish on mac and cheese, or as a snack with apple wedges.

The Chocolate Chip Snackers, with only 4 grams of sugar and 90 calories per 1 ounce serving, were simply scrumptious, with a gently dissolving crumb that quickly delivers the flavor to every part of your mouth. Best of all they are not too sweet, with no cloying aftertaste!

[2] Time for dessert: chocolate chip snackers with ice cream (photo courtesy Gluten Free Palate.

[3] Just plain snacking (photo courtesy Gluten Free Palate).

The Honey Graham Snackers deliver a very tasty, roasty flavor— again, with a gorgeous texture. These would also be fantastic on an ice cream sundae (photo #2), or crushed up to use in a crust. I was also impressed with the low sugar level, at 1 gram per 1 ounce serving, it made it that much easier to eat the whole bag.

All Three Bakers’ Snackers are Ccrtified gluten-free by the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) and are made with non-GMO ingredients. The whole grains provide a source of fiber and the low sugar and salt mean that you can feel good about serving them to kids.

Three Bakers also produces gluten-free breads, buns, pizzas and more. The products are available across the country; here’s a store locator.

For more information head to ThreeBakers.com.

—Georgi Page-Smith
  

[1] Faludeh with a sour cherry topping at The Persian Fusion.

[2] A squeeze of fresh lime juice blances the sweetness of the sobet (photo courtesy Tishineh, a site for Irani tourism).

[3] A “sundae” of faludeh combined with saffron ice cream (bastani in Arabic; photo courtesy Fun Love And Cooking). The combination of flavors is called makhloot.

[4] An elegant update. Here’s the recipe from Tasting Table.

We couldn’t believe how good it was—as is everything at Mashti Malone. Transliterated from the Arabic, you may also see it spelled faludeh or faloodeh, and also falude or palude.

A sidebar: The Mashti Malone ice cream shop is owned by Mashti and Mehdi Shirvani, two brothers from the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad. In 1980, Mashti bought an ice cream shop called Mugsy Malone on the corner of La Brea and Sunset in Hollywood. Because he had little money left over for a new sign, he simply replaced “Mugsy” with “Mashti,” and a legend was born.

The recipe to make your own faludeh is below, as is the history of faludeh.
 
 
WHAT IS FALUDEH

Faludeh is one of the earliest known frozen desserts; it has been dated to ca. 400 B.C.E. in Persia. Flavored with rose syrup, which also delivers a flowery scent, it’s a cross between shaved ice or granita, and sorbet.

Raw angel hair or vermicelli noodles, made from rice starch or cornflour and water, are mixed in. The result: a unique frozen dessert and sensory eating experience.

We’ve had Asian and Middle Eastern ice cream flavors before, but the rosewater sorbet is a truly refreshing experience. The sorbet melts on the tongue, leaving the al dente rice starch noodles to crunch.

Unusual as it may sound, the noodles provides are so delightful that you may try adding them to other granita and sorbet flavors.

In its region of origin, it is a favorite dessert and party food.

 
Mashti Malone also makes saffron ice cream, and it is divine. Field trip, anyone?
 
 
MAKING FALUDEH

We tried a few different recipes in preparation for this article. The recipe below is a hybrid, taking what has worked for us to attain the best flavor with the simplest technique.

Serve it in a bowl, on a plate, in a coupe or Martini glass.

These days, faludeh can easily be made into granita; but we think that churning it into a smooth sorbet makes it even more magnificent.

The rose water and rose syrup purchased for the occasion also are delicious enhancements to vanilla ice cream.

In addition to refreshing yourself in the heat of the summer, also make faludeh on Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. It is, in essence, edible roses.
 

This recipe is granita-style, for those who don’t have an ice cream maker.

If for some reason you don’t want to use noodles, you can substitute pistachio nuts or just enjoy the rose granita plain.

If you’re a kitchen over-achiever, here are recipes to make your own rice starch noodles and cherry syrup.

Ingredients For 4 Servings

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the rose water. Set aside and let the syrup cool completely.

2. PLACE the noodles in a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water and let stand until soft, about five minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Cut or tear noodles into two-inch pieces. Next time, if wish, you can try longer noodles. When softened, drain.

3. PLACE the noodles and syrup in a shallow pan or metal ice cube tray (anything that works for granita) and place it in the freezer for an hour. Then remove it, stir it with a fork and return to the freezer for another hour.

4. RAKE the granita with a fork, and return to the freezer until the desired consistency is reached, about one to three hours. To serve…

5. RAKE with a fork (like granita), and scoop the faludeh into bowls. Garnish as desired and serve with fresh lime juice or lime wedges.

Faludeh is originally from Shiraz in southwestern Persia/Iran, known as the city of poets, literature, wine, and flowers. The dessert is is also known as Shirazi Paludeh.

Faludeh is one of the earliest forms of frozen desserts, with references found as early as 400 B.C.E.. At that time, ice was brought down from the mountains and stored in tall refrigerated buildings called yakhchals, which were kept cool by windcatchers.

The recipe for faludeh was brought to the Indian subcontinent during the Mughal period, the 16th to 18th centuries. Their cooks adapted it into a cold dessert beverage called falooda.
 
 
The History Of Sorbet

A brief history of ice cream and its predecessor, frozen fruit juice (sorbet), begins around 2000 B.C.E. Around 4,000 years ago, the Chinese elite enjoyed a frozen dessert. The earliest may have been a frozen syrup, mixed with overcooked rice and spices, and packed in snow to harden.

Later, a mixture of snow and saltpeter was poured over the exteriors of containers filled with syrup. In the same way that salt raises the boiling point of water, it lowers the freezing point to below zero.

Fruit ices were also developed, prepared with fruit juices, honey, and aromatic spices. Through trade routes, frozen desserts were introduced to the Persians about 2,500 years ago.

(The Persian Empire includes the countries now known as Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and portions of western China and northern Iraq.)

The Persians drank syrups cooled with snow called sharbat (“fruit ice” in Arabic, and the derivation of sherbet, sorbet, and sorbetto). Alternatively, you can envision fruit syrups poured over a dish of snow.

The Macedonian king Alexander III (Alexander the Great) battled the Persians for 10 years before finally toppling the Persian Empire in 330 B.C.E.

In Persia, he discovered fruit “ices” sweetened with honey and chilled with snow, and brought the concept back to Greece—although the early form of faludeh he knew probably had no noodles.

Three centuries later, Roman Emperor Nero’s famous banquets always included fruit juices mixed with honey and snow. At that point, it was granita, roughly-shaved ice. Italian granita was born, flavored with fresh citrus, a wide range of fruits, and coffee. The Italian cooks left out the noodles.

As technology improved, smooth sorbet emerged in Renaissance Italy.

And the rest is sweet, sweet history (photo #7).

Back to faludeh:

Around the same time, during the Mughal Empire in 1526-1540, faludeh traveled to India with Muslim merchants who settled there.

[6] Rice sticks (rice vermicelli) can be found in the Asian products aisle or online. You can similarly find rose water and sour cherry syrup.

[7] Modern blood orange sorbet with thyme (photo © The Circus Gardener [now closed]).

Modern falooda is often topped off with a scoop of ice cream.

By the way, both sorbetto/sharbat and pasta arrived in Italy with the Arab invasions of Sicily, in the 8th century (the Marco Polo story is a myth—see the history of pasta).

Here’s more on the history of ice cream and other frozen desserts.
 
 

[2] Organic stone fruits—nectarines, peaches and plums—from Frog Hollow Farm. They ship!

Part of our paean to summer’s stone fruits, our tip on easy fruit tarts and our recommendation of summer fruit salads with fresh cheese, is another seasonal special:

Grilled stone fruits with ricotta cheese.

Use any stone fruit large enough to grill, unless you have a grilling basket or pan. If you do have one, apricots and cherries are splendid in this recipe. You can use avocado as well, or mix the types of fruit.

Peaches and nectarines are the right size to be grilled.

 
 
RECIPE: GRILLED PEACHES OR NECTARINES WITH RICOTTA

Ingredients For 6 Or 12 Servings

Stone fruits and ricotta are a marriage made in heaven. This recipe takes just 15 minutes from grill to plate.

Ricotta is a mild cheese that welcomes both sweet and savory garnishes: a drizzle of honey, a grind of fresh, pepper, and/or flaky salt for a bit of crunch. You can also add raisins, nuts and/or seeds.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the grill to medium-high heat. Toss the peaches with enough olive oil to coat, and season with sea salt or flavored salt.

3. REMOVE the peaches from the pan, let cool, and serve with a generous dollop of fresh ricotta. Top with a drizzle of honey and pinch of flaky salt. Have a peppermill on the table for those who want an added layer of flavor.

4. GARNISH as desired, with a pinch of microgreens atop each peach.
 
  

A couple of days ago, we presented peach drinks with alcohol. Today, we have a favorite recipe for all, peach iced tea.

You can make this recipe anytime with frozen peaches; but there is nothing better than puréeing ripe, luscious summer peaches.

Keep an eye out for “specials” at the store: peaches have achieved peak ripeness and need to be moved out. Not only are they the best-priced; they’re the best tasting for this recipe.

The ripest peaches are the sweetest, too, cutting down on the amount of added refined sugar needed.

Regarding sweeteners: We personally prefer iced tea and coffee without sugar or other sweetener. Others people avoid added sugar entirely.

Depending on your crowd, you may want to make a second, unsweetened, pitcher and provide noncaloric sweeteners.

We adapted this recipe from Jen Pullman, a registered dietitian who creates healthful recipes at Nourished Simply.com. She used green tea in the recipe; substitute black tea if you prefer.

Prep time is 15 minutes, plus chilling. And our ongoing tip: Make green tea ice cubes so you don’t dilute the drink. You can also use peach-flavored club soda instead of plain water ice cubes.
 
 
RECIPE: PEACH ICED TEA

Ingredients For 12 Glasses

 
For Cocktails

You can set out spirits next to the pitcher of iced tea, and let people add their own:

[2] Organic peaches from California’s Frog Hollow Farm.

*You can also use honey or stevia. Because agave is twice as sweet as sugar, use half as much.
 
Preparation

1. BRING 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add to a pitcher with the tea bags and steep for 5 minutes (not longer, or the tea will get bitter). Let the tea cool to room temperature, then place into the refrigerator to chill.

2. PEEL and slice the peaches, and place peach in a food processor; purée. Pour the purée through a strainer. Add the strained peaches and simple syrup into the tea pitcher and stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

3. SERVE over ice and garnish as desired.

[2] You can use any glass you like. Collins glasses are sturdier, but wine glasses are elegant (photo courtesy Carrabbas Italian Grill).

[3] A Peacharita, with a birds-eye chile garnish (photo courtesy Peninsula Hotel | New York).

As you enjoy summer’s juicy fresh peaches—and peach cobbler, peach ice cream, peach pie, peach salsa and other peachy things to eat—don’t forget peachy things to drink.

You can make a Peacharita—peach schnapps replacing the Cointreau in a Margarita (photo #3). Here’s the recipe.

But don’t overlook peach sangria and peach coolers. Recipes follow.
 
 
RECIPE #1: PEACH SANGRIA WITH SCHNAPPS (Photo #2)

Ingredients For 6-8 Servings

 
Preparation

1. PLACE the peaches and other fruit in a pitcher, and add liqueur and wine. Stir. When ready to serve…

2. POUR the sangria into glasses; make sure each glass has a nice amount of fruit. Top off with the carbonated beverage; stir gently as desired.
 
 
RECIPE #2: PEACH SANGRIA WITH PEACH VODKA

Prep time is 10 minutes, chilling time is 2+ hours. Adapted from All Recipes.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the first four ingredients in a large pitcher. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add the fruit.

2. REFRIGERATE at least 2 hours or overnight, to allow the flavors to blend.

3. SERVE over ice, and use a slotted spoon to include peaches and grapes with each serving.
 
 
SANGRIA TIPS

You are the master of your sangria.

 
 
RECIPE #3: PEACH WINE COOLER (Photo #1)

Thanks to Sparkling Ice—makers of zero-calorie sparkling water in 13 flavors—for this recipe.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PLACE the peaches, oranges and brandy in a pitcher, and lightly muddle. Add the wine and the Peach Sparkling Ice and stir.

2. SERVE over ice and garnish with a peach slice.