Gluten Free French Pastries Now Available

Those with celiac disease and other gluten and wheat sensitivities know that living without can often be difficult. Sometimes, it's for practical reasons such as the threat of gluten based food additives present in many packaged products. But for many with celiac disease the biggest annoyance comes from a desire for certain wheat and gluten based foods that have sentimental meaning or luxury status.

For me, that celiac disease annoyance is French pastries. I grew up constantly eating croissants, pain au chocolat, brioches, palmiers and the like. Now, finally, there's a solution for those unable to consume gluten and wheat.

Valpiform, the lead producer for gluten free products in France is now having their line of pastries imported into the U.S. by a company smartly called I Can Eat It. Their selection includes croissants, pain au chocolat, , brioches, palmiers as well as macaroons, shortbread, madeleines, almond cakes, a line of breads and baguettes and apple turnovers, with more products being added all the time.

Right now these Valpiform products are available through the I Can Eat It shop on Amazon.com, although you can also contact I Can Eat It directly via phone or email to order from their full gluten free product range as Amazon.com only carries a partial selection.

So far, I've tried the gluten free raspberry shortbread biscuits (buttery and flavorful, although slightly dry, which seems like an unfair critique of shortbread), the gluten free croissants (stunning, perfect, amazing -- although best heated) and their gluten free pain au chocolat (very good, but not perfect, but that may be a quirk of mine as I prefer mine not warm, but warm is the way to go with gluten free goods) and the gluten free madeleines, which were so good, and so reminiscent of my childhood, I almost cried.

Prices on these gluten free products from Valpiform can seem high at first. A package of four croissants or pain au chocolat is $8 - $9. However, when you consider the high cost of both gluten free food and French pastries as well as the fact that these are shelf stable and thus you can order enough from Amazon to get free shipping, the price seems reasonable if not downright cheap.

Since I discovered these gluten free products from Valpiform and I Can Eat It, I've directed many of my celiac and wheat free friends to them, and all of them have been shocked and amazed by both their mere existence and their high quality.

If you have celiac disease, I would recommend these as your number one new gluten free product to try. And if you care about a celiac, you may even want to consider these gluten free pastries as a gift item. They're really that shocking for those of us that have been living without.